Fixtures

This three-shelf gondola is typically used to display houseware items. Larger items are ideally placed at the bottom and smaller ones at the top to achieve visual balance. The center of the top shelf can be used for signage.

Once you have planned the final store layout, it is time to select the fixtures that will be needed to house and present the merchandise. The use of the correct fixture is paramount in producing sales. Selecting the correct fixtures may at first seem daunting. Choosing a structure that holds the correct number of products and shows them to best advantage is never easy. There are two universal styles of fixture that most retailers will use: mid-floor and linear. They can be used in conjunction with each other and both come in various forms.

Mid-floor fixtures

A mid-floor fixture is freestanding and can be used not only to carry merchandise but also to steer customers through the store. They can be shopped from all angles, making them a useful merchandising commodity. Ideally they should not be so high that they obscure other areas of the store. Their proportion should also suit the products they are housing; small items may get lost and look insignificant on a large fixture. There are many different types of mid-floor fixtures, ranging from purpose-built gondolas to tables and found items. Some of these are more suited to displaying fashion and some to housewares, while many can be used for either purpose.

Habitat uses two sizes of mid-floor fixture; each is a contemporary version of a gondola that has been specifically designed to display housewares in its Regent Street flagship store in London. The taller fixtures are used to hold larger quantities of stock. The lower fixtures are used to display china that can best be appreciated by the customer looking down on the pattern. This type of display also gives the impression of how the china would look when used on a table.

Adjustable shelving is useful for displaying ranges of products that vary in size. Colette in Paris has made the cosmetics area look dynamic by using a white color scheme, which is evocative of a laboratory.

Gondola Uses

Houseware: candles, vases

Food: pre-packaged items

Special occasions: Valentine’s Day gifts, Christmas items

Gondolas

A gondola fixture is most commonly used in home and food stores. Gondolas can be any size, but most are rectangular and have shelves on all four sides. The ends are referred to as gondola ends or endcaps. The shelves are often adjustable, making them flexible and able to house most product categories. Gondolas can be repositioned on the shop floor, provided they are easy to move. Many have lighting built into them and will require an electrical socket to be positioned nearby, ideally under the unit. Themes and stories (see pages 54–60) can easily be presented using gondola fixtures. It is important never to use too many different products; a clearly defined offering will have more impact. It is wise to remember that a gondola fixture should be filled to its capacity—it is a selling tool, not a display instrument. Retailers often stock the lower shelves with smaller items that are difficult to make a strong selling point with, or create a grouping of products on the top shelf that may be easily tampered with. Larger items should always be placed at the bottom of the gondola, with smaller items at the top. The lowest shelf should be at least 1 ft (30 cm) off the ground; customers should not be expected to stoop to shop. Many gondolas have slots at the top where signage can be placed. The signage should just simply state what the gondola is carrying.

Murano glassmaker Carlo Moretti displays his wares in minimally merchandised displays on tables, creating a gallery effect that shows the quality and design of the glass to its best advantage.

Folded shirts on two tables, one higher than the other, in the men’s formalwear department in Selfridges, London, help lead the customer toward the back wall fixture.

Tables

Tables used as merchandise fixtures can be purchased or custom-made. They are an interesting way of breaking up a floor and are easily browsed. It can be a good idea to place a lower, smaller table partially underneath a higher one, creating two height levels that will give more impact than one. Customers often feel comfortable shopping from a table because it is an object that will be familiar to them in their homes. Folded garments or items of houseware suit tables best. Clothing items should not be stacked too high; one of each size will generally suffice. A half-mannequin or bust form can be used to show the item of clothing displayed on the table. Housewares may be piled higher. It should be remembered that tables are very highmaintenance and they will need constant attention to keep them presentable.

Table Uses

Folded items: knitwear, T-shirts, and jeans

Houseware: candles, vases, or picture frames

Special occasions: boxed gifts

These simple freestanding fixtures in Dover Street Market, London, are not used to show products but to create an exhibition of macabre items. They encourage customers to pause in the shop and then hopefully look at the merchandise around them.

