Judith von Hopf started her career as a florist at the age of 16, and her early flower-focused roots have blossomed into a custom prop design business that includes paper flowers.
Judith von Hopf, Inc. (www.judithvonhopf.com) has supplied designs and full service sourcing to retailers for over 30 years. Paper flowers have been part of her creative offering since 1980.As an exhibitor at GlobalShop for 19 years, von Hopf chose a monochromatic, paper- inspired vision for the 2009 booth (Booth 1064) in order to showcase the company’s die-cutting capabilities.
The stark white palette stood out amongst the neighboring vendors and truly highlighted the intricate patterns of a variety of paper and foam core props.Like many of the vendors, environmental consciousness was important to highlight so the team worked with as many recyclable products as possible to complete the project.The props are collapsible, easy to ship and according to von Hopf anyone can install it.
For those who had a chance to admire the paper flowers, I discovered that the company produced a million flowers for American Eagle.Now that is truly some paper flower power…I wonder if von Hopf ever imagined that kind of floral arrangement during her career debut as a florist.
New product launches add to the excitement of GlobalShop, and attendees had the chance to vote on what they found the most inspiring at The New Product Pavilion.
Architectural Systems, Inc. (Booth 3828) received the most votes for its Eco-Essence Collection (pictured left), making it the 2009 first place award recipient. The company is an international distributor of architectural and sustainable materials.
Ditto Hangers (Booth 3762) received second place for its eco-friendly Ditto Ecological Paper Hanger, while LaunchMedia’s (Booth 6247) LaunchMobileLive! was recognized with a third place honor. From earth conscious to high-tech and interactive, these innovative product launches captured the attention of the 2009 attendees.
It was the colorful Christmas trees made of whimsical materials that caught my eye, but as I had a chat with Lewis Mittelmark, VP-Creative & Production of Trimco Display LLC, I learned even holiday display products are exploring more environmentally friendly options.
“We can provide the traditional holiday products and color palettes, but we like to have fun and give retailers new ideas,” comments Mittelmark. “People like to see new ideas and then put their own spin on it.”
For those with sustainability on the mind, Mittelmark pointed out a line of 100% recyclable corrugated material.“It packs flat, is easy to ship and store and is multi-seasonal. You get more for your money while scoring some eco-points,” describes Mittelmark.
Another 100% recyclable product is a line of paper cone trees that make a whimsical and eco-friendly statement.
The Trimco booth as well as a number of surrounding holiday display vendors put me in a festive mood and whether you want whimsy, tradition or an eco-friendly spin for your store, there are options and ideas to offer inspiration.
After a tour of the show floor on the eve of GlobalShop, I had a new appreciation for the hard work and coordination that goes into pulling an expo together. Each exhibitor puts their best foot forward in order to attract the attention of the many attendees. There are of course a few booths that stand out above the rest and are awarded for their creativity. The following exhibitors were honored with Best in Pavilion and Best in Show accolades.
Best in Pavilion
Visual Merchandising Show Winner
DK Living Inc./Barrevald International Inc.
Booth 1023
Store Fixturing Show Winner
Amuneal Mfg.
Booth 3456
At-Retail Marketplace Winner
Wetzel Brothers
Booth 6230
Store Design & Operations Winner
Veritas
Booth 1842
Retailing Marketing Services Winner
Quality Solutions Inc.
Booth 5323
Digital Store Winner
MTI
Booth 4628
Best in Show
Fleetwood Fixtures
Store Fixturing Show
Booth 4023
Fleetwood Fixtures was inspired by nature for their creative display. The park-like setting is complete with birds perched atop the booth and grass-like carpeting underfoot.Vibrant hues and materials showcase Fleetwood’s various products.
President and CEO of Watt International, Partick Rodmell, led an interactive exploration of "Future Proofing" your business. Awareness, analysis and vision, according to Rodmell, are key components for effective "future proofing." He discussed how businesses need to analyze the effects of trends on their business plan. From current economic pressures and conscious consumption to accelerated technology, a company's response to these trends can impact a successful future. In particular, he referenced the impact that the M-Powered Generation will have on retail businesses and brand success.
