Fall 2023 - 79

DISPLAY INSPIRATION
is all filmed off the cuff - nothing is " pre-set. " I am
literally setting my client's space up and talking the
retailer through it as I am doing it. It is real inventory
and real challenges of merchandise not fitting, along
with figuring out what to bin, how to cross merchandise
and what to do with the random stuff that you have
from last year.
WHERE CAN RETAILERS FIND A VISUAL MERCHANDISER
TO WORK WITH?
Sherrier: I have been asked this a lot. It seems like
finding a merchandiser is like finding a unicorn in
some areas of the country. It's like a secret society. I
suggest to people to search Instagram with hashtags like
#merchandiser #retailmerchandisier #visualmerchandiser
#storemerchandiser #storedesigner. Make sure that
you add your city to the beginning of the hashtag.
WHERE DO YOU FIND DISPLAY INSPIRATION?
Sherrier: This is my favorite question I ask our
guests on the podcast! Back in my days of
Anthropologie, we had a mandatory day
a month where we had to go out
of our stores and get inspired -
museums,
shopping
other
retailers, etc. I am old school -
magazines, international fashion
and home magazines, food
magazines (a great way to get
ideas for flatlays like jewelry
and tabletop items), even
some crafting magazines.
Pinterest always has amazing
inspiration. Before my show season
setups, I will look for everything from
window display items (hint: a lot come
from kids' party posts) to tablescapes for fall
or holiday. I could spend hours going down the
rabbit hole, but it's always worth it.
TELL US ABOUT THE WORK YOU ARE DOING WITH
SHOWROOMS? WHAT ARE THE TAKEAWAYS RETAILERS
CAN GLEAN FROM MARKET SHOWROOMS?
Sherrier: Wholesale showrooms, much like retailers,
change each season. Wholesalers want the retailer to
be excited and inspired when they come to market.
Retailers are visual, and if you see a display that you
love, you are drawn to it. My job is twofold: 1) to create
displays that are easy to shop and sell from, and to
make sure we are showcasing the new rollouts and 2)
to create displays that storytell and draw the retailer
in. It is always my goal to " one up " myself visually
each show and, hopefully, each show the retailers
walk away with pictures on their phones, wanting to
recreate it on some level in their store.
I think retailers have their heads on swivels at
shows, always looking for new products while racing
from one appointment to another. Ideally, they are also
taking the time to look at not only the big displays that
catch your eyes but also the smaller details like how
they show jewelry, personal care items or apparel. It's
challenging though; it means slowing down and really
looking at everything, and that can be a challenge,
especially if you are only at the show for two days.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF MERCHANDISING?
Sherrier: Change! My favorite phrase is " change is
good. " I used to move my room around as a kid - like
once a week. The bed would move, the dresser, lamps,
stuffed animals, stuff on the shelves - everything. It's
not a surprise that this is what I do for a living. I also
love to see the same item that we have shown several
times morph into a completely different feel just by
how and what we cross-merchandise it with.
Example: Voluspa is merchandised
with gold holiday ornaments
and gold candleholders, giving
it a very " royal " holiday
feeling, and then changing it
up for
spring and showing
it with crystals in the same
colorways like ambers and
purples to give it a warmer
almost organic feeling. This,
by the way, is one of the
lessons on the YouTube channel.
The reinventing of product each
time is one of my favorite things; the
excitement I get when it looks totally
different is always my favorite. Then, to
hear from my client that the product sold out
or the customer's reaction is the icing on the cake.
ARE THERE DESIGN TRENDS RETAILERS SHOULD PAY
ATTENTION TO?
Sherrier: Well, that mushroom trend is not going
anywhere. I love it shown like a botanist - neutral with
small, organic details like ferns or moss. I love the nontraditional
colors this holiday! Creative Co-Op showed
mustards, burnt reds and oranges, and deep forest
greens. Zodax showed a lot of these colors as well, and
my favorite trend was the paper " folded " trees and
ornaments. BeHome did phenomenal oversized trees
in these colors. I love to cherry-pick lines to create
concepts, so it was fantastic to see how all of these lines
work so beautifully well together.
GIFTSHOPMAG.COM 79
http://www.GIFTSHOPMAG.COM
Fall 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fall 2023
