Design Differentiators

By: Tim Malone

One of the most effective investments any retailer can make is in their graphics; everything from business cards to outside signage to a web site and advertising materials.

In general, outside signs last longer and provide more exposures and return on investment than any other marketing investment retailers will make. Consider how outside signage needs to attract attention from viewers time and time again. Those signs that command attention from regular travelers are examples of design differentiators.

Business cards and web sites are other examples of design that customers can use to gain a preference towards one retailer over another. When was the last time you received a compliment from a customer regarding your graphics? What should that tell you?

A focal point is another approach to a design differentiator. Every display should have a focal point which is that area that is designed to attract a viewer’s eye and attention when they first make visual contact with the composition. Traditionally, the focal point is somewhere in the center grid area of a display. Every display should have areas of emphasis in addition to a focal point that compete for the viewer’s interest. When done effectively, a designer can predetermine how a shopper’s eye will travel throughout a display. Displays that lack a focal point are easily dismissed because they typically not very exciting to shoppers.

The use of color is a design differentiator. Too often retail jewelers use neutral colors in their store environments and miss the opportunity to send a unique message to shoppers. Close your eyes and imagine your store. What color do you see? If you can’t see a color just imagine how bland your store might feel to shoppers. Of course, the jewelry needs to be the main accent, but that does not mean that color cannot be used to create an exciting store environment. Do you paint accent walls to add to the interest of the store’s atmosphere and architecture? Do you use a theme color in your brand graphics? Why not carry it over or use it to create more interest through a contrast with another color? Color can be a design differentiator because it can very effectively elicit emotional responses in shoppers. Many jewelry purchases are emotional purchases. Color can change how we feel. Why not use color to help initiate emotional states in store shoppers?

Selection can be a design differentiator. Jewelry shoppers are influenced by the selection of items within a specific category of products. Having variations a popular design of jewelry can be an effective differentiator. Consider how a differentiated listing of a particular design of product with the right style, right quality and right price generates so many sales.

Having the right design of product is an effective design differentiator. What other means of design differentiation does your store use to create a competitive advantage? What other points of differentiation besides design do you use to gain the preference of your customers?

Our Tip of the Month

For the newcomers retailer friends of our group, you can follow our "Tip of the month" articles @ http://www.britsmadesigngroup.com/tipofthemonth.htm

BRITSMA Design Group Ltd. - Retail Success by Design: End of the dark days. Be prepared.

Britsma Design Group - Retail Success by Design: End of the dark days. Be prepared.

End of the dark days. Be prepared.

Recovery of the economy and consumer spending is on track as predicted last October 2009! Retailers must continue store update/revamp in order to catch on part of the action. You snooze, you loose.

Retailers Be Prepared

This is a good time to start planning your next store. With many of the majors in trouble & many canceled leases, many Landlords in N America & the EEU have many AAA locations empty & are motivated to strike your favorite deal. The economy will be back on track within 18 mths giving you plenty of time to get organized & get ready for the next big rush. Read our "Ten Commandments on retail success" and be prepared: "http://www.britsmadesigngroup.com/tencommandments.htm"

Thanksgiving SALES BOOST

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, there is still time sending and/or calling your wishes to your customers on your roster list and inviting them to your store to view your new arrivals.

We recommend prior to doing so, to do some house keeping as we recommended in our “Store Tune-Up” article posted earlier this month and reorganize the layout of your merchandising departments, giving more emphasis on your new arrivals which you will display in your showcases towards the back of your retail store sales area.

Wishing you all, a ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ and happy sales.

http://www.jewelrystoredesign.com/

STORE SPRING TUNE-UP

STORE ‘SPRING TUNE-UP’

CAN & WILL IMPROVE YOUR RETAIL SALES!

INTRODUCTION
A Spring ‘tune-up’ of your store can easily increase awareness of your store and your merchandise to your local consumer market leading to increase traffic flow into your store and in your retail sales. No matter how small your operating budget is, this Spring tune-up is essential to your store’s business.

This Spring ‘tune-up’ can be executed either by your in-store team or hire a professional cleaning team who can do it for you. Either way, the intent is to freshen-up your store so your jewelry will look much better and much more attractive as displayed in your cases, drawing this way more attention to them.

The following are simple steps for a good store ‘tune-up’:

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Clean and then shampoo all carpet floors, wood floor and hard stone floors throughout the store. Then, deodorize the retail sales, consultation/diamond areas and work shop with a deodorizer. This will be a good time to engage the opinion of your most regular clients and your employees for their preference.

2. Clean the surfaces where your store’s sign(s), logo(s), graphics are displayed.
2.a. Exterior Signs: if your store has an awning, this is the time to have it cleaned and washed and, if you have a sign on it, touch it up with a fresh coat of paint or replace with new vinyl letters to freshen it up, whichever the case maybe; if you have channel letters, have them carefully cleaned inside-out and possibly have them washed too with a wet cloth. Use only clean soap water. DO NOT use any abrasive chemicals or ammonia based cleaners.
2.b. Interior Signs: logo, brand graphics/slogans; wash clean all sub-surfaces; polish al surfaces of stone wall cover; polish the letters/characters of the sign(s) making them to look bright with their overhead lighting.
2.c. If in your store you are using photo brand/product promotion boxes, have them wiped off clean using again soap water cloth (no chemicals or ammonia based cleaners); check consistency with their internal light bulbs correcting if necessary. Then, change the displayed brand photos with new ones. Consult with your brand(s) supplier(s) on the supply of new photos as they may already have a photos program you may benefit from!

3. This is the time to check all your interior lights, especially all ceiling spotlights over the showcases, for color consistency with one another. Replace the ones that their color has changed (even slightly) over the past months or year. Finally, using a soft cloth wet in soap water, wipe off clean the interior of all aluminum reflectors inside the ceiling spotlights. DO NOT use detergents, soda, any other abrasive chemical or ammonia based cleaning liquids.

4. This is the time to remove all displays and floor boards from the showcases and wall-cases and clean with a wet cloth all interior wood floors, sides and glasses of the showcases/wall-cases. Dust off your display goods (trays, boxes, stands, etc) that are covered in suede or any other fabric. If your displays look really bad, you may consider dry-cleaning them. If your displays are covered in a leatherette material you may use a soap water soaked cloth and wipe them off clean. As leatherette is a man made material, most definitely, do not use any chemicals or ammonia based cleaning liquids to wash them clean.

5. Consider, re-allocating (re-merchandising) the various merchandising departments of your store based on your recent experience of the traffic flow of your customers in your store and your store security concerns. Make your store merchandising to look like new.

6. If for any reason you do not have any interior sign(s), logo(s) or photo boxes in your store, now is the time to consider getting them in your store and placing them on an appropriate location(s). Over the years, it has been proven that they do work and help increasing store sales.

7. Finally, this will be the time to plan a couple of longer meetings or a day long training session with your sales associates than you regularly do in order to refresh their knowledge on your products and their proper display in your store, sales presentation & procedures, as well as your store’s security procedures. Keep in mind that your sales associates are your best ‘partners’ for your retail sales success.

For further information on cleaning and maintenance of your signs, displays, leatherette and photo boxes, I recommend you consult your suppliers of the same. For any related questions, feel free to contact me.

Happy selling.