Category: brave-words
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Should VM be “as good as possible?” or “as good as it needs to be?”
As a firm believer in the mantra “Things should alway be as good as possible” I have always been a little unnerved by those who work by the alternative principles of “things only have to be as good as they have to be” The problem with the second way of viewing visual merchandising standards is that…
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We are all Retailing in a Hostile Environment!
When it comes to turning your stores into selling machines, one solution rarely fits all. If you sell through wholesale or are in partner with franchisees you’ll know only too well about the challenges of working in a “hostile environment.” “Hostile” of course covers a multitude of sins, and it has to be said, sometimes…
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Does anyone remember “window shopping?”
In the high-paced multi-channel marais in which we live and shop we have become transfixed with “show-rooming, web-rooming” and an array of other social behaviour terminologies expressing every expression of our complex lives. For those with a vaguely nostalgic air, however, window-shopping was a regular part of our social schedule, a major inspiration behind the enjoyment…
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Has “product” become a dirty word in your business?
“When to tell & when to sell!” Now there’s a question that has become hugely complex with the advent of the internet and social media. Indeed it could very well be argued that they are very much part of the same process, with every word told about a brand identity and proposition a step…
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Ladies fashion: always the “black-widow spider” for menswear?
Do you have the problem of balancing the proposition of mens and ladies fashion? Fashion credentials do not always translate easily between genders. Particularly when a dominant female perception has been built for many years, the move to menswear can be difficult and delicate to position. Ironically the stronger the female brand, the more successful…
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Retail: A Game of Two Halves:
Love it or hate it, you can’t escape it at the moment. Even a trip out for some retail therapy will have you ducking under flags and bunting, taking evasive action to avoid colliding with giant TV wielding consumers or staring vacantly at World Cup sponsored coffee cups, sandwich packets and cheerleading cup cakes. …
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And the Brand played on…merchandise and music in several movements.
And the Brand played on…merchandise and music in several movements. Whether composing displays or composing ditties, coordinating the blues, or singing them, the artistic side of retail life has invariably struggled to make its musical ends meet. “Art for Art’s Sake Money for God’s sake” are a relevant, if somewhat dated testament to…
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The delight, not the devil, is in the detail…
One man’s meat is another man’s poison…or to be more accurate, “a customers delight is the buyer’s devil” Complex is not a large enough adjective to describe the process of planning, designing and buying an assortment. We no longer live in a world of “selling average products to average customers” but in a competitive market…
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