This was a store concept project that was worked on in a team focusing on creative aspects and a strong focus on visual merchandising and atmospherics.

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Sweet Nothing‟s
Sarah Fedy, Julie Forbes, Natalie Jamieson,
Amy McIntosh, Charlotte Snow

2. +
Store Name and Reason
 Sweet Nothings:
 The name is fun, flirty and
goes with our store brand
image
 The name can be used to
incorporate in-store
promotions and marketing
because it lends well to a
girly, Pinterest-baker inspired
environment
 Our name will resonate with
our target customer because
it fits with their fun lifestyle

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Logo

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Target Customer
Meet Claire

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Who is Claire?
 Claire is 25  Claire stays active by going to the
gym with her roommate where
 She lives with a roommate on King she takes part in various exercise
West and works full time at an ad
agency classes like step and Zumba
 She is very creative and loves to visit  Claire has three other siblings
the St. Lawrence market on the and loves to visit her family at
weekend home in Stratford
 Staying healthy is very important to
Claire- she enjoys to cook balanced  Claire is a savvy shopper and
meals using fresh food she has loves to stay on trend- her extra
purchased at the market disposable income is spent on
updating her wardrobe with
 However- Claire loves to splurge on stylish, cute pieces that
delicious lattes and freshly baked
goods from local coffee shops in the compliment her style
area

6. +
Ideal Outfit
 Ideal Outfit
 Cute dress
 Ballet flats
 Blazer
 Brightly coloured nails
 Stacked bangles
 Oversize sunglasses

7. +
Merchandise Strategy
 Sweet Nothing‟s carries  The quality is high depending on
merchandise that gets updated the item- the store does not carry
according to regular fashion luxury items however it does
seasons carry unique pieces
 Spring/Summer
 Fall/Winter
 Sweet Nothing‟s has a mid to
high price point because they
 Seasonal support lesser known designers
that create unique pieces
 It carries various fashion brands
and different designers  Sweet Nothing‟s carries tops,
bottoms (small selection of
 The depth and breadth of the denim) dresses, skirts, light outer
collections are not wide or deep ware, accessories, and some foot
as the store is unique and there ware
are only a couple pieces from
various collections in the store at  It would be classified as ladies
once casual wear

8. +
Fashion Merchandising Strategy

9. +

10. +

11. +
Brand Image and Atmospherics
 Vintage feel, bakery
 Inspired by the look of Laduree

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Inspiration: Laduree!

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Atmospherics
 The atmospherics elements are:
 Cupcake trays
 Glass display cases
 Hanging accessories on vintage knobs
 Exposed brick walls
 Designer books on shelves for inspiration
 Indie/pop music playing in the background
 Bright pastel coloured clothing and décor

14. +

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Exterior
 Vintage Bakery Feel
 Large exterior sign showing
name of store “Sweet Nothings”
 Store sign incorporates
cupcake theme with hanger to
suggest that it is in fact a
clothing store

16. +
Exterior - Layout

17. + Floor Plan
 For our store layout, we decided to place the cash register on the left side in the centre
so individuals will walk throughout the whole store before coming around to the left side
of the store.
 The fitting rooms were placed in the back right hand corner of the store as to keep the
left back wall free for merchandise that will be able to be seen as soon as each
individual enters the store and in their clear line of vision.
 This planogram features a free-flow layout as well as some aspects of open concept so
that customers may move around the store freely and there is a good amount of space
between adjacent fixtures and wall displays.

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Interior
 Square footage: 720 square  Small restrooms located at back of store -
feet for employees only (upon customer
request, exceptions might be made)
 Focal areas: Right wall, Back
wall, Mannequins  Small office/storage space at back of
boutique.
 Atmospherics / ambience: soft  Features a desk, moveable wardrobe
indie love songs, hint of racks for extra clothing, room for boxes
fragrance to simulate bakery of new inventory when it comes in.
feel  Features task lighting (overhead light
and lamp on desk)
 Universal access – no stairs, change
rooms large enough for wheelchairs
 Lots of props throughout store

19. +
Point of Sale
 Point of sale: cash desk to be located
on left hand side.
 Cash desk to look like a bakery display
case, showcasing accessories and
add-on sales.
 People are shopping less frequently,
so it is more important than ever to
have „add-on sales‟, which is why
we want these items displayed in a
fun way!
 Vintage Cash Register

20. +
Wall Layouts
 The most prominent wall displays will be the front right interior wall as well as the
back left wall
 For these walls, we decided to employ a formal balance with symmetrical
layouts.
 The right wall is twelve feet in length in order to facilitate all the newest
merchandise for our location.
 The back wall is nine feet in length to appeal to the customer‟s eye and create a
dynamic display.
 Each wall focuses on tops over bottoms and keeps a 5-inch space between
each line of merchandise. Also, the skirts and pants on the bottom will be hung
three inches from the floor as to not ruin the bottoms of the merchandise.
 We have created these displays to be dynamic to the eye as well as paint our
walls as a destination rather than something to pass-by.

