March 2024 - 15

MERCHANDISING
Chalet's 20,000-square-foot space is mapped out with garden essentials, home décor
(trending more toward gifts), indoor plants, pet living and a learning center.
Photos by Abby McGarry.
T
o say Chalet - a third-generation
family business serving Chicago's
North Shore - has evolved since
its inception more than a century ago is
an understatement. What started as a
landscaping business in 1917 is now a onestop
shop for bringing beauty to the home,
both inside and out.
The 20,000-square-foot indoor store
and 2-acre outdoor sales area make
Chalet a destination gift shop and
garden center. Customers are greeted by
stunning displays of fresh products that
immediately entice them to shop.
This is largely the work of Chalet's
visual merchandising and buying
manager, John Hoerst, and his team.
Hoerst has been with the company for
23 years, pioneering a large expansion
of gifts, home accessories and holiday.
" Especially in the last 15 to 20 years,
we've added a lot of categories, " Hoerst
said. " People really started coming here
as a destination for gifts and home décor. "
Crafting Premium Displays
Customers will never shop the same
store twice while visiting Chalet. A
seasonal theme, which normally changes
five times a year, first comes to life in the
front window display, while some hightraffic
areas throughout the store turn
over daily.
" We have hotspots in the store and in
the gardens, high-turn areas, that people
are going to see if they're frequent
visitors, " Hoerst said. " We need to
change them as frequently as possible. "
Hoerst plans out what each section of
the store is going to look like, crafting
storyboards with the colors, products
and overall feel of each vignette. The
boards have theme names - some in
the past include Tropical Zen, Rustic
Reinvented, and Bloom and Blossom.
" We strive to make the displays and
the store fixtures as inviting and easy to
shop as possible. The goal is to make it
intuitive for the customer, " Hoerst said.
" What is a customer thinking or what
are they buying, and what other products
need to go with those items to finish
their whole project or plan? "
This cross-merchandising, along with
noted staff recommendations, helps
promote silent selling. For example,
Hoerst said charcuterie is popular right
now, so they have boards alongside
crackers, books and utensils. Outside in
the garden, rhododendrons are paired
LGRMAG.COM | 15

http://www.LGRMAG.COM

March 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2024

Editor's Letter
Table of Contents
AmericanHort: Unearth Your Potential
Headlines/Calendar
Innovative Ideas: Expanding Your Product Mix: A Personal Narrative
Merchandising: Making Beautiful Simple
Merchandising: Revamp Your Retail Series: Signage
Special Advertising Section: Pots & Planters
Showcase: Outdoor Living
Green Goods: A Need for Natives
Showcase: Garden Pharmacy
Trade Shows: Strong Start for 2024
Management: How to Attract Employees with a Marketing Mindset
Showcase: Garden Center Tech
Marketplace
Ad Index
5 Minutes With: Derek Ellis
March 2024 - 1
March 2024 - 2
March 2024 - 3
March 2024 - Editor's Letter
March 2024 - 5
March 2024 - Table of Contents
March 2024 - 7
March 2024 - AmericanHort: Unearth Your Potential
March 2024 - 9
March 2024 - Headlines/Calendar
March 2024 - 11
March 2024 - Innovative Ideas: Expanding Your Product Mix: A Personal Narrative
March 2024 - 13
March 2024 - Merchandising: Making Beautiful Simple
March 2024 - 15
March 2024 - 16
March 2024 - 17
March 2024 - Merchandising: Revamp Your Retail Series: Signage
March 2024 - 19
March 2024 - 20
March 2024 - 21
March 2024 - Special Advertising Section: Pots & Planters
March 2024 - 23
March 2024 - 24
March 2024 - 25
March 2024 - Showcase: Outdoor Living
March 2024 - 27
March 2024 - Green Goods: A Need for Natives
March 2024 - 29
March 2024 - 30
March 2024 - 31
March 2024 - Showcase: Garden Pharmacy
March 2024 - 33
March 2024 - Trade Shows: Strong Start for 2024
March 2024 - 35
March 2024 - 36
March 2024 - 37
March 2024 - 38
March 2024 - 39
March 2024 - Management: How to Attract Employees with a Marketing Mindset
March 2024 - 41
March 2024 - 42
March 2024 - Showcase: Garden Center Tech
March 2024 - Marketplace
March 2024 - 45
March 2024 - 46
March 2024 - 47
March 2024 - 48
March 2024 - Ad Index
March 2024 - 5 Minutes With: Derek Ellis
March 2024 - 51
March 2024 - 52
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