What's got us excited, tearful and green with envy? Check out our latest thoughts in the GRR blog. http://www.greenroomretail.com/blog_rss.php Window shopping has been a popular pastime since stores began But with the focus on profitability being stronger than ever its vital that retail displays are effective enough to tempt the customer into the store to spend some of their hard earned cashA common mistake is for a business owner to base a retail design on their own personal taste Its important to remember that your own taste might not reflect anyone elses The first thing that should come to mind when planning a retail design is the customer what they want from a store and what will encourage them to buy For example making a store appear bigger than it actually is will make the customers believe theyre having a relaxed and pleasurable shopping experience It can be a good idea to survey potential customers in order for the store to exactly meet their needsThe window display should reflect exactly the ethos of the store Introduce exciting attentiongrabbing elements such as moving video which will catch the customers eye when they walk past The window should be the showcase for the stores flagship products Use props and effective lighting to show the products at their very best It should impress itself onto the mind of a customer while relating to them at the same timeA retail design firm can help you make the most of your space After all when it comes to increasing profitability the way they are displayed is almost as important as the products themselves http://www.greenroomretail.com/blog.php?id=104 104 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 09:00:00 +0100 The first thought of a prospective retailer is what their store will stock Its necessary to have a range of items that will entice the customer while keeping the stock at a price that will encourage them to buy But the placement of this stock is equally important Retail design should be attractive while emphasising the items that will generate the largest profit This requires a lot of thought and planningThe choice of colours is essential when planning a retail design It should effectively reflect the brand whilst also attracting customers Colours can also have some psychological effects For example its thought that red black blue or orange encourages impulse buys while considered purchases are better suited to pink light blue and navyThe location of items within a store is also vital Small items that are most likely to be purchased on impulse are best place near the checkout while featured items should be placed near windows or doors to encourage customers to come in Related products should also be placed near each other for example a coffee table could be placed next to a sofa in a furniture storeThe most important thing to consider when planning a retail display is the customer The most effective retail displays not only look attractive but also effectively meets the customers wants and needs http://www.greenroomretail.com/blog.php?id=103 103 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 09:00:00 +0100 In these economically difficult times retailers are looking for more and more way to increase profitability An excellent to grab customers' attention and make a little extra money on the way is by utilising point of sale display This can be as simple as having a poster by the checkout advertising a new product but more often than not products are sold on point of sale display standsA point of sale or point of purchase display stand is a unit place near to the checkout in a store They are intended to attract the customer into making an impulse purchase when theyre paying for their goods They can be used for small inexpensive items that need no consideration over purchasing or larger items that the outlet wishes to showcase such as products that may be on special offerPoint of purchase displays should showcase items that a customer doesn't even realise they need until they see them in a display It's commonplace for point of sale display stands to showcase items that are related to ones that are sold in a store for example a bookshop may have bookmarks pens or notebooks at their point of saleA retailer should think about what their customers want or need when ordering a point of sale display stand This will guarantee a steady flow of income from impulse purchases An effective point of sale display stand will be unable to be ignored by customers and give the retailer the success they deserve http://www.greenroomretail.com/blog.php?id=102 102 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:00:00 +0100 The design of retail outlets has become almost as important as the products sold within them Gone are the days where retailers try to cram as much as they can into an already crowded store Today stores need look more like art galleries than shops with customers demanding a cleaner more uncluttered shopping experience Just like fashion there are trends that emerge in retail designWith the popularity of online shopping rising year on year retail designers are increasingly looking to the Internet for inspiration Rather than merely selling a product retailers are progressively more looking to sell a lifestyle hence the growing popularity of the in store widget Online widgets are hubs that provide additional usage to a website In store they offer the same service They offer addedvalue services beyond what is offered in