According to the increasing growth of our activities in the “homeware” sector, we would treat about the subject of visual. The Home sector pays off the results of visual merchandising and window display activities.
The ascending number of companies on this marketplace stand for proof.
Names of our partners as Zucchi, Excelsa, Villeory&Boch, Seletti and many others, have realised that a successful and dynamic retail can not be disjoined from visual and window display policy (as other brands have implemented).
What are the critical situations most often observed in this area when our visuals equip flagshipstores or corners? In wider terms, any sector observe display system perhaps non pertaining display systems or inadequate to the items, or to find the right mix between quality and quantity of goods, or limit the popular idea that: “more exhibition…more sales” …nothing could be wrong!
In order to enrich our point of view it was inevitable to involve the professionals of the sector and ask them for their contribution on matter. We pose three simple questions and understand the dynamics and strategies implemented by some leading companies.
In synthesis:
1 How evolved the visual strategies over the past 5 years?
2 What are the supports for the sales points in order to visual and window display?
3 Which are your special projects for the forthcoming Christmas 2016?
The first answer comes from Gianni Romandini (Responsabile Marketing in F.lli Guzzini spa)
Fratelli Guzzini founded in 1912 manufacturing horn objects. In 1938 introducing homeware Plexiglas products, Guzzini revolutionizes the conventional use of utensils.
Best international designers worked with Guzzini, because of its extraordinary ability to combine functionality and aesthetics. The aesthetic and functional research and testing of new materials, always innovating and carefully combined, as to anticipate the requests –ever changing- of consumers, make the Marche Company one of the Made in Italy icon worldwide.
1 The Guzzini visual strategies had to support, better than in the past, the correct “positioning” of the brand and products, in the sign of greater values authenticity and transparency of the message, while maintaining the traditional emotional component of engagement and persuasion. Past years most of our business focused on wedding lists and it was easier to supply with approved communication tools. By now it is necessary to develop dedicated communication strategies for sales points with different needs, suggesting a modern display system and trying to captivate the interest a new consumer, actually more informed and demanding. The sales point is the place where choice and decisions on purchase are decisive and our help can turn it into an experiential place, bring element making culture of the product, arouse emotions animate the sales.
2 The in-store communication is a strategic mechanism on which Guzzini invested both in Italy and abroad. Conscious that the sales point is the main place in which create an efficient and appropriate shopping experience, we supply our stores with POP tools all-round, enable to convey the values of the brand and every time the storytelling of the individual program for item. The tools for an appealing shopwindow are essential to arouse the interest onto the brand, but we careful the instore visual by introducing posters, banners and floor and desk displays and the efficacious video sustems. Recently we introduced the Visual Merchandising Book, that is a folder periodically updatedwhich collects the main information on the brand and about the firm. This folder also contains a discussion on the brand inside the sales point listing the tools which diversify a Guzzini dealer from others. Tools enable to attract the customers with its own visibility. This explains the use and the functionof our cata-lists, of our magazinesand our special gift boxes. Display modes and realization of our shopwindows create greater value inside the sales point. Finally, to get closer the consumer there are branding tools such as the institutional shoppers, the wrapping paper, and other important accessories.
3 The upcoming Christmas, Guzzini will launch a couple of communication initiatives. In fact, they announced a competition for consumers and for trade. Both the projects are created to actively engage about our brand. The competition for consumers will start on November 27, and will expire on January 8. Simple mechanics: that is to buy a product within the recommended terms, take it in a Christmas picture and post it on the website Christmas 2016.fratelliguzzini.com – filling the form, with till receipt and EAN code. Best five photos authors will be assigned a voucher for €300,00 in Guzzini products and a SmartBox named “Momenti Unici”. The other initiative for trade will examine three most beautiful shopwindow displaying Guzzini products for the table or kitchen, with the concept “Christmas is sharing”. The shopwindow will be dressed at least over 15 days from 1 to 24 December 2016.
We pass the baton to Roberto Valvo ( The Tiger Partner)
Tiger is a Danish franchising chain specialised with exclusive products for personal use and for home. The first store opened in Copenhagen in 1995. Twenty years later, the Group has over 700 stores worldwide, of which about 90 in Italy and last June it officially changed the sign into Flying Tiger Copenhagen.
