TREND #1

The Big Picture

The store is a tool of communication. And, a successful retail environment must be holistically designed, from the front door to the sales floor to its online presence. This includes the sign above your door, the welcome mat below, the surface treatments on the walls and floors, the stationery that you use, and the nature of your sales associates.

MAKE THE CONNECTION: Assess your whole, overall look. Is it cohesive and does it really embody who your business is?

From the front doormat to your optical’s in-store focal points, think about changes (even small) that you can make to deliver a more holistic retail experience.

In addition, look at how your business leads customers into and through the selling zone in your optical area. Every store begins with a box—but how do you romance the box to transform it into a successful retail environment?

Determine where you can strategically position focal points. Where can you make a successful statement with merchandise or branding?

TREND #2

The Product, at Work

Across the board, stores are using a plethora of mannequins. Can they also work in optical? Even if employing mannequins in your eyewear displays is not for you, thought-out lifestyle presentations can still show how the product is intended to be used.

MAKE THE CONNECTION: Your store is an open book, and storytelling is an effective means of customer engagement. Create, for example, a merchandise presentation that references a day at the beach, or an evening at the ballet.

Remember, however, that your messages are also projected through choice of materials and quality of design elements—they must be consistent with who you are. When designing a store, we’re not merely designing a store but, rather, an experience.

TREND #3

Think Locally

Being locale-specific and connecting with the community is important, too. And who does it better than Anthropologie? One of my favorite presentations done by this retailer was in its San Francisco store on Market Street. The company replicated the Golden Gate Bridge, constructed of boxes of Rice-A-Roni. You can’t get more San Francisco than that.

MAKING THE CONNECTION: How can your own merchandising make you a part of the community? One idea is to create an Instagram moment in your store with a locally focused selfie station that ties the store to the local community.

There was a time when camera-yielding customers were chased from the store. Today, invite them to photo-document your store. Let them post the images for their friends and family—your future customers.

TREND #4

Get Interactive

New digital and video shelf talkers, and other types of interactive displays, are finding their way into stores across the country. Pick up the merchandise and the shelf talker communicates what the product is—and how it should be used.

MAKE THE CONNECTION: Consider employing digital or video shelf talkers in your optical area for engagement. These displays can help communicate product and brand information. They compel the customer to stop, look, and listen.

Again, the store is a tool of communication, and digital graphics are a great vehicle for delivering important messages. A word of caution: Pick your spots, and don’t overuse this technique. It is much more effective when used strategically.

More and more retailers today are recognizing the importance of visual merchandising and its key role as part of any retail strategy. Whatever your price point, and whatever your point of view, visual merchandising is a key component of success. It will define your image, project your product, and celebrate your brand.