The balance between the functional and emotional aspect of a product or brand was explored as well as the power of technology to help retailers form a connection with consumers. He suggested keeping an eye on the use of Virtual Post-It Notes and QR Codes. The Virtual Post-It Notes will use GPS technology to help connect consumers with special sales and businesses based on their geographic location, while QR Codes will allow consumers to take photos of promotional codes on billboards to redeem special offers.
For this Retail Design Diva, Rodmell offered a few things to think about. His presentation was about creating a vision and a plan for your business that will serve as a road map for future success. Visit www.wattintl.com to learn more about "Future Proofing"
Global retailers are off to an early start in Las Vegas for GlobalShop 2009, the largest annual tradeshow for the store design, visual merchandising and in-store marketing industries.
Lucas Conley opened the educational seminars discussing “Culture of Obsession” and challenged marketers and retailers to avoid obsessive marketing disorder--in other words, don’t just vie for consumer attention and churn products or overpromise and under-deliver.He wants us to focus on product and company values, meeting consumer expectations and staying in tune with market conditions. Better service, more innovation and better products should be the Marketer’s Oath, Conley says.
Other opening day sessions include: The State of the Retail Economy, Sustainability in Retail and Future Proofing….just to name a few.
For those ready for a walk - this year’s show offers six market-focused pavilions – The Store Fixturing Show, The Visual Merchandising Show, At-Retail Marketplace, Store Design & Operations, The Digital Store and Retail Marketing Services. These pavilions represent more than 700 suppliers including a number of new exhibitors.Fresh ideas, innovative products, unique booth designs…the show floor will provide inspiration in many forms.
If you want to hear what is inspiring the Retail Design Diva, then stay tuned for the winners of the Best in Show and Best in Pavilion awards, words from attendees, educational session highlights and much, much more. Check back throughout the day – Viva Las Vegas at GlobalShop!
The Retail Design Diva is gearing up for Las Vegas, home to GlobalShop 2009! Beginning this coming Monday, March 23, going through Wednesday, March 25, the Diva will be roaming the show--from conference sessions to exhibitor booths to everywhere else in between. Retail Design Diva will be blogging LIVE from the show all three days about the latest retail design musings, hottest products and attendee opinions. You never know where she'll strike or what she'll say--but rest assured, the Diva tells it like it is, and the show coverage is sure to be packed full of interesting tidbits, exciting booths and speaker sessions, and the latest news straight from the show floor. The Diva has already started packing...Can't wait to see you all in Sin City for GlobalShop 2009!
We're T-minus 13 days until Christmas. And do you know how I
remembered that I was totally behind on my holiday shopping? I walked through
Northwest Portland. Guess what I saw: beautiful Christmas displays, white
twinkling lights spiraled through the trees and lovely holiday music (not the
annoying kind you hear in the grocery store where Mariah Carey sings, "All
I Want For Christmas" for the 5,000th time) filtering down the street.
Suddenly, it dawned on me: The sky isn't falling, so maybe I
should go buy some gifts for the people I love.
Retailers just don't know how powerful they are. Or maybe
they do. To feel despair after watching CNN and then walk into the
street and feel joy--now that's good stuff. With all the nay-saying and
negative news, gorgeous Christmas displays are sure to cheer consumers up.
The Seattle Times recently reported on downtown Seattle's
efforts to bring holiday cheer to residents, all the while encouraging them to
spend some cash. The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) is pulling out all the
stops by doing it up big for the holidays. They're suggesting that retailers
put up snazzy holiday light patterns on the sides of their buildings, and
retailers are doing it. They've got carousel rides in Westlake Park and Santa
Claus hanging out in Nordstrom.
The city will also
feature a continuous five-minute light and music show in Westlake Park every
half-hour in the evening (think Bellagio water and light show, without all the
Vegas glam), holiday family photos and more than three dozen lighted displays, including
a tricycle, drum set and toy race car. Those Seattle folks sure do know how to
party, don't they?
Now, while Portland's lovely lights got me back in the
Christmas spirit, the question is: Are pretty lights, displays and Santa enough
to inspire shoppers to spend some cash?
The way I look at it, it can't hurt. We've got to do
something to counter all of the doom and gloom that's out there. Low prices are
a good start to lure shoppers, as is creating an environment that produces
joy. Good ol' fashioned joy never hurt anyone, right? And certainly when one
feels joyful, one wants to shop and spend money. At least that's how I roll.
