Walk into any flagship store of a brand and you'll notice a conscious effort to provide an environment that not only enhances the merchandize, but also allows the customer to imagine the lifestyle these are supposedly made for. It's not enough to provide a visually appealing product; it has to be placed within a compelling context that customers can aspire towards.
Shoppers of today are buying into a brand's values and not just its products, said Lisa Yam, World Global Style Network (WGSN)-Singapore regional business director for South East Asia, in her talk "What's In Store: Trends & Formats That Shape The Retail Scene" at the 16th National Retailers Conference held recently at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel.
Shoppers seek brands they can connect and closely identify with; a single glance at a window display can either hook or dissuade them. If the image of a brand does not match the self-image of the shopper, then a neighboring competitor may win him over. If the shop is unable to project or communicate any image at all, let alone communicate its values well, then it loses again.
"They're seeking brands that commit to them emotionally … It's putting the soul back into shopping. If the brand can tell its story well, if it communicates the brand values that are shared by the consumer within a story [or concept], then nothing else matters," said Ms. Yam.
Every store has a storyline
Effective storytelling is part of store design, at least for Alvin Z. Matias, Golden ABC Inc. retail design, construction and maintenance department manager, whose creative touch is seen in Penshoppe, Memo, ForMe and Oxygen.
For Penshoppe, he developed the fictional story of a group of youngsters who occupy abandoned spaces and transform them into a home base in which their creativity thrives. In Mall of Asia, it's a warehouse transformed into a loft by techies and artists. In Megamall, it's a factory made livable by musicians. And in TriNoma, it's a train station with a vaulted ceiling inspired by King's Cross station in the Harry Potter movies.
Meanwhile, Memo stores have a modern take on old world luxury to attract the "upwardly mobile" crowd. The TriNoma store is designed as a library, with shelving framed like a bookcase, comfy chairs, reading lamps, and various "personal effects" as accents, including a trophy, antique video camera, telescope, and moose head. Mannequins of both genders are made to appear as though they were guests or hosts in somebody's elevated bachelor pad. The upcoming stores will look like another part of the house, perhaps a living room
or bedroom.
ForMe, whose accent pieces include an antique sewing machine, and bolts of fabric and thread, connotes the idea that if you go there, you're having something made for yourself.
"The takeoff is the word couture. We made this look like a French atelier, added French elements. My inspiration was this film that I saw on German TV about Karl Lagerfeld. He was showing the process of how he came up with a collection, and there's a scene there where he was talking to one of the head seamstresses in her studio, and actually it looks like that," said Mr. Matias.
Playing on emotion
"There is science and psychology involved in coming up with an effective layout… Bench follows [a store design specific] to location, market, and culture," Bench architect Miguel R. Pastor wrote in an e-mail interview with BusinessWorld.
Since the majority of Bench patrons are students and young professionals, the stores use elements reminiscent of student life, which will make students feel at home, and professionals enjoy a little nostalgia.
"The tees area for the boys and girls are reminiscent of biology, geography or astronomy class, all equipped with different paraphernalia that lends the vintage feel of the bygone era. The denim area is our gymnasium filled with lockers, bleachers, and graffiti markings. The body and bath area is our chemistry set up.
"The tweeners area is our library and lounge room. The cashier counter, our red corner, is the registration counter where everyone meets at the start and end of the school semester," noted Mr. Pastor.
The idea is to make the customer feel so at home that they're inclined to linger, and eventually, buy.
"Your store is really the first point of the relationship between you and your customer.
Once you have attracted them and you have invited them to come in, you've done your job.
The next step is to make them buy, that's where visual merchandizing, comes in," said
Mr. Matias.
Visual merchandizing:
Tricks of the trade
Never underestimate the power of subtlety, particularly in visual merchandizing. The new millennium is the era of the "soft sell," as shoppers have become more discerning and wary of gimmicks, and in reaction, store owners have become just as deliberate but less obvious with their marketing. Ultimately, the effect is a happier shopping experience, with customers willingly — as opposed to grudgingly — parting with their money.
Making the storefront entrance wider renders it more welcoming, said Golden ABC Inc. retail design, construction and maintenance department manager Alvin Z. Matias. A lot of visuals appeal to the youth, particularly ones connected with music, art and gadgetry. Penshoppe even provides a computer, camera and printer for customers to photograph themselves and print their pictures on site. The store also uses vanilla scent, said to be appealing to all genders, to make shopping more pleasant. Whether it induces anyone to actually buy anything is a debatable issue.
When used effectively, the basic components to the concrete aspect of store design — color, texture, light, music — can enhance store appeal, said Anton Barretto, interior stylist of ab_designgroup and owner of Pineapple and Cereo, during the panel discussion titled "Store Designs That Make Customers Go Wow" at the 16th National Retailers Conference. Mr. Barretto shared the stage with Mega Publishing Group President and CEO Sari Yap and Atelier Almario design director Ivy Almario.
Color, said Mr. Barretto, adds drama to a design, proving the quickest and easiest way to create impact. It can be a powerful subliminal reminder of the brand, as brown and tan have done for Louis Vuitton and orange and white for Nike. It can also be emotive, as in pastels, which suggest softness and tranquility.
Ms. Yap emphasized how bright, vibrant and multiple colors appeal to the young. Further, Ms. Almario said that color can set a mood, as with the blue and white motif she used in The Spa to convey a "monastic experience."
As for texture, Mr. Barretto pointed out that it "invites a person to touch and is what the body remembers." The physical impact of a textured floor or wall is part and parcel of the unique experience of the store. One example could be Memo's bookshelves, which are lined in alligator skin (real for now, faux eventually) that makes them arresting. Positioned in the most visible part of the store, they become a showpiece for the merchandize being pushed forward.
Light is defined by Mr. Barretto as "visible energy" that makes displays "come alive." Amber and yellow lighting is inviting; it's also no surprise that cosmetic counters utilize soft lighting that flatters the skin tone. Ms. Almario invests in lighting fixtures, as lighting is "what sells," and a poorly lit store renders having wonderful merchandize pointless. It's common practice as well for stores to employ spotlights for their displays.
Music sets the tone and atmosphere of the store and has an emotional effect on the customer. Most stores would aim for communicating a sense of vibrancy or setting a relaxed mood. Others try to match the taste of its target market, as in the case of blasting rock and alternative music in the youth-oriented stores, or Memo's penchant for "non-mainstream" type music, which would later crossover into the pop charts.
When designing a store for both men and women, however, it's probably best to use an all-white, grey, or beige interior, said Ms. Almario.
"If you have one uniting neutral color, then you can accent in the feminine side, by introducing pink, and in the masculine side you can go dark brown," she told BusinessWorld.
While some shop designers prefer to be outré, Ms. Almario forecasts that the approach of the future, from hotels to retail shops, is to try for a more relaxed vibe. Keeping things simple, while introducing the odd geometry to accent, is also a good idea.
"For the moment, [minimalism is best] because minimalism you can dial up to maximalism, but maximalism you cannot dial down to minimalism," Ms. Almario said.
Originally published on 20 August 2007 in BusinessWorld.