Visual Audit
Contents: INTRODUCTION .............. 3 JOURNEY IN STORE ......... 4 FLOOR PLAN ___________________________________________ 4 JOURNEY TO THE PRODUCT _____________________________ 5
REFLECTIVE SUMMARY ..... 7 EXTERIOR FAÇADE AND WINDOW DISPLAY _______________ 7 IN STORE SIGNAGE, GRAPHICS AND POS __________________ 8 IN STORE DISPLAYS _____________________________________ 9 IN STORE ATMOSPHERE/AMBIENCE ______________________ 10 PATHWAYS AND FIXTURES _____________________________ 11 IN STORE MERCHANDISING AND PRODUCT HANDLING ___ 12 PRODUCT LABELLING AND QUANTITIES OF STOCK ________ 13
EVALUATION .................15 SWOT ANALYSIS ______________________________________ 15
CONCLUSION ................16 REFERENCES ..................17 APPENDIX .....................19
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Introduction Mint Velvet is a premium high street brand that was founded in 2009. They now have “a total of 136 locations including standalone stores, concessions and outlets” (Hounslea, 2018). The stores “translate Mint Velvet's 'relaxed glamour' philosophy” (Kinnersley Kent Design, no date a). This report will focus on their Flagship store in York. Located on Low Petergate, the York store opened in 2014 as its largest yet, over two stories “it comes with a personal shopper suite, a coffee stop off point and a patio space outside” (YorkMix, 2014). Being predominantly a womenswear store, this department spans both floors, with their new Mintie collection “for girls aged 3-10” (Pilkington, 2018) on the ground floor adjacent to the cash desk. In terms of competitors, Reiss is across the road from the York store and there are various independent boutiques catering to a similar market in the area.
Image 1: Stairwell (Authors Own, 2018)
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Journey in Store
Image 2: Ground Floor Plan (Authors Own, 2018)
Patio Doors
FLOOR PLAN
Image 3: Mintie Dress (Mint Velvet, 2018)
DESTINATION
DISCOVERY
Dove Sequinned Star Dress £39.00 Fitting Rooms
PRIMARY
Cash Desk
SECONDARY
KEY:
Wall Coat Stand Mannequin Ladder Table Chair Ottoman
SECONDARY
Wardrobe PRIMARY
Rails SECONDARY
Shelving DECOMPRESSION
Window
Door
Window
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JOURNEY TO THE PRODUCT
Image 4: Mintie Dress in Store (Authors Own, 2018)
Image 5: Mintie Section in Store (Authors Own, 2018)
This dress is part of Mint Velvet’s recently launched ‘Mintie’ collection for young girls. It was displayed in the window and prevalent online. Having Mintie in the window entices customers into the store, as it is relatively new therefore, some may be unaware and fascinated to view the collection. The journey to reach this product in store, if for example a customer were to have seen it online or in the window, allows for a lot of other products to be seen along the way. In comparison, the womenswear product in the window is in the primary space as soon as you walk in. Consequently, a customer is less likely to browse on the journey to finding these products followed by paying for them at the cash desk. For the Mintie dress a customer would have to travel through the primary space, secondary spaces and into a discovery space, just before the destination area for shoes and accessories. The journey is dictated by the flexible grouping layout that has been adopted. Meaning that “shoppers are encouraged to browse and move freely between different departments, exposing them to a wider variety of merchandise.” (Bailey and Baker, 2014, p59). This is likely to positively impact sales. 5
In terms of POS, the section is introduced by an easel with a placard reciting the story behind Mintie. Other graphics echo the rest of the store, such as photo frames, faux plants and message cards. A table style display, on a set of drawers that is specific to the Mintie section, exhibits extra options and accessories, accompanying the rails and shelving behind. There were 4 sizes in the dress available. A member of staff (2018) commented that there are less sizes per option in order to have a
Image 6: Mintie POS 1 (Authors Own, 2018)
wider range of product out, as the Mintie section is limited for space. Having more options out is beneficial as the collection is still new, so customers should have the opportunity to view as much of the range as possible. This is also positive to encourage sales as it is easier for the style advisors to retrieve different sizes than it is for them to bring a selection of merchandise that is not on the shop floor to a customer.
Image 7: Mintie Section in Store 2 (Authors Own, 2018)
Image 8: Mintie POS 2 (Authors Own, 2018)
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Reflective Summary EXTERIOR FAÇADE AND WINDOW DISPLAY
Image 9: Windows (Authors Own, 2018) The store has two open back windows, which “allows the customer to see the interior of the store from outside and equally, from the inside out” (Bailey and Baker, 2014, p76). One of which displayed the most recent pack into store, Stockholm, comprising of Jade green tones and an autumnal coloured take on the animal print trend (Watkins, 2018). The other displayed Mintie garments in a more playful manner with the addition of rope swings alluding to the personality of a Mintie girl. Mannequins are in a pyramid formation providing focal points on either side, one on the Jade green jumper the other on the Mintie dress.
