Chicago VM Highlights

In February I visited Chicago with a friend. We called it the "dream" trip. She was going for love....and I was along for much needed inspiration! There were a few discoveries I will highlight such as Nordstrom's Bridal Shop (a serious departure from the rest of Nordstrom), amazing use of COLOR at Barneys and Alexis Bittar, interrupting ART at Helen Yi, the new flagship Moncler, Scotch & Soda, FIXTURES at Bonpoint, and (still relevant although since changed) Louis Vuitton and Chanel windows. I like Chicago, however it truly is the middle sister between NY and LA. I hope that when I return in April there will be more to "take home" from a city that sometimes seems to be trying to get out of it's own shadow. Although we left with a bag stolen and no butterflies in our stomachs....I will always love the Midwest. I believe in you Chicago!!!

NORDSTROM

ABSOLUTELY love the color "hooks" creating a beautiful composition with the shadowbox vitrines. However, where are the necklaces in the vitrines?

 The style was a bit Anthropologie with props of garden statues and touches of paint splatters.

 LOUIS VUITTON

 CHANEL

 MONCLER 

 Fur over risers? Absolutely!

 BONPOINT

 These wire fixtures are delicate and whimsical - can I buy one?!

GREAT idea for a boys room. 

 HELEN YI

Some may be bothered about the fact that this piece of art was resting on the floor right smack in front of the display. My thought is that as long as the product can be reached and sold - and highlighted - the visual is alright with me!!

 BARNEYS

THIS green is mouthwatering. 

I'm crazy about the way that Barneys uses designs and patterns from the actual apparel to emulate and use as their "visual" statements and decor.

 SCOTCH & SODA

 ALEXIS BITTAR

This display makes me fall in love with visual all over again. Beautiful color, creative merchandising, clever "fixture", surreal, memorable, and well... perfect.

 MARC BY MARC JACOBS

 Who can resist this guy?! I had to end with him. What's more Midwest than a cow??

Some iPhone Cash for the New Year

Did 2013 bring with it some resolutions for the new year or perhaps a financial hangover from too much Christmas shopping? How about earning some extra cash each month? Better – if you love retail (that is why you are here, right?) and you have an iPhone, why not combine the two and make some money helping to provide market research for various companies right in your own neighborhood. You can, with an iPhone app called EasyShift.

Easyshift is one of many coming on the scene that uses crowdsourcing (you, me and a bunch of other folks) to report back to companies how their products are being displayed (or not) in-store. The idea is not new, companies have hired people to travel from store to store to do this for decades, but the technology (an easy to use app and explicit instructions) allows anyone to become the “product rep” to check up on product offerings, quantities, and displays.

EasyShift contracts with CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies that want to track a specific product or promotion for that product. EasyShift then builds a set of instructions based on the parameters of the “ask” and pushes that out to their app via “shifts” for their app community to reserve and then ultimately complete. The shift provides the address for the retailer, how much the shift will pay, and specific instructions of what needs to be done while in-store. The app uses GPS technology to get you to the retailer (if you need it) and confirm you actually visit the store.  Shifts can range from $1.00 to $10+ depending on the number of questions, the number of photos required (using the iPhone camera inside the app).

I started experimenting with the app about 6 months ago as a means to understand more about it. It did not take long for me to get hooked. When you first start using the app you earn points based on the number of shifts you do. Points earned then translate to “promotions” ultimately getting you to General Manager. Beyond bragging rights (you can compare your points to other shifters in the app), promotions also bring with it the opportunity to reserve more shifts at one time. At the General Manager level, you have the ability to reserve up to 10 shifts that will be held for a period of time for you to complete. Once a shift is completed, you submit it via the app and EasyShift verifies the information and then deposits the payment into your PayPal account, usually within 24 hours.

I have enjoyed using the app, its simplicity and quick payment. It has become a routine for me to check the app before going on any shopping trip to see if I can earn a few dollars while shopping or running errands.  And if you want to know a little bit more about what I think of the app - check out EasyShift's User Spotlight. They actually tagged me to answer some questions about the app as a new user (uncompensated, of course).

The app has currently only been developed for the iPhone and an Android version has not been announced.  

You can download the app at the iTunes store here:  EasyShift - or check out their facebook page: EasyShift facebook.

So grab the app and go earn a few extra bucks. I have not only enjoyed a few extra dollars in my pocket but also a level of learning (at the shelf) that has been beneficial to my professional career as well. Please let me know any experiences you have with the app or any others that have retail applications.

Banana Republic Windows

Going beyond conventional graphics, Banana Republic's windows explode with color and texture to reflect the style and trends of the seasons' best. The new Director of Windows and In-Store Creative for Banana Republic at Gap, Inc., Mark James, was intentional about limiting the marketing and emphasizing the imagery. 

He described the concept as a way "to create disruptive marketing through the bold use of graphic pattern and color, breaking from the traditional use of campaign photo imagery in the windows. I also introduced a production technique with the rolled ends of these pattern and color strips, alluding to interior design. The overall design ties in with the styling and product."

Words = Color

"Color is the ultimate tool a designer has at his or her disposal to communicate feeling and mood. Cymbolism is a new website that attempts to quantify the association between colors and words, making it simple for designers to choose the best colors for the desired emotional effect."

{Image by Cymbolism.com}

This website is a great tool for Designers when needing to rationalize a color decision for a brand.  Not only do you get to participate, you can see the votes for each word. For example, I voted on the word hygienic.  Hygiene means preserving health but is closely associated with cleanliness. Hygienic to me feels like blue... but after voting, I realized that white is the most popular color. Blue is second!!

December Market in NYC: Showroom Highlights

A sampling from December Market:

BERNSTEIN

SILVESTRI

GRENEKER

PATINA V

HANSBOOT

ELEVATIONS

{All images © Faith Bartrug}