Merchandising makeover: Fly fishing superstore revamps while integrating concept build-out

Angler’s Covey in Colorado Springs recently seized an opportunity to work on its store-wide merchandising standards when fly fishing manufacturer Simms agreed to a concept build-out in a 1,000-foot section of the 6000+-foot store.

Having one area of the store brand-spanking-new while the rest of the environment was begging for a facelift just wouldn’t do, so store owner, David Leinweber asked Merchandising Matters to provide fresh eyes during his remodel. Ensuring the transition from the Simm’s section to the remainder of the store was seamless was the primary goal — and priority No. 1 was to improve the consumer experience.

Fly fishing super store Angler’s Covey carries everything a fishing aficionado could possibly need. It’s also the go-to spot for information, offering clinics and training, and is just a cool place for the fishing community to gather.

The following areas received the most TLC:

• signage
• separation of gender in apparel area
• strengthen accessory category organization

Signage

Angler’s Covey was a victim of signage overload and inconsistency. Instead of educating the consumer, too much signage creates an informational barrier. Consumers can’t figure out what is important or where to focus their attention.

All duplicate signage was removed and efforts were made to streamline remaining signs. In addition, Angler’s cool collection of framed photographs were removed from an internal wall where they added clutter and moved to the store entry where customers can enjoy browsing the collection.

Apparel

With the addition of the Simm’s section, the “cabin” or apparel area of the store needed to hold other key brands, with men’s and women’s housed in the same location. Care was taken with our merchandising rework to identify individual fixtures as gender-specific, but not to cause male shoppers to feel they were entering a women’s department. Women will shop in the men’s department, but men avoid the women’s department like the plague!

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After:

After:

Accessory organization

The front of the store and the front of department for apparel was on accessory overload. Optics were in multiple locations making it difficult for the consumer to comparison shop, and the tall fixtures in front of Angler Covey’s clothing department created a disorganized barrier.

We worked to identify individual category, improve sight lines, and eliminate barriers to both areas, as well as improve the ease with which shoppers browse among different categories.

Before:

After:

After:

With the addition of a concept build-out in any retail environment, stores have an excellent opportunity to take a fresh look at all of their merchandising and deliver an improved and organized customer experience. Angler’s Covey collaborated with Merchandising Matters, which provided direction, but store sales staff were in charge of the majority of the changes with store buyer Julie Sprinkle keeping everyone on task between visits. This team approach is not only cost-effective, but also strengthens sales teams and creates ownership of and pride in merchandising guidelines.

Robin Enright is the founder of Merchandising Matters which provides visual merchandising and marketing support to the outdoor retail industry.

OUTDOOR RETAILER MERCHANDISING TOURS

Outdoor Retailer is a visual merchandising delight, but it can also be overwhelming! Spend an hour at OR with Robin Enright, merchandising editor at SNEWS® and CEO of Merchandising Matters, to see just which details create that merchandising magic — and then bring those ideas back to your booth or retail environment!

SNEWS® Merchandising Tours, co-sponsored by Outdoor Retailer and SNEWS®, are designed to provide merchandising inspiration and unlock creative methods you can put into play. Join one of the Merchandising Tours at Summer Market and see for yourself.

Email merchandisingtour@snewsnet.com to put your name on a contact list for more information and to ensure you’re on the registration list for the next Outdoor Retailer Merchandising Tour Program, Summer Market 2012. Spaces are limited.