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visual merchandising

Three suppliers supporting late season AFL push

We’re using products from three different suppliers to support this aisle-end display promoting official AFL products. It’s faces into the front of the store and capping our magazine department.

I love that the in-store team has grouped items from multiple suppliers to tell a story. I also love that they have done this in a small footprint. Indeed, this display would work in newsagencies of all sizes.

I’ve noticed AFL product displays in several supermarkets over the last week so I’m comfortable we’re in this space at this time of the year too.

The lowest margin items on the display are the calendars from Network and we only have these out of necessity. Thankfully we’re achieving a fairer margin with our cards from Hallmark and the plush items.

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retail

Placing products by interest can work better than by category

Here’s another example of how newsagents can grow sales by connecting products by shopper interest more so that product type. The teapot calendar sells well when placed with our range of teapots and teas. The same shopper will be interested in all three items yet in a more traditional newsagency the calendar would be in the calendar department and not placed with the teapots and teas.

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Tactical display

Hallmark’s Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 Father’s Day competition popular

The Win a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 competition from Hallmark for Father’s Day is popular and it’s only been running for a day. One of our customers will win this tablet and we’re promoting this by showing off the actual unit they will win – it’s the centrepiece of the display.

Too often competition prizes promoted are retail network wide. We always get good take up when we show off that one of our customers will win the prize on offer.  This helps us reinforce the local focus on our business.

we are promoting the prize in this display behind the counter so all shoppers can see as well as on the lease line with our Father’s Day cards. Note the placement of a selection of Father’s Day cards with the display in the photo. I love that the team member creating this display included some of the product being promoted.

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Gifts

Tapping into the P!NK opportunity with marie claire

Here is how the creative team at another of my newsagencies is making the post of the free dry shampoo gift with marie claire this month. They’ve repurposed a display unit and placed some of the Kolorane product outside the magazine pack. This shows the gift and allows shoppers to browse it as well as the magazine.  The display unit is toward the front of the shop in the highest in-store traffic location we have.

The value of a display can only be measured in sales and in the store we’re seeing excellent results.

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magazines

Terrific Hugh Jackman magazine display

I love this Hugh Jackman display created by a team member at one of my newsagencies. It’s in the men’s magazine area toward the rear of the store.

I love the display because of its intensity. It captures the drama of his most famous character. It forces you to stop and notice … and hopefully pick up one or more of the magazines being promoted. That’s what displays like this are all about – getting shoppers engaged with what we sell.

This display is a good example of promoting multiple titles. While publishers want us to promote their title separately, often we get more value as retailers by promoting more than one with a unifying theme.

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magazines

Ironman attracting shoppers

We have the life-size Ironman cardboard cutout located at the end of our main magazine aisle attracting attention down to our men’s magazines as well as our technology related magazines. You can’t miss Ironman from part way into the store. We have him placed here not only to draw traffic to the rear of the store but also to drive sales of the expanded cardboard cutout range.

Click on the image if you’d like to see a larger version.

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visual merchandising

Promoting mini cookbooks off location

We’re running a campaign of promoting the mini cookbooks from Bauer off location in a selection of positions in-store. In the photo you can see that we have the mini cupcake book sitting above Girlfriend magazine. We did this because young girls like cupcakes.

Tactical placement can be more important than stunning visual merchandising.

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magazines

Stretching the VM display onto the shop floor

I love display for Calvin Klein I saw at Auckland airport earlier this week. It’s inspiration on a few fronts: the colours a vivid and break free from the sea of colour in-store, the design does this too and the spilling of the materials onto the shop floor brings the display alive.

I’m posting the photo here for inspiration. Click on the image for a larger version. Note the screen to the left 0- the movement in the video attracts attention.

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visual merchandising

Sunday newsagency marketing tip: An inspiring retail window

gizmo gifts on brunswick Street Fitzroy in Victoria is making excellent use of their windows. Indeed, this all red window was inspirational – presenting excellent VM ideas. It’s one of two windows the store has and they are using it to attract shoppers with a colour themed display.  They are displaying product from a number of suppliers for excellent effect.