Image 10: Window 1 (Authors Own, 2018)
Image 11: Window 2 (Authors Own, 2018) 7
The lighting consists of spotlights to highlight the products in the window, with accessories scattered around to encourage add-on purchases and styling options. There are decals on the windows to introduce the Mintie collection to the customer as it is still relatively new and therefore, would entice regular or new customers with children or young relatives into the store. As “customers rarely approach a retailer face-on� (Bailey and Baker, 2014, p82) the logo is accompanied by the name on a hanging projection sign in order to
Image 12: Window Lighting (Authors Own, 2018)
communicate the stores presence. Finally, the company name is above both windows as it is a rather large shop front, therefore this builds a stronger impact.
Image 13: Hanging projection sign (Authors Own, 2018)
IN STORE SIGNAGE, GRAPHICS AND POS There is vinyl signage on a lot of the walls for a variety of purposes such as health and safety – where there is a step, communicating to the customer the services offered, the layout of the store and also inspiring quotes in each fitting room. All shelving and tables have a form of graphic or POS. For example, there are photo frames and lots of message cards encouraging customers to purchase accessories, shoes, candles and giving general information about the brand. The stairs on the way up to the first floor are adorned with a multitude of mirrors, frames and canvases on the Images 14 & 15: In Store Signage & Graphics 1 & 2 (Authors Own, 2018)
wall, displaying art, quotes and photography. There is an almost monotonal 8
theme with a lot of black and white and some very desaturated images. This ensures that they do not clash with the colour scheme of the clothes that the stairs lead the customer to. The photos are less centred around product compared to the rest of the store. This is likely due to the fact that product moves so often therefore these images would have to constantly change to correlate with the updated merchandise.
Image 16: In Store Signage & Graphics 3 (Authors Own, 2018)
Image 17: In Store Signage & Graphics 4 (Authors Own, 2018)
IN STORE DISPLAYS The main displays in store are on marble tables. There is one just after the decompression zone and another on the first floor. These tables create outfit suggestions generally based around a pair of trousers, jersey tops and knitwear along with accessories such as jewellery, shoes and bags. This is enhanced with greenery that is repeated throughout the store plus candles and diffusers. There is a Z screen rail adjacent to the tables offering further products that are in the same pack.
Image 18: Table Display 1 (Authors Own, 2018)
Image 19: Table Display 2 (Authors Own, 2018)
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Not including the mannequins in the window, there are three mannequins by the stairs to the second floor. These are different to the ones in the window, with no heads, arms or legs. Therefore, being just a bust, the product that can be displayed is limited. As they are by the stairs, the products are a taste of what is on the first floor. This is effective to draw customers up there if they see something that they like that they haven’t seen on the ground floor. There are no other display elements around these mannequins such as graphics, signage or shoppable products as these are all on the floor above that the display is guiding to.
Image 20: Mannequin Display (Authors Own, 2018)
IN STORE ATMOSPHERE/AMBIENCE
Image 21: Non-selling space in Store (Authors Own, 2018)
Image 22: Chandelier (Authors Own, 2018)
The atmosphere in the store is relaxed and luxurious with a playlist that is seasonally updated (member of staff, 2018) and scents filling the store from their Hygge collection of candles and diffusers. Kinnersley Kent Design (no date b). who worked with the company on designing their stores explains the “visual merchandising is based on lifestyle rather than product range to appeal to customers on a personal level.” Mint Velvet uses the balance between product and non-selling 10
spaces to represent a luxury environment. This is emphasised by areas in the store for example chairs and tables with magazines unrelated to Mint Velvet that are free to browse through.
The lighting, identically to the window, creates spotlights directed at the products. There are also some individual lighting fixtures for display such as the ‘chandelier’ in the front of the store which combines various paper notes, adding a real personal touch. Upstairs the lighting clearly links to the WGSN visual merchandising trend of ‘The Thinker’ for A/W 18/19 (Dickinson, 2017a).
