Store study: Topshop
The Topshop store in New York opened to much acclaim. The fashion-forward British brand was hailed as a huge retail success.
The worldwide fashion phenomenon Topshop is part of the Arcadia group, owned by retail guru Sir Philip Green. The brand has grown from strength to strength over the last decade and as a result has a presence in more than 20 countries. The flagship store in London’s West End boasts a nail bar and a hair salon among the 90,000 ft2 (8,400 m2) of the season’s “must-have” fashion labels. The company’s collaborations with up-and-coming as well as established designers has made the brand a desirable destination for fashionistas. Its most high-profile collaboration saw British supermodel Kate Moss designing seasonal collections to sit within the brand. As well as showing mass-market collections at London Fashion Week, Topshop has expanded into the US market, opening its first store in New York in September 2009.
Tim Whitmore, Topshop’s creative director, started his visual merchandising career dressing windows on London’s King’s Road. He has worked for some of the UK’s most successful retailers, including Selfridges, Warehouse, Wallis, and Miss Selfridge. In 2009, Whitmore won the Visual Merchandising and Display Award, for the second time, for his ongoing contribution to the world of creative retailing. Whitmore is a respected member of London’s visual merchandising community.
Topshop is a retail victory; clearly the windows play an important role. Do you have a favorite window scheme that you designed?
“When I look back at the windows I have designed and installed over the years, it is always the simple ones that stand out. I am always excited about developing new window schemes; as with everything in life, your creativity evolves with time and new ideas occur and inspire.”
What, in your opinion, makes a good window display?
“Something that is so clever, or produced to such a high visual standard that it stops you in your tracks. And, of course, a window display that makes you want to enter the store and see more of the merchandise that is available.”
Brightly colored rosettes sit in front of a British Union Jack backdrop, while a dramatically posed mannequin sits amid the Topshop collection.
Once the windows are planned and installed, how do you bring the Topshop theater in-store?
“I always have a theme or concept in mind for every new seasonal collection, which comes from working closely with the design team. In the seasonal theme, I have many different window ideas that my team and I develop in order to see what will work visually. The in-store drama derives from the overall theme that I develop with my creative team for both 214 (London’s flagship store) and the regional stores: we often trial some elements of the flagship store in a smaller store before we place orders for props for all of the smaller stores.”
An impressive collection of shoes is backlit, with yet more lighting in the form of chandeliers. Vintage furniture takes on a modern twist.
In-store displays take up valuable selling space. How important are they to promote the Topshop image?
“The amount of space in-store displays demand is dependent on the size of the store and in which city it is located. In our major city stores these areas are very important as they create a ‘wow’ factor and demonstrate how different we are from our competitors, and they obviously add to the whole experience and ambience we create for Topshop.”
Do fashion trends inspire how your in-store displays look?
“Absolutely!”
Are mannequins still an important tool that you use to inspire your customers?
“Yes! Very much so. We have mannequins, bust forms, torsos, etc., in all of our stores, but we use different specifications and ranges in different stores, again depending on the size, turnover, and city location. We use high-quality mannequins from Schlappi and Rootstein in our city stores all over the world. We also use ranges from Planet, Universal, and Panache in other stores. In all our stores our mannequins have bespoke wigs and stylized makeup especially designed for Topshop. Our mannequins are always fashion-forward and have innovative looks inspired by the seasonal trends.”
How often do you re-merchandise the interior of a store?
Every day we re-merchandise the sales floor, depending on sales and deliveries, to keep the departments fresh and exciting.
Topshop New York has received rave reviews. Was it difficult to get across the strong British retail concept to the Americans?
“Not at all! The New Yorkers love Topshop. It was great fun to work on this project—hard work but great fun. The store looks amazing.”
How important was the store design in making the whole shopping experience successful?
“The success of this store, like any store, relies on a few major factors that are equal in their contribution: the store design, the creative overlay, the in-store visual merchandising, and of course, the store team, but the most vital element of any successful store is the product.”
Where does your creative inspiration come from?
“Life, and living in a great, vibrant city: London. Being able to travel anywhere in the world for inspiration is vital for me as a creative individual, but it is also coupled with a combination of the arts, media, theater, music, fashion, books, magazines and friends.”
Which store do you admire?
“I love the new Louis Vuitton Maison store in New Bond Street, London; Dover Street Market for the products; as well as the Comme des Garçons store in Tokyo.”
You recently won the Visual Merchandising and Display Award for Best Display Person in London for the second time. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
“Work hard and get involved in everything. If you have a passion for this industry and you work hard, you will progress. It always helps if you are creative first, but also have a commercial side to you. Being a team player is hugely important.”
Your creativity does not stop at the windows. How many tattoos have you got and what percentage of your body has been embellished?
“When I am asked this I always say, ‘One tattoo; it’s just very large’. My tattoos actually cover nearly all of my body—I think about 85 percent. I have stopped having my body decorated; I think it’s time to stop now before they look too much but, then again, I think I may have already crossed that line!”