Here is the other window. This time with a white theme. Equally as effective as the red window. A good range of products appealing to a range of shopper interests and needs. Their colour theme is what attracts your eye to this and the red window display first up and then you notice the gifts. Very smart.

These are the types window displays we are competing with in the gift space. It’s my marketing tip today since for many newsagents, the window is a key part of marketing strategy.

Click on the image to see the detail.

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marketing

Promoting World of Knowledge

The team at one of my stores has kicked up support for the next issue of World of Knowledge.

Thanks to some cool collateral they have gone for a vertical and horizontal promotion in-location. This is situated so that it can be seen by anyone walking down our main magazine aisle.

This type of title is very strong in the UK. I hope we can grow the category here.

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magazines

Cool retro lava lamp display

Check out the display promoting retro lava lamps created by the team at one of my newsagencies. This is very cool and very clever. They sourced some retro carpet from the Reject Shop and created a sign and a backing that connected visually with the theme.

All of the elements – carpet, backing sheet, sign and product – combine to tell a story and draw shopper attention. It looks much better than simply putting the products on the shelves.

This display is located at the corner of the counter, near our gift department. It shows us off as being different and connects shoppers with the retro fun of the lava lamps.

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retail

Stunning look for Real Living

I love the monochrome look for the latest issue of Real Living magazine. Indeed, the look has encouraged us to put this issue in the spotlight. In addition to excellent full cover placement as shown in the photo, our plan today is to promote the title outside its usual space – with an appropriately monochromatic display.

Looking down the aisle of magazines, this issue of Real Living stands out. Kudos to those behind this look.

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magazines

Leveraging an international brand and headlining a display makes a difference

We have to move our Scooby-Doo! display from the counter and decided on this location capping our magazine aisle. One of our team members made an average display stand out by sourcing a branding image to cap the display. This made a world of difference, it lifted the professionalism of the display and has helped drive sales from this new location.

The photo shows the value of investing a bit more time to appropriately dress a display and to leverage an international brand. What we are presenting our customers here is a point of difference in our centre of close to 300 stores. It connects with our goal of being different and delivering the unexpected.

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Gifts

Interrupting shoppers to drive magazine sales

What started out as lazy collateral placement has proven to work when promoting magazine competitions. Take the latest Win a Car collateral from Pacific Magazines and the holiday promotion from Bauer – using the header cards in this way – sticking out – draws attention. I’ve see it work myself. And that’s the battle – getting people to notice a promotion in the sea of colour that for many blends into a visual blur. So, we often use promotional header cards in this practical way – sticking out and hopefully getting more noticed than a neater approach.

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magazines

More products using best-practice shopper engagement

We have more products coming in-store with LCD screens playing content showing how the items work. The display unit on show for the Make-Do range in the photo is the latest. It’s the third LCD we have on the shop floor at the moment.

I’m pleased to have these in-store shop floor sales assistances. The movement in the video can be enough to draw attention, same with the sound. It significantly adds value to a floor unit and gets it more attention that a unit without a video playing.

The only challenge in some locations is access to power.

Display units like this help us present a more professional and current retail image and this helps attract shoppers and drive sales.

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retail

Looking for new ideas at the newsagency sales counter

I was in a department store recently and noticed these colourful shoelaces at the counter of the shirt department. The placement struck me as odd and then i realised it was genuis. Give the customers the unexpected and they will notice it more.

Many newsagencies offer the same at the counter, maybe so much so that it’s noticed that much. What if you tried something completely different, ridiculous even? maybe it would be notices and purchased. There is only one way to find out.

We often complain that customer are store blind in our shops – maybe we make them so by not being creative in our displays and placement.

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retail

This is a bank?!

I was drawn to this window by the Lego helicopter on the shop floor – I like a good Lego construction. I did not immediately notice it’s a bank.

Yes, it’s a Westpac Bank branch. Amazing. Innovative.

There is a kids play area, a cafe down the back, bright colours and a totally inviting and calming look and feel to the place.

I stood at the window in awe of the redefining of the look and feel of a bank. Whoever came up with this ought to be congratulated. It is stunning  … redefining what I would expect from a bank and leaving me with a story about Westpac.