Image 23: Upstairs Lighting (Authors Own, 2018)
PATHWAYS AND FIXTURES There are no specific pathways in the store, however with a generous amount of space between fixtures, the store allows for free movement – ensuring that customers take their time to browse. As previously mentioned, the flexible grouping layout exposes customers to a wider variety of merchandise. This is complemented by the versatility of the fixtures where there are free standing rails and screens which can be moved around the store. Image 24: Shoe Shelving (Authors Own, 2018)
Most of the rails fixed to the wall, have shelves above utilised for further atmospheric and graphic
elements such as photo frames with lifestyle images, art and foliage – emphasising a relaxed, homely environment whilst also adding an element of luxury. Lakoma (2017) describes that “colours, textures, materials and décor collaborate in harmony to create a cosy and friendly atmosphere.” The shelves also display accessories such as shoes bags or hats, to offer styling suggestions alongside outfit building on the rails below. 11
The rail fixtures are all in the same brushed silver finish with brushed gold tips adding emphasis to front facing garments. The shelving for the shoes in the destination area utilises scaffolding poles and wood which really taps into WGSN’s ‘Worldhood’ trend for A/W 18/19 where “found industrial materials are
Image 25: Rail Fixtures (Authors Own, 2018)
fashioned into display fixtures” (Dickinson, 2017b). Lastly there are a couple of freestanding coat stands and a ladder which have been used to display items such as scarves, hat and bags.
Image 26: Ladder (Authors Own, 2018)
Image 27: Coat Stand 1 (Authors Own, 2018)
Image 28: Coat Stand 2 (Authors Own, 2018)
IN STORE MERCHANDISING AND PRODUCT HANDLING The store uses landscaping as it “encourages customers to shop from the front to the back of the store” (Bailey and Baker, 2014, p96) With the tables at the front on low levels followed by the freestanding rails positioned at eye level and finally the bulk of fixtures on the
Image 29: Secondary Space (displaying one cohesive pack) (Authors Own, 2018)
perimeter providing the “best possible view of merchandise and store displays as the customer walks through the decompression zone” (Bailey and Baker, 2014, p96). 12
The products are grouped in coordinated ranges that they were designed for (Bailey and Baker, 2014, p88). This ensures colour and pattern co-ordination, making it easier to merchandise and make appealing to a customer, giving them co-ordinating pieces and outfit styling suggestions through the product handling. There is one front facing garment on each of the back-wall rails, this is useful to differentiate products in these cohesive packs and highlight bestsellers to the customers.
Image 30: Front Facing (Authors Own, 2018)
PRODUCT LABELLING AND QUANTITIES OF STOCK
Image 31: Quantities (Authors Own, 2018) Mint Velvet further represents a luxury environment as they have a maximum of only 6 sizes per style, ideally one of each size from 8-18 or XS-XL (doubling up on the M). This allows for space between products, in contrast to value retailers who “tend to have a ‘pile them high, sell them cheap’ attitude of trading” (Bailey and Baker, 2014, p 61). The aforementioned Mintie section has less sizes per style, ranging from two for coats, to six for jersey tops. The sizes out vary as there are 8 different sizes, therefore it is difficult to display them all especially with the sizes per style out 13
varying. There was at least one of each size from age 3-10 in the section in general but not for any specific products.
The swing-tags are concise and clear to the customer detailing the price in both GBP and EUR currencies, the UK, EU and US size, colour and name of the style, style code, pack and barcode. It sometimes also included a message, specific to the product, for example a warning that it may be prone to snagging. The labels within the garments are simple and to the point specifying the UK size next to the brands logo.
Image 32: Swing Tag (Authors Own, 2018)
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Evaluation SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths o The coordination of packs merchandised together creates outfit building
Weaknesses o The lack of mannequin displays in store o The table display is close to
opportunities for the customer
decompression zone which may mean
o The quantities of stock are consistent
that the customers overlook it and any
throughout the womenswear, one of
products displayed “as the customer
each size from 8-18 providing a clutter
often looks up ahead as they are walking
free, spacious and inviting shopping
into the store” (Bailey and Baker, 2014,
environment
p56)
o The flexible grouping encourages
o There were little trend elements in terms
customers to view a wide variety of
of fixtures, mannequins, lighting and
merchandise
colours in store (not including products)
Opportunities o Expand on the message cards that
Threats o “Retailers need to prioritise in-store
describe services offered in store,
experience” (Mintel, 2018) – with
emphasising these with decals in the
competitors in close vicinity to the store it
window or A-frames outside the store
is imperative that Mint Velvet
o Generate more displays involving
differentiates itself through its visual
mannequins – possibly in combination with the table displays o Develop trend elements into displays as a
merchandising, product and service offer o
“Consumers want retailers to incentivise their sustainability efforts” (Mintel, 2018)
cheaper alternative to refurbishing the
– they must identify with a cause and
store in terms of fixtures and lighting etc.
promote through visual merchandising even if it is only decals in the window 15
Conclusion In general, the store shows a cohesive design with elements such as the foliage, fixtures and graphics repeated throughout. There is an element of connecting to customers personally with tailored services and rest stops with magazines and coffee. It alludes an element of luxury and glamour whilst also remaining relaxed as to the brand ethos.
