design:retail - August 2017 - 28

style made simple

028

Be Unpredictable

ERIC SAMUEL GREEN
VICE PRESIDENT,
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Charming Charlie
ericsamuelgreen.com

S A RETAILER competing

for consumers' discretionary dollars, the last thing
you can afford to be is
predictable. With online
stores like Amazon delivering products
to shoppers' doorsteps in a day, brickand-mortar retailers have to work
harder than ever to get customers in
the door and to keep them engaged.
The trick is to turn your customer's
shopping trip into a memorable experience. When it comes to your store's
design, skip the safe and predictable.
Brands that aren't afraid to take risks
and tell their story in a bold, creative
way are the ones that create lasting impressions in
people's minds.
Here are some of my go-to tips for creating a
shopping environment that goes beyond what's
expected and keeps customers coming back.

1. EXTERIOR
As one of the first things shoppers see, the
outside of your store provides a huge opportunity
to differentiate yourself from your competitors. If
you want to do something unexpected that catches
people's attention, design your store's exterior
so that it channels your brand in a fun and
quirky way.
That's exactly what fashion brand Paul
Smith did when its designers painted the outside of the Los Angeles store a bright bubble
gum pink. The giant "pink box" disrupts the
serious fashion vibe on Melrose Avenue and
has turned the store into a landmark for supermodels and social media influencers.

2. FITTING ROOMS
Once you've got customers inside the store,
fitting rooms are another area to introduce unexpected whimsy. Add interesting wallpaper in a fun,
bold print or funky mirrors made from reclaimed
metals. Lilly Pulitzer's bright, colorful dressing
AUGUST 2017

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Manhattan flagship on Fifth Avenue, we created a 20-ft.-tall pink
lacquer door for the entrance (pictured here). The bright color stands
out among the rest of the building's glass façade and attracts the
attention of shoppers passing by.

5. FUNCTIONAL DISPLAY ITEMS

rooms are decked out in hand-painted designs that
mimic the brand's signature bold prints.
These small, but impactful details add a touch
of delight to what can be one of the most frustrating parts of the shopping experience and naturally
encourage customers to take selfies and share
them socially.

3. PEOPLE MOVERS
I love transforming functional architectural elements into magical moments. Staircases, escalators
and elevators are all wonderful places to introduce
something unexpected. Try adding words that describe your brand on each riser on a set of stairs.
Or place a fun lenticular image on the inside of an
elevator door so only passengers experience the
special message. Take your customer on a fun journey as they move through your store.

4. COLOR
Colors are not only important for brand identity,
but they also are an easy way to be unpredictable in
your décor. Go big with a bold ceiling color or start
small by using brightly colored hangers to punctuate products.
At Charming Charlie, we love the color pink
and are always looking for unexpected ways to
use it in our store design. When we opened our

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I'm personally obsessed with
unique tabletop metal sculptures
and heirloom objects. They can add
a warm, residential feel, encouraging
customers to linger a while longer. I
created custom pelican feet table
mirrors for Charming Charlie, and
they have become great conversation starters in
our stores.

6. TECHNOLOGY
Technology presents endless opportunities to surprise and delight your customers. However, move
beyond TV screens and smart mirrors, and instead
transport your customer to faraway destinations.
When I worked at The North Face, we created
storm rooms in our China locations, so customers
could test our products in a natural environment.
Not only was this an effective selling tool for our
winter gear, but it left shoppers speechless when
they transitioned from a 76-degree room to a
minus-10-degree ice storm.
Every interaction your customers have with your
store-from the moment they open the doors to the
time they check out-is an opportunity to do something unexpected and fun. Take advantage of this,
and your customers will thank you.
ERIC SAMUEL GREEN HAS WORKED WITH TOP BRANDS SUCH AS
C. WONDER, BURBERRY, GAP, COLE HAAN, NEIMAN MARCUS, LIMITED
BRANDS AND THE NORTH FACE. HE CURRENTLY IS THE EXECUTIVE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR FOR CHARMING CHARLIE. HIS LIFE MISSION
IS TO CHANGE THE INTIMIDATION AND STRESS ASSOCIATED WITH
DESIGN, WHICH HE IS DOING THROUGH HIS NEW BOOK, "STYLE MADE
SIMPLE: THE 10 STEPS TO DECORATING WITH STYLE."

http://www.ericsamuelgreen.com http://www.DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM http://www.GLOBALSHOP.ORG

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