Show and Tell

“Smart visual merchandising can actually help augment sales.”

    Where do most women turn to for their fashion inspiration these days—celebrities, fashion magazines, ads? Surprisingly, the answer is a good deal closer to home—as in the local mall, whether it’s located in Amarillo, Tex., or Woodbridge, N.J. 

    According to the latest Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor™ data, 64.7% of women say they look to store displays for their apparel inspiration, an increase of 8.7 points. Second only to clothing that women already owned, store displays also scored higher than fashion magazines and commercials (each at 45.2%). And according to the survey, Hollywood stars may have finally lost their luster; they rated only 20%. 

    In addition, Monitor results show that 40.8% of women spend 1-2 hours in stores, on average, when shopping for clothing, up 5.8 points over last year.

    Just how important is a well-thought-out store display? Many industry observers believe that good displays are essential to good business, contributing more to the bottom line than most retailers realize.

    “Really good merchandise presentation is at least as much an educational tool as an esthetic tool,” says Barbara Ashley, president of Retail Ventures Inc., a Manhattan-based consulting firm. “A lot of stores have cut back significantly on their visual merchandising efforts, not understanding how smart visual merchandising can actually help augment sales. It can demonstrate a variety of ways that products can be combined and worn, to help the customer understand and imagine the possibilities.”

    “A well-planned display educates customers,” affirms Philip Rotter, a store designer whose clients include J. Jill and Federated. “It should introduce them to new combinations or concepts, while also creating interest.” 

    Designer Eileen Fisher is known for her easy to understand wardrobing system, where items easily coordinate with one another and key shapes remain in the line from year to year. Despite the simplicity of her system, she admits that she finds the challenge to create compelling displays a “constant struggle,” but one that’s worth the effort to keep her customers informed—and inspired. 

    “We’ll display the foundation of the line, and then we’ll have a little picture above that area, so that women can see how the various shapes look on a body,” Fisher relates. “And we often feature a particular shape, so we’ll put three of the same tops and skirts in the window, so customers really get the shape message. 

    “We have all different ways of combining things,” she adds. “We’ll have an item on display, and then right next to it, we’ll show customers how that skirt works with a different top or cardigan, or how that top works with different color or texture combinations.”

    If the store displays at JC Penney seem more focused and attractive lately, it’s no accident. The 1,100-store chain recently overhauled its merchandising system and centralized its buying operation, leaving the head office to decide the look of the stores. 

    As a result, women’s apparel, the first area to undergo these changes, is clutter-free and easier for shoppers to navigate. Once grouped by brand, the department is now organized by product, so that all jeans are grouped together, as well as all shirts and sweaters. 

    “We concentrate on making sure that we provide our customers with a vibrant and energized store environment that’s easy to shop,” says Chuck Foughty, director of store environments for JC Penney. “Classification merchandising has allowed us to narrow our assortments and make more powerful product statements. It also makes the store easier to shop, and easier for our associates to stock. 

    “Last year we focused on removing clutter from the stores, this year we have reduced duplication,” he adds. “As an example, this year we’ve reduced the breadth of our assortments. We’ve also focused on key item identification, promotion and strong presentation. And wardrobe hangers are used to create ‘outfits’ throughout the area to provide quick fashion ideas.” 

    At Eddie Bauer, recent merchandising and display changes reflect the store’s new focus on outfitting and wardrobing, rather than simply providing customers with basics. “In our stores today, you’ll see more emphasis on display, more romancing of the products,” says Chris Harris, creative director, visual presentation, apparel, for Eddie Bauer. “The graphics, the window displays are more important now, and we change them every three to four weeks.”

    The company’s new store design, currently on view in just a handful of its 400 locations, segments different collections, such as velvet or denim, into shops, through the use of architectural details and built-in fixtures. 

    Graphics, too, are also playing a larger role at Eddie Bauer stores. “Our marketing department shot a holiday piece that shows you more outfit options on real people,” says Harris. “In the past, if we had graphics, they were more tight portrait shots. Now we feature more full-body shots, more group shots, and more mixed-gender shots. We show more top to bottom, because we have everything from shoes to outerwear.” 
Of course, before a store can wow shoppers with its interior displays, it’s got to entice them in first. And that, says store designer Rotter, is where effective window displays come in. “Generally, a window needs to have something that will capture your attention, but at the same time create some intrigue—enough, hopefully, to make you walk through the door,” he relates.  

    Windows are a retailer’s first, and best, opportunity to communicate to shoppers what the store is about, and who its customers are—something that is especially significant today. Says Rotter, “Particularly when you’ve got such similarity from one product to the next, it becomes even more important that the windows become a special focal point.”