21. +
Right Wall Layout
 Design principle
– BALANCE
 Recall Paco
Underhill “why
we buy” – found
that customers
always veer to
the right side of
the store upon
entry, which is
why the right
wall will be a
focal point

22. +
Back Wall Layout
 Design principle - BALANCE

23. +
Accessory Displays
 Use unique ways to display
accessories (ie. Found objects)

24. +
Change rooms
 2 change rooms, located back
right hand corner
 Large enough so that
customers don‟t feel cramped
 Soft, flattering lighting to
enhance customer experience
(incandescent, not fluorescent)
 High top table to put your bag or
purse
 very functional/convenient –
creates a better shopping
experience
 Heavy hooks
 Again, functional
 Fun idea of having “Yes”,
“maybe” and “no” hooks

25. Large vintage
mirrors outside of
change rooms
+

26. +
Colours and Materials
 Main Colours : Pink, Off-White, Gold/Copper
 Pink is the most calming colours – represents romance,
love, and gentle feelings
 Pink is also very fun and girly, which ties into the type of
merchandise being sold
 Additional accent colours from a pastel palette
 Lavender Purples, Mint green, Soft yellow
 Luxurious materials - Chiffon, silk, lace, crochet, cashmere
 Textured materials can absorb and reflect light
 Also help tie-in store‟s brand image that likely resonates
with the customer‟s style aesthetic

27. +
Fixtures
FLOOR FIXTURES
 2-way and 4-way racks
 Select furniture fixtures, such
as café tables, to help tie in
vintage bakery feel

28. +
Fixtures
WALL FIXTURES
 Recall, the Wall is the most important “fixture” in the store
 Can be used to highlight coordinated fashions and colour stories
 Will use wall standard system
 Is the most versatile and adaptable
 Also looks better/ties in better to store aesthetics than slatwall
system or gridwall system
 Lighting – track lighting to be set up 6 to 8 ft from wall, running
parallel to it

29. +
Walls

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Merchandise Presentation
 In the presentation of our merchandise, we will use the design principles
of balance (formal symmetry)
 Remember Judith Bell‟s 7 colour groups when creating colour stories in
merchandise displays
 Fixtures of various heights (tables, hanging floor fixtures) ; these help
guide the customer through the store
 Can use repetition to create sequential rhythm – eg. In store windows, on
walls
 For walls, we will use the following guidelines:
 Coordinated tops with bottoms (will put tops over bottoms), pants to hang 3” from
floor
 For waterfalls, straight face-outs, and hangrails with 5” of space between tops and
bottoms

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Walls

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Lighting
 Recall, lighting of windows and store plays an important role
in helping drive sales
 Lighting also contributes to overall atmosphere and feel of
the store environment
 We want to have a light source with full colour spectrum
wavelengths (no fluorescent lighting except within
office/storage rooms)
 Primarily use incandescent lighting because it is good
accent lighting for selling areas of stores and also good for
fitting rooms
 Track Lighting LED or Halogen to highlight walls (placed 7ft
away from wall)
 Yes, LED/Halogen are initially more expensive, but are
more energy efficient, have longer lamp life, and produce
a more precise light beam. They also emphasize texture
and form better
 No coloured gels

33. +
Lighting
 Additional decorative lighting:
 Unique vintage chandeliers for additional accent lighting and to tie in
theme of store
 Drop down light bulbs

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Signs
 Consistent font for all signage:
Snell Roundhand (identical to logo
font)
 Only use signs that are
NECESSARY (don‟t want to over-
sign the store since this can be
distracting and take away focus
from the merchandise)

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Signs
 All signs in holders (otherwise looks
unprofessional) – can use vintage gold
frames to tie in with rest of store design
 Use creative and imaginative copy and
always keep message on brand
 Ie. “