Technical aspects of display space and current trends in its design
Showcase creation and decoration is a whole art. In order for the display part of your store to work 100%, you need to carefully think it over conceptually and prepare it technically. SR expert in visual merchandising, shop window design and retail space, founder of VMC Retail agency Marina Polkovnikova, talks about the main technical aspects of creating a shop window, and also answers questions about the current color scheme in fashion retail and trends in window dressing.
Marina Polkovnikova - founder of the international company VMC Retail, expert in the development and launch of design concepts and merchandising, store building trainer, 22 years of experience in retail.
In this article, we will formulate the basic rules for working with a showcase in terms of its technical equipment.
LIGHTING:
• Busbar trunking with track lights is predominantly used.
• Height of fixtures mounting - 3-000mm from the floor.
• Installation of the busbar - 150 mm from the glazing / frieze.
• In some display cases, a busbar trunking is installed along the glazing to illuminate the product, close to the floor.
• Illumination of the goods mainly from the front.
• Eliminate the dazzling effect of a person passing by the shop window.
• For 1 item - at least 1 lamp.
CEILING GRILLE:
• The grille is mounted over the entire area of the showcase, excluding the lighting area.
• The color of the grille is made in the color of the ceiling
• The grill should not be visible from the side of the display case.
• Installation of the lattice is carried out to the rough ceiling (overlap) at the stage of construction and installation works or to the ceiling made of gypsum plasterboard (gypsum plasterboard) if the ceiling is reinforced.
• Always bear in mind the maximum load of the grating with possible decorations. If the ceiling is not reinforced, then only light decorations can be hung on the grill.
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PODIUM:
• The podium should be made of MDF, with internal stiffening ribs.
• With frequent changes in the appearance of the podiums, it is recommended: 1) to create covers-decorations; 2) use ferrofilm.
• The color of the podium is matched to the color of the flooring / walls of the showcase.
• The podium completely covers the showcase area or partially, in the case of a special length (more than 6 meters).
What colors and textures are relevant this year, not only in summer, but also in other periods?
Today there are three global trends that are very actively used in shop windows, and they are not limited only to the summer period:
- The topic of environmental friendliness, when we use natural materials, we emphasize the texture of wood, for this we can take, for example, OSB panels (these are pressed sawdust), which are perceived as natural wood in color, texture and smell.
- The use of vegetation (artificial and real) in different ways - mainly, these are rich greens. Floral motifs are floral prints, large flowers that are very well represented in different brands this spring-summer season, and this trend will continue in autumn, because there are many floral prints in the collections of luxury brands.
- The use of natural shades of earth, sand, water, sky in interiors, furniture and trade equipment.
How should showcases work today so that customers enter the store - taking into account the fact that people go to shopping centers and stores less often and buy less?
It is important to create the correct concept here - the showcase must precisely cling, attract, such an effect must be present. If the showcase is pale and nondescript, they will definitely not react to it. It should very clearly reflect the brand's DNA, if not, the potential client will pass by. Therefore, the reflection of DNA is a must have of today's showcase. This can be a regular, basic showcase, out of season. It should be without additional seasonal elements and clearly speak about what kind of product it is and for whom.
Showcase prices work very well. Today, everyone considers their budget, and the reflection of the price tag in the storefront has a positive effect on traffic.
What is the place in the shop windows for all possible screens, gadgets, interactive panels, which are increasingly used in stores today?
Yes, all of the above can be used, but the electronic devices must be commensurate with the dimensions of your display case. This is the first rule. Second, you can't just buy a TV in an electronics store and hang it in a showcase, because for a showcase - street or in a shopping center - there are strict specific requirements for the technical capabilities of devices: in street retail - some, in the showcase of a shopping center - other requirements.
You can't buy the cheapest screen just to tick a box: everything's cool, I'm a digital brand. You can, on the contrary, strongly alienate buyers: poor picture quality, lack of adaptation of video content to the screen, too high brightness of the image - there are a lot of nuances. Ideally, the decision to integrate the screen into the showcase space is made at the stage of designing the showcase and the store as a whole.
Can an offline showcase "turn" into an online showcase, that is, work exclusively for visuals - for young buyers, for generation Z?
An offline showcase should broadcast information about online channels using motivating phrases: "Go online!", "Go to our site!", "Subscribe to our Instagram!" with the message that there, online, there is more information, more goods. An offline storefront should encourage people to enter the online stores of this brand, so that communication with the client continues there.
Trade equipment in a modern shoe and accessories store
Should a shoe store spend money on digital screens?
