Press release
Midwest-CBK, leading designer and manufacturer renowned for its design, style and sparkle in home décor, gifts, holiday and candles, announces a call for entries in its fourth annual “Design Style Sparkle” in-store retail holiday display contest for independent retailers.
Independent retailers are invited to submit up to two photos of their holiday displays, a 150-word description and if possible, impact in terms of increased traffic, sales and customer feedback. Criteria for judging include creativity and impact. Prizes include Midwest-CBK product credits and award plaques, and will be presented for first, second and third places.
“Now in our fourth year of hosting this popular retail awards program, Midwest-CBK is sponsoring the 2010 ‘Design Style Sparkle’ contest to celebrate, recognize and share the creative display ideas that are helping to drive traffic and sales for independent retail business,” says Frederic Contino, president of Midwest-CBK.
The deadline for contest entries is December 13, 2010. All digital photo entries and descriptions should be emailed to your local Midwest-CBK account manager, or directly to contest@mwcbk.com. To find your local Midwest-CBK account manager, please call 800-394-4225.
Winners will be announced on Saturday, January 15, 2011, during Midwest-CBK’s “Design Style Sparkle” party in the company’s Atlanta showroom located in Building 1, Suite 16A7. Photos of the award winners will be on display in major Midwest-CBK showrooms during the winter markets.
Showing posts with label visual merchandising. Show all posts
Showing posts with label visual merchandising. Show all posts
Award-winning exhibits at Chicago gift show
Chicago Market: Living and Giving Best In Show Award Winners
BEST EXHIBIT DISPLAY AWARD WINNERS
Gourmet Winner
Rolf Glass, www.rolfglass.com
Rolf Glass is an American glass cutting and engraving manufacturer. They offer customers distinctive images and timeless icons on quality crystal and glassware.
What A Girl Wants Winner
W.I.N.O.S Inc., www.winoshavefun.com
W.I.N.O.S offer cookbooks, apparel and accessories with a sense of humor.
Home Winner
Amity Home, www.amityimports.com
Amity Home offers fine linens,Crib Beddings,Quilt Patterns that feature great quality and workmanship.
Beckman's Handcrafted Winner
Erin Smith Art, www.erinsmithart.com
Erin Smith offers fun and sassy mixed media artwork.
Beckman’s Handcrafted Winner
Printed Canvas, www.printedcanvas.com
Printed Canvas offers distinctive, artist-signed stationery and unique art.
Gift & Accessories Winner
Royal Green Enterprise, Ltd and Chit Chat Beauty, www.royalgreen.com and www.chitchatbeauty.com
Royal Green Enterprises Ltd is an importer and wholesaler that was founded in 1980. Their products include a wide range of Artificial Flowers, Trees, Fruits, Vegetables, Christmas Decorations, Vases, Containers, Furniture and more. Chit Chat Beauty is an inspirational bath and beauty line created for young girls.
BEST SHOWROOM DISPLAY AWARD WINNERS
Design Design, showroom 13-518, www.designdesign.us
Design Design’s product lines include paper tableware, humorous beverage napkins, ceramic and aluminum serving pieces, gift packaging, greeting cards, stationery, home décor, and gifts.
Daniel Richards, showroom 13-512, www.danielrichards.biz
Daniel Richards offers fine gift and stationery representatives, with products ranging from baby, home decor and general gift.
AND!Sales, showroom 14-109, www.andsales.com
And!Sales is a rep organization specializing in home lines and serving the Midwest territory. Their goal is to bring a broad range of products and style to Mid-America. Products range from home decor, indoor and outdoor, fashion and trend.
Saro Trading, showroom 14-105 http://www.saro.com
Saro Trading offers traditional home textiles in delicate laces in the European tradition as well as a multitude of contemporary textiles in varied textures, spanning the wide range from napkin rings to table throws to bedcovers, supplement the selection of textiles into full collections
BEST EXHIBIT DISPLAY AWARD WINNERS
Gourmet Winner
Rolf Glass, www.rolfglass.com
Rolf Glass is an American glass cutting and engraving manufacturer. They offer customers distinctive images and timeless icons on quality crystal and glassware.
What A Girl Wants Winner
W.I.N.O.S Inc., www.winoshavefun.com
W.I.N.O.S offer cookbooks, apparel and accessories with a sense of humor.
Home Winner
Amity Home, www.amityimports.com
Amity Home offers fine linens,Crib Beddings,Quilt Patterns that feature great quality and workmanship.
Beckman's Handcrafted Winner
Erin Smith Art, www.erinsmithart.com
Erin Smith offers fun and sassy mixed media artwork.
Beckman’s Handcrafted Winner
Printed Canvas, www.printedcanvas.com
Printed Canvas offers distinctive, artist-signed stationery and unique art.
