Although 2012 is still young, trends in visual merchandising are already becoming apparent. John Ryan walks the West End and the King’s Road to see what they are.

Props that have relatively little to do with the products that they are intended to promote have always been a mainstay of the visual merchandiser’s armoury and at any given time there are always items that seemed to be used in every other shop.

For some time now, skulls and stuffed animals have been on show in most of the edgier fashion stores, spilling over into the mid-market from time to time. This is no doubt set to continue for some while yet, but a quick stroll around London’s West End and King’s Road reveals that if you want to get ahead, get a bike – in visual merchandising terms at least.

As a trend, this one has also been gaining traction for a while now, but as new season stock arrives, bikes are never far behind in many instances and it does look set to be the must-include visual merchandising item for the first half of 2012.

There are, of course plenty of others that are ploughing their own furrow when it comes to the pursuit of in-store difference with Levi’s, French Connection and Habitat, all deploying

novelty of the kind that you wish more retailers might consider. From a visual merchandising perspective, the early signs for this year are generally positive, however – perhaps tough times might prove a stimulus for creative grey matter.  

VM FACTS

  • Key VM props Bicycles, motorbikes and chairs
  • VM props of 2011 still in use Skulls and taxidermy
  • Best exponents River Island and Levi’s
  • VM outlook for 2012 Improved creativity

Anthropologie, Regent Street

Anthropologie

Anthropologie

One of the stores that uses a bicycle as the centrepiece of its display is Anthropologie, albeit in this instance it’s more rickshaw than bicycle.

In fairness, a rickshaw is on-brand for much of Anthropologie’s clothing offer, as most of it appears to originate in parts of the world where this is a perfectly normal mode of transport.

Rather than hanging it above the stock, however, Anthropologie opts to put the rickshaw in the thick of things, perched on a low, plain wood table. It also happens to be in the kind of condition that you’d be hard pushed to find on the streets of Mumbai or Chennai, for example.

The windows of this store are worth noting too with a dripping paint theme that Jackson (aka Jack the Dripper) Pollock might have been proud of.

You expect an art-led take on visual merchandising from Anthropologie and this store does not disappoint.

Habitat, King’s Road

Habitat

Habitat

After the shutdowns of 2011, there are not many Habitat stores left in this country – just three remain and all in London. And indeed, it looked for while as if these might go the way of all flesh. Cheering therefore to see that the King’s Road not only looks better than it has done for some years, but is also one the of best stores on this long thoroughfare. And while it may be a little early, as we continue to anticipate further low temperatures, the sight of trays of hyacinths and tulip bulbs poking their heads above earth-filled white dustbins, is enough to make us think of better times ahead.

There is a freshness about each one of the store’s windows that lifts the spirits and in case the point is missed, there are blackboards with early seasonal messages such as ‘Simply spring salad’ and ‘Spring salmon with minty veg’. Handled the wrong way, this could look cliched and tired, but the Habitat visual merchandising team has produced something that is worth taking a look at. 

River Island, Oxford Street

River Island

River Island

Stare through the door of the River Island flagship on Oxford Street and the overwhelming impressions is of white and acid lime. Acid lime because that’s what the black mannequins are wearing to capture attention, white because some of the mannequins also have an element of the colour in their attire.

The main reason for white being so prominent, however, is the posse of bikes suspended above all of this. This brings to bear the matter of pointless visual merchandising props as these have little or nothing to do with what is beneath them. It is tempting to assume that there is a link between bikes and mannequins – one for each model, perhaps – but there are actually more bikes than mannequins.

There is of course nothing wrong with any of this as the combination of bikes and models serves to do what the best visual merchandising should – ensure that you take a look and consider venturing into the shop. The bespectacled penguin in the window is diverting as well.

Kiehl’s, King’s Road

Kiehl's

Kiehl’s

There are not that many standalone store examples of beauty products brand Kiehl’s in this country (although it is now a frequent fixture in many department stores) and this is one of the largest. In spite of its scarcity of Sales, however, US-based Kiehl’s has a decal across the window of this store, and elsewhere, stating ‘Kiehl’s is growing, prices are shrinking’.

This may well be the case, but when it comes to the visual marketing of its products, even a beauty retailer is not above succumbing to the obvious attractions of two-wheeled locomotion.

In Kiehl’s this translates as a chromed and highly polished vintage Harley Davidson in the middle of the store – the perfect accompaniment perhaps to the life-size plastic skeleton that is now in every location from which its products are sold. The link between motorcycle and product is made by a graphic that shows an advert for ‘Kiehl’s Pharmacy since 1851’, so at least there is a logic about product, age and display.

French Connection, Oxford Street

French Connection

French Connection

Nobody could accuse French Connection of not taking its advertising campaigns and running with them for a protracted period. But the latest iteration in the ‘I am’ series does raise the flag once more on a promotion that was looking as if it might have run its course.

This is not a flagship for the brand – that accolade probably goes to the very large branch just south of Oxford Circus – but it is certainly an important store and the size of the legend ‘I am the Collection’, directly above the door, indicates this. Simple stuff, but that is where its power lies and the uncomplicated approach is mirrored in the windows that feature uncomplicated graphics set against a white background with white mannequins placed in front of this.

Sometimes the best things are the most obvious.   

Levi’s, Regent Street

Levi's

Levi’s

Along with the Anthropologie store on King’s Road, Levi’s has adopted the chairs piled on top of each ploy to ensure the eyes of shoppers are drawn to them. Painted bentwood chairs look like a moment in time, just prior to their collapsing in a heap on the floor. Like the bicycles, they serve no purpose, but are strong display accessories and are used in conjunction with the store’s current message to ‘Ask about a custom fitting’. When it comes to product presentation, there is much about this store that is museum-like, acting almost as a theme park for lovers of denim.  

The other message that sits alongside the bespoke jeans service is the one in the window that reads: ‘Every rainbow has a curve’. The point being that the store can provide jeans to suit curves in a variety of colours. It’s a strong promotion, particularly when viewed in the context of the Esprit flagship next door that does not really seem to point to anything.