Want Your Display Fixtures & Props On My Stage?

I've got a project in the works, a seminar at the SoHo Publishing & Yarn Market News 2010 'Smart Business Conference'. My presentation will be covering the topic of store design and display as a way to build your brand image. I'm not the kind of speaker who stands behind a lectern reading index cards or narrating a slide show, though. Nope, I tend to go a bit overboard: I haul a slew of products up onto the stage and build incredibly inspiring visual displays to illustrate my points. {I figure if I'm teaching people about visual practices, I should be using a visual medium to do so.}

I'm looking for some products to include in my on-stage displays, and I'd like to offer you the opportunity to get some promotional mileage out of this. 

If you are a supplier/manufacturer of retail fixtures, a designer/manufacturer of props & decoratives, or a designer/creator of products that relate to the yarn & fiber industry, consider this:

The YMN Conference, held in Seattle in March,  will be attended by over 100 owners of independent yarn shops, plus attendees from the fashion industry and press & media sources, from both the US and Canada. The keynote speaker is Cinda Baxter, founder of the 3/50 Project. {Read more here} It is a high profile gathering of a growing and evolving fiber arts industry movers & shakers.

I'll be up onstage in front of all of them, for an hour, and your products can be right up there with me. Every attendee at my seminar will receive a handout with notes about my presentation AND a list of every product I use - and that can include your name and contact info next to your product.

But wait! There's MORE! 

To make my presentation even more exciting for the conference attendees, I'd also like to give the products away at the conclusion of my seminar. {I've done this for years at my Gift Show seminars, and it builds buzz for a product like nothing else can!} I'll be collecting business cards from the audience, and drawing winners for every item I use onstage at the end of my presentation's Q&A session.

If you send me a product to use, you'll get:
*On-stage exposure for your product as I discuss how to utilize different styles, finishes, colors, and materials to achieve different effects in retail display.
*Your product name, company name & contact info in the handout to every attendee.
*Your product will be awarded to an attendee.
*Photos of your product here on my blog in my recap posts about my seminar. I'll include credit and link to your site right beneath every photo of it.
*Plus, any feedback from attendees about your product will appear in my recap posts, as well.

You all know I love sharing resources and connecting people - this is one more way I can do that. I appreciate my blog readers so much, and am happy to spread the word about your businesses & products when I can!

Now, more specific information on my plan & needs:

I am tying my stage displays into the color palette that the conference uses {see their logo image above} in order to provide maximum relevance for every attendee - AND to increase the opportunities for the publisher {SoHo}, the magazine {YMN}, the conference, and other media sources to use images of my stage displays in continued press coverage of this event. That equals more exposure for me, you, and your product!

What do I need?
I need fixtures that are white.
Wood, plastic, acrylic, metal, fabric. Modern, casual, formal, vintage. Tables, chairs, shelving, boxes, storage racks/bins, hanging, standing, leaning, stackable.
Any style will work - Just make 'em white. I'm illustrating design points with these.

I need props that are turquoise, orange, and magenta. Single colors, not stripes!
Again - modern, vintage, natural, funky, finessed, rough, smooth, single or multiple.
I'm using these as 'punctuation' in the displays. 

I can also REALLY use items specific to the yarn/fiber industry:
If I can find a pair of five foot tall knitting needles, I'll be the happiest woman on earth! Ditto for a ball of orange or magenta yarn that is the size of a beach ball. {And you think I'm kidding...} Products created with yarn are great, so are items designed to be used in the creative fiber arts processes. My displays will feature cross-merchandised product groupings.

Considerations:
Large scale - it's a large room, with a raised stage, and people need to be able to see the display setups from the back of the room.
Minimal assembly - I have just two hours to set my stage before I speak at 9 AM.
Minimal weight / easy transport - the conference is at the W Hotel. Parking garage & elevator access must be considered, and transport in our truck to the venue.
Shippable & will arrive in Seattle before March 10 {or you are in the Seattle area and will deliver to the W Hotel on Monday March 15}

If this sounds like something you would like your business to benefit from, email me! I'll need a description {including size} and image of your product for consideration, then I'll send you more information. I'm in the final phases of planning my display sets, so please contact me quickly if you want in on this promotional opportunity.