Gift & Accessories Winner
Royal Green Enterprise, Ltd and Chit Chat Beauty, www.royalgreen.com and www.chitchatbeauty.com
Royal Green Enterprises Ltd is an importer and wholesaler that was founded in 1980. Their products include a wide range of Artificial Flowers, Trees, Fruits, Vegetables, Christmas Decorations, Vases, Containers, Furniture and more. Chit Chat Beauty is an inspirational bath and beauty line created for young girls.
BEST SHOWROOM DISPLAY AWARD WINNERS
Design Design, showroom 13-518, www.designdesign.us
Design Design’s product lines include paper tableware, humorous beverage napkins, ceramic and aluminum serving pieces, gift packaging, greeting cards, stationery, home décor, and gifts.
Daniel Richards, showroom 13-512, www.danielrichards.biz
Daniel Richards offers fine gift and stationery representatives, with products ranging from baby, home decor and general gift.
AND!Sales, showroom 14-109, www.andsales.com
And!Sales is a rep organization specializing in home lines and serving the Midwest territory. Their goal is to bring a broad range of products and style to Mid-America. Products range from home decor, indoor and outdoor, fashion and trend.
Saro Trading, showroom 14-105 http://www.saro.com
Saro Trading offers traditional home textiles in delicate laces in the European tradition as well as a multitude of contemporary textiles in varied textures, spanning the wide range from napkin rings to table throws to bedcovers, supplement the selection of textiles into full collections
Saturday special: Shopping at the Mitsukoshi Department Store:
What excites shoppers? The merchandise, the layout of a store, the service and the overall atmosphere all play a role. Gift & Home Today asked writer Louise Burton to share her thoughts of the Mitsukoshi Department Store in the EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World, Florida.
When I shop for home décor, one of the things I always look for is great Asian design. Because I have a difficult time finding stores that sell traditional Japanese crafts and décor, I was delighted to discover a branch of the Mitsukoshi Department Store in the EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World. The main store is located in Tokyo, and the WDW store is the only branch in North America.
Every year, my husband and I go to a trade show held in one of the Disney World hotels. Although we’re there to work, we find time to visit the theme parks. Visiting the EPCOT Center’s World Showcase is like walking around a huge bazaar with great international food and music. And one of the biggest draws is the shopping.
When we visited the Japan Pavilion in 2009, I discovered the Mitsukoshi Department Store’s tiny entrance inside a large, imposing replica from Japan’s Imperial Palace. When I walked inside, tables of Hello Kitty toys and lucky cat figurines greeted me. Further back, I saw rows and rows of stationery and other paper products, imprinted with elegant details from Japanese fans and woodblock prints. My favorite Japanese print, Hokusai’s Red Fuji, was reprinted on journal and notebook covers. In the women’s department, there were exquisite wall hangings and purses made out of kimono fabric and colorful silk brocade. Several young Japanese women dressed in stunning kimonos stood behind glass cases of Mikimoto pearl jewelry, while others sat at a table writing calligraphy on fans.
I truly wanted everything I saw in the women’s department. I had so many choices, I didn’t know what or how to choose. My husband returned to warn me the EPCOT closing fireworks were about to begin. I let myself be dragged out without buying anything. What could I do? There was no way to choose when what I wanted was everything. I promised myself that one day I would return.
When we finally visit EPCOT again, I wondered, will the Mitsukoshi shopping experience be as I remembered it?
This year, I convinced my husband to return to EPCOT, despite his objections against “paying for admission just to go shopping.” In the Japan Pavilion, the front entrance of Mitsukoshi was the same: a gleaming metallic sign reading “Mitsukoshi: Since 1673”, and a few items in small windows. Not much to suggest what wonders lay within. When we walked in, the children’s department at the front of the store looked the same. But, further back, the shelves of exquisite stationery and paper products were gone! Instead, the area featured anime-inspired gifts (dolls, tote bags, etc.) that were more commercial and less appealing. I began to worry.
But the further back I went, the more things I remembered: a small black handbag with the image of a gold crane spreading its wings, silk brocade purses, teacups, jewelry. In particular, jewelry made out of kimono fabric. I was attracted to a sparkling Sakura (cherry blossom) pendant, as well as a red-and-black floral pendant shaped like a donut (see pictures).
Because I love all things Sakura, a set of Sakura hairpins caught my eye, but they were just the tiny tip of the iceberg. The hairpins were sitting on a glass case containing a wealth of traditional Japanese hair ornaments made from satin flowers and silk brocade. Unfortunately, most were designed for longer tresses than my businesslike bob!
I also discovered mini tote bags in one of my favorite Japanese patterns: waves of the sea, shown as formalized wavy lines with white splashes shooting up at intervals. This design was used as a sea god emblem in Japanese shrines. (See picture). I also saw teacups imprinted with another iconic image of the sea: Hokusai’s famous Great Wave off Kanagawa.
