Primp your POP!
RETAIL DISPLAY
new store merchandising might seem like the last thing any sensible retailer or brand manager should do. Although footwear brands are pushing for the “best value for every pound that they spend” on retail merchandising at the moment, the recession is also encouraging innovation. Shoppers more than ever demand “exciting experiences”. The days of pile it high and sell it cheap are over - clients are looking for designs to create an impact for shoppers going through the door. So. how does this apply to the footwear industry? Sailesh Parek, Business
S
Development Manager, d4r, explains: “At d4r, we have worked with major high street footwear retailers and brands for many years now. We have found however, that there are still some brands trying to communicate their own messages and not doing it particularly well.” “As specialists in retail design, a major part of our work is to encourage
clients to think differently about how they approach the retail environment. Much of what we do will naturally lead to re-appraisal of how POP (point-of- purchase) fits into clients’ overall marketing plan.” “All too often clients’ think of POP as a ‘quick fix’ - you need to consider
whether you are responding to a convenient store opportunity or a long- term branding strategy. POP can play a pivotal and long-term role whether it’s a regional, national or global marketing campaign.” “POP if done well will always provide strong ‘call out’ in-store and
consistency of brand message regardless of store location or place. But most importantly, it will enable clients to grow market share too.” In fashion footwear it’s all about telling the brand’s story within their
chosen retail channels. So d4r help to highlight the brand by its choice of different materials and use of colour ways to really communicate what the brand is all about.
ailesh Parek, Business Development Manager, d4r, explains how a little ‘creative intelligence’ can pay dividends for footwear brands
In today’s climate where cash flow is tight and spending is down, value for money has become the new watchword. So splashing out on
The POP needs to be practical too if it’s to be successful, says Parek:
“We design our POP ‘furniture’ so that it is compact and therefore easy and cost efficient to transport. It will also need to be designed so it can be re- established in many different contexts to deliver maximum impact and value for money.”
Case history – G-Star Raw Footwear
A good recent example of d4r’s work, is for premium brand G-Star Raw Footwear. Known for its industrial focused styling and craftsmanship, G-Star Raw asked the company to create POP merchandise for 500 key and independent accounts across Europe. The roll-out began in early spring this year. d4r responded by creating merchandise that will encourage greater take-
up of the brand by creating a range of POP that would create not only strong brand “call out”, but would also increase the potential for sales too. G-Star Footwear allowed d4r’s design team the flexibility to come up with
a completely new POP concept while still maintaining the integrity of the brand itself. This meant that d4r were free to add their creative intellect to the process enabling the company to look afresh at the brand and how it’s positioned while still being closely monitored by their client. G-Star Raw Footwear’s approach is simple: ‘Just the Product”. Devoted to
the device that form must follow function all G-Star Footwear can be described as ‘Raw’, non-conformist and authentic. d4r knew this approach would be essential when creating the POP. It responded by delivering a design that had a sense of both ‘Raw Luxury’ and craftsmanship, while still being highly flexible and therefore easy to use. d4r chose raw black steel to lend the POP a strong yet simplistic “feel” and enhanced them with discreet yet detailed logo applications to maintain a premium yet simplistic finish. G-Star’s philosophy of “less is more” and “form to follow function” were key to these designs. The new merchandise kit includes an FSU to provide a key focal point for the brand, a logo block and shoe risers which will together enable the retailer to easily display the footwear throughout the store - from the shop window to the point of sale. The results of this European roll-out can be seen to great effect at the
RoyAlty Shoes Gallery on the Portal de L’Angel, Barcelona. The new collection of footwear is displayed in raised illuminated showcases to effectively exhibit the products in the store window. This is a great example of their ability to really enhance brand vision while producing striking yet unusual window displays. So, although d4r is always under pressure to work smarter, the company
believe that to deliver the best results, you must really get under the skin of the brand by using a little ‘creative intelligence’ to produce great retail design.
Some top tips:
When designing something for a brand the display has to be engaging enough to make a sale within an instant Clarity is important, all brands are fighting for greater market share so your message needs to be clear.
24 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
• MAY 2010
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