RETAIL WATCH:
MACY'S FINE RUG GALLERIES REACH NEW HEIGHTS OF DISPLAY
INNOVATION
Suspension is driving rug display at retail, and the new
360-degree suspended "rounders" created by the Kenneth
Mink team for Macy's Las Vegas are an industry first
that engage consumers like never before.
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LAS VEGAS -
Rug galleries in Macy's Southwest region have been treated to new visual
concepts inspired by the trend to suspended displays first seen in
vendors' rug showrooms. The Fine Rug Gallery at Macy's is operated by
the Kenneth Mink organization under a license agreement. The galleries
revamped to date are in South Coast Plaza, Mission Viejo, Palm Desert
and Westside Pavilion in California, and the Macy's Las Vegas Home Store
in Nevada.
Led by Mink's
southwest regional rug executives Derek Lopez and Jerrod Fraley, the rug
team developed several designs which suspend rugs from the ceilings,
creating dramatic visual impact in Macy's rug departments. One of the
original new concepts called the "rounder" allows rugs to be suspended
in a rounded style which is engineered to rotate on a 360-degree axis.
Jerrod Fraley, Group Regional Operations, and Derek Lopez, Group
Regional Sales for the Kenneth Mink Inc. Southwest/South Central
region, with new rug "rounders" and projection screen at Macy's
South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA.
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According to
Jerrod Fraley, Group Regional Operations for Mink's southwest and south
central regions, Mink executives first noticed suspended displays
cropping up in vendor showrooms at Las Vegas market.
"Last
January at market with Dave [David Mink Jr., CEO] and Richard {Richard
Kennedy, senior vice president of sales], we noticed suspension was new
but not retail-safe - it's a wonder they didn't kill anyone," he laughs.
Fraley, who is heavily involved in visual merchandising, was challenged
to come up with systems to display suspended rugs in ways that were
innovative and would help consumers, but that would at the same time
consider safety.
Detail of the "rounders" used to draw consumer attention to new
designs or special promotions at the Fine Rug Gallery in Macy's
South Coast Plaza, another expanded Home Store.
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An Inset wall gets dimension and takes the eye to two different
levels in a unique suspension treatment at Macy's Westside
Pavilion Furniture Store in West Hollywood, CA.
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Fraley says
Mink is fortunate in being able to tap into the visual display resources
of Macys. For the rounder, for example, they were able to adapt a three
foot clothing rack so that it would hold the rugs safely. "It took many
trips to Home Depot to find the right screws to make it safe, but we can
now hang about 800 to 900 pounds off of my suspensions," he explains,
noting that the rounder is dropped from the ceiling in a three foot
suspension.
Since the
rounders were installed first at the Macy's Las Vegas Home Store a week
before Las Vegas Market opened earlier this month, Mink's executives
invited a few vendors to come in and give their opinions. Asked by
RugNews.com what he thought of the new rounders, Oriental Weavers' Brett
Finkelstein said, "It's a great merchandising idea and a unique way to
get someone's attention. I was in the Las Vegas store doing research
before market, and even though it was early - 9:45 or 10 a.m. - I saw
four customers go straight to the displays and spin them. It was pretty
cool seeing them turning the rounders to view the rugs at a 360 degree
angle," he explained.
"I've
never seen anything like it before. This would be a great up north where
a lot of my customers have repeat clients. By changing the rounder, it
makes the repeat consumer think they are looking at something different,
something new," Finkelstein said.
Ron
Giampiccolo, Nourison's Vice President, E-Commerce/National Accounts,
said he too saw the new rounders for the first time at Macy's Las Vegas
Home Store during market. "This was the first time I have seen this type
of display. I thought it was a fresh new take on giving what is normally
a two dimensional product a third dimension. The displays were dramatic
and impossible to miss. The ability to have the fixture spin 360°
enables it to show multiple rugs, making it functional also. I think
it's a great look, effective without blocking any access to the racks,"
he said.
Giampiccolo
added, "The southwest and northwest regions have some of the largest rug
galleries, so these displays will not overwhelm the space. In fact, it
will give them a fine balance to offset the standard arm rack and floor
pile presentations that currently dominate the space in all rug
departments. I have not seen any other [remodeled] galleries in the
region, but I know the South Coast Plaza layout very well, and I'm sure
that it looks spot-on there too."
Fraley said
the goal was to install suspended displays in the regions "A" stores
(those with expanded home furnishings offerings and large rug
galleries. "Suspension is the hottest thing in visual today, and you
could say we're now the retail version of Cirque du Soleil."
New to Macy's Fine Rug Galleries, the dramatic suspended rug
displays at Macy's South Coast Plaza are contemporary and
impactful at point of sale.
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Part of the Kenneth Mink Southwest region's remodel of Macy's
Fine Rug Galleries, the Palm Desert, CA location was also
refreshed with suspended displays.
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08.27.15
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