What about you? Do gorgeous Christmas light displays, light
shows and carousels get you in the holiday shopping spirit? What is your city
doing to encourage shoppers to get out there and do what they do best? Tell us
about it here!
Peanut butter and jelly. Gisele and Victoria's Secret. These
are things that just automatically go together. You wouldn't question a
delicious pb&j sandwich or a beautiful pajama set worn by Gisele in a
Vicky's catalog. But you might retract a bit (in horror even) at the pairing of
retail and politics. That's a whole other ball game. With such a tense
political climate, and the election nearing ever closer, most retailers are keeping
their distance.
A couple of retailers, however, are braving the scene. They
are putting it all out there, and with some pretty positive results.
Convenience store giant, 7-Eleven has decided to conduct its
own political poll with its to-go coffee cup promotion. Customers in search of
their morning coffee fix can now also make a political statement, by choosing
either red for McCain or blue for Obama.
A coffee cup "vote" can be made right up until
election day on November 4th. While at first glance this might seem like a
silly (and fun!) way to engage the public in both a product and an election, it
also holds some merit. According to a story in The Dallas Morning News, for the past two elections, 7-Eleven has used this
promotion and reported up to 6 million "voters." In both the 2000 and
2004 elections, the coffee cup votes were almost as accurate as the election
itself (Bush brought in 51 percent of the vote, Kerry 49 percent).
If the above trend continues to hold true, then John McCain
better start packing his bags now. Current results show Barack Obama leading
the way at a whopping 60 percent, compared to McCain's 40 percent. 7-Eleven just
might be on to something. While it's far from scientific, past results seem to
indicate it's a noteworthy way to gauge the country's feelings.
Another retailer is Urban Outfitters, who has had
huge success with their Obama tees, hoodies, bobble heads, mugs and more. Okay,
the bobble head is a little much--who even buys those things?! But, I digress.
The t-shirts and hoodies are actually worth paying attention to, especially with
adorable taglines like, "Barack Your World" and "Barack &
Roll." Can you even say that out loud without cracking a smile? I think
not. No one can resist that amount of cuteness.
The rest of retail land, though, is keeping quiet. What do
you think about the retail and politics pairing? Leave your thoughts here.
Oh, and if you know
of other retailers with a political slant, be sure to tell us about
it!
Before consumers could finish saying, "Happy Labor
Day," retailers were busily stocking their shelves with oodles of
Halloween candy corn and witches hats. As the first major holiday of the season
nears, retailers are ready for Halloween and have been for quite some time.
Promotions,
discounts and events are appearing all over online and print advertising at
this stage in the game. And, truth be told, there's some pretty creative stuff
happening out there.
While you wouldn't initially think of Petco for your
Halloween needs, the mega-pet retailer is doing its best to reach consumers for
the start of the holiday madness. All Petco stores throughout the United States
will host a special pet-friendly Halloween extravaganza, aptly titled
"Howl-O-Ween" on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008.
Shoppers can receive a framed digital photo of their
costumed pet (yes, pets are now dressing up for Halloween!) at the Petco "Photo
Spook-tacular." I swear I'm not
making this up. Even better, there will be a pet costume contest, and according
to a recent Petco press release, the outfits will be judged based on
creativity, attention to detail, and how well the costume fits the pet's
personality.
This is absolutely hilarious. I may stop by a Petco store
simply to see what kinds of costumes today's pets are sporting.
I wouldn't have suspected that this would be a very big
event--I mean, who dresses their pets up for Halloween anyway? Um, actually a
lot of people. Last year alone, more than 14,700
people brought their pets in to be part of the Howl-O-Ween event. And,
according to the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend approximately
$24.17 on costumes this year alone--including for their pets.
I'm thinking next year Petco should host an owner/pet
costume contest. How cute would pictures of you and Fluffy dressed up as Sunny
& Cher be?!
So, please leave a comment here if you dress your pet up for Halloween (and let
us know what Mr. Muffin will be going as this year) or if you've attended this
event previously. And feel free to post a comment if, like me, you're rolling
your eyes at the thought of costuming a pet. Above all, if you have pictures of
a pet in costume--e-mail them my way!
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