Mistakes in the lighting of the sales area that spoil the impression of a shoe store
Design rules for a shoe and accessories store
Pandemic-influenced visual merchandising transformation for shoe and accessories store
How to determine the effectiveness of a shoe business
Today, most entrepreneurs calculate and analyze their business performance indicators. However, about 30% either do not do this or do not understand anything about it (but would like to understand this issue and start working with performance indicators). Maria Gerasimenko, an expert in the field of fashion business management and development and a regular author of SR, has prepared material especially for the readers of the magazine about what business performance indicators to rely on, how they help, how to calculate and control them so that the profitability of your business does not fall below 10%. After all, as you know, the rule of a bank deposit says: "If your business brings less profitability than a bank deposit, then it does not make sense."
Euro Shoes was a huge success in Moscow
The international exhibition of footwear and accessories Euro Shoes premiere collection was held in Moscow from August 26 to 29 at the Expocentre. Organizers and participants of the professional exhibition note the high level of attendance and business activity. Euro Shoes has once again become a center of attraction for professional buyers from different cities and regions of Russia and from the CIS countries.
Making the right diagnosis. 10 ways to quickly identify your customers' "pains"
Have you ever thought about how your offer on the website of an online store, on marketplaces is perceived by the buyer? How deeply and well do you know the needs of your target audience and the fears of your customers? SR expert in digital marketing and creating a unique brand selling proposition Tatyana Vasilyeva answers these questions and also gives recommendations on how to avoid typical mistakes in the product card, how not to make a description, photos and videos, and how to avoid unnecessary expenses in the design of your product.
We are waiting for you at the Euro Shoes exhibition on August 26-29
The international exhibition of footwear and accessories Euro Shoes premiere collection starts in Moscow next Monday. Euro Shoes will be held in the capital's Expo Center from August 26 to 29 in alliance with the leading international clothing exhibition CPM Moscow. In one place and on the same dates, both exhibitions will bring together a large number of visitors, buyers and fashion industry professionals from Russia and the CIS countries.
Euro Shoes will be held in pavilions 2.5, 2.6 of the Expocentre Fairgrounds
Dear partners!We inform you that the Euro Shoes premiere collection exhibition will be held from August 26 to 29 at the Expocenter, pav. 2.5 and 2.6.
Global footwear production down by 1,5 billion pairs in 2023
According to statistics from the World Footwear Yearbook 2024, the annual analytical bulletin of the Portuguese Footwear Association, global footwear production fell by 6% last year to 22,4 billion pairs. And global footwear exports decreased by 9,1% year-on-year, to 14 billion pairs, writes Worldfootwear.com.
Time-tested and new collections
PETER KAISER SPRING/SUMMER 2025
The business program of the EURO SHOES exhibition will take place on August 28
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EXTR4 - a new shoe brand from Italy at the EURO SHOES exhibition
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PETER KAISER IS BACK! The oldest shoe brand in Europe will again be presented in Russia, Caprice Vostok CEO Viktor Kunz spoke about this in an exclusive interview with SR
"Peter Kaiser is back!" – with this slogan, the German brand Caprice opens the spring-summer 2025 season. At the end of December 2023, it became known that Caprice acquired Peter Kaiser, one of the oldest, rich in tradition and most respected shoe brands in Europe. Caprice will continue the unique history of the Peter Kaiser brand and retain its essence. The new owner promises to maintain maximum comfort and quality of shoe materials, a younger audience will be attracted, and prices will become very attractive. “In the mid-price segment, Caprice and I offer excellent value for money. Thanks to the Peter Kaiser trademark, registered in more than 70 countries around the world, we will be able to position ourselves in a higher price segment. The lower and luxury segments are dominated by vertically integrated suppliers. The segment with the greatest potential for our non-vertical partners is in between. This is where Caprice and Peter Kaiser will be positioned,” says Managing Director of CAPRICE Schuhproduktion GmbH & Co. KG Jurgen Kölsch.
Heading towards Moscow - development of the MASCOTTE chain in a new concept
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Working with an active audience on Telegram and VKontakte. Mistakes brands make when moving to new local social networks
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Louis Vuitton opens a new factory in Italy
Louis Vuitton has opened its second shoe factory in Italy. After opening the first one in Fiesso d'Artico in Veneto, the LVMH flagship brand has just opened a new production site dedicated to this category of footwear in the industrial zone of Civitano in the Marche region. There is also another brand production facility in Tuscany, where bags and leather accessories are produced, writes fr.fashionnetwork.com.
Effective methods that will help improve the effectiveness of sellers
Many store managers face the problem of staff burnout who work on the sales floor. Previous motivation schemes for salespeople - “salary +%” no longer work today, and therefore new ways are needed to motivate employees to work better, more and sell more effectively. SR expert in fashion business development management Maria Gerasimenko shares her knowledge and tells what motivation schemes are effective today, how to implement a new motivation program and accustom a sales team to it.
Health and comfort in Relax Anatomic dress shoes
For many years, the Greek company Relax Anatomic has been producing innovative anatomical shoes that meet the requirements of orthopedic doctors. The Relax Anatomic design meets all the needs of the modern woman who seeks style and comfort. Relax Anatomic shoes offer a wide range of sporty and classic shoes for all ages in high heels, mid heels and flats.
CAPRICE acquired PETER KAISER, one of Europe's most traditional footwear brands
Shoe manufacturer CAPRICE from Pirmasens has acquired the PETER KAISER brand, one of the oldest and most respected women's shoe brands in Europe. Caprice will continue the unique history of the PETER KAISER brand and preserve the essence of the brand. At the same time, maximum comfort and quality of materials will be maintained, a younger audience will be attracted, and prices will become more attractive.
The international footwear exhibition Euro Shoes premiere collection was successfully held in Moscow
Russia's largest exhibition of footwear and accessories, Euro Shoes, was held in Moscow from February 19 to 22 and again became the main meeting place for fashion brands and buyers.
A new look at Giotto. Interview with the head of the company Vladimir Timofeev
The corner of the Russian women's shoe brand Giotto in the fashionable metropolitan department store Trend Island became the first application of a famous Moscow shoe factory to develop and promote its own brand. Until now, the company has focused on sewing shoes for third-party customers and large retailers. Shoes Report spoke with the head of Giotto, Vladimir Timofeev, about its new strategy and the prospects for domestic production.
The Euro Shoes@CAF exhibition will be held in Almaty
From March 11 to 13, the Euro Shoes@CAF (Central Asia Fashion) exhibition will be held in Almaty at the Atakent exhibition complex. The exhibition, which is the largest international event in the fashion industry in Central Asia, will present collections of clothing, shoes and accessories.
Sales through marketplaces. Growth points and pitfalls
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Shoe educational program: what shoe soles are made of
“What is the difference between TEP and EVA? What does tunit promise me? Is PVC glue? What is the sole of these shoes made of? ”- the modern buyer wants to know everything. In order not to smash his face in front of him and be able to explain whether such a sole suits him in soles, carefully read this article. In it, process engineer Igor Okorokov tells what materials the soles of shoes are made of and what makes each of them so good.
How to set prices that will earn
Some businessmen still confuse the concept of margin with the concept of trade margins and set prices for their goods, guided solely by the example of competitors. No wonder they go broke! Analyst at the Academy of Retail Technologies Maxim Gorshkov gives several tips and formulas with which you can set not only ruinous, but also profitable prices.
Sales of shoes and accessories: effective techniques for business rhetoric
Which speech modules are effective in communicating with potential and current customers of shoe stores, and which are not, Anna Bocharova, a business consultant, knows.
We form the salary of sellers: expert advice
“How do you charge your consultants for personal or general sales?” Is one of the most popular questions causing a lot of controversy and gossip on the online forums of retail business owners. Indeed, how to properly form the earnings of sellers? But what about bonuses, where to get a sales plan from, do employees allow them to buy goods at discounted stores? In search of truth, the Shoes Report turned to a dozen shoe retailers, but no company wanted to disclose its motivation system - the process of its development was too complicated and individual. Then we asked four business consultants, and finally became convinced that the topic of seller motivation is very complex, because even our experts could not come to a common opinion.
Technology Selling Issues
There is nothing worse than meeting the buyer with the words “Hello, can I help you with something?”, Because the seller works in the store just to help. Criticizing this well-established pattern of communication with the buyer, Andrei Chirkarev, business coach for effective sales and the founder of the New Economy project, shares the technology of truly selling issues with readers of Shoes Report.
The whole truth about Bayer. Who is he and how to become one?
Bayer is no longer a new, but still a popular and sought-after profession. It’s fashionable to be a buyer. Buyers are at the origins of the emergence and development of trends. If the designer offers his vision of fashion in the season, then the buyer selects the most interesting commercial ideas. It is on buyers that the policy of sales of stores and what, in the end, the buyer will wear depends on. This profession is surrounded by a magical fleur, often associated with a lack of understanding of what exactly is the work of a buyer.
Fur, and not only: types of lining
In the production of winter footwear, various materials are used that are designed to retain heat and meet the requirements of consumers: natural sheepleather, artificial fur, artificial fur from natural wool and others. All types of lining fur have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider the properties of each of them.
The best models of Czech shoes of the past
In Soviet times, for shoes from Czechoslovakia sold under the Cebo brand, customers stood in line for four hours and did not regret it, because Czech shoes were considered to be of high quality, comfortable and fashionable. Shoe designer Juraj Shushka shared a photo archive of his collection with Shoes Report magazine, which contains the most interesting Cebo models from the 1940's to the 1980's.
Retail Arithmetic
Before you begin to solve specific problems, you need to find out how accurately all the leaders of your company understand the basic terminology of retail.
How to fire a worker without tears, scandal and trial
Sooner or later, any manager is faced with the need to part with an employee. Properly and on time the dismissal procedure will save the company money, and the boss himself - nerves and time. But why sometimes, knowing that a break in relations is inevitable, we put off the decision for months?