*I'm looking at adding more promotional opportunities here on the blog, too. If you are interested in offering products for a monthly giveaway {drop-ship from you to the winner}, let me know. It's all about getting the word out there, and raising awareness of what's available, so let's work together!*

Q & A: Color

MaryJo submitted her question via my Facebook Page:
What paint colors would you use on your walls if you were opening a new gift store? I am trying to come up with a good base color and then some accent colors.

MaryJo, there are several ways to approach this.
One is to consider the art of Feng Shui when choosing colors - I suggest the book 'Feng Shui for Retailers' by my friend and fellow speaker Linda Cahan.

Another is to consult a custom color specialist or a computer program to develop a custom color palette for your business - you can learn more about the psychology of color at the Pantone Color Institute. Pantone offers an excellent Corporate Identity program, as well.

I love the idea of creating your own custom color OR palette {combination} of colors, because it plays right into my theory of retail design:

I advise my clients to 'Tell their own story' through all avenues of their presentation. Start with your store name, logo, and mission statement, and develop a palette of colors that express and build your brand image. {Remember my post on how Gene Juarez Salons created their signature color palette from the natural shades of hair, skin, eyes, and lips?} You want to create an environment that is unique to you and your business, so that you set yourself apart from the competition. With this approach, you have the opportunity to surround your customers with your brand from the moment they walk in.

Take into account the mood you want to create in the space - how do you want your customers to feel, what effect do you want the environment to have on people in the space? What kind of 'gifts' will you be selling, and to whom? What makes your business different from others selling the same products? All of these facets play into the color, material, and style choices you make for your space design. Your choices express your brand image - and your store can be a 'living' image of your brand.

I just completed a quick interview with Yarn Market News magazine, and the subject was also on this subject: How can retailers chose & use color to their advantage? What I've shared with you here runs along the same lines as what I told the writer, Kristine, and what I'll share in my seminar at their conference in March. Color is a tool, and needs to relate to the other tools in your 'branding' toolbox. Yes, you can use current trending colors - but only as an easily-changed splash in a display area. {Think of them as an exclamation point!} Make your choices for permanent surfaces brand-centric in order to get the most leverage out of them.

I'd also suggest a Google search of 'color theory' and 'color psychology' -  you will find a wealth of helpful tips for choosing colors for the many facets of your business, not just the walls!

Thanks for participating, MaryJo...

Image Credits: color wheel from seanmarcellus.com; corporate color logos from Pantone.com

Have A Heart!

Check out what The 3/50 Project is up to now!

Image Credit: the 3/50 Project

Q & A: Cash Wraps 101

First: Tamara, Tom, and Janet, I'm addressing the comments you left on my last post here instead of there. You indicated that you didn't know what a cash wrap was or understand the concept the way I presented it. So, because I am guessing you may not be the only people who feel that way, consider this post 'Cash Wrap 101'!
 
'Cash Wrap' is a regular retail industry term for retailers, designers, manufacturers, and builders. It is a catchall term referring to the 'check out' or 'register' area of a retail setting {otherwise known as the place where the cashier stands, and the customers fork over the dough for the merchandise!}.

You may have heard the term 'cash wrap' in a phrase from a product rep or manufacturer as they sell you small products that are intended to sit on your 'register counter' area, as in: "This POP {Point Of Puchase} display unit holds forty six units of product, for cash wrap placement to maximize your impulse sales". The use of 'POP' identifies a product or display unit as one that is intended to be placed in close proximity to your register - the whole point is that while waiting in line to purchase what they've already chosen, customers are being actively marketed to by these units. {Picture the gum, candy, magazines, etc. at the grocery store}

Configurations and construction of cash wraps are as vast as the array of stores that they exist in, but there are some basics about them that apply to the whole industry.
 

Cash wrap stations typically consist of either one, two, or three parts:

A one-part unit has a single countertop/ cabinet combination that sits parallel or perpendicular to a wall.

A two –part configuration has a freestanding front and a parallel rear section up against a wall.

A three-part configuration is usually a 'U'-shaped grouping that sits perpendicular to a wall. Often times these become a square configuration by situating them in the center of a space, and then closing off the end of the 'U' with a jewelry case, etc.

