Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered

It's been awhile (oh, say, since December???) since I've been into the Columbia Winery shop to fuss with displays. Ever since the announcement in December that they are moving from the current facility to a newly-designed (by yours truly) one nearby, things there have been in a state of flux, to put it mildly. Merchandise & fixtures have all been moved, sold off, and thinned out in preparation for the 'big move' - which was to have taken place in April. Call me 'Bewildered'.

Yeah, well, not.so.much.
Corporate policy and rigamarole being what it is, legal stalled and then project approval stalled and then negociations stalled and then the decision was made to stay where they are until September. Or maybe October. Or December. The new facility is going nowhere fast...day by day we wait to hear something. Have I mentioned that I really don't like waiting???? This would be the 'Bothered' part.

This past week, the retail director called me and asked if I could wave my magic wand and make the nearly empty space look inviting again. She had ordered a few products and needed my help. So, in I went. Cue the 'Bewitched' theme song...(that's my phone ringer and ringback tone, so everyone calls it my theme song. 'Cause I work magic...get it?)

Holly and I spent two hours moving, unpacking, clearing, refilling, and trying to expand the meager fixtures & props left in the joint to have visual impact. Color makes the displays pop, and the empty....ah, I mean 'open'....space actually makes them stand out quite well. There's a clear viewpoint to all of them!

A few up-close product shots:

Love Rosanna. Love everything she creates. Just brilliant packaging, too - easily worked into a display. (So few products have pretty packaging) Note the olive tree prop, to make the olive branch art on the plates sing. And that green recycled glass? Oh so 'of the moment'.

These dipping oils and vinegars stack together - FABulous. A shot of red from the table, pottery & flowers makes the pasta & sauce stand out. Pop the big piece of art under the table, because this is what you see when you walk in the door - it makes a bigger statement. Simple, but effective.

This is quite a different look that what the shop has been for the past five years I've been designing the displays. It's not bad, just different. Spare, clean, and much less in the way of home accessories. It's truly all about the wine now. And that, my friends, is worth a toast!

Now, two things about my theme song:
First, No, I haven't yet figured out how to wiggle my nose as cutely as Samantha Stevens (whether she is Elizabeth Montgomery or Nicole Kidman) does - but I'm working on it.

Second, Kelly Ripa needs to stop using my music in her appliance commercials.
I don't need to be 'even more amazing' thankyouverymuchKellysizezeroRipa. Every time that commercial comes on, I think it's my phone ringing. Drives me crazy!

Fashionable Miss Lulu

I received a very nice letter and the photo above from sweet Teresa, a local businesswoman, over the weekend. I thought I'd share them with you so you can see how she took my idea and tweaked it so it works perfectly for her needs.

'Hey Deb,
I just wanted to thank you for all your great display ideas. I adapted one of your ideas to display the aprons my daughter and I make.

We named her Lulu, and she does a wonderful job making our aprons look great. Hopefully well sell lots of them!! All our thanks to you for getting our brains going!'

Teresa and Liz
‘Mookie&Me Designs’

Teresa Adkins, CID, IRIS
Adkins Interior Decorating and Redesign
360-678-1007 or 360-969-3006
http://www.decorateandredesign.typepad.com/
Bringing great design to your doorstep!

Teresa, you've done a great job! And thank you again for sending me this photo & letter - I so appreciate the feedback. And hey, everyone else - send 'em in...I love to see how creative you can all be!

It's Bananas!

Let me ask you this: Whaddya' do with the Chiquita sticker when you eat a banana?
Come on, You know what you do, I know what you do, Everybody knows what you do!

You stick it on your forehead and grin like a dork!
We've all done this since we were four, right? Maybe a big brother or sister stuck it on us, maybe a goofy dad did it to get a laugh, maybe a kid at school got one slapped on him 'cause he was a dork. Doesn't matter when, why, or how - we've all done this.

And the Chiquita banana corporation knows it!
Check out the second sticker in the bunch:

Uh huh. They've got us pegged. Yes, by golly, they are actually encouraging this kind of childish, dorky behavior! And it's brilliant!

I can imagine the kind of meetings these people must have! And you just know that the team who came up with this marketing masterpiece actually went into grocery stores and walked around produce departments with the 'Place Sticker on Forehead. Smile.' sticker on their foreheads, just to get reactions. And can't you just imagine what those reactions were? From snickers to giggles to laughs to mothers whippin' the cart around so junior won't see it and start plastering labels on his little body, there is no doubt that nearly everyone who saw it thought to themselves 'I've done that!' We connect with it. This ad campaign connects us to each other, to our memories, to the product, to the company, to our loyalty to this brand.