the store For example a shop selling fitness supplies may offer instore yoga classesStores are becoming aspirational to an increasing extent with customers wanting stores to reflect the lifestyle that they would like Neat stylish retail design layouts are becoming preferable mirroring peoples ideal homes and giving a feeling of exclusivity Retail outlets are becoming increasingly socially conscious listening and reacting to the zeitgeist Stores may draw inspiration from current fashion music or movie trends providing a desirable and aspirational experienceWith so much competition from the Internet retail design and retail displays are becoming more important than ever For retailers a forward thinking trend setting retail design firm is turning out to be a necessity http://www.greenroomretail.com/blog.php?id=101 101 Thu, 9 Sep 2010 09:00:00 +0100 Were living in a shortattentionspan culture The omnipresence of the Internet and the media has made us accustomed to information when or where ever we want it New products fall out of fashion faster than we can cognise Pop up shops epitomise this ethosFundamentally pop up shops are temporary retail outlets They either occupy empty retail spaces for a short period or housed in an impermanent construction such as a tent or trailer The temporary nature of them allow for a substantial buzz to build around them In these times of recession pop up shops are ideally for new startup businesses wishing to increase exposure through point of purchase methodologies They require less commitment and initial investment as permanent retail outlets while still helping to create a customer base and build publicity More established retailers have also embraced the trend They can be used as a way to intensify hype around a new product or service often using pop up shops to promote and sell limited edition items Although they require much less outlay than a permanent space retail design is an essential element of pop up shops It is essential that they are well designed eyecatching and unique as a nod to their fast fashion sensibilities They should also be permanent looking and customer friendly Its essential that customers and clients feel secure in the products that they are investing inPop up shops are becoming a high street staple In this high speed world this is a trend you should jump onto if you want to keep up http://www.greenroomretail.com/blog.php?id=100 100 Thu, 2 Sep 2010 09:00:00 +0100 Retail design is not a science But there are certainly a number of experimental psychologies at work when we create a retail display conceptExercises in environmental psychology have produced some interesting results For example the side of the road we drive on seems to dictate our directional habits in a shop environment British people turn left Americans turn right The psychology of product position in retail design is relatively easy to explain Supermarkets place the popular household essentials at the back of the store compelling customers to walk past the less popular items to get there Research suggests that around 50 of supermarket sales are impulse purchases and that figure would arguably be much lower were the popular items next to the entranceAside from the psychological issues of spacing colour is one of the most prevalent and interesting conceptions to get our heads around Although not a new theory generally in terms of retail design the use of colour as a shopfloor marketing weapon is rather in its infancyOur instinctive reactions to colours help designers to create and direct us around shop environments eg red means go green means stop to put it bluntly VIPs relax in green rooms because our brain tells us that green is relaxing Children respond to bold primary colours best because theyre still forming their colour reactionsBy identifying the emotions and feelings associated with particular colours their tones and shades etc feelings of calm excitement intimacy and so on can be evoked We understand that creating strong and efficient colour associations requires the use of every surface to convey your brand message http://www.greenroomretail.com/blog.php?id=99 99 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:00:00 +0100 No tactical retail displays have had more success than perhaps the humble mannequin Earlier than the 1700s mannequins of some type have been displaying the clothes of kings queens and their tailorsMannequins simply serve as replicas of human beings The intent of any mannequin is mainly to demonstrate to any potential customers the appeal of the product The idea being that consequently he or she can visualise their own use of the product more easily enter the shop and buy itPossibly the real turning point in history for the mannequin was the invention of plate glass more than a hundred years ago Suddenly a whole new plethora of marketing opportunities were made possible with the birth of the shop front window and subsequently the window retail displays Mannequins communicate to customers the atmosphere and attitude of your shop People tend connect with them in a positive way opening a channel of communication person to person by mimicking the subtle or obvious! body language signs we all interact with on a daily basisIn recent years the size zero controversy has led to much more emotionally ethical mannequin use in larger more realistic sizes Were wellinformed in this regard and take such matters very seriouslyMannequins neednt be used