Retail Redesign: Phase Two, or 'You Had Me At Hello'

The Poppyseeds redesign includes an update of the logo, and a complete brand image plan.This photo shows the original logo, which has been used for the past year. It's big, it's bright, and it has done a great job of getting the shop name out there. But just as inside, it was time to 'step it up' and give the logo and the shop exterior a fresh look....

The exterior views & approach to your store offer a first impression to your customer. Make sure to maximize that space (you pay for it!) and leverage your brand for all it's worth. Use your logo, your name, your brand color palette, and imagery or products that Tell Your Story.

BEFORE, the chimney on the cottage exterior.

AFTER.

The new logo is larger in scale, crisper, more modern, and the lettering leads the eye right over to the front door - instead of up into the sky. (You can see a sign in the BEFORE shot. The new version is shown a few photos down....)

BEFORE, in front of the porch.

AFTER, in front of the porch.

Various furnishings and accessories were arranged outside, to entice shoppers in. The items had seen their best days, however, and were not a representation of the wonderful merchandise offered inside! So they went to the burn pile. In addition, many large wooden 'spools' were placed around the parking lot. They actually drew attention away from the shop. We pulled them all in, created a grouping of them, and painted them in colors of the brand palette. Some were tipped sideways and painted as 'Poppies', to extend the logo image further.


Now, these 'spools' form platforms that can hold several beautiful items brought out from the shop each day - a chair, a small table, etc. This 'staging' area now calls attention to products for sale AND leads the eye up to the front door... where the poppy logo is painted on the glass, for a branded entranceway.

BEFORE, the sidewalk approach to the door.

AFTER, the approach.

More furniture on display - it came out of the shop each morning, and went back in each evening. Lots of work!! We cleared out the area - those spools out in front now provide usable display space. Along the walk, we placed small spools, one a 'Poppy'. On the wall below the window, we hung one of four signs (vintage, antiques, home decor, and gifts) that were repainted with the new logo style.

BEFORE, the side of the cottage.

AFTER.

On the side, which is actually what you see when you come into the parking lot, there were a few spools. We pulled in new smaller ones, painted in the logo palette, and added another sign.

Around the back, where the driveway is located, (sorry, lost my before shot...) we hauled off some more old furniture, brought the big white bench from the front, and I painted an old vinyl umbrella with the 'signature' black & white stripes. (It was a freebie I found after a show, and saved it because I knew I would eventually find a use for it. The inner lining is a floral pattern - and the color of the largest bloom matches the Poppyseeds logo orange EXACTLY! It was meant to be). The umbrella went into a large wood spool, which is now a table surrounded by chairs. We touched up the paint on the door, hung two signs, added a 'Poppy' round, and it now looks like this:

To refresh your memory: BEFORE, Poppyseeds looked like this:

Now, THIS is Poppyseeds:

Crisp, clean, fun, whimsical, and stylish. All of the attributes of their brand and the products they sell. And if you visit their Poppyseeds blog, you'll see exactly the same logo image, black & white stripes and clean, crisp look. Their print ads, biz cards, bag stuffers, etc. will all contain these elements, as well. Consistent branding across the board, in every visual medium they use. We planned the space use and the colors and the fixtures and the props for the exterior just as we are doing in each interior room. Money spent? About $40 for a can each of orange and black paint. (Plus dinner out - thank you, MaryBeth & Julie!)


The results of some planning and a few hours of work (1 day painting signs and 1 day doing everything else on-site) are going to impact this business immediately: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday there is a HUGE artist's studio tour just down the highway. THOUSANDS of people will be driving past Poppyseeds over the next three days... and with this kind of visual appeal, MANY of them will stop in. Many of those may not have before the redesign. I hope there aren't too many accidents on Hwy 532 this weekend, as people get a look at the changes. ;0)

And remember: YES, you CAN do this! I can help you.