Furniture Uses

Housewares: folded items such as bedlinen, china

Hanging items: capsule collections of clothing can be hung in wardrobes

For smaller cabinets: jewelry

Found objects including antique chairs, cabinets, and chandeliers work alongside contemporary clothing and mannequins to create the eccentric style of London’s Dover Street Market.

Found Object Uses

Flat surfaces: an antique table can be used to display traditional chinav

Plinths: can be used to display vases or pieces of sculpture

Trunks: can be used to display blankets, bedlinens, cushions, or boxed gifts

Baskets: can be used to contain scarves, umbrellas, or small items for the home

Furniture

Cabinets and cupboards are often used to present merchandise. They can be used to create theater while also functioning as a useful selling fixture. Jeans, for example, can be neatly folded and placed on the shelves of a cabinet, as can housewares. A cabinet can also be chosen to co-ordinate with the merchandise: china could be placed in a glass-fronted display cabinet, while a capsule collection of clothing could be hung in an open wardrobe. It is wise to remember that a cabinet may have an unattractive back that is best hidden by the back of another of the same size. Care should be taken to light the merchandise inside a cupboard because it is enclosed. It can be tricky to do, so it is sensible to ensure that there are sufficient overhead spotlights to focus on the product, or even to add undershelf lighting.

These traditional glass display cabinets in Baccarat’s showroom in Paris take on a modern twist, with lighting breaking through the glass ceiling from a huge suspended boulder of crystal, demonstrating the quirky style of the designer, Philippe Starck. Housing expensive crystal, the cabinets are enclosed and secure, but allow the customer a 360-degree view.

Found objects

Trunks, crates, and plinths are just a few found objects that can be used to present merchandise. They may have nothing in common with the majority of the other fixtures but can change the pace and appearance of parts of the store if utilized well, such as antique pieces used alongside contemporary fixtures to provide contrast. They can also be cost-effective and may be recycled, too. It is important that found objects are there to serve a purpose; a personal favorite from home is not acceptable unless it can help sell. A shrewd retailer will also mark these items up and sell them, thus providing the opportunity to replace them with other original pieces.

Offspring’s concession within a department store features product-specific fittings, including wall fixtures designed to hold individual shoes, low mid-floor fixtures that are easy to shop from, and seating for customers trying on shoes. In-store concessions will have their own loyal fans. Offspring customers visiting the shop-within-a-shop might then be tempted to purchase from another concession within the store.

Vendor fixtures

A vendor fixture is given by the supplier to the retailer to house and display the vendor’s branded products. These fixtures can be either permanent or temporary. The advantage of using a vendor fixture is that it will not cost the retailer anything, and will be designed to carry that specific product and in the correct quantities, adding brand recognition for the customers. Retailers will often have no choice but to use them if they wish to carry the brand. Such fixtures can, however, be a hindrance. Although they may enforce the brand name, they may not fit in with the store’s appearance. A branded fixture is, however, best used to its full advantage and not hidden away; hiding or disguising fixtures in dark corners will not fool the customer and will only alienate the vendor.

Branded shop fixtures

Like a vendor fixture, a branded shop fixture will enforce the brand image and be designed to complement the products. Sometimes known as shops-within-shops, or concessions, the product is supplied by the brand and not bought by the host store. Carefully selected by the host store and with regard to the correct product adjacencies on the floor, these shops-within-shops can enhance the overall floor layout and help to change the pace of and improve customer circulation, maintaining the interest of customers as they work their way from shop to shop. Many retailers will use them as an anchor for the whole floor; a prestigious brand will certainly grab shoppers’ attention if placed in a prominent position. Seasonally, a branded shop fit can change dramatically; a designer may insist that the store changes its appearance to suit the collection by adding different graphics and signage and by re-merchandising the area.

Concept shop fits

Many retailers that specialize in one specific product or style of merchandise push the boundaries when designing their stores. Most of these retail environments have become concept stores that rely heavily on the following of their loyal customers. A concept store should be designed with the product in mind, with custom features, and strong branding and graphics.

Supreme is a skateboarding store in Los Angeles, with a loyal customer following. Their store includes a half-pike to test the skateboards; this also creates a dynamic atmosphere.