Now, here's another question for you:
Name another brand of banana.

Yeah, that's what I thought......

Featured Blog

The Gift and Home Channel Newsletter went out this morning, and it features my GHC blog, 'Diva Deb's Design Details'. Thank you, GHC, for the mention, and editor Jessica Brustad for the heads-up!

Too Busy to Post!

Hey, guys, sorry that my posts are few and far between these days...I'm just slammed here at Diva Central!

Along with my consulting, speaking, and writing, my husband and I have started a new business. We are refurbing, reimagining, restyling, and recreating furniture and home accessories - yeah, it's a trash-to-treasure thing! (I've been dumpster diving for thirty years and telling others how to do it for ten - I thought I should finally sell the products that result.) So, I am now in your shoes as a vendor at the shows we've chosen to sell at this summer. We'll be at Farm Chicks in Spokane, Wa. June 7 & 8, and in Reno at the Tumbleweed Cotillion vintage French market on June 27 & 28.

It's been over ten years since we have created products for sale, so we are back on the learning curve...and sourcing & creating our entire product line, as well. A lot of work goes into this for us - and yes, I am having a blast planning themes and displays for each setup! Oh, no, I can't make it easy for us. We are doing entirely different product lines, colors, themes, etc. for each show.

Anyway, it's keeping me busy, along with several other projects. What are those? Let's see...

Susan Wagner from Country Business magazine contacted me last week, and asked me to be on a panel of experts on their new web site, where we will answer questions from readers. How exciting! Look for that to launch on June 1 - the same day I'll be speaking at the Portland Gift Show.

Last week, I finalized talks with Ray Gaulke at the Gift & Home Channel to film several segments for broadcast on their web site. I'll be filming at the Farm Chicks show in Spokane, Washington on June 7th, sharing great ideas & info about finding & using unique display items - antiques, handmade, and repurposed stuff. The Farm Chicks show is produced by Teri Edwards & Serena Thompson, both wonderful gals who've been so helpful through this process. I am so incredibly grateful for this opportunity - I get to help retailers and support artisans and promote this show, all at once. Win-win-win!

And thank you so much Chuck, Cathy, and Melissa for your comments on the last post.... I am so happy that the info I've offered here is helpful! Send me photos of your fab displays!

The Show Must Go On.....

I received a very nice email today from a very nice gentleman who has been a reader for a while. His questions are quite timely, so I thought I'd address them here so that others with similar issues might gain some insight...

'Hi Deb,

I've been a fan of yours for a while now - I use your ideas/philosophies in my Irish Shop.

This year, I am participating in an Irish Festival . It's held Labor Day Weekend on the grounds of Hallmarks' Crown Center retail and hotel grounds. I can't tell you how many folks come out for it, it is a huge music and sales event that draws from all over. There will surely be more than 200,000 people out for the weekend.

I will have a 10 X 20 foot space to show my eclectic group of products that range from Irish perfumes, to scarves, Ruanas, hats, home and garden decor and jewelry. Do you have any ideas/guidance regarding showing retail in a festival? I don't know if I dare to make the space I have open for the public to meander in, or hold them back by tables stacked with my wares. I need a thought or two on merchandising in an area like this.

Thanks for being there (on the net) I really think that you have it on the ball!
Chuck Denton, Doherty & Sullivan Irish Goods, Lee's Summit, MO.'
http://www.dsirish.com/

OK, well, first of all, thank you so much for reading my blogs, Chuck. I really appreciate that, and your kind comments! And the Irish thing, well, with family names like Shaughnessy and Kennedy, I'm all over that...

Now, I have to let you know that one of the reasons this is a timely issue is that I myself am preparing for show season. 'Mr. Deb' and I have started a second business, wherein we restyle & refurbish items and sell them at flea market shows. I presently have a 10 X 10 mock-up of a booth in the living room, working out the kinks and making a plan for our displays.

I've learned over the years that display of products is something that works differently in different situations. At trade shows and craft/ethnic/flea markets, the 10 X 10 space can be maximized to increase sales by utilizing a few simple marketing ideas.

One: You have five seconds to catch a customers' eye. Yep, five whole seconds! Use scale (big), color (bold), your logo & name (large scale, placed at eye-ball height across the back of your booth), and utilize everything you've learned from me about leveraging your brand image! You also need to prominently place your products within the 'strike zone' - yes sir, just like baseball: from the shoulders to the knees is prime viewing & selling location. I personally think it needs to be from waist to shoulders, just to minimize damaged goods in a crowded setting. If your products are all small, then you need to make huge models of them, or use large photo blow-ups on the back wall, or find props to lift them up and get them in the customer's line of vision. If you want them to die a slow death, lay them flat on a table where they will become invisible. (I can hear the pulse flatline now....beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep........)

