VISUAL MERCHANDISING

Visualizing Luxury

3 tips to merchandise your high-end eyewear like a pro

how do you create a successful luxury brand display for eyewear today? First and foremost, try to think more globally, meaning bigger picture and out of the box.

Step back and ask yourself, “Who buys these frames—and how often? What styles do they seem to buy and wear the most, and which brands seem to mean the most to them?”

Luxury is defined differently by different demographics. Some target markets say luxury is pure quality, some say it’s great customer service, some say it means top-of-the-line design and attention to detail, while others just want the name that a consumer product represents, or to be seen wearing it.

WHITE LIGHTS: Luxe also applies to the quality of the display itself. Use flattering lights that make the merchandise look its best. Warm white lights look more like natural sunlight and make people look their best when trying on the products. Warm white enhances skin tone, eye color, and skin color.

How do you attract nearly all of these groups with one display? The answer is lifestyle branding.

Create a window, vitrine, shadow box, or shelf display that really looks luxurious and exemplifies the lifestyle that the brand you’re displaying—and its merchandise—represents.

This means you might need to invest some time and a little money in doing the legwork for this display project, and maybe even put on your networking cap and shake some hands, and make some magic happen.

CROSS MERCHANDISING

Deliver an exciting brand message by partnering with local retailers to create a cross-merchandised display. Visit a local boutique or department store and talk with the manager of the handbag or shoe department about borrowing some merchandise—and maybe lend some frames in return.

Cross merchandising makes a lot of business sense, especially if you promote the borrowed items at your location and the partner business promotes your eyewear and directs potential customers to your store.

Local retail stores might want to also borrow high-end eyewear to place in their displays or to borrow for their fashion shows. You might also ask whether the store has any props, risers, or even body forms or mannequins you can use to make a great display.

DISPLAY TIP: Make sure to keep your glass clean, lightbulbs working and directed correctly, and the floor looking nice. Try wrapping or covering the floor with carpet squares that are sold individually with pre-attached adhesive tabs, or get a piece of steel or wood from your local hardware store and enhance the display with interesting materials.

VIEWING HEIGHT: Customers should be able to view luxury displays without bending over. Make vitrines waist-high or higher, and place shelves at about 5 feet off the ground, where most people’s eyes naturally rest. Window displays should have merchandise on risers or props so that products are at a comfortable viewing height.

LUXE MESSAGING

Messaging is important, especially when it comes to luxury eyewear. If you borrow a designer handbag and pair of heels to put in your window or vitrine to go with the eyewear, you are now telling a lifestyle story visually and it will stand out among your other displays that just show frames alone.

One important consideration is to keep the focus on the merchandise. Avoid getting too over the top with props and colors that might detract from the eyewear.

FOLLOW-THROUGH

When selling luxury brands, try to ensure that your storefront and interior space convey the message that your store is the place to buy items from these brands. That means doing things like keeping your store clean, having some fresh, professionally arranged flowers delivered every week, and perhaps offering high-quality, fresh coffee or espresso and premium chocolates.

Encourage your staff to dress simply and elegantly to suit your eyewear assortment. Outfit them with luxury eyewear so they look the part. And, if your optician does particularly well selling luxury brands, consider offering a bonus of those shoes from the window display. Your optician will embody the brand’s lifestyle story, and their enthusiasm for the product will only increase.

Follow through with your suppliers as well. Start conversations about new fixtures, risers, and other props for their merchandise.

You can also ask suppliers to participate in promotional events like trunk shows. If you do hold one, be willing to invest the necessary time and money to make it a success. Include a budget for appetizers and wine or champagne. Have that local retailer send someone over to do free consultations on makeup colors for the season—or share key fashion trends available at their shop.

Credit: FashionStock.com / Shutterstock.com

VIDEO MOTIVATION: Include a tablet or flat-screen TV in your waiting or frame display area, and loop through brand images or videos. Ask your vendor to provide a looping DVD of its brand’s recent fashion show. Play the DVD in your window display; it will grab the attention of passersby. While watching, they’ll also check out your merchandise.

Make it an event that people will want to attend and talk about afterward. These small investments—which can be minimized by trading services with other retailers and asking for vendor assistance­—will make your location a true destination and tell your clients that you care about them and want them to return.

—Travis J. Reed

Travis Reed is CEO of Creative Visionary, Inc., in Chicago. He is a visual merchandising director, store designer, fashion show producer, stylist, retail trainer, and popular speaker on optical retail merchandising. For info: creativevisionaryinc.com