Canadian Retailer - Store 2014 - 56

2014 ERA AWARDS IN-STORE MERCHANDISING (LARGE-SIZE RETAILER)

AWARD WINNER

HARNESSING HOLIDAY SALES WITH
NORTHERN NOËL

Fully integrated merchandising campaign helps create unique
holiday gift-giving destination
HOLT RENFREW wanted to make its shop the
destination for gift-giving in 2013, and drive
sales with a fun and easy shopping experience
that enticed customers to purchase a specially
curated assortment of Holt Renfrew's favourite
gift-giving and gourmet items.
The retailer hit every note with their awardwinning holiday merchandising campaign,
Northern Noël. Conceptualized and brought
to life by Holt Renfrew's internal visual team,
the innovative theme was inspired by vintage Canadian ski lodges and après-ski posters. With a nod to Canadiana, the campaign
communicated a traditional holiday spirit but
with a quirky twist-picture natural wood with
neon, handcrafted design with a modern flare, and the casual
mixed with the luxurious.
A Northern Theme

With a ski lodge as the thematic foundation of Northern
Noël, the project team worked to ensure that the look and feel of
the window displays carried into the store. Holt Renfrew used
the same signage and font throughout the shop, as well as the
same visual elements and colours-including natural wood accents, wood tables and benches, twinkling lights, Nordic trees
and more. They signed each section of the shop with handmade
wood blocks in the same manner as the windows and shops.
Holt Renfrew's buyers selected their holiday favourites and
brought in new high and low price points of exclusive gourmet
and gift-giving items. The store merchandised the product assortment by theme and grouped complimentary items: gourmet, home and hostess, kids and toys, pets, books and stationary, ornaments, and fashionable, high quality technology.
The retailer developed the Northern Noël theme almost a
year in advance but the planning for the look, feel and location
of the shop was finalized in July. The sourcing of props, fixtures,
signage and other collateral began in August, and physical installation and set began on October 21. The campaign went live
on November 1.
The theme and visual inspiration were shared across the
business so that teams could build the theme into their own
plans. By having the campaign plan on-hand before they went
to market, the buying team was able to source product that kept
within the overall campaign.

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The 2013 holiday gift-giving destination.

On the floor, each Northern Noël Gift and
Gourmet Shop had a defined area at the front of
the shop that staff rotated bi-weekly. This area
featured new and exciting gift-giving ideas, all
of it merchandised by theme.
A Holiday Hit

Northern Noël was a fully integrated program. The retailer translated the theme from
the products to the visuals, to shopping bags,
tissue paper, digital screens, store signage
program, gift cards, and every other customer
touchpoint to provide a complete experience.
By leveraging the overall theme, the retailer
created a shop that felt like a part of Holt Renfrew while at the same time having a unique
identity. Supporting the retailer's brand, and its
mission to present customers with exceptional
experiences and the finest luxury products, the
Northern Noël shop became a go-to destination
for Christmas and Hanukah gift-giving.
Thanks to a well-planned and strategy, Holt
Renfrew executed the campaign within the timelines and opened on the set date and time. And
by all indications, customers loved the shop. The
store says it received positive feedback on everything-from the visual elements, to the merchandising and the luxury products available through
this special holiday program.

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Canadian Retailer - Store 2014

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