Two: Invite them in. Don't block the front of your booth/space with tables - it's the equivalent of saying 'Don't get too close'. Not what you want when you are trying to make a sale! Allow lots of open space in the center of your booth so people can come in, turn, look around, and NOT bump into others in the booth. (This is called the 'Butt-brush factor' and people will leave without buying anything if they feel their personal space has been invaded. Really!) Put those tables against the walls - and don't let them go all the way to the aisle, either - leave some 'breathing room - a foot or so.

Three: Think vertically. On top of those tables, use some shelves, cubes, smaller tables, items to create more levels and more space for products to be at eye level. Using fixtures made from clear glass or acrylic will make the products show up better, as they won't block light or views. (You are selling the merchandise, not the fixtures!) If you have jewelry or other really small items, make SURE you provide an additional light source to make them show up - Daylight is not enough. Use clamp lights positioned over the cubes to beam light straight down onto the merchandise.

Four: Prevent theft with a few simple methods: Put valuable small items like jewelry into cases with glass doors, or trays with plexi tops on them. Have a sales person positioned at these fixtures at all times, giving them the job of attending to customers who are interested. Attention and eye contact with customers is the number one way to minimize 'shrink', or loss. It's worth paying an extra person to work your booth.

Five: Identify yourself and your business. Make SURE you have business cards handy. Put a banner with your biz name on the back wall, or on the table covers. Have your entire staff wear tshirts that are all the same color to coordinate with your logo color. You want people to recognize who it is that can assist them with a sale. Make it easy, make it memorable. Use bags that have your logo and contact info printed on them - or at least toss a biz card into a plain bag. (But really, why not have your business advertised at a show for free? People carrying your logo bags around is just that: advertising).

Chuck, you've got an eclectic selection of merchandise to deal with. I'd suggest that you arrange it in groups - put all of the accessories (jewelry, perfumes, scarves, hats, etc.) together on one side of the booth, and locate the home decor & garden items on the other side. Create a large focal point in each area so people can easily see what you've got, and make products easily accessible to them. And Chuck, please send me photos of your booth displays - I'd love to see what you do!

The photos shown here were taken on our recent shopping trip to the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena, Ca. The biggest lesson to be learned there? If you clean it up and display it thoughtfully, you can charge more for it. And people will pay it! ;0) Presentation truly makes all the difference!

Flipside

I thought maybe you'd like to see how the inevitable snafus of display affect me, too!

The photo above shows how I envisioned and planned a display for an antique booth. The approach to the space is from the right, down an aisle, so I did the buildup in a triangular shape from that direction - so the eye travels from low to high and then back down again. There are other furnishings to be placed at either end of the table, as well, that aren't shown here. This kind of 'mock setup' is something I do during the planning phase - I'm spatial (um, no, I did not say 'special', I said 'spAtial'!) and need to actually see how the sizes & scale of things interact. Plotting on paper is all well and good, but it doesn't address every issue. I was happy with the way this all turned out.

Well, when I set this up in the antique mall, I wasn't happy with how it looked. For one thing, the mirror behind the table had to hang a bit farther left than I wanted it to - some trim on the wall made it bump out too far behind the table. So it didn't reflect the lamps, which it need to do to counteract the overhead florescent lighting. (shudder. This is death for merchandise.) So the 'adjusting' commenced. It took me about ten minutes of shuffling the larger pieces around before it allowed me to place the lamps where I wanted them and still keep the focal point of the display at an eye-catching level.

Here's how it ended up: Basically the items on top of the table are a 'flip' of my original plan.

There is a wealth of product in this small space (3 X 8') - from large furnishings to accessories for home, parties, and fashion. The theme is 'Bridal Sweet', and it focuses primarily on wedding-themed items. The color coordination keeps it from being overwhelming, but there is certainly enough here to capture the interest of shoppers for awhile...

(See how that warm incandescent light makes a difference?!)

So, just a reminder, from me: when you are working your store displays and it doesn't pan out exactly like you thought it would, don't be discouraged! You didn't do anything wrong - this happens to everyone. Remember that it's an art, not a science, so be creative.

('Cause you know, it's not called 'disWORK' - it's called 'disPLAY'!!!)

Edited to add: And then again, sometimes it doesn't really matter exactly how you place things, because within a day of installing them they have all SOLD OUT. Holy Moses.....!