When choosing a style for your store, consider the activities that need to take place around the register. {Remember the adage 'Form Follows Function'?} If wrapping & packaging merchandise as your customer purchases it is a large part of your store activities, you need ample space to do this - and NOT the area where the customer walks up and sits her chosen items. Provide a separate location (behind or on the other side of the register) to do this so that customers can be serviced expediently. {Picture a customer at your register with seventeen items.... and the young mother with a two year old and three small items standing behind her. Waiting. Waiting... Leaving.} Do you need two registers? What about a 'hold' area?

 

The front counter provides space for the cash register, a clear area for shoppers to place their chosen items to purchase, a place for your mailing list sign up and a flyer about an upcoming event. For Laura {yesterday's post} a flat panel computer screen running a continual loop of her portfolio and/or some images in beautiful frames of various sizes would be an excellent extension of her brand presence.  Placing one or two POP displays here is okay - rotate them weekly. Loading this area with five, ten, twenty little containers of small items? Totally negates the purpose and overwhelms your customer. Unless you are 7-11, don't do it.

 

The front counter could be built as a run of level countertops, or as a desk/cabinet combination – one end would be like a desk with legs under a clear counter top for customer purchases, set at a table-top height/ {This is where Laura would use a clear acrylic substance etched with or embedded with her photo imagery.} That would be connected on the other end to a solid unit with counter top, set at standard height, and cabinet base [for storage and to hide the power cords] for the cash register and computer. On the front of that solid base, Laura can utilize my concept of 'Imagedesigned Furniture' and bring in the element of your images through carving, etching, embedding them, or any other method. Or, simply use a corporate logo there.
 

The rear section of a cash wrap should include cabinets and drawers for closed yet accessible storage of paper & packaging goods, etc., with a long counter top with lots of workspace. Great lighting up above this is essential, plus you can take the back wall and install your corporate logo and/or imagery to support your brand image.  Don't store major shipping supplies, files, or extra products here. Keep it simple, neat, and accessible. The top of that counter should remain clear at all times. A stack of flat tissue is the only permissible storage here.  A hold area can be created with large cabinets fitted with shelves inside - open storage will look messy no matter what you do

 

The space between two parallel counters should be three feet wide, to facilitate easy & safe movement of persons and product between them - including open doors/drawers and people turning & bending. With countertops an average depth of 30 to 36 inches, you are looking at an approximately nine foot deep area for this kind of cash wrap. For a single counter cash wrap, you’d still need three feet behind for passage & door operations, so you need to allow approximately six feet in depth.

 

The length of any unit would be at your discretion, but allow at least a 2 ½ to 3 foot long area of counter space for customer purchases to be placed. If you make that area too small, the psychology is that they are buying something larger and therefore more expensive. Conversely, if you provide a spacious area, they feel that perhaps they can buy more. [I swear don’t make this up, really – Paco Underhill addresses this in ‘Why We Buy’!]

Hanging warm pendant lighting low over the front counter, or placing a beautiful table lamp there, will help prevent eye strain for your employees, and also make your customers feel more comfortable than if they are standing under glaring can lights or fluorescent lights overhead.

 

The material possibilities are endless, and would of course depend upon the overall style of the store design – which ties it all back into 'Telling Your Own Story' and using your brand image to drive your choices.

Image from Apartment Therapy

  The biggest thing to remember about a cash wrap is that it is there for your CUSTOMER. 

It is not a storage facility for junk, a break room or rest stop for employees, or a catchall display fixture for things you aren't sure about. It is an opportunity to provide service, connection, and a clear image of your brand to your customer. Be vigilant about its design and use, and it will serve you well.
  

Except for the last one, All of the images in this post have been provided to me by M.Lavine Retail Design, a design/build firm for retail fixtures. Please visit them to see more exciting possibilities for customizing your store fixturing, including more information about standards in design. Thank you M.Lavine and JJ!

Q & A : Cash Wraps

Laura Novak is one of my wonderful blog readers, and a simply incredible photographer, designer, and business woman. Visit her site and you'll be impressed, I have no doubt. Laura sent me her question/challenge via email:

HI Debi,
I have been following your blog for a while now – thank you so much for all your great ideas!
If you are looking for more FAQs for your blog, I have a question about custom cash wraps.  I am opening my second retail store in a few months and am ready to splurge on a custom cash wrap/reception area.  The way the space is shaped, it would be a nice greeting for our customers when they walk in the door. Do you have any do's and don'ts for custom cash wraps?  I need to give my contractor some photos of ones I like along with the dimensions and I’m not sure where to start.

