GlobalShop Part 2 – Fixturing materials, retail design firms, and sign resources

Because GlobalShop is five shows in one, it offers a wide variety of retail resources from custom fixtures to casters and chains. There is always something new to see and this show was no different. We are bringing you companies and products that are taking displays to new levels. If you missed our April 8 report “GlobalShop – Fixturing, mannequins and more for your store” you’ll want to read that too.

In addition to all we reported on in that April 8 story, another trend that stood out was the use of recycled, weathered wood. We saw it used extensively in fixtures in combination with raw steel. It was used in modular wall units and freestanding displays and in benches and tables made of reclaimed doors and signs. There’s no doubt that the trend to use more sustainable, re-purposed, recyclable materials has made its way into the larger retail marketplace.

Take a look at the use of wood and metal in this photo of an All Saints Spitalfields store in the new Cosmopolitan Hotel shopping arcade, Las Vegas.

Fleetwood Fixtures found what seemed like hundreds of ways to utilize wood in its fixture offering, merchandisers and props. Always a delight. See more of Fleetwood’s offering at www.fleetwoodfixtures.com.

Design Workshop, Inc. featured modular fixtures of wood and metal on casters that was an attractive and useful slatwall alternative. The fixtures could be used separately to easily reposition. The flexibility made these fixtures worth noting (www.designworkshopinc.com).

A perfect example of a modern use of wood can be found in a new store created by a company we all know well. The Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E.) awarded the new Wenger flagship store in Boulder, Colo. its 2011 Store of the Year at its annual Design Awards celebration at GlobalShop. The honor is well deserved. The store is beautiful and has an indisputable appeal to the adventure-loving Boulder community.

Signage

Visual Magnetics has introduced new products that replace the old way of creating in-store graphics. While the idea of magnetic graphics has been around awhile, Visual Magnetics has developed new materials that replace the old ones in both performance and price. Its MagnaMedia® substrates can be used on any printing platform. That’s because they are not magnets. Before, to utilize magnetic graphics, the image had to printed on the magnet. Not anymore. That means the non-magnetic printing materials can be thinner, smoother and more flexible. Five different substrates are available to print on including synthetic paper and chalkboard.

This photo shows how a retailer starts by painting a portion of wall with the company’s ActiveWall® magnetic-receptive primer. After the primer, a coat of paint can be used to cover it blending in with the retail environment. The next layer is InvisiLock® sheet magnet on to which the image is placed. The sheet magnet comes adhesive backed or double-sided non-adhesive. It is also a breeze to install.

The use of these materials can result in savings across the board – production, packaging and shipping. Take a look at www.visualmagnetics.com

If you want to enter the 21st century of digital signage but have been afraid of the cost, check out Industrial Image Digital Signage. This company makes it easy and cost-effective by offering a simple ad player product in its 1000 Series. It consists of a 7-inch or 10-inch screen (touch or push button) that you program yourself on a SD or MMC memory card. All the goodies are here – looping, auto playback, programmable. Go to www.industrialimage.net for more information.

If you are in need of a great big banner to hang on the side of your building or at an outdoor event, go to Great Big Signs for a quote. This company provides the substrates and the printing for oversized graphics. The variety of materials on which images can be printed blow the mind. – burlap, linen, vinyl, and paper just to name a few. What was cool was the great big picture of a young Skip Yowell on a Jansport banner hanging in booth. We were sold! Find more information at www.greatbigsignsinc.com.

Lighting

When it comes to lighting, one would have thought that the only lighting available in today’s marketplace is LED. It was everywhere. There are multiple sources for LED lighting strips and lamps but the best was Fawoo Technology. The company had the most innovative lighting product at the show in its Lumisheet. Lumisheet is a lighting panel that is an acrylic plate grooved to accept a super slim LED light strip. The light from the strip is reflected throughout the surface of the plate. The acrylic panels can be used as shelving, lettering, and in displays. The material has a long life, is maintenance free, eco-friendly and consumes less power to save energy costs. It was one of the most popular products at the show. To learn more, contact the company at www.fawoo.com.

Handy Stuff

We were delighted to find the Hal-O-Chain Company at GlobalShop because we think there are lots of cool uses for chain. A series of hanging chains can separate and define an area or provide a see-through backdrop for a window display. Shorter lengths of chain can attach to s-hooks and hang clothing, packs and even footwear. If you’ve got chains, you’ve got ideas. To www.halochain.com to see what the company has to offer.

If you are ever in the market for casters, the Jacob Holtz Company has them – all kinds, all sizes. This is a handy company to keep on file. Go to www.jacobholtz.com.

Paper or Plastic? While we are not big fans of plastic bags, we’re sweet on the “I’m Green” bags made of sugar cane by Papier-Mettler. The bags look like plastic bags and do have a polyethylene base. But at least 85 percent of each bag is made from sugar cane. The bags are 100-percent recyclable, strong and re-useable. So, if you find yourself in need of plastic bags, why not use “I’m Green” bags? Find out more at www.papier-mettler.com.

Slatwall and panels

Why stick with the old wood slatwall when you can have brick or steel or stone? We found interesting textured slatwall at the GLV Company. The material is a polymer plastic surface with an mdf backing. It features 6-inch center grooves in horizontal configurations. There is a wide variety of textures available including brick, metal, stone, slate, bamboo, barn wood, sandstone and tree bark. If you are not interested in replacing your entire slatwall, why not try a 4 x 8-inch section to enliven what you already have? Go to www.glvco.com for photos of the slatwall and more information.

The Interlam Company specializes in sculpted wall panels and screens. Each year they introduce new designs and this year’s inventory was the best ever. We especially liked the open weave screen and thought it would work well to provide a window backdrop or a category separator. While the company shows its designs on wood panels, talk to them about doing the designs on acrylic panels. We’ve seen this done and it is very dramatic when backlighted. See more from Interlam at www.interlam-designs.com.

Magazines

We are always on the lookout for books and magazines dealing with store design and merchandising. We found these publications exhibiting at GlobalShop

Retail Design International issues a quarterly publication that provides retail inspiration, insights, and lots of store photos. The company also publishes slick books on store windows, store presentation and design, retail design, and a series of Stores of the Year. We find these publications helpful when we are looking for display ideas. A yearly subscription to the magazine costs $99. The books sell for from $40 to $50 each. Interested? For a list of the books and a peek at the magazine, go to www.rsdpubs.com.

Frame is a magazine from the Netherlands that showcases the very best in design. The focus is on retail design but it often includes photos and articles about design in the urban landscape as well. It is a beautiful magazine (really more like a book) and one you will keep for a long time. It’s not inexpensive but worth it. A year subscription is 95 euros. Contact them at www.framemag.com.

ST Publications has a load of books available on all sorts of retail topics. One of our favorites on their list is Aesthetics of Merchandise Presentation by Joseph A. Weisher. The books sell from $20 to $50 each. Check out their online bookstore at www.stmediagroup.com.

We stumbled on Shopper Marketing magazine while walking the show. At first glance it did not seem like the type of publication that would be helpful to the independent outdoor retailer but we picked up a free copy and found that the articles are indeed helpful, in-depth and worth reading. The best part is that it is free to retailers. Go to the magazine’s website and subscribe. www.shoppermarketingmag.com.

Whew, we found a lot to share with you at GlobalShop. The show is growing in both attendance and exhibit space and is getting better every year. If you haven’t attended, plan on going in 2012. The show runs Feb. 29-March 2 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas. We guarantee you will leave with a notebook full of ideas and resources.

–Sharon Leicham