I’ve talked here before about my two decades-plus as a devoted Apple Macintosh user. I’ve also bought many Sony electronics products over the years. Both companies have retail stores, but I’ve never been too thrilled about Sony’s. They just sort of ramble on, with no focus. I’d just as soon be shopping the electronics department at Walmart.

An article in The New York Times (free registration may be required) bears me out. The writer visited several Apple and Sony stores in the San Francisco bay area to check out the vibes. Not surprisingly, the huge Sony shops were pretty much devoid of customers and the sales staff was inattentive. But even Apple’s smaller stores were packed with customers getting up close and personal with the merchandise as staff hovered nearby to assist with any question. The stores’ interior–with its clean lines, soothing colors and displays that invite hands-on product demos–are what I feel draw customers back again and again.

I believe both companies make great products, but it’s a shame that Sony still doesn’t understand retail. I’m not the only one who feels that way. A retail consultant quoted in the article says Sony’s stores “…are not energized and not shop-able” while Apple stores extend an “emotional connection” to their customers that Sony’s don’t.

I only fault Apple for the way some employees treat women shoppers. My sister-in-law, a Mac expert, usually can’t get anyone to approach her in an Apple store. When she finally flags one down, the employee acts amazed that she knows so much. That’s a shame, because she’ll only buy from a proactive salesperson who treats her with the respect all customers deserve.

If you’re wondering about how to attract more customers to your retail store, do yourself a favor and visit an Apple outlet. In my experience, there’s always a greeter at the door and plenty of easy-to-identify salespeople eager to help. You may not have the budget for that kind of customer-to-employee ratio, but you can train your staff to be responsive to customer needs. And, unlike Sony, make sure they treat everyone with respect.

By Jeff Grant
Color is often underestimated as a marketing tool. That’s right, I said “marketing” tool. Think about it for a second: some of more powerful brand associations you can think of connect through color. UPS: “What Can Brown Do for You?” IBM is “Big Blue.” Home Depot and orange are forever linked. The list is black and white, and endless.

Coloring Between the Lines
Marketers are merely taking advantage of the fact that we respond strongly to color on a visceral level, reacting and making judgments almost instantly without being aware of it. Here are a couple common associations…

• White: Cleanliness, purity, honesty.
• Red: Vitality, passion, love.
• Blue: Calm, stability, peacefulness.
• Brown: Open, reliable, grounded.
• Orange: Energetic, warm, happy.

Picking Your Palette
So you can understand why you shouldn’t take picking your store’s color palette lightly. If you’re selling something that’s very dependent on color such as home décor or jewelry, you might want to retain the services of a professional color consultant to pick your store palette. It’s that important.

Black Is a Great Color for a Baby Shop, Right?
The first thing to consider is matching your palette to your product. A kid’s store should have plenty of bright, lively colors while a cosmetic store might involve muted neutrals along the lines of beige, tan, terracotta, or light yellow. Classic colors such as black, white, and silver are effective in high-end electronic boutiques. In a health store, earth tones, of course. Take a look at other successful local stores to get an idea of color schemes that might work.

A kid’s store should have plenty of bright, lively colors while a cosmetic store might involve muted neutrals along the lines of beige, tan, terracotta,
or light yellow.

Blue vs. Pink
Gender plays a part in color choice. Darker colors or brighter colors seem to appeal more to men than women, while softer or more “ambiguous” colors find a better reception with female clientele. Which particular colors are preferred tend to be tied to culture. It is worth noting that a standard blue is favored by both genders. If your retail space is heavily weighted toward one sex or the other, scheme appropriately.

It’s All in the Lighting
Think about your lighting. Color and light work together. Different bulbs render color in different ways. In fact, bulbs typically have a Color Rendering Index (CRI) rating that denotes how “true” colors appear under the light. The higher the rating, the better the rendition. In broad strokes, incandescent lights produce a “warmer” illumination and generally rate very high in CRI while fluorescents throw a colder, harsher light and have relatively low CRIs. How you choose your lighting scheme will affect how your colors look. Make sure that when you review paint chips you’re seeing them under the lighting that will be used in your store.

Red Means “Stop”
According to TRIO Store Designer Bill Mondigo, “Bold colors make bold statements, but only use them sparingly in the interior of your store or they lose their power. Red attracts attention but if you use too much of it, it’ll just confuse the environment.” Mondigo also notes that the right color can hide otherwise poor aesthetics such as deemphasizing an unappealing ceiling by painting it black.

You can’t underestimate the importance of picking the right color for your store sign, logo, and cash wrap—and making sure that all work together. As with any retail design decision, keep your customer and product at the forefront.

La Jolla, California, is an exclusive zip code, even for Southern California. The downtown is a warren of high-digit boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants vying for well-heeled local and non-local dollars alike. The ambient La Jolla store design and fixturing is effective and competitive. It was in this environment that the owner approached TRIO to design her new high-end women’s fashion boutique, “Miss Trendy.”