Laura, thank you so much for your email. I’d love to help you with this...
I’ve visited your web site and blog, and must say that I am impressed. You clearly know how to present not only your clients but your own business in a visual medium. So, I’d say that tying your retail store cash wrap into your brand is an easy task for you to undertake. I read the following on one of your blog posts, and I have emphasized those portions that led me in the direction I thought of for you:

"[Designer] Vicente [Wolfe] and I talked about ways to create an artful display of those who live in the home as part of a comprehensive design concept. While many family photo displays are sometimes thought of after a room is designed, Vicente encouraged designers to include high-impact custom family photography as room feature during the designing process. Currently what sometimes happens is that family photos are put in a small frame on a mantle or desk simply because they weren't part of the original design concept. It was exciting to hear Vicente's perspective that great opportunities exist for photographers and designers to work together on creating a room that is meaningful and personal to a client by incorporating family images."

Then I saw the image at the top of this post on your blog.

My philosophy of design is that every client has their own unique story to tell, and they can do that through every visual medium they use in their environment. Your philosophy of using the art as a touchpoint from the beginning of the design process is a similar approach. The two came together in this idea: Utilize your philosophy of ‘art in the design’, and build your store design and cash wrap using your photographs as a major element. Incorporate photographic imagery into the surfaces by having them embedded in the materials [such as clear acrylic countertop, or etched out of the wood grain on the side panels of the casework].

Bring in the element of your images through carving, etching, embedding
them, or any other method. This concept for customized ‘Imagedesigned Furniture’ [can I copyright that?!] could be utilized in many other applications in your store, as well: cabinet endcaps, lit wall displays, and mirror and window panels that are etched with your imagery. Or, perhaps, the amazing ability to have a television or computer screen embedded in glass to project your images.

Image provided by M. Lavine {thank you, JJ!}

What I see is furniture that functions as more than just a desk, counter, or service area. It’s a facilitator of the art you produce. You are already creating ottomans and wallpaper out of your images – why not furniture? Why not use every facet of the store you are building to support your brand by customizing it? It will reinforce and illustrate the ideas you have for integrating art in room design – a clear picture [pun intended!] for your clients to see.

I hope the information and ideas I have included here get your creative wheels turning, Laura! And I am serious – I’d love the opportunity to work with you to design something amazing. That is, unless you’ve already hired Vicente to do it! ;0)

Thank you for your question, Laura, and for taking time to  read my blog. I appreciate you! Best of luck and congratulations on your second store!

***I sent Laura an email with more specific info about cash wrap configurations for her needs, as well... it just made for a very long post! I'll share the basics of cash wraps here on another day.***

Top Image from Laura Novak's blog, as seen in Philly Magazine 
Lower Image provided by M. Lavine

Bloomin'

'Blooms, bloomin', Bloomies'...

Yeah, this image fits my current state of mind!

I've had my head wrapped around the yarn industry all morning, thanks to a very nice phone interview with Kristine Hansen at Yarn Market News. She's working on an article about color psychology for retailers for the March YMN issue. Since that coincides with the conference in Seattle - and I'm speaking on store design there - she wanted to include quotes from me in her writing. Thank you, Kristine, I appreciate that!

Immediately following that phone interview, I opened an email from Maxwell at Apartment Therapy, with an update on the ongoing Bloomingdale's Window Display Challenge. {I posted about his design the other day}. The windows will be revealed tomorrow, and you can see it all plus keep up with the action and vote on your fave HERE.

Credit for the beautiful image in this post goes to JuteandJackfruit from this post: 
http://juteandjackfruit.net/2010/01/kick-off-2010-with-warm-cozy-style-in-indigenous-designs-flower-power-knits-accessories/ - and I highly recommend reading their blog. Excellent resource, great information, terrific products & ideas.

Anatomy of an Entrepreneur

I found an excellent article about Entrepreneurs today on Daily Finance - click here to read 'Anatomy of an Entrepreneur' by writer Alex Salkever. He shares some research findings about just who entrepreneurs are, which blows a lid off of some generally-held perceptions. I think you'll all see yourselves in there!

