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Hello, and welcome to another issue of the TRIO Display Newsletter!

There have been plenty of exciting changes around the TRIO offices since the last edition, not the least of which has been the extensive overhaul of our website, www.triodisplay.com. A few months ago, it occurred to us that we should offer our friends and customers a little more than just a fixture catalog or a design portfolio though our online presence. We decided to place an even greater focus on providing site visitors with as much useful information as possible regarding retailing and the art of retail design. The result is the beginning of what we hope will be one of the most comprehensive collections of retailer guides and design case studies on the net. When you get the chance, we encourage you to stop by www.triodisplay.com and have a look – we know you’ll like what you find! Until next time, take care and happy retailing!
 
Best Regards,
Adam Jones – Editor
TRIO Display Newsletter

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New Product Lines

Slatstands
slatstandSlatstands will change the way you merchandise with free-standing displays. This revolutionary display system uses any standard slatwall fixture—all you have to do is hang it in the appropriate slot. No need to buy a separate display for shoes, hats, t-shirts, sporting equipment, etc. With a quick change of the appropriate fixture, the Slatstand converts to whatever you need. Unique and versatile, Slatstands maximize your ability to effectively showcase merchandise in high-traffic areas. Click HERE for more information.

clothing display

Naked Retail Design
TRIO President Jeff Grant Talks Clothing Displays
by Eric Fairbanks

One of the thorniest problems facing the retailer is how to merchandise clothing. Without even realizing it you could be losing sales over something as simple as poorly-placed stock points. TRIO President Jeff Grant tells you how you can design your clothing display to move product.

Are there any guiding rules to displaying clothing? 
Jeff Grant: “Well, there are four basic ways to display clothing: folded on a table, face-out or shoulder out on a rack, using some sort of form or mannequins, and graphically.” 
 
Could you break it down a little? 
Jeff Grant: “For a wall display, you’ll want to divide the wall up into four-to-eight foot sections. Mix up the merchandising, so one might be shoulder out, another face out, and another using shelving of some type. You could highlight a couple of sections with graphics and or video.” 
 
What about arranging like clothing together? 
Jeff Grant: “Yes. You want to cross-merchandise where you can. Let’s say you have shorts that go with a style of hat. Put the shorts on a pinwheel display and the matching hats on a shelf on top of the pinwheel. Clothing that goes together should be displayed together. In a sense, you want to tell a story, create a theme.” 

What fixture system should you use? 
Jeff Grant: “What you want to do is give your clothing displays ‘texture.’ That is, you want to mix up the different ways you present product in a small clothing displayspace. Use four-way and two-way racks, nested tables, mannequins, and pinwheels. Table displays are important because they invite customers to touch the product more than, let’s say, product that is on a mannequin. Appealing to touch is important. Mix face-out with shoulder-out displays. Not too much shoulder-out because it’s hard to sell ‘shoulders.’ You won’t see as many circular racks these days. On walls, mix gridwall, slatwall, cabinets, and puckwall to showcase the product.” 

“There’s another reason why you’d want to make your fixture system flexible. You never want your store to look empty. You want to be able to display clothing as either a high point, like waterfalls and presentation racks, or as a stock point, like folded in bins or shoulder-out on hang bars. High point makes the store look like it has more merchandise, while stock point is all about fitting a lot of product in a small space. With a flexible display system, like slatwall, for example, you will be able to adapt your merchandising to fluctuations in your inventory, so you fill space as you need.” 

mannequins


 
Tell us a little more about the role of mannequins and forms. 
Jeff Grant: “You have to remember that people want to see how the clothing will look on them. That’s why you have to mix mannequins into your display scheme. Mannequins and forms show how the cut of the clothing actually falls over the human form. It gives the product dimension and depth, in addition to width and length.” 
 
Any other details? 
Jeff Grant: “Don’t overlook the importance of hangers. Wooden hangers add class and present well. Brand your logos on the hangers and you have the customer think of you every time he steps into his closet at home. It’s great advertising. Contoured hangers are better for showing how the product hangs, and are easier on the seams, that’s important for heavier jackets and coats. Flat hangers are perfect for shirts, and where you want to economize on space.” 


Featured Design Project: La Bella Belly Maternity Boutique
pregnant logoBy Eric Fairbanks

“We’re excited to be working with someone new to retailing,” said Todd Murphy, TRIO Store Designer, “an entrepreneur.” But it’s not just the owner who’s new to business, it’s the business itself.

Pregnancy and shopping are usually mutually exclusive, so why not build a retail store that recognizes and addresses the issue? Enter La Bella Belly Maternity Boutique, a combination maternity clothing store and prenatal massage shop opening in a Texas shopping village. Expectant mothers can shop ‘til they drop…into one of the two private massage rooms where licensed masseuses stand ready to ease sore backs and aching feet.

belly

pulloutSuch a bold new retail concept called for an equally innovative design. “Designing a hybrid retail/service environment presents a different set of planning demands,” said Murphy. “We had to balance privacy issues with the open interaction typically required in a retail space.” These hybrids compose an increasing share of TRIO’s upcoming design-build projects.

“Naturally, we tried to design a harmonious environment conducive to the massage service. The colors were especially tricky,” noted Murphy. TRIO themed the Dallas, Texas, store around urban, contemporary lifestyle architecture. Preliminary sketches of the 1500 square-foot space included faux vaulted ceilings, bare brick walls, and a custom waterfall. While the owner, Tamarra Billings, liked the look of custom fixtures, the cost proved problematic. TRIO found a work-around, however, and she was able to lease the fixtures instead of buying them, thereby retaining the atmosphere she wanted while keeping the bottom line within reason.

The store opens early this fall. (You can visit www.labellabellymaternity.com for more information.)

Other Current Projects

  • Woly Board- skateboard specialty shop in Mineral Wells, TX
  • Boomtown- Casino gift shop in Biloxi, MS
  • Mission San Juan Batista- Gift shop in San Jaun Batista, CA
  • La Bella- Maternity specialty shop in Frisco, TX
  • Tennessee Traditions- Team apparel store for Neyland Stadium at theUniversity of Tennesse
  • The Jewelry Box- Jewelry specialty store in Costa Mesa, CA
  • Jolie Bebe- Designer childrens clothing store in Topanga, CA
  • Metamorphisis- Women’s and babies’ clothing retailer in Oldsmar, FL
  • That Science Store- Educational science store in Rockridge, FL
  • Foot Fetish- Shoe and clothing boutique in Marrero, LA
  • Mobile Zone- Cellular phone retailer in Corona, CA
  • Seattle Team Store- Sports novelty retailer in Seattle, WA
  • Friendswood Music and More- Art/Music instructional facility and retailer in Friendswood, TX
  • Hot Cats- Action sports/music retailer for young adults in Las Vegas, NV
 

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