Garage’s Features Interactive Window Display
Garage’s flagship Montreal store has installed an interactive window display. Accessible 24/7, the Garage interactive display consists of a 60” image projected onto an interactive foil affixed to the inside of the window.
Upon touching the screen, a menu of interactive options allows the user to access product information, log onto the Garage Web site and contribute to message board discussion groups. When not in use, promotional videos are displayed.
“Anna Martini, President, Groupe Dynamite, said, “As a retailer catering to young women, this state of the art medium is ideally suited to our market. Our clientele is active online and they will respond favorably to this innovative campaign because it is informative, technologically sophisticated and a lot of fun.”
The interactive window display was created for Garage’s by iGotcha Media, (www.i-gotcha.com), Montreal, Canada. “Interactive digital signage is uniquely effective at generating attention at the street level,” said Greg Adelstein, President, iGotcha Media.
Chase Manhattan Revamps Bank Interiors
Chase Manhattan Bank recently retained Bradley & Montgomery, an Indianapolis-based creative ad agency to help it redesign the interiors of its Chase Manhattan Bank branches.
“The inside of an office is an extension of a brand,” said Scott Montgomery, a principal at Bradley and Montgomery. “There has to be a compatibility between the marketing story and what you feel like when you walk inside. The best brands do that.”
FedEx Kinko’s Announces Print Center Redesign
FedEx Kinko's plans to open 300 new office and print centers in the U.S. throughout 2008. The company also will redesign 110 existing centers as part of its plan to provide small businesses and traveling professionals with even greater access to the company’s office and print services and the FedEx transportation network.
The company introduced a smaller store format and announced plans to open 200 centers nationwide with the new design. These centers have an average footprint of 1,800 sq. ft. and carry more than 700 different office products. They have generated positive customer feedback since the launch. Based on the strong results, the 300 domestic locations scheduled to open in fiscal 2008 will feature the small-format design as well.
“With our strategic expansion efforts, we are opening the equivalent of one new FedEx Kinkos location every business day over the 2008 fiscal year,” said Ken May, President of FedEx Kinko's. “
Chrysler To Open First-Ever LEED Gold Certified Dealership In The Country
Tamiami Automotive Group, one of the top volume Chrysler Jeep® dealers in the Southeast, is relocating and expanding to a facility that will be the first-ever 'LEED Gold certified' dealership in the country. LEED is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™, which is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.
The new 18-acre dealership, located at 7090 Coral Way, in Miami, is a former Superfund site that Tamiami will transform to LEED ‘Gold’ certified upon completion. "We are reusing land that was contaminated and revitalizing it to build an eco-friendly structure that will cooperate with the environment," says Carlos Planas, Chairman of Tamiami Automotive Group, one of the country's top Chrysler Jeep dealers. “Our plan for the new location is to develop a one-of-a-kind facility, both as a ‘green’ building, and for its innovative approaches as an automobile dealership.”
Slated to open in late 2008, Tamiami Chrysler/Jeep/ Dodge will be one of Florida's most energy-efficient businesses, with numerous water conservation and energy management systems, and a design that relies on natural light rather than artificial.
‘Calvin Klein’ Branded Freestanding Retail Stores To Open In U.S.
Calvin Klein, Inc. plans to launch five freestanding Calvin Klein-branded better specialty retail stores in the U.S. featuring men’s and women’s apparel and accessories under the Calvin Klein white label. These stores will extend the brand while offering the Calvin Klein consumer an opportunity to experience the unique white label lifestyle environment first-hand.
“These freestanding stores are a very important step for the Calvin Klein white label brand, as they provide an experiential platform to showcase the brand’s lifestyle. The store’s aesthetic and product assortments will be aspirational, and instrumental in our continuous effort to maintain the brand's image while elevating the brand’s profile,” said Tom Murry, President, Calvin Klein, Inc.
‘Press Play’ Listening Parties Held In Sephora Stores Across The Country
Sean John Fragrances, a division of Estee Lauder Companies and Bad Boy Records recently partnered with Sephora to host simultaneous listening parties in cities across the country to celebrate the new limited edition fashion fragrance, Unforgivable Multi Platinum, by Sean John.
The parties featured music from Sean “Diddy” Combs' latest album "Press Play" as well as music from other artists mixed by well known DJs. For the first time ever, a promotional CD containing two hits “Come to Me” (featuring Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussy Cat Dolls) and “Last Night” (featuring Keyshia Cole) were packaged with 3,000 bottles of Unforgivable Multi Platinum and made available exclusively in Sephora stores nationwide.
Michelin To Introduce Its First Retail Location, Michelin On Main
Michelin plans to introduce its first retail location in North America: Michelin on Main at RiverPlace, in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. Michelin is now extending its brand beyond tires with a diverse range of lifestyle products including lines of industrial, casual and performance footwear featuring the same quality, performance and innovation synonymous with its tires.
“This 2,600-sq. ft. space will be characterized by high-energy, high-tech and highly interactive features,” said Jeff Jacobs, director of Michelin identity merchandise and project leader for Michelin on Main.
Greenville, SC-based architect Neal Prince + Partners will design the multi-use space.
Burton To Open Chicago Flagship
Burton Snowboards is opening a flagship store in the Gold Coast shopping district of Chicago. The Burton store will feature Burton snowboards, boots, outerwear, lifestyle apparel and luggage; ANON sunglasses and goggles; R.E.D. protective gear; Analog clothing and Gravis shoes. At 8,000 sq. ft., the Burton store will showcase a wide selection of products in a multi-floor, townhouse-style building including an entire floor dedicated to women.
“There are a lot of opportunities to grow the sport in this part of the country, and the new Chicago store is one of the ways we can show more people what snowboarding is all about,” said Laurent Potdevin, Burton’s CEO. “The spacious Chicago store will tell the story of snowboarding in a way that draws in new and lifelong riders alike.”
The Athlete’s Foot Debuts New Merchandising System & In-Store Design
The Athlete’s Foot is updating its in-store design, marketing and merchandising efforts with an innovative merchandising system that allows customization of store offerings to suit individual communities. The system empowers franchise owners by providing modular merchandise units in a variety of styles.
TAF is introducing four styles of the modular merchandising units: TAFTech, a technical sport module which focuses on pure athletic performance; Street Sports, which has an urban vibe; Classic Athletic, which captures a retro, collegiate varsity style and Fusion, an edgy module inspired by extreme and board sports. Franchise owners will be able to select a mix of modules they feel are most appropriate. The merchandise modules themselves are store fixtures, both wall and floor units, that will be “wrapped” with a graphics package expressing the featured style.
Xbox 360 Bus Tour Educates Families On Safe Video Gaming
The Xbox 360 Citizenship campaign bus will inform consumers about the Entertainment Software Rating Board rating system for video games and highlight family settings available in electronic gaming consoles.
Sponsored by Microsoft, Best Buy and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the nationwide campaign, “Safety is no game. Is your family set?” is designed to ensure parents use the tools available to provide a safe, secure entertainment experience for their families both on video gaming and online.
The bus will provide hands-on education and training on video games including how to understand ESRB ratings and how to take advantage of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Family Settings, a feature that allows parents to set access restrictions to content on Xbox 360, the Xbox Live service and Xbox Live Vision camera.
EZ Gift Card Dispenser Introduced
Long Range Systems and Givex, a gift card management company, have joined forces to introduce the EZ Card Dispenser, which enables customers to easily purchase gift cards without the assistance of staff or having to wait in line.
The EZ Card Dispenser promotes gift card sales year round; enables the sale of gift cards through satellite locations such as malls and theaters; cards can be purchased in any denomination; offers ability to collect e-mail addresses for marketing and customer loyalty campaigns; reduces labor and provides consumers with a self-service, no-waiting purchase option.
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