{check out the last sentence in paragraph seven. Proof positive that you are not alone in your concerns about the economy.}

Q & A {This is a long one, folks!}

In response to my call for your challenges this year, Heidi commented:
"Hard question....the shop is flipped, looking all a new, the facebook is full of pics, fans are up, stock levels are on target. I have been working harder and longer hours pushing my creative energy to new levels. Like last year and the year before, I tell myself "this is the year" and like most small businesses I continue to tell all, everything is good....know one wants to be a part or shop where things aren't HOT! Right.

I think the thing I need for the first time in years is help with the fear factor, help believing this is REALLY the year. Help chasing the demons away. I stay focused on the goal, find endless projects to work on, I have great satisfaction in the process...surround myself in the passion of loving what I do.....but the help I need is to erase the doubt.  - HHH"

You just echoed every retailer on Earth, Heidi!
Regardless of what we sell, where, or how, we are all doing everything we can to make this year profitable. {And by that I mean breaking even would be nice...} First, let me congratulate you for still being in business. That is quite an accomplishment for the past year! {and if you don't beleive me, drive through your town and notice the empty storefronts and 'going out of business sale' signs}. It sounds like you have made the physical efforts to present your business at the highest level possible, and you are taking responsibility daily for doing all that you can.

Now, let me ask you this: How are you doing with letting others HELP you make your business 'all that it can be'? Are you taking on everything? In there anything left for your staff or supporters to contribute?

As business owners, we are the fall guy. The buck - if and when it comes - stops with us. And so we take on the risk and the responsibility of the business, and all that comes with it. Too often, though, all of that 'taking on' causes us to do two things: Cut everyone else off the team, and load up our own shoulders with a bunch of stress and worry.

You've got employees, and I know you pay them well, provide benefits, treat them with respect, and think of them as 'family'. You probably also educate them on your products, teach them new skills, and count on them to be there when you need them. But are they able to contribue ideas, suggestions, and actions that will help in the marketing, promotion, growth, and success of your business? Can you hand over a task to them and let them see it through - or do you have to micromanage to make sure it's done your way? That's a cause of extreme stress right there - and a stressed business owner is more susceptible to doubt, worry, and fear.

As an owner, there are certain things that only YOU can do for your business. And there are many things that you can allow, hire, permit, and empower OTHERS to do for your business - freeing you up to concentrate on your part, and also to get away from time to time and let go of the reins. Look at your staff and really SEE them and their abilities - and decide on a task that you can hand over to each of them right NOW. {uploading Facebook photos is a good example}. Make it a job that is visible - one that has immediate positive results, so that everyone on staff can see their contribution is making an impact. Then do it again. And again.

Now, for those supporters I mentioned: Do you have a referral program in place to reward your Fans and customers for bringing in or sending friends to you? Let your satisfied customers be a workforce for your business! Reward them with a special gift, monthly drawing, or discount and get them talking about you. Word of mouth is the best advertisement, right?!

It's not easy. But it's worth it! And it plays into the second part of this: By handing off some of the responsibilities of the business, you lighten your own load. In order to stop the cycle of 'stress-worry-doubt-fear', you have to cut yourself some slack! Here are a few ideas:

* Stop watching the news before bed. Stop watching the news first thing in the morning. Allow your thoughts to be positive, hopeful, filled with possibility and faith {of whatever kind} as you start and end your day. Get caught up on news during lunch or in the late afternoon, instead. Read the paper or online news instead of being subjected to the hype of drama-driven news hour soundbytes. {The old saying 'If it bleeds, it leads' isn't without truth.}

* Referring to above: TAKE a lunch break! Fifteen minutes away from your desk/cashwrap/store/computer will do wonders for your perspective. Go to the park or a sidewalk cafe on a nice day, or to the library and sit by the window when it's cold out. Listen to inspiring music on your iPod or MP3 player while you eat a healthy small meal, and drink water. Nourish your body and spirit!

*Walk, Stretch, Dance, swing on a swingset, glide down the slide.... get active for fifteen minutes a day. Every day. Morning, noon, afternoon, night - whatever works for you. It's not exercise - it's simply moving your body freely to experience life. Life is not work. Owning a business is not your whole life. Go move, laugh, sing, smile, and BREATHE. Five minutes into it, you'll be having so much fun that you'll forget those doubts and worries for a time. And that is a good place to start.

