How do winning retailers go about maximising the visual impact of their stores? Inside Retailing Magazine has checked out two finalists in the Best Overall Use of VisualMerchandising category at The Gift Awards 2007, held recently in Sydney.
They are Melbourne news agency The Source (last years winner) and another Melbourne outfit, Classifier. Both businesses have approached their visual merchandising withforethought and flair.
The Source is located on the site of one of central Melbournes oldestnewsagents but there is nothing traditional about this newcomer.
Founders MatthewHarris and Scott Druce say their venture, launched in 2005, is unlike any other newsagent. We offer an unrivalled product range that is well considered andwell sourced, they submitted. It is painstakingly hand-selected to suit the particular taste and discriminating needs of our clients.
Apart from newspapers and magazines, The Source offers lifestyle essentials including gourmet food, fine chocolates, fresh flowers, homewares and much more.
The store is located within a heritage-listed building and we have outfitted the interior in order to draw on the architecture of the exterior, says the partners. The interior is a combination of original fittings with contemporary flair. The lighting is bright, warm and inviting.
The Sources no branding policy gives an uncluttered view of the merchandise. As soon as you step in to the shop you are greeted by the fresh smells of flowers mixed with a heady aroma of exotic Italian soaps. You notice that it is uncomplicated on your eye our no branding policy allows you to see the products on offer without the complicated and often contradictory advertising messages that usually clutter the interior of newsagents.
Scott says the wrap display draws customers to the back of the shop, where they find a range of greeting cards selected from more than 30 suppliers.
The shop is ever evolving, with new displays featured on a monthly basis, he adds. Products are displayed and emphasized corresponding with the season,holiday or event that is pertinent at that particular time. This serves to make displays eye-catching in that they are topical as well as aesthetically pleasing.
Another key innovation this year has been the introduction of ready wrapped gifts, providing our customers with the convenience they require with their time-poor, busy lifestyles and providing an opportunity to enhance our displays.
The partners electronically track demand for all their products as it occurs and analyze how well they are performing relative to other products in the store.
In this way we ensure that every square meter of our expensive floor space is profitable and working to its maximum ability. It also means that our customers have that satisfying experience every time they visit the products merchandised are relevant to them.
Magazines are an important component of the business, and The Source has a different way of presenting them.
People buy magazines because they are passionate about the subjects, whether they be cooking, home, motoring, wedding or design.
By selecting and then grouping our lifestyle product ranges in these categories, it simplifies our display and draws the attention of those interested.
For example, we co-located the top-selling food magazines (Delicious, GourmetTraveller and Donna Hay) with a selection of gourmet food products and cooking accessories.
We do this because magazine buyers are younger, more affluent and spend 60%more in store than non-magazine buyers.
This has been a successful business strategy seeing us achieve at least a 50% increase in gross margin from traditional newsagent lines.
Scott and Matthew stressed that outstanding visual merchandising was a key component of their business.
Antique-looking furniture throughout gives Classy Paperie a homely way to display its wares.
The overall look and feel of the shop is quality heritage with a modern twist, reflecting the essence of what we are about traditional personal service, as well as the trusted source of well-considered products that support the lifestyles of our customers.
Having proven the store concept, we are now seeking ways to expand the concept with more stores and we are open to interest from people/organisations who may be interested, Scott adds.
Paper people
Located in Melbournes stylish Malvern East, Classy Paperie offers a range of specialty papers, stationery, boxes, bags and ribbons youre unlikely to find anywhere else in a hurry. It was founded by South African-born Meryl McConnochie, who set out to create a unique shopping environment.
We had a clear picture in our minds of what our store would look like and how our products would be presented.
We definitely wanted the wow! factor. But when we looked for the standard display units that were available, nothing suited our vision. We wanted a home look, so we applied innovation and originality.
Every piece of display furniture lovely antique-look desks, coffee tables, hall tables, writing desks, bookshelves, storage boxes, chairs, racks, lamps is for sale. And because they look so beautiful, and theyre so right for the leafy, largely Edwardian suburban environment weve chosen as our home, they sell.
This way, our store is constantly changing and there are always new surprises for both our regular clients and people who are getting their first taste of Classy Paperie.
The store focuses especially on customers and businesses who are holding special events.
We display everything a bride could desire to create truly unique invitations, place cards, guest books, thank yous, albums and bonbonniere.
We help our clients create something thats original and from the heart.
Our store is designed to be comfortable and welcoming. The chairs and chaise lounges we choose as part of our visual merchandising are perfect for a relaxed chat.
The key to our success is a combination of staff who love the Classy Paperie experience, unique visual merchandising and a beautifully selected range of exclusive products that meet actual client needs.
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