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Portland’s Western Bikeworks Reopens After Extensive Remodel
Published in BRAIN April 17, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. (BRAIN) — After six years in its Pearl District location here, Western Bikeworks COO Mike Urness decided it was time to modernize the 10,000-square-foot store in order to up its retail game and deliver the upscale shopping experience Portland shoppers have come to expect. 

Urness worked with retail design firm 3 Dots Design to update the shop's interior.  

“We are just finishing the redesign and build-out of our downtown Portland store and 3 Dots was a huge help — from pulling the store design and layout together to helping us select materials, fixtures and mannequins and then connecting us with excellent suppliers and helping with negotiations, pricing and logistics,” Urness said. 

The remodel included carving out a triathlon-specific zone to house tri apparel, accessories, wetsuits and a complete offering of tri bikes. The tri section is located right near the bike fit area, so that high-end triathletes can easily dial in their perfect bike fit. Western Bikeworks recently acquired rights to triathlon retailer The Athlete's Lounge's name and customer base after it closed in 2016.

“This was an exciting project for us to work on, as Portland has some of the best retail stores in the country. This shop suffered from many of the same challenges that typical shops deal with; confusing sightlines, overwhelming bike presentation, uninspiring apparel sections and lack of signage or graphics,” said 3 Dots Design owner Holly Wiese. 

“I think customers will be very pleasantly surprised with the new vibe and layout of the store, and I’m confident that Western Bikeworks will start selling more product as well,” Wiese added.

3 Dots Design also reorganized the nutrition category and segmented the store's bike selection to make it easier for customers to shop. 

“To the average customer, a bike is a bike. I have a feeling Western Bikeworks was missing a lot of bike sales due to the average customer feeling overwhelmed and intimidated by the process of selecting a bike,” said 3 Dots Design’s Andy Davis. “We further segmented their collections and called attention to each category by featuring a bike in front of a graphic that clearly defines the end use. We also made a huge improvement in their nutrition category by reorganizing, re-fixturing and bringing in a sampling area for customers to try new products.”

Western Bikeworks also operates a second location in the Portland suburb of Tigard, which it opened in 2015. Urness said he plans to integrate some of the same principles of merchandising, graphics and signage from their main location remodel into the Tigard store.

Mobile Repair Shop Opens Brick-and-Mortar Store

by Val Vanderpool

CARY, N.C. (BRAIN) — Retailer Matt Lodder operated a small home-based shop offering mobile repair services for eight years, and as his business grew he realized he needed a larger space. Lodder recently moved his repair and bike fit operation into a 1,400-square-foot space here.

The Cycle Surgeon stocks bikes from Yeti and Argon18 and continues to offer mobile repair services.

“The customer’s needs are important to me, so I will always do my best to meet them. If they are too busy or unable to come to the shop, I can bring my services to them,” Lodder said. “I offer on-site repairs as well as a pickup and delivery service. If someone needs emergency service, I can offer expedited turnaround.”

Lodder also said his shop’s small size lets him be nimble. “Being small allows me the flexibility to personalize your repair or fitting experience,” he said.

Lodder also stocks clothing, components and accessories. He worked with Holly Wiese and Andy Davis of 3 Dots Design on the store design. 

Published February 24, 2017

Rocky Mountain Retail Camp Recap

Rocky Mountain Retail Camp Brings a Great Group of Retailers Together

I’ve been doing a fair bit of reflecting on our first retail training session that launched last month in our hometown of Boulder, CO. We were lucky enough to have a great assortment of some of the top retailers in the US and Canada under one roof at the same time to share ideas, learn a lot and inspire each other.

It’s always interesting bringing a group of strangers together, from very different sized businesses with different philosophies and personalities. For about 3 minutes, people are shy around each other and then, as people open up, the fun begins. By the end of the workshop, it’s like we all went to college together!

There’s something that happens in this sort of a setting…when people are taken out of their normal routines, with different people, away from their regular daily responsibilities and are focused on one thing…how to improve the retail experience they’re providing and to realize that everybody there shares these same challenges. It pushes everybody out of their comfort zone, to step back and look at the habits that have formed over the years and to be open minded to new feedback and ideas.

Our training session focused primarily on visual merchandising and store layout best practices, with just the right amount of general good retail training. We shared about a million photos throughout the session, including an opportunity for the whole group to assess each other’s challenge areas from photos that were sent in ahead of time.   The whole crew did some hands on exercise in a local retailer based on all we had learned along the way.

Everybody left inspired to make their store a better place and to share what they had learned with the rest of the staff.   We all made some new friends, ate great food, shared loads of ideas and opened our minds a bit more than we had in a long time.   We didn’t sing Kumbaya together, but we did form a great bond with each other and created a resource that will be helpful for years to come as retail needs and consumer expectations continue to evolve.  

Great merchandising always sells more product and by the end of our workshop, this message had become loud and clear to all who attended.   I have clients tell me all the time that they know they should be merchandising better but they just don’t know how or where to start.   Our next session of Rocky Mountain Retail Camp in October is the perfect starting point…come ready to get inspired (and have some great snacks along the way!) We hope to see you there!

