The Hype

Hype, Chatswood Westfield.  Sharp looking merchandising and 'power-wall'.

Not much to this folly

Seafolly, Chatswood Westfield.  Simple, effective, evocative.

Accessories with Attitude

Sportsgirl, QVB.  Accessories with attitude, refined presentation for the target market.

Boost on the Bus

Bus, Market St, Sydney CBD.  Continuation of in-store campaign.

Wild Shoes

Midas, GlassHouse, Pitt Street.  An unusual take on shoes in this window. Graphics were more interesting than the product display :)

The Golden Arches of Pharmacy ?

Roy Young pharmacy, Chatswood Westfield.  I was tickled by the resemblance between this spring sale presentation and the famous golden arches.  However, full credit to this well-run pharmacy for stepping outside the usual in this normally staid sector.  This pharmacy is well worth a visit - golden arches or not - just don't expect a Happy Meal :)

Black is not so Brilliant

Brilliant jewellers, Chatswood Westfield. Ok, I accept this critique could be a bit harsh, but here goes. Why do so many jewellers insist on using black as a dominant colour ? I know it probably shows off the diamonds a bit better, but there are so many other dark background colours that could do that - even in an assortment of colour. The black absorbs light, so it makes these stores look grey and dull. The grey carpet here does not help either. Black is an upmarket colour, but probably only in fashion and design - and many mainstream (mall) jewellers do not fit that description. The black colour is recessive, just way too easy to walk past in the mall - they are probably doing themselves a disservice - not so Brilliant - although that's a catchy 'product feature' name. Buying jewellery should a joyful experience ??

fcuk HOT LIPS IN THE MALL

FCUK, Chatswood Westfield.  Visually strong.

Putting More than a Foot Wrong

Marco Gianni shoes, Chatswood Westfield.  Quite a few things wrong here, in my opinion.  The brand identity is confusing - 'designer' - and the front unit has a $30 price point ? Probably not best to have the brand running up the side in landscape either - does not aid recognition.  The blackboard specials in the window don't work.  The front sign on the table is tacky.  New arrivals are at the back ... the list goes on.  Too many cues that suggest they do not necessarily 'love shoes'.

Add-on sales at Sussan

Sussan, Pitt street.  An effective window - I like the way the steps have been used to merchandise accessories. A subtle communication of the add-on sale :)

The Shocking Truth

Prouds Jewellers, Chatswood Westfield. When Prouds have no pride - shocking POS and 'sale' presentation. This is not conducive to building any brand equity.

STOP SEX TRAFFICKING

Strong social message from The Body Shop takes them back to their origins. Interesting to see it translate into product as well.

Cupcakes to go

Town Hall station.  I was pleasantly surprised to see Cupcake Bakery has a recycled shopping bag - looked pretty good too.  Well done to them, a great way to get brand profile on a limited budget while doing the right thing.

Simply stunning shoes

Zu, Westfield, Pitt St.  This sets a great standard for footwear window displays - they clearly have already started to walk out the store :)

Pain for Witchery

Witchery, East Gardens.  These guys are clearly still experiencing pain while other fashion stores are well into 'new season'. Another possible explanation is they might be using this as a clearance store - but it would seem unlikely given high mall rents.  Either way, not a good situation, erodes the brand, and is confusing for shoppers.

Why We Buy - Habit

I find it interesting how despite all our technology and sophistication, we remain creatures of habit.  Habit, or the technical term "inertia', is a fundamental building block in our consumption lives.  Without it, the vast array of choices available to use would simply reduce us to a 'possum in the headlights' state. So it is interesting to see how habits, or routinised decision making (another technical term), come into play in our tech-savvy world.

It is different for every category - just think of supermarket shopping (mostly a chore) and compare it with shopping for fashion (mostly a chore only for blokes) or shopping online. The key challenges for marketers revolve around a) sustaining the habits of existing customers - giving them reasons to continue shopping with you, and b) changing the habits of prospective customers.  

How you do this is different for every situation, but a key question is: do you understand what is habitual in your category ? do you know what it takes to change or reinforce habits ? what are the triggers or cues on the 'path to purchase' ?  how can you use the psychology of shopping to your advantage ?  what is your strategy or are you just proceeding aimlessly along the same old path ?

It should  be simple.  Shopper insight pays.

A-grade merchandising from BIG W

BIG W, East Gardens. It has been a while since I popped into a BIG W. I was very impressed with their merchandising - it is very difficult to maintain high visual merchandising standards in a high volume operation. I was especially impressed with their use of colour, and the bookshop-style presentation of their book section. Kudos to them.

Nicely Strung

Musical instrument shop, Pitt Street. Great looking display. Enough to kit out a mariachi band :)

When the System breaks down

Boost Juices franchise store, East Gardens. I have had extensive experience in setting up and running franchise systems. I have also long admired Boost juice for the freshness of their product and their presentation, overlaid with a slightly quirky style. They are good operators. So, it was interesting to see, for the first time I might add, the subtle signs of a franchise being 'non-compliant'.

Have a look - note how the franchisee is not dressed in uniform - I must add he was friendly, and efficient. Note too how one of the light bulbs has blown above the POS area - a minor thing, but it takes a positive (cool lights) and quickly turns it into a negative. My juice was still great, by the way.

So, these are small things, right ? Actually no. They are a dilution of the brand promise. Brands have many inter-related components. Break one, and the system breaks down.

Rebel without a Cause

Rebel Sport, East Gardens.  Seems an unusual time to have a full-on sale (as opposed to a clearance).  I wonder how business is going....

Having said that, I like what they have done with the security bollards.