“The owner wanted to go sleek and contemporary, as you might expect with high-end women’s clothing,” said TRIO Store Designer Bill Mondigo. “The project didn’t require much space design, but fixturing was key, so we needed to come up with something unique for the wall display.” That something was a pre-fabricated puckwall-like system (pictured) engineered to facilitate quick and easy fixture changes. Side-hangs and face-outs made the system flexible and the satin finish gave it the modern look the owner was after.

A smart mix of four-ways and standard shoulder-out racks economized on floor space. An ornate wrought-metal glass-topped showcase adds another display element to the floor environment and presents complementary jewelry to its best advantage. All work together to make Miss Trendy an up-tempo but relaxed shopping experience.

You can find Miss Trendy at 1298 Prospect Street, Suite B, La Jolla, California, 92037.

Contact: Jeff Grant
877-539-2680 Toll-Free
858-539-2680 Local

SAN DIEGO, May 31, 2007 – A new selection of fireproof/waterproof safes, dropboxes and depository safes is available online from retail design and store-fixture firm TRIO Display.

“Statistics show that if a company’s records are lost in a fire, 17 percent can no longer furnish a financial statement, 14 percent suffer a reduction in credit rating and 43 percent go out of business completely,” said TRIO president Jeff Grant.

Priced from $130 to $1,490, the safes from Honeywell, Protex and Gardall provide tamper-proof security with electronic, combination and key locking systems. All safes can be ordered online at www.triodisplay.com/safes or by calling 800-454-4844.

“If you have to think about how secure your business’ vital records are, they aren’t safe enough,” Grant said. “Our new safes protect important financial papers and items from water damage, fire damage and theft. They also protect cash and checks on a daily basis. Keeping them in a safe is better than leaving them in a cash drawer that might tempt would-be robbers as well as employees.”

TRIO offers the following safes:

- Dropboxes come in three sizes and are available with a combination lock, dual-key lock or a digital keypad. A sawtoothed baffle prevents “fishing” by would-be thieves and protects the drop slot.

- Waterproof firesafes are available in two sizes and contain a seal to keep contents dry, are U.L. classified to protect valuables in a 1,700-degrees fire for up to one hour, have pry-resistant concealed hinges, and include shelves, hanging key/accessory rack and a storage pouch on inside of door.

- One-hour-rated firesafes are available in two sizes and are U.L. classified to protect valuables in a 1,700-degree fire, come with a no-moisture/dry-fill guarantee, a spy-proof combination lock, emergency-access override key, heavy-duty steel hinges, an adjustable shelf and mounting kit.

- Two-hour-rated firesafes in five sizes are U.L. classified to protect valuables in a 1,850-degree fire, and come with a changeable-combination lock. Some feature a plush-carpeted quality interior to protect jewelry and valuables.

- Depository safes are designed to protect money collection where immediate deposit is required. Available in two top-loading and two front-loading models, each has a Class B insurance rating. Deposits can be made into the safe while the door is locked. A baffle design prevents contents from being removed through the entry opening. Safes come with a changeable-combination lock and an adjustable shelf.

About TRIO Display

TRIO Display is a retail design and store-fixture company based in San Diego, California. TRIO specializes in planning and outfitting retail spaces that “look good and sell goods.” TRIO delivers effective, intelligent design that builds a relationship between brand and customer. TRIO clients include many professional sports-team stores, the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library and Museum Bookstore, and the RMS Titanic exhibit store. To order from the TRIO catalog, visit www.triodisplay.com/catalog or call 800-454-4844.

About Jeff Grant

With more than 20 years’ experience designing and outfitting successful retail spaces, TRIO Display president and chief designer Jeff Grant works with 1,000-plus merchants annually designing stores, supplying retail fixtures and displays, and dispensing advice, ideas and suggestions. He can be contacted at jeff@triodisplay.com.

Have you installed video monitors in your store yet? Plenty of businesses have–and not just retail shops My dentist offers two screens: one on the ceiling so you can see it when your chair’s reclined, the other on an adjustable arm for when the chair’s upright. They definitely keep me a little less focused on my least-favorite ordeal.

Screens are popping up in stores, banks, waiting lines, over urinals, you name it. It’s hard to avoid the barrage of ads and advice shown on flat screens everywhere. The Los Angeles Times examines the trend in this article (free registration may be required). Studies show that while some customers appreciate watching TV while they wait in lines at the supermarket, others just find it annoying.

Should you set up a monitor(s) in your shop? You’ve probably been tempted. My take is that if the onscreen content helps you make the store more interesting, perhaps more fun to be in, or if you’re selling a sport (surf, skate, snow, etc.), go for it. Further, I suggest you explore the possibility of creating your own advertising content, much like you can with in-store audio.

One thing I’ll say about in-store monitors: A flat-panel HDTV will certainly make most clients think you’re sensitive to their needs. Even if I don’t pay attention to what’s airing, I get the feeling management is keeping up with the times.

Like the article says, having a video monitor in your store is all about control. Consumers want it, marketers don’t want to give it up. So if you do go the monitor route, I suggest doing what you probably do at home: Don’t let anyone else have the remote.