Unfortunately, my brief, tantalizing impression of Mitsukoshi in 2009 was not entirely confirmed this year. There didn’t seem to be as much merchandise on the floor, and what was there seemed picked over. The only category that retained its astonishing beauty and variety was the jewelry and hair ornaments. These were worth the price of admission alone.
I had been saving my money for months for this moment. I purchased two necklaces, a Sakura fabric ornament, the Sakura hairpins, and the mini tote bag. All together, this was the only splurge purchase I had allowed myself in months! And I’d do it again.
Louise Burton is a writer, editor and avid shopper who lives in Wilmette, IL. Louise previously wrote about a gift store in Evanston, IL. She currently writes Web content and designs Web sites, uniting her interests in both writing and design. She has written for a host of e-newsletters about marketing trends and techniques. One of her passions is good design, wherever it can be found: on the Web, at art fairs, or in home furnishings. She is constantly on the lookout for the finest products available in gift and home décor.
When I shop for home décor, one of the things I always look for is great Asian design. Because I have a difficult time finding stores that sell traditional Japanese crafts and décor, I was delighted to discover a branch of the Mitsukoshi Department Store in the EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World. The main store is located in Tokyo, and the WDW store is the only branch in North America.
Every year, my husband and I go to a trade show held in one of the Disney World hotels. Although we’re there to work, we find time to visit the theme parks. Visiting the EPCOT Center’s World Showcase is like walking around a huge bazaar with great international food and music. And one of the biggest draws is the shopping.
When we visited the Japan Pavilion in 2009, I discovered the Mitsukoshi Department Store’s tiny entrance inside a large, imposing replica from Japan’s Imperial Palace. When I walked inside, tables of Hello Kitty toys and lucky cat figurines greeted me. Further back, I saw rows and rows of stationery and other paper products, imprinted with elegant details from Japanese fans and woodblock prints. My favorite Japanese print, Hokusai’s Red Fuji, was reprinted on journal and notebook covers. I truly wanted everything I saw in the women’s department. I had so many choices, I didn’t know what or how to choose. My husband returned to warn me the EPCOT closing fireworks were about to begin. I let myself be dragged out without buying anything. What could I do? There was no way to choose when what I wanted was everything. I promised myself that one day I would return.
When we finally visit EPCOT again, I wondered, will the Mitsukoshi shopping experience be as I remembered it?
But the further back I went, the more things I remembered: a small black handbag with the image of a gold crane spreading its wings, silk brocade purses, teacups, jewelry. In particular, jewelry made out of kimono fabric. I was attracted to a sparkling Sakura (cherry blossom) pendant, as well as a red-and-black floral pendant shaped like a donut (see pictures).
Because I love all things Sakura, a set of Sakura hairpins caught my eye, but they were just the tiny tip of the iceberg. The hairpins were sitting on a glass case containing a wealth of traditional Japanese hair ornaments made from satin flowers and silk brocade. Unfortunately, most were designed for longer tresses than my businesslike bob!
Unfortunately, my brief, tantalizing impression of Mitsukoshi in 2009 was not entirely confirmed this year. There didn’t seem to be as much merchandise on the floor, and what was there seemed picked over. The only category that retained its astonishing beauty and variety was the jewelry and hair ornaments. These were worth the price of admission alone.
I had been saving my money for months for this moment. I purchased two necklaces, a Sakura fabric ornament, the Sakura hairpins, and the mini tote bag. All together, this was the only splurge purchase I had allowed myself in months! And I’d do it again.
Louise Burton is a writer, editor and avid shopper who lives in Wilmette, IL. Louise previously wrote about a gift store in Evanston, IL. She currently writes Web content and designs Web sites, uniting her interests in both writing and design. She has written for a host of e-newsletters about marketing trends and techniques. One of her passions is good design, wherever it can be found: on the Web, at art fairs, or in home furnishings. She is constantly on the lookout for the finest products available in gift and home décor.
Saturday Special: 15 Visual Merchandising Tips
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Gift & Home Today invited Christi Finch to share her ideas about store displays. Christi has worked on the wholesale and retail side of home furnishings. A 2005 graduate from Texas A&M University, she is studying for a masters in merchandising and marketing at the University of North Texas.
Contact Christi at christifitch[at]hotmail[dot]com. Follow her on Twitter: @christifitch
When you think of visual merchandising in your store, you need to imagine it is like meeting someone for the first time – you want to make the best impression possible.
Customers entering a store are greatly influenced by the visual information they gather in the first split second. Think of what grabs people’s attention: bright colors, new shapes or groupings.
Use these simple tips to keep those first impressions fresh and new:
Contact Christi at christifitch[at]hotmail[dot]com. Follow her on Twitter: @christifitch
When you think of visual merchandising in your store, you need to imagine it is like meeting someone for the first time – you want to make the best impression possible.
Customers entering a store are greatly influenced by the visual information they gather in the first split second. Think of what grabs people’s attention: bright colors, new shapes or groupings.
Use these simple tips to keep those first impressions fresh and new:
- Keep the merchandise looking full even if you don’t have the stock available.
- Use a visual triangle shape when merchandising. Keep the sides somewhat symmetrical and the center or item towards the back tall.
- Place new merchandise front and center.
- Never block any piece of merchandise with another.
- Organize merchandise in a shippable manner. Do not make it too cluttered.
- Avoid covering tables or massing-out decorative items on furniture.
- Merchandise items to give customers new ideas.
- Be ready for anything. Have a backup plan if the merchandise in your display is sold. Know what you will replace it with next.
- Keep it clean! Insure that the merchandise looks as new as the day you received it.
- Replenish and restock as merchandise levels diminish.
- You want the display to be as fresh for the last person who sees it as it was for the first person.
- Make each display approachable so your customers want to touch and feel your merchandise.
- Double-expose the merchandise because this helps customers visualize your merchandise in different settings.
- Keep bulk or excess merchandise in close proximity to the display they are featured on.
- Know what looks good. After all, this is your store, and you know it better than anyone else.
GuildMaster visual display contest opens
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Retailers can begin uploading photos of their store displays today to the GuildMaster on Tour Facebook page The contest is intended to recognize the most outstanding retail displays across the U.S. and to support the favorite charities of the winning dealers.
Ten retailers from across the country will be named as winners based on voting by fans March 15 through 28. The awards for each winning display include a $1,000 donation made to the retailer’s favorite charity, 500 trees planted in their honor, and $1,000 in GuildMaster bucks for additional product.
GuildMaster will donate $10,000 to charity and plant 5,000 mahogany trees. As part of its ongoing commitment to reforestation, the company has planted thousands of trees in Indonesia in a one-for-one replacement for each tree that’s used.
1.At least 250 square feet need to be allocated to the display that is exclusively comprised of GuildMaster product in the following categories: accent furniture, accessories, wall decor, lighting and mirrors. Non-GuildMaster product such as upholstery, bedding, flowers, dinnerware, jewelry or rugs may also be included.
2. Only one entry per company may be posted.
3. Participants must submit a 5" x 7", 300 dpi photo, along with the name of the display and maximum 150-word description of why the display works, what they were trying to accomplish and the inspiration for the display, along with the name of their charity. (Videos to further support the entry may also be posted on the GuildMaster Facebook wall.)
4. There is no limit to the number of times GuildMaster on Tour fans can vote.
5. Promotion of the contest to employees, customers, local media and the community is highly encouraged.
6. Winning retail store displays must remain in place through April 15.
Ten retailers from across the country will be named as winners based on voting by fans March 15 through 28. The awards for each winning display include a $1,000 donation made to the retailer’s favorite charity, 500 trees planted in their honor, and $1,000 in GuildMaster bucks for additional product.
GuildMaster will donate $10,000 to charity and plant 5,000 mahogany trees. As part of its ongoing commitment to reforestation, the company has planted thousands of trees in Indonesia in a one-for-one replacement for each tree that’s used.
1.At least 250 square feet need to be allocated to the display that is exclusively comprised of GuildMaster product in the following categories: accent furniture, accessories, wall decor, lighting and mirrors. Non-GuildMaster product such as upholstery, bedding, flowers, dinnerware, jewelry or rugs may also be included.
2. Only one entry per company may be posted.
3. Participants must submit a 5" x 7", 300 dpi photo, along with the name of the display and maximum 150-word description of why the display works, what they were trying to accomplish and the inspiration for the display, along with the name of their charity. (Videos to further support the entry may also be posted on the GuildMaster Facebook wall.)
4. There is no limit to the number of times GuildMaster on Tour fans can vote.
5. Promotion of the contest to employees, customers, local media and the community is highly encouraged.
6. Winning retail store displays must remain in place through April 15.
Visual merchandising
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Gift & Home Today is taking the day off. Please enjoy this feature from an earlier posting.
Staged vignettes take the guesswork out of the shopping experience, as customers are able to visualize how they would show merchandise in their homes. Inviting displays like the ones below incorporate merchandise that can easily be mixed and matched—and that look natural, functional and pleasing. Why buy just the sofa, when that end table looks so nice next to it? Click to continue.
Staged vignettes take the guesswork out of the shopping experience, as customers are able to visualize how they would show merchandise in their homes. Inviting displays like the ones below incorporate merchandise that can easily be mixed and matched—and that look natural, functional and pleasing. Why buy just the sofa, when that end table looks so nice next to it? Click to continue.
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