A natural-wood shop design for paper products creates a tactile experience in this Prints store in Singapore. Three types of display are used: cards are placed upright; writing paper is set on angled shelves; and gift boxes are stacked onto wall fixtures.

Bespoke wall fixtures have been designed to hold the latest cell phones in this Orange store in Paris. The design of such fixtures requires investment and should be thought through at the same time as the store’s architectural concept.

Specifically designed to display rolls of ribbon, these fixtures, as used by VV Rouleaux in London, are accessible and easy to maintain with their curved shelves.

Specialist fixtures

Certain products will only lend themselves to specialist fixtures. Fresh produce that needs to be refrigerated will often need a specifically designed fixture. Although an open-fronted chilled fixture may not be aesthetically pleasing, it is still essential that it performs well, and products can still be arranged in a creative display. Chiller and freezer cabinets should also be designed so that they can hold large quantities; the owner of a sandwich shop will expect to sell a lot of stock over lunchtime, so having to restock a cabinet constantly would be senseless.

Ribbons, beads, and fresh flowers, to name a few, will need considerable thought as to how they are best displayed. Beads, for example, because of their size, will need to be positioned close to eye level so that they may be viewed comfortably. Ribbons may need to be measured and cut by the sales-person and should be easily accessible for this purpose. Fresh flowers obviously require water; buckets may be disguised inside purpose-built shelving or display units.

Any product category can be merchandised effectively if consideration is given not only to the product but also to the customer.

This innovative method of displaying wine, as used in Selfridges, Manchester, creates a contemporary backdrop to the futuristic bar. Each bottle is tilted at an angle so that the customer can see the label.

The futuristic design of this optician, l.a.Eyeworks in Los Angeles, gives the impression of cleanliness amid a technologically advanced environment. Atmospheric lighting, clean lines, and mirror-backed glass shelves are used to promote the latest eyewear, while the mirrors also serve as a practical tool for customers trying on the glasses.

Here polo shirts are displayed on four-way capacity rails at Topman in London. Each prong holds one style in several sizes. Smaller sizes should be hung at the front and the largest at the back.

Capacity Rail Uses

High-density stock

All types of clothing where showing range of sizes or suits

Hanging rails

Rails designed to hold garments come in many sizes and shapes. They can be purchased from wholesalers or made to order. There are two basic styles that can be used: capacity and single rails.

Capacity rails

A capacity rail, as the name implies, is a capacity fixture designed to show many options of garments and carry a large amount of stock for a high product turnover. They are usually made from metal and have several adjustable arms that hold the hangers in position; they can be shopped either from two sides, known as a two-way, or four, known as a four-way, or they can be hung on a wall as part of a wall fixture (see page 140). It is worth thinking about the height at which the arms are set—if they are too high they may be harder to shop from. The products hang facing the customer; smaller sizes should be placed at the front and larger ones at the back. They are best utilized to show just one style of garment in many sizes, or items that together make up an outfit, like a jacket and pants. Since they are easy to replenish, large chain retailers often favor them. They are also easy to maneuver and can be repositioned to suit the products.

Three single rails positioned against a plain wall help create an eye-catching display area for a designer collection in Dover Street Market, London.

Single Rail Uses

One type of garment

A whole collection

Sale items

Single rails

Stores selling more expensive clothing often use a single running rail, no different from a conventional running clothes rail. The single straight rail is best used to show fashion collections or a trend theme. They should not be overstocked; leaving one to two finger widths of space between each hanger is ideal for the customer to remove and replace garments easily. Colors should always run from left to right along the rail, starting with the lightest. Sizes should also start with the smallest on the left, progressing to the largest on the right. The hangers should all be the same style and shape, with the opening facing away from the customer; in this way the garment will be easy to remove and replace.

Circular rails

Circular single rails, positioned in the middle of the shop floor, were fashionable during the 1970s and acted in the same way as a straight rail. Today they are frowned upon, appearing clumsy and offering no flexibility. However, they can be useful for presenting one piece of discounted merchandise through its spectrum of different colors, such as T-shirts.