What I saw Wednesday night has left me wondering what a newsagency could look like if you want to break free from the tradition and restrictions of the past and how consumers perceive us. This is what Westpac has done, they have created a bank that completely plays against what we expect – and thereby made their business more accessible.

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Newsagency management

Getting ready for Easter

We’ve struggled with Easter Eggs so this year are going for a more dramatic and engaging Easter display. In the box we have some Beanie Ballz ready for placement in what we hope will be a fun and enticing Easter display.  We’re on a bit of a mission with this, bringing in fake grass, showing off our Easter plush and other products in a fun situation.

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visual merchandising

Excellent promotion of Cleo dresses

Check out the smart display of the dresses being given away with the latest issue of Cleo. basic but effective.

This photo is from out the front of a transit outlet – facing thousands of passers-by every day. Ideal placement to drive impulse purchases.

Sometimes the simplest displays are the best.

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magazines

Connecting with the younger Valentine’s Day shopper

Connecting with what I wrote about the Justin Bieber Valentine’s Day card, check out the display created by the team at one of my newsagencies.  This is located near our One Direction product display, adjacent to our Beanie Kids collectibles.

I love the display for promoting not only the Bieber Hallmark Valentine’s Day card but other cards that appeal to the same shopper … and some good-value Valentine’s Day gifts.

It’s important we promote seasons in different ways to different demographics. This display was created by someone closer to the age of the target shopper.

Each major season could have at least two, and often more, approaches in-store promoting the seasonal opportunity. Different displays targeting quite different shoppers. This shows a broader appeal for us. It also should help drive more sales for the season.

Click on the image for a larger version.

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Newsagency opportunities

Plush jumping out of the display

This may seem like a minor, almost obsessive point, but lifting plush, like the black and white beanie Boos in the phone, so they look like they are lifting themselves out of out unit.

This placement looks more active and fun than if they were flat on the shelf, their feet inside the unit. Such placement would also hide the green feet – a colourful feature.

We obsess about things like this, specific product placement to make products more appealing to shoppers. There is no doubt that placing these beanie Boos like they are reaching out helps us sell more.

We’re doing more that $1,000 a week in plush.

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Plush

Promoting Donna Hay magazine

We have been promoting the latest issue of Donna Hay magazine with this in-location display in our food section.

I love the photo on the cover and in the poster – perfect for a food title.  We have the full cover on show next to our daily newspapers.

These in-location displays work well for us. We usually only have one per aisle – so that shoppers more easily notice the title being featured.

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magazines

Hugs for Valentine’s Day

This photo shows part of our Valentine’s Day display in one of my newsagencies. The table runs back two and a half metres and is stacked with a broad range of plush for all sorts of Valentine’s Day gift giving occasions.

The display has been up just a few days and already sales are strong. This is in part due to the success we had through Christmas with the large Beanie Balls. We know they sell in our area so we are riding off the back of that knowledge with our choice of the ladybug Beanie Ball as our hero product for Valentine’s Day this year.

I have high hopes for Valentine’s Day for card and gift sales. Right now, our focus is on the gifts. While our cards are out, they are not at the lease line, facing into the mall, as the plush display is.

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visual merchandising

Chocolates for Valentine’s Day

Godiva has a terrific Valentine’s Day window in each of its retail outlets. I have seen it several times. The window display acts as a billboard not only for each store but for the brand overall. Once you have seen it several times it is well registered in your mind.

Imagine the shopper connection we could drive if every newsagency had exactly the same window display setup for a major season. Yes, I understand this is not what small business is about. However, our national spread is an asset we are not leveraging to our advantage.

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visual merchandising

Watches as Valentine’s Day gifts

Check out the window display at one of the Swatch shops in New York pitching watches as a Valentine’s Day gifts.

In many retail outlets this trip I have seen items promoted as Valentine’s Day gifts that I would not think of for this occasion. The same for cards with captions targeting more than a traditional love recipient, driving the giving of multiple Valentine’s Day cards. From a retail business perspective this is good to see.

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visual merchandising
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