Though the lack of mannequins in the store has been combatted with the table displays and products merchandised on shelving units, it would be beneficial to the brand to have further mannequins. This could easily be combined with existing displays and will allow customers to view more of the products on a figure, as currently this is lacking and could be improved. Furthermore, the shortage of trend references could also be incorporated into these in store displays as a cheaper alternative to constantly refurbishing to meet fixture and lighting trends.
Mint Velvet’s competitors in the premium market such as “Ted Baker and Kurt Geiger lead the premium clothing and footwear markets respectively, with iconic branding, product design and innovation and aspirational store experiences making them go-to destinations among their loyal customer bases.” (GlobalData, 2017). Therefore, it is imperative, especially that Mint Velvet’s branding and store experiences exceed that of their competitors. One way to promote this out to customers and potential customers is through decals in the window or an A-frame outside the store.
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References Bailey, S. and Baker, J. (2014) Visual Merchandising for Fashion. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Dickinson, C. (2017a). Visual Merchandising Forecast A/W 18/19: The Thinker: Lighting. WGSN. Available from https://www-wgsncom.ezproxy.westminster.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/71148/page/5 [Accessed 7 November 2018].
Dickinson, C. (2017b). Visual Merchandising Forecast A/W 18/19: Worldhood: Props & Fixtures. WGSN. Available from https://www-wgsncom.ezproxy.westminster.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/71153/page/7 [Accessed 7 November 2018].
GlobalData. (2017). Sector Report Series The UK Premium Clothing & Footwear Market 2017-2022: Contents: Where people shop. London: GlobalData Retail. Available from https://consumer.globaldata.com/Analysis/details/premium [Accessed 8 November 2018].
Hounslea, T. (2018). Mint Velvet targets market towns for expansion. Drapers, 13 September. Available from https://www.drapersonline.com/news/mint-velvet-targets-market-towns-forexpansion/7032155.article?search=https%3a%2f%2fwww.drapersonline.com%2fsearcharticles%3fqs earch%3d1%26keywords%3dmint+velvet [Accessed 3 November 2018].
Kinnersley Kent Design (no date). Mint Velvet York. [image]. Available from https://www.kkd.co.uk/work/mint-velvet/ [Accessed 3 November].
Kinnersley Kent Design. (no date a). Mint Velvet. KKD. Available from https://www.kkd.co.uk/work/mint-velvet/ [Accessed 3 November 2018]. 17
Kinnersley Kent Design. (no date b). Mint Velvet. KKD. Available from https://www.kkd.co.uk/retaildesign-for-fashion/ [Accessed 3 November 2018].
Kinnersley Kent Design. (no date). Mint Velvet York First Floor Personal Shopper Suite. [image]. Available from https://www.kkd.co.uk/work/mint-velvet/ [Accessed 3 November 2018].
Lakoma, G. (2017). Mint Velvet. Design Retail Space, 4 September. Available from: http://designretailspace.com/mint-velvet/ [Accessed 7 November 2018].
Mint Velvet. (2018). Mintie Dress. [image]. Available from https://www.mintvelvet.co.uk/product/dove-sequined-star-dress/17985 [Accessed 7 November 2018].
Mintel. (2018). Clothing Retailing – UK – October 2018: *The Consumer – What You Need to Know. Mintel. Available from http://academic.mintel.com/display/926180/ [Accessed 8 November 2018].
Pilkington, S. (2018). Behind the Seams Mintie. Mint Velvet. Available from https://www.mintvelvet.co.uk/magazine/behind-scenes-mintie/ [Accessed 4 November 2018].
Watkins, H. (2018). Key Prints & Patterns A/W 18/19: Apparel: Graphic Skins. WGSN. Available from https://www-wgsn-com.ezproxy.westminster.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/77712/page/11 [Accessed 3 November 2018].
YorkMix. (2014). Mint Velvet set to open ‘biggest store yet’ in heart of York. YorkMix, 9 July. Available from https://www.yorkmix.com/business/shopping/mint-velvet-set-to-open-biggest-storeyet-in-heart-of-york/ [Accessed 3 November 2018].
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Appendix DH Gate. (2017). WGSN Lighting Trend. [image]. Available from https://www-wgsncom.ezproxy.westminster.ac.uk/content/board_viewer/#/71148/page/5 [Accessed 8 November 2018].
Authors Own, 2018.
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