Boho Baby
Liz Pepin
Part One- Target Customer
My target customer would be a woman in her twenties to thirties, who is settling down and having children. She is shopping for her child so she is ultimately the customer, but is influenced by what her kids like. She is a mommy blogger who let’s her readers see what being a busy mom is really like. She is college educated and is upper middle class. Our customer is tech savvy, being on most social media sites. Her favorite would be Instagram and Pinterest. She would follow other mom accounts, her friends, home décor and fashion blogger accounts. She would be subscribed to Southern Living, Vogue, and Elle magazine. She would keep up with trends by looking at fashion blogging sites. She would get inspired from Pinterest posts with recipes, style, DIY, children’s crafts, and home. She also likes to read in her spare time. My target customer could live in suburban or more urban environments. She would own her own home or apartment. It would be an eclectic mix of old and new décor. Everything will be bright and homey with natural accents of wood and vintage features. Décor color palates for her home would be neutral with some pops of color. She would have a home that feels lived in and not sterile and overdone because she is busy with life and her kids. Her mode of transportation would be a family car or SUV to be able to suit her lifestyle. My target customer would live a very healthy lifestyle. She would stay active, working out a few days a week and taking mommy and me
classes. She would eat healthy and try to eat organically. She would incorporate more natural foods as well as fruits and vegetables into her children’s daily meals. A typical meal could be a salad with chicken and avocado. She also likes to make her baby food from scratch rather than buying it prepackaged. She would try to buy her food more locally at farmer’s markets. My target customer would probably have a small dog that is good with children. I could picture them have a pug or a French bulldog. They would take walks as a family with the baby in the stroller and their puppy walking on a leash along side them. They would be active even with their busy schedule. Our target customer would take classes in things like yoga and Pilates. She would even include her children in her workouts to ensure a healthy lifestyle. Our target customer would shop at stores like Anthropologie, J. Crew, Free People, All Saint’s, Chloe, and Stella McCartney. She pairs together basics with an eclectic mix of bohemian fashions. She loves to accessorize with floppy hats, beanies, jewelry, and bags. She likes flowing skirts and dresses and tends to have a feminine sense of style. She likes to mix and match floral, plaid, and printed patterns. Our target customer would mix more high-end pieces with more affordable styles. She likes comfortable clothing that she can easily live in when taking care of her kids and running errands. https://www.pinterest.com/lizpepin/visual-merchandising-two/
Target Customer
In Store Experiences 1. Reading NookI would put a reading nook in the corner of the store with little play tent teepees. I would put little rugs and a shelf of children’s books to encourage them to read.
2. Craft ClassesWe would host events where moms and their children can make craft and décor pieces. They would create things that are currently being incorporated into the visual displays throughout the store.
3. Arts Table We would have a child’s size wooden table and chair set where children could color while the parents shopped. This would occupy them and give them a creative outlet while waiting for their parents.
Part Two
Zara-
Type/quantity of fixturesThere were a lot of modern fixtures, which were small but placed around black and white tables with things like stacks of pants or leggings. There were wooden display units on the walls with balanced metal shelves displayed. Number on each fixtureThere were about ten hangers per bar of the displays. Some longer bars had more than that. Zara had more types of items, but less sizes than Nordstrom seemed to have. Use of mannequinsThey had children’s mannequins in a window display, by the entrance, and when you first walked into Zara Kids by the cash wrap. SignageZara used metal letters to display the boys and girls section. There were also navy metal letters at the entrance with Zara Kids spelled out. Store layoutThey forced paths to different areas in the kids department. Transition zoneThere was a transition zone by the entranceway that goes all the way back to the register in a path. Focal pointsThey made an existing column from the building structure into a focal point with a black and yellow pattern design and little mannequins on pedestals dressed in different outfits. Store atmosphereHear- upbeat futuristic music Smell- none Flooring- black and white marble looking tile Paint color- white grey and yellow accents Seating- none Props- none StrengthsZara Kids has fashionable on trend items even for babies. This draws in the fashionable young mothers. A plus is that the trendy moms can be
shopping for themselves and grabbing on trend items for their children without having to go to multiple stores. They made outfits on face outs to show people what to pair together for their child. This helps with suggestive selling. Customers were mainly buying items in pastel spring colors. There were a large section of items to choose from which was good. Spending TimePeople seemed a little rushed when shopping at Zara. Everything was pretty close together and the store was quite busy. Customers were not taking their time to look at all of the items available. The line to check out was also long. Areas for improvementThe section was a little bit messy and I only saw two employees in the area. One was on the register and it was quite crowded so the store was not too standard. They could have also added a bench somewhere if a mother needed to sit down for a moment with their child. In store experiencesI did not see any particular in-store experiences for the children. I feel like they could have a focal wall or a simple prop like an all black animal for the children to take pictures with and their parents being tech savvy would be able to post it on social media showcasing their child’s fashionable Zara outfits. This would give them more of an online presence for their children’s line.