Tiger sells design products for the house and for the person of common use at competitive prices with the aim to impose itself as a democratic brand. Lennart Lajboschitz, founder of the company says: “Flyng Tiger is the right place where find everything, products of dreams and unknown products”. The stores cover 200 and 250 sqm of surface with storage areas. The shops have constraint paths driving the customers among innovative and colourful collections. Soft and amusing diffusion of music increase the shopping
As for the development in Italy, the Company has had a strong impulse in Rome with 16 sales points that will reach 18 within the end of this year. Particular attention to the flagship in Piazza Venezia, with a play area where customers can play football or table tennis, with IT station and Wi-Fi to relax and recharge mobiles.
1 Since few years our company suffered an evolution, as previously our displays was vertical or per family/product, while our strong Campaigns (a new campaign every month and a recall of the same Campaign every fortnight and grew mainly the concept of horizontal display for category, thence a theme with a topic enable to show products selected for categories (home, kitchen, toys, stationery, etc.).
2 As for visual we supply our sales points with classic supports, therefore with renders, photos and improving continuous training. Shopwindows also are changing, as usually our windows suggest the internal displays, while, recently we try to use true set environment.
3 Christmas period will be charaterized by testing new displays as until now, there were unusual Christmas setting; this year we try for a special setting cobined with a micro internet site shopperclaus.com, where customers can have advices from Claus on Christmas gifts and can win daily prizes for a more exciting Christmas in Flying Tiger Copenhagen.
We give the word to Pierluigi Sgarabotto (formerly CEO of Villeroy & Boch) which recently anticipated us:
1 Villeroy & Boch, in the latest five years, represents the unique company worldwide enable to invest in Italy in the tableware sector on its visual concept. In fact, the goal we pursued was to recognize three major strategies directed onto the product: classic table, food concept and gift. Thence we have trained visual merchandisers, displays connected with the company policy, or modular and made on measure, according with the customers, contextualization of the product, whenever unique on the shopwindows. We tried to enhance the awareness towards our brand. Our stores are conceived to suggest emotion. The consumer well recall its feeling here rather then what he saw or what acquainted in closer. In addition we standardised our brand image both online and offline by influencing both the worlds incessantly and let them to learn each other. At the end, our direct sales points enlarged the display areas, by dividing for “competence area” (classic table), “impulse” (focused on gifts) and “activity” (converging on new products and food concepts).
2 Modular displays expressily designed by our art director and his team, with decoration kit and window display enable to enhance the products and the offers, the visual merchandising guidelines for each V&B line. We also provide a custom service by our press office in Italy.
3 Christmas is our core business and it worth considering. In 2016, has been designed a Xmas display enable to give a clear embrace to our three main decorations. In Italy we created a particular display for the shopwindow that will exite all consumers with its light and mouvement, the main goal is to concentrate the shopwindows on our brand. I cannot reveal it, but it should be seen in our best sales points.
Finally, we heard the valuable testimony of Simone Valentini (PR & Communications Manager for Seletti)
1 In the latest years we activated and trained a visual dept in order to support the sales points to display our collections. The requirement consists in the mix of the brand identity and the displays on the sales points; therefore the strategy was to create the display prototype made on measure to be dressed on the store for a display corner well keeping our essence and we called it Seletti World.
2 The sales point, which supports the Seletti World prototype receives from our Visual Dept the design we consider correctly appropriate for the special area. After the approval of the store, our team deliver and mount the displaying wall; once the works were completed, the visual dept integrated it with selected products from the commercial and marketing office. The visual dept periodically presents the sales point in order tu supply with the SW Collections and organize the display if necessary.
3 Sure, as every year, this 2016 will be Holiday (r)evolution: a new shopwindow exhibition with our “Renaissance” modular case, which will produce the fireplace ambient, including all the icon products as Christmas gifts.Certo, come ogni anno. Il 2016 sarà Holiday (r)evolution.
Paolo Zanardi | XT retail
by AN shopfitting magazine no.136 ©