'Sittin' Pretty'...DivaDeb Originals

This past week, I came up with a new display prop for a project I am working on and the idea exploded! I've had a FAB response to this, inspiring me to create a line of products. Introducing 'Sittin' Pretty Unique Mannequins', a unique DivaDeb creation. (There's a pun in there for the three people who read this blog who knew me before I was married...) These are display props that perform the function of a mannequin - but ever so much more stylishly!

I will be producing these for sale, each one an original 'one of a kind' creation. I can envision many styles, sizes, colors, finishes, and uses for them. If you are interested in having one of these DivaDeb creations made just for you, drop me a line and I'll send you more info. They will be making a red-carpet appearance at the upcoming Portland & Seattle Gift Shows, too - in my seminars, on the Demonstration Stage, and in the currently-being-designed Seattle Launching Pad Display area.

This particular little darling is awaiting her wardrobe - a wedding petticoat & veil. When dressed, the chair won't show at all. But I would use this and let part of the 'structure' show. It's sort of 'French Bohemian' in a way, don'tcha' think? Useful? Oh, yeah... picture a designer bag featured sitting right there on the seat, a darling pair of shoes placed on the 'feet' of the chair, while a jaunty scarf, belt, or hat is displayed up above. (One might even place a tiara up there on top, hmmmmmnnn???)

This design is very eco-friendly to boot, utilizing old items in a new way. Yeah, if I get an order for twenty of them and need them to all be alike, I'll be buying new chairs that match. But otherwise, it's all about reusing funky stuff. My big thing, after all, is making it 'Fast, Cheap, & Easy!'TM

You can take this idea and create one for your own non-commercial use - but please don't snarf my idea for profit, OK? (Yeah, I said snarf. That would be an 'official' term an IRS agent recently used in a conversation with my hubby. Made him smile!) 'Sittin' Pretty', 'KENNEDYkennedy Design, and 'DivaDeb' copyright KkD 2008

I'm Craving Anthropologie

The new Anthropologie catalog came in the mail yesterday. It's the next best thing to walking through one of their FAB stores, but once finished with 25 pages I tend to have an insatiable urge to get in the car and drive to downtown Seattle to the store. (Hmmmmnnn...I guess that's exactly what they WANT me to do, isn't it?!)

I've dished before on how I find this retailer to be a great example of innovative display ideas. Take a look at these photos and you'll see what I mean... like those two up there at the top. Aprons are hot, we all know that. And putting them on a clothesline or tying them to a tall ladder leaned against the wall are great ideas that we see all the time. Putting them on classical, refined statues is different. It grabs your eye because something is just a bit 'off'...classical & kitschy together? A mesh plate screen worn as a hat? Yet it works! Statues or busts of any scale are great display props for hats, scarves, jewelry, belts, and purses, as well.

This topiary decorated with dishes is another innovative application. Sure we've seen ornaments on trees. We've seen nests, birdhouses, and signs on trees. But plates & cups? It gets the product up high for visibility - remember to use that vertical space! These are melamine plates, so likely they used peel n' stick hangers on the backs and wired them to the tree. Simple. All the plates have floral motifs, did you notice that? So they took the plant idea to it's 'Nth' degree and created a bloomin' tree. Cute!

I thought this one was a stroke of brilliance. Displaying bed linens is the bane of retailers with small spaces. Yes, there is always the tried-and-true method of setting up a twin bed as a 'short', using a crib mattress turned sideways between the head & foot boards. But sometimes the pattern is so gorgeous (like these) that you have to show the whole thing off. By using lightweight (ahem - cheap & crummy) mattresses and pinning the linens to them, then tying them with twine and ribbon and belts, they were able to lean them upright against the walls for major impact. (In a store, you'd need to run wire thru the top edge of the mattress, and attach it to a hook in the wall to prevent it from tumbling over.) And did you notice the metal bedframe, sans mattress, filled with grasses & blossoms? A flower bed. Yup!

I know you are busy retailers, with a million things to do, You are probably thinking you don't have time to go comp-shop other stores for ideas. Thing is, you don't have to - sometimes, those ideas come right to your doorstep!

Inspiration is all around us...all we have to do is notice.
(I stole that from the film 'August Rush', where the quote is actually "The music is all around us. All we have to do is listen." The first song you hear on my playlist here is 'August's Rhapsody' from the soundtrack. )

Image credits: Anthropologie catalog. Products available at www.anthropologie.com
For more Anthropologie Inspiration, visit http://cravinganthropologie.blogspot.com/!