exclusively in clothing shops We find that they can be creatively installed in pretty much any part of the retail design environment with positive results Point of sale displays especially enable customers to get up close With the incredible range of materials textures styles body parts and species yes we said species available the retail design potential is immense http://www.greenroomretail.com/blog.php?id=98 98 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:00:00 +0100 Advertising and marketing are two very different beasts In simple terms:Buy my lemons! Thats advertisingBuy my lemons regularly and I promise theyll be the freshest every time! Thats marketingWe understand that advertising will get your customers into the shop but marketing will turn them into loyal shoppers Our retail displays function to best compliment your marketing objectives and increase both your revenue and loyal consumer basePerhaps one of the starkest differences in response to retail design is between the genders In studies the world over women come out on top as wanderers and impulse buyers Men tend to know what they want before entering a shop and strive to spend an average of twenty minutes at most fulfilling their purchase needs Quite simply men and women tend to have very different product requirementsIn a distant past before the gender lines blurred and it became acceptable for men to buy skincare products and women to shop for power tools marketing was clearly aimed at a particular gender Historically women prefer to see their products in a contextual environment For example a clothing summer beachwear collection displayed in a retail display inspired by the beach Whilst conversely men tend to go for plain simple retail displays that place function above attractive retail designThe shopping habits of the genders are more indistinct than ever nowadays And thats where our wellhoned eye can provide you with retail display stands that transcends traditional stereotypes of what men and women want http://www.greenroomretail.com/blog.php?id=97 97 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:00:00 +0100 When a period of economic downturn strikes the general consensus is to stick to what you know in terms of business and retail design Whether its buying vegetables from a local market trader you trust buying a house from a tried and tested agent or choosing a new mobile phone provider the message is clear strong brand identity will out! During Americas Great Depression of the 1930s many people were so short on money that they relied heavily on store credit In return for credit during tighter times the customers offered their loyalty to the store A similar symbiotic relationship is still possible today Taking good care of your customers 100 of the time will keep them returning to you in both fruitful and rough times During hard times it's not enough to simply expand marketing efforts and increase advertising with point of sale display units However these are important tools during times of recession or financial instability to retain and expand your customer base The most noteworthy message is one of kept promises Your brand promise must be kept or your customers will be gone At Green Room Retail we thoroughly understand the relationship between successful retail design meeting the customers needs enhancing brand promise and identity and subsequently maintaining a lasting relationship between you and your customers For example a blatantly showy retail atmosphere during times of financial uncertainty can seem either comforting to a customer or conversely an insulting splash of cash One of the keys to our success is a winning talent for reading the general mood of your potential customers and creating spaces that suit everyone http://www.greenroomretail.com/blog.php?id=96 96 Mon, 9 Aug 2010 09:00:00 +0100 As wonderful as it would be visual merchandising is not a science perhaps an art form but definitely not a science To this end its experience that counts Experience in knowing when to observe the rules bend them or break themGreen Room Retail can offer you a fantastic wealth of experience to put to good use planning your retail displays We understand the art and gutinstinct involved in creating retail displays including colour lighting sense of smell touch and sound etc With the internet retail market as strong as it is its even more important to play to the advantage of being able to create a real world atmosphere The advantages of pop up shops in a shop area to new or expanding businesses are well documented the steady flow of foot traffic new customers who may not have considered the brand less financial risk more potential to throw the brand blanket over a wider area etc But what are the advantages and disadvantages of the shop in shop in terms of visual merchandising? A clear disadvantage is the limits placed upon retail design by the physical space For example a small are of a department store may not provide the same scope for visual impact as a standalone shop At Green Room Retail we have a real aptitude for making the most out of every type of space!A great advantage is the removal of many issues concerning basic layout and decoration eg basic lighting flooring etc Removing the peripherals can be a fantastic way to focus principally on the visual art side of things and really maximise the point of purchase design http://www.greenroomretail.com/blog.php?id=95 95 Mon, 2 Aug 2010 09:00:00 +0100