Nordstrom-
Type/quantity of fixturesNordstrom used metal fixtures a lot in one area White T stands 10 per side Lots of items on a rack Tables and little ottomans display merchandise. It is low so the child can reach it. I think that can be a good idea because if the child can pick it out themselves and say that they want it then they are involved in the experience and the parent is more likely to buy the product. Number on each fixtureThey put many things on one rack. They had a wider range of sizes than Zara. Use of mannequinsThey have baby mannequins in relaxed childish positions like sitting and lying down. They were in twos on tables and displays. SignageThey used creative signage in the children’s department. There were little chalkboard signs with age groups on top of fixtures and shelves. They used wooden letters for boys and girls sections. Store layoutThere are wall units and a mixture of fixtures and tables. There were paths that lead to shoes and boys and girls without carpet. The space seemed more open then Zara did. Transition zoneThe pathways were wide and open. There was a large transition zone by the escalators leading to the children’s section. Focal pointsThe focal point was a playhouse in the middle of the area. It would draw in people towards the middle of the department and it was next to the cash wrap. Store atmosphereHear- people talking upbeat music Smell- no smell Flooring- tile but rugs separating areas Paint color- white and natural stone
Seating- low benches by shoes Props- stuffed animals, old trunks and toy chests StrengthsThey used creative displays that speak to children. The stuffed animal props and playhouse would catch any child’s eye. People were buying spring items because they displayed outfits for events like Easter. I feel that the department was located in a good area of the store because it was next to the bathroom area with seating and the elevators for people with strollers. The area was also next to the café if you got hungry or wanted a drink. Spending TimePeople seemed to go at a slower pace then at Zara. Families took their time looking through the sections. There were more employees and the store was clean to be able to shop the merchandise. Areas for improvementThe children’s section was a smaller area in store compared to others. There were many fixtures put in small area. They could space out some of the fixtures and put more seating in clothing area. They could have also displayed fewer each product because there were quite a few employees around who would be able to get them a size in the back stockroom if needed. That would make it easier to look through the racks. In store experiencesThere is playhouse with interactive screens and little chairs. Children can draw and play on the screen while mothers are shopping. It was next to the cash wrap so the kids could play while their parents waited in line to check out. They also give out Nordstrom balloons for the kids.
Part threeRetail Space
I chose this space because I feel that Santa Monica, California would suit a bohemian baby store. The Third Street Promenade is a nice area to go shopping outdoors with a lot of foot traffic. The exterior would be clean and modern, but warm with lightwood to match a west coast style. I feel that people in this area would have money to spend on trendy fashion forward baby clothes.
Sketch Up- Exterior
Sketch Up- Interior
In Store Experience For our in store experience we are going to create a play corner. Our target demographic would be a woman in their late 20s to 30s who is starting to or has children. There will be a reading nook in the corner of the store with little play tent teepees. I would put little rugs and a shelf of children’s books to encourage them to read. We would have a child’s size wooden table and chair set where children could color with crayons while the parents shopped. This would occupy them and give them a creative outlet while waiting for their parents. There will be coloring pages available that the children could bring home with them. On select times of the year we will have seasonal crafts the children could do that went along with what we were currently usual for visuals throughout the store.
Planogram
Scale- 1/32-Exterior 96W by 120L
Ɖ Scale-Interior
Chair-
Teepee-
Display Unit-
Table-
Children’s Play Table -
Window-
Cash wrap-
Hanging Clothes branch-
Door-
Sale Rack-
Part Four- Recipes for Success
• Shorten the wait time- changing the perception of having to wait in line we will have interesting table displays with impulse buys by the cash wrap for the customers to look at while they are in line to be rung up.
• Price perception- conveying a low price through merchandising we will have a sale rack in the back of the store that will have red signage. We will also mark down those items with a red sticker gun to indicate that they are on clearance. Those stickers will have broken prices ending in $0.99.
• Meeting the needs of senior citizens- catering to the large demographic of 65 and older our store is one floor and will have enough space between the fixtures to accommodate people with wheelchairs and walkers. There will also be seating if someone needs to rest. We will have the store well lit and big enough signage for anyone to be able to read it easily.
• Keep customers in the store longer- increasing the time people spend in the store and leave having made a purchase we will create a homey environment with interesting displays for the customers. A main color of our color scheme will be green, which calms the customer. We will also create a calming environment with plants and succulents. We will also light candles around the store and play soft and slow music to relax them.
• Trigger impulse buys-add on items to make a last chance effort to increase sales before the shopper leaves we will have little toys and accessories like headbands by the cash wrap in little bins to entice the customer for a quick add on item to go along with whatever they are purchasing. We will create bundled presentations with outfits for those who don’t have a lot of time in the store to pick separate looks.
• Include shopping conveniences- making things easier when shopping in the store our store will have seating for people to rest and a kid’s corner to keep them preoccupied while the parents shop. We will also have little shopping totes so customers don’t have trouble carrying a lot of merchandise and will hold items at the register while they shop.
• Create a state of flow- making the customer actively happy We will keep displays balanced and not put too many items on a fixture or wall to avoid overwhelming the customer. We will place tables and fixtures with enough space for the customer to move around and look at products. We created paths for the customer to choose where they want to go around the store. We will have the sale corner where the customer can find great finds at reduced prices.