STORE DECOR
Creating a kid-friendly space
By Susan P. Tarrant

	Use P-O-P wisely to identify your children�s section. Photo by Bright Dislays.

You�ve got a lot of children�s frames, so therefore you�ve got a lot of children as customers. But does your dispensary design reflect that? Do customers walking in knowing immediately that you carry children�s frames, let alone where they are? And, most importantly, do your littlest customers feel welcome and comfortable shopping for what may be their first pair of glasses?

Unless you can answer all of these questions with a resounding and confident �yes,� it�s time to consider giving a little attention to how you display your tiny frames. The best way to accomplish that, say store designers, is to use colors, imagery, and items that the younger set will relate to.

�Color is of extreme value,� says Sandy Bright, president of Bright Displays. �By nature, we associate bold primary colors with kids, so an adult will immediately know where the kids frames are.�

Justine Krefft, a designer with Ennco Display Systems, agrees that primary colors are the first things that will attract young children and their parents. �They need something to identify with.�

In addition to the use of primary colors, there are plenty of other things dispensers can use in their �kids� section� with which tots and their parents can identify. Bright strongly suggests making the most out of the P-O-P material that comes with children�s frames. �Use some here, and some there. And change it as frequently as possible,� she says. �Every time you change something, people will assume you have new inventory.� Which means they�ll pop in just to see what you�ve got.

And be clever with your use of props, too. They can send very deliberate messages about the age group and sex the frames are geared toward.

�Once I took a blackboard and wrote �Exam Today� on it because of the double meaning,� offers Bright, a former dispenser. �For the little kids, the old favorite is so strong�blocks painted bold, primary colors.�

Krefft cautions dispensers to go easy on the toys and tiny props, lest some youngsters get overly attached. �I see a lot of stuffed animals in dispensaries,� she says. �And that�s OK if they�re up high enough, but if not it could be problem if kids pick them up and want to leave with them.�

Bright is also a strong supporter of having a different room for your kids� stock, if at all physically possible. That way, you can employ music and movement to attract the young �uns.

�Little kids have music they like, too. And as long as it won�t interfere with the adults shopping in your dispensary, go for it,� she says. There are also toys that project luminous images on the walls and ceilings, many that move�and that�s an element you can introduce to your �kids� room.

�Movement is really key,� she continues. �Department stores will put toys out near the entrance that move and make sounds. Dispensers can do the same.�

The most important thing to remember when designing an area for children�s frames, our designers, say, is to separate the age levels. Do not mix your older children and tweens frames with your children�s frame.

�I recommend a different room... or at least a portion of a room, for kids. And within that, dispensers should create different sections for various ages,� Bright suggests. �Be clear who your target is; don�t mix them.�

�I literally beg the dispensers I design for to separate the pre-teens and teens from the younger kids,� Krefft says. �Kids that are 12, 13 or so are very fashion-conscious. Not in a million years will they shop for anything at the same place as a 4-year-old.�

To get an idea of what appeals to tweens, Krefft agrees with Bright that dispensers need to take their cues from retail.

Bold primary colors and a separate area just for kids is a winning combination. Photo by Ennco

�Walk into any junior department of any store in any mall,� Krefft says. �You�re going to get your best, most current ideas from them, because they know exactly what�s working.� Krefft points to that retail mecca for pre-teen girls�The Limited, Too�as the perfect place to look for ideas. They have a lot of color, but specific colors. They�ll have a color theme that is mimicked in their merchandise, and then they�ll change it after a time. That store, because of its knowledge of what�s working with the female pre-teen set, is a perfect spot for picking up accessories to use as props in your optical dispensary, she adds.

Krefft has a word of caution regarding the use of imagery of teen idols or their music, however. While it certainly may be a draw for the youngsters, she warns that it may have the opposite effect on their parents if they don�t happen to want their kids listening to or idolizing a certain celebrity.

To give your kids� frame displays a �cool� look that will appeal to teens and pre-teens of both sexes, Krefft suggests using a modern-looking display that comprises a lot of metal and sleek design. Again, look to the hip retail stores for inspiration. And remember to keep things edgy and sleek, �not adult-looking, because every teen knows that�s stodgy and boring,� she says.

For a display that�s perfect for younger children�s frames, Krefft suggests putting some stencils on the wall to denote a kids� section. Or, take two colors (primary, bold) of laminate and cut them into a shape of a flower or other simple shape. Put it on a background and mount it on a wall painted primary colors. Attach colorful rods on which to hang frames and voila! �You�ve got a bright, fun background with lots of color, and for very little money,� Krefft says.

Even if you don�t have the square footage to create a kids-only room, you can put your children�s frames on display with style. All it takes is the willingness to be a little bold with your displays�and then let the child in you come out.