*Find daily inspiration. I recommend the words of Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, 'Notes from the Universe' from TUT, and Louise Hay. Read a passage of literature, or scripture {again, of your choosing}. Speak kind, uplifting words to others - and just see what kind of wonderful things you will hear in return. Remember the old saying about computers: GIGO? {Garbage In, Garbage Out} It's true about everything. No, these affirmations won't give you the ultimate answers to business challenges - but they will help to keep your mind in a place of peace, openess to new ideas & solutions, and possibilities. And that helps you to overcome the worry & doubt in the long run.

*Create a new 'energy' in your environment. Get new music for your store. Turn on a few more lights. Bring in fresh foliage or flowers each week, light a candle or plug in a scented light. Open a door or window for a few moments and let fresh, crisp, clean air inside. Start the day with a rousing cheer, blessing, or affirmation that you share with your staff. Hocus Pocus? Woo-Woo? Maybe. But isn't it better than dragging in with a furrowed brow and shoulders already bent with stress before the day has even begun?

*Remember, this is your business. You can change anything about it you want to. Including the frame of mind you are in every day - and the frame of mind your employees are in. Start with you. Doubt, fear, worry, and stress are just emotions - not laws. We control our emotions, they don't control us. We can change them, toss them out the door, learn from them, or harbor them and let them hold us down. It's our choice.

Hopefully some of those ideas will help you, Heidi. I don't claim to know everything and I certainly do have doubts and worries of my own.... and I am learning day by day, step by step, just as we all are on this crazy journey of business ownership during uncertain economic times.

What I DO know is that we American independent & small business owners are damned lucky to have the chance to own & run our own businesses in this country. There are challenges, but in no other place on Earth is it as available and rewarding to the majority of people as it is here. We have a President who is working on programs that will enable more people to start & run small businesses  - because even he knows that WE are the backbone of industry and economy in the USA. Big corporations and titans of industry are tumbling all around us.  What is going to pull our country out of the recession is us: working together, with and for one another, with, for, and in our own communities. And isn't that a worthy goal to work toward?

Thanks for participating, Heidi... I appreciate your comments.

Bloomingdale's Window Display Contest: AP Entry

Check out Apartment Therapy's entry for the Bloomingdale's Window Display Contest - read Maxwell's post and see his conceptual design & choices. His post & plan include lots of good information on planning a window display for you to learn from {plus some pretty entertaining comments from the peanut gallery!}

You can keep up with the Bloomie's window display challenge here.

image credit: Apartment Therapy

Help ME Help YOU!

It's a new year, we've all survived another Holiday season, are gearing up for winter gift shows... and I'd like to hear from you about the challenges you are facing in your stores/booths/shops right now.

What kind of help or advice do you need to get you past the brick wall in front of you? (And yes, I do realize that everyone reading this is thinking "Show Me The MONEY"!) I may not be able to provide that, but if you share with me some of the situations you are wracking your brains over, I can help you find the resources you need to locate or create solutions. There are a cadre of retail experts out there, waiting to help you solve your problem... and I'll happily connect the dots for you.

Are you stuck on what to do with your store's lack of product right now? Are you trying to figure out what to focus on at upcoming shows? Are you wary of heading the wrong direction with new product lines? Confused about whether you should expand - or play it safe? Wondering if there is a way to revitalize your store and your employees? Need some fresh ideas for merchandising?

Send me your dilemmas, and I'll find you some resources.
In other words, "Help ME Help YOU!" ;0)

You can leave a comment here on the blog or email me (link in sidebar) with your challenging situations. I'll be responding here on the blog, so that the resources I share with you can be available to everyone. If you don't want your name or store name used in a post here, please do let me know and I'll provide a pseudonym!

I'm receiving feedback on Facebook as well, and answering those questions there. You can catch up with that here. 

Image Credit: Realwire.com

'OneCoast Advisor' Resource Changes

 

The OneCoast Advisor has become the SnapAdvisor.

In March, OneCoast will be launching the OneCoast Resource which will focus on retailers, trends, events and merchandising ideas. Enjoy the SnapAdvisor and stay tuned for the Resource! Go here to sign up for the monthly e-newsletter, filled with helpful resources & information for retailers.

Image credits: OneCoast/Snap Retail web site