Despite traditional notions of festive party-goers knocking back alcoholic shorts of brandy or glasses of wine and egg-nog, the reality is that most consumers of alcohol around the Christmas period tend to buy in longer drinks (like ale, beer and cider) that are less alcoholic in content and offer refreshment to the inevitable central-heating induced thirst.
It is due to this that so much in-store display space will be afforded to Long Alcoholic Drinks (LADs) over the coming weeks in supermarkets and convenience stores up and down the country. Retailers recognise the value in the product placement of branded alcoholic drinks on display as they are aware that it is these products that will drive festive business.
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It’s extremely exciting news for all kids (big ones too!) across Scotland to learn that a new Hamleys store is to open in Glasgow – the first in the UK outside of London since opening in 1760.
With not only high demand for their world-famous product lines, there were over 1500 applicants for the new store’s 40 permanent positions. A telling sign of how dear people hold the toyshop retailer to their hearts.
Hamleys originally started out as a toyshop called Noah’s Ark in High Holborn, London back in 1760, but took on its latterday magnificence when founder William Hamley’s grandsons opened up the world famous Regent Street store in London. During the Blitz, the store was bombed 5 times while its dedicated team served in tin hats from the shop’s entrance.
In a new £100million shopping centre in Glasgow, the store will take up an entire floor that’s so big it would cover an entire football pitch.
Opening mid-November, the store’s management team is making bold promises to unveil more of the infamous Hamleys magic that attracts over 8 million visitors each year to the 7-storey Regent Street store in London.
First up at the 25,000sq ft St Enoch Centre store will be special Christmas snow scene store displays, children’s parties and sleepovers, to be followed later next year by an in-store beach.
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Exciting times are afoot; always a fan of the beautifully presented window and in-store displays offered by international jewellery powerhouse, Tiffany, Design 4 Retail are pleased to hear that the established brand is moving in a less formal direction to engage a different type of consumer.
This new style is reflected in a new Tiffany store opening this month at University Village, Seattle. With doors constructed from glass rather than the formidable stainless steel monolithic entrances usually seen at Tiffany, the hope is that the relaxed retail environment will remove the intimidation some customers feel when entering the statuesque store.
The more casual approach is in tone with the change in sales technique Tiffany is experimenting with. Take for example their new tactic of displaying pieces on table tops, allowing customers to freely touch without asking permission, and their use of “organic” large sculptural figure displays to present their collection.
It’s leaps away from the fusty image of locked glass cabinets that used to come to mind when thinking of Tiffany jewellery. Fortunately, now the “look, don’t touch” attitude has disappeared to be replaced with a much more inviting “please look and feel free to touch”.
Retaining the upscale brand identity and achieving mass appeal as an approachable style house for fashionable jewellery can’t have been easy, but the retail design presentation now offered promises to clinch the deal for them.
It is expected that Tiffany will open as many as 70 stores in the style of Seattle’s University Village retail unit by 2020. If only there were a few more over in the UK!
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Primark has quickly become the royalty of European throw-away fashion on the high street over the past 5 years.
And now it seems that this penny-pinching pound store has had a high class foray into the German market with its new flagship store on the Waterfront in Bremen.
One of the largest stores in the new shopping complex in Bremen, the single floor has not limited the retailer from fully making use of its height and length after installation of some impressive in-store displays.
Earmarked as the latest in Primark’s “concept stores”, the interior is proof of this bold claim. Intended to be clean and smart, the shop fittings have been designed to live up to the very German notion of efficiency.
A vast atrium allows all departments of the store to be visually accessible on entry, the plenitude of space enhanced by an abundance of mirrors and clever accents of floral wallpaper in contrast to the minimalist décor throughout the rest of the store.
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London’s most glamorous department store had yet another face lift late last month when 450 metres of uniquely steam-bent wood wrapped and weaved its way around the entrance and aisles of Harvey Nichols.
Designed by wood-bender Charlie Whinney, this latest offering to Knightsbridge’s store displays is the largest and most high profile project he’s worked on to date.
The Sloane ranger haven’s all-natural makeover not only extends through the store but outbreaks in to the shop fittings as matching coiled lampshades and elaborately steamed wooden headpieces for the store’s mannequins.
This highly innovative approach to retail display only enhances the department store’s reputation for fascinating window and in-store displays.
So if you’re in London, pop along to Sloane Street to catch sight of this wooden wonder. It’s there for six weeks before touring the country’s other Harvey Nichols’ window displays in Bristol, Dublin, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester.
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