Learn more about camp HERE!

 

3 Pro Tips That Show Why Your Retail Space Needs an Effective Signage Package

Why Your Retail Space Needs an Effective Signage Package

The importance of an effective signage package cannot be overstated. According to a survey by Ketchum Research and Analytics, 76 percent of consumers have chosen to enter a store they had never visited before based purely on its signage. Perhaps more importantly, 68 percent of customers admit to having made product purchases after a sign caught their eye.

When considering the effect of signage on your retail space, it is good to remember the ABC's. Effective signage:

  • Attracts new customers
  • Brands your retail space in the minds of customers
  • Creates increased impulse sales

Attracting New Customers

First and foremost, your signage outside and inside your retail space should be designed to draw the eye of passing customers. While it may be difficult to afford a massive marketing campaign to garner customer attention, well-designed signage is both affordable and effective. Unlike other forms of advertising, signage works for you 24/7, piquing customer interest in your products and driving traffic into your store.

Branding Your Retail Space

If your company has a trademark or logo, your signage should contain its image both outside and inside the store. Repeating text and images throughout your store via signage keeps your brand in the minds of your customers. The more consistent your signage is, the better your customers will remember the uniqueness of your retail space. Use your signage to make your brand more visible, more recognizable, and more conspicuous.

Creating Impulse Sales

Studies of retail shopping behaviors indicate that 68 percent of purchases were unplanned during major shopping trips and 54 percent on smaller shopping trips. Clearly, impulse sales account for a large percentage of total sales for a retailer.

Effective signage encourages impulse purchases by drawing the consumer's attention to the areas of your store that you want them to see. An attractive sign is both memorable and enticing. According to the Ketchum study, 68 percent of customers believe that a store's signage is a reliable indicator of the company's products or services. 

What does this mean for retailers? Simply put, your signage establishes your reputation with your customers, at least partially. Customers tend to believe that a company with a poorly designed or unattractive sign is likely to offer an inferior product or unprofessional service.

Location, Location, Location

Effective signage works not only on the outside of the store to bring customers in, but also on the inside of the store as well. In-store signs introduce customers to special products, promote sales, and give customers the information they need to make a purchasing decision on the spot. In-store signage coordinates your brand message throughout the customer browsing experience.

How to Make Your Signage Stand Out

To make the most of your signage, it is important to ensure that it meets the following criteria:

  1. Quality production: The days of hand-written, misspelled signs is definitely over. Modern consumers expect quality signage.
  2. Simple color scheme: While you want your signage to catch the eye, you do not want it to assault the eye.
  3. Easy to read: If customers cannot easily decipher the text and images on your signage, it will lose its effect quickly.
  4. Simplicity of message: Your message should be short and sweet. Longer messages slow down a customer and make impulse shopping less likely.
  5. Proper placement: Your signs should be placed in the areas you want your customers to browse. However, signs should never be placed in such a way that customer traffic is impeded, or merchandise is blocked.

If you follow these general guidelines, your signage will drive traffic to your retail space and promote sales. If you would welcome additional information about how to make your retail space all it can be, please contact us. We will be glad to work with you to promote your store in the best way possible.

 

3 Reasons Why Using Mannequins in Retail Increases Sales Between 10 - 35 Percent

Mannequins in Marketing: Major Money-Makers for Merchandisers

In the world of fashion merchandising, the number one rule is: The better it is displayed, the better it will sell.

Nowhere is this more obvious than with the use of mannequins in your retail store. Research indicates that apparel sales increase with the use of mannequins by anywhere from 10 to 35 percent, making mannequins one of the best investments you can make for your store.

But why do mannequins work so well? The answers are many, but consider just a few:

1) Mannequins offer your customers a three-dimensional view.

Many customers may have trouble visualizing how an article of clothing will look in real life if it is simply displayed on a hanger. This is particularly true in the case of clothing for women. For instance, mannequins offer an easily relatable view of the positioning of necklines and hemlines.

2) Mannequins create eye appeal and visual interest.

Because clothing displayed on a mannequin stands out from a rack of similarly fashioned apparel, it triggers an emotional purchase response. Some fashion merchandising experts believe this response occurs in as little as seven seconds. At its best, merchandising aims to evoke such an emotional response. When customers engage on an emotional level, sales increase exponentially.

3) Mannequins promote easy upselling opportunities.

Mannequins make it easy to demonstrate entire outfits rather than simply single items of clothing. Adding accessories like jewelry, belts, shoes, and handbags encourages shoppers to make additional purchases. If you’re in the sportswear world, adding things such as gloves, hats, reflective pieces or water bottles would be a great way to increase your add on sales. Combining multiple store items in this way allows a customer to envision more clearly a completed outfit. Even mannequins included on wall displays can work for this purpose if apparel is layered or accessorized properly.

The Bottom Line

Mannequins are unique in their ability to engage customers. They provide strong visual appeal, and trigger an emotional purchase response. Increasing sales by as much as 35 percent, they are an investment worth every penny.