design:retail - June 2018 - 36

036

↑ Girls and dolls have the
↙ opportunity to bond in
the enhanced American
Girl Salon. Photo [Bottom

left] courtesy of FRCH DESIGN
WORLDWIDE

details. There is the opportunity to pre-design the doll
online and pick her up at the store or create the doll
as part of the in-store experience. A large studio table
provides space for girls to personalize their dolls with
their family. This customization hub allows girls to
have fun designing and creating a doll that matches
her style and spirit, dragging and dropping patterns
and details, and creating matching accessories.
Novak adds: "This is an enriching way to start the
connection between girl and doll early on and an
all-encompassing experience."
Based on the research, there were also opportunities to elevate and transform the salon experience.
Strategically positioned at the 52nd Street windows
is a joyful presentation of girl and doll bonding
JUNE 2018

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↑ A new modular display
system streamlines the
merchandising process
while encouraging
customer interaction.

at The American Girl Salon. Girls and their dolls
can get matching hairstyles, mini manicures and
even ear-piercing. A digital platform allows girls
to pre-select a dry-bar style to help expedite the
decision-making process.
As families continue to the lower level, they
have the opportunity to explore the core foundation products of the American Girl brand. At the
base of the escalator, they are greeted by a feature
presentation of the BeForever line with a rotating
display that highlights one of the past dolls from
that collection. This creates a touchpoint for mothers, aunts and grandmothers to reflect on their
own dolls or the dolls they have purchased over
the years, serving as a point of familiarity and nostalgia. The BeForever experience continues with
displays of showcased stories that offer digital and
analog elements to encourage interaction.
"These stories span decades, and we wanted the
girls to touch, play and experience each story," Novak
says. "The goal with the merchandising was to not
make it 'too perfect,' so people aren't afraid to have
fun in this area. Some things are curated while also
incorporating touchscreens and props to play with."

GLOBALSHOP.ORG

→ The neutral palette allows
the product to be the
focal point with pops
of color used to help
direct attention.

The Bitty Baby and WellieWishers collections
round out the enhanced product displays on the
lower level.
Throughout the store, the team departed from
the typical vitrine display strategy to move away
from the more curated merchandising that can
be time-consuming to maintain. The design team
wanted the fixtures to enhance the opportunity to
tell stories and encourage customer interaction, so
they streamlined the merchandising process with
a more flexible kit of parts. "Now with this modular
system, there is a more universal way to easily tell
the story of an entire collection with 360 degrees to
the display," Novak explains. "The adjustable LED
lighting scheme supports that flexibility."
As visitors head to their right off the escalator on
the lower level, they enter the Content Hub, which
was strategically located outside of the American
Girl Café, as it offers a nice area to linger while
exploring all of the brand's educational content,
such as books and videos, all in one area for the
first time. The café is another experience that was
enhanced based on the initial research. Instead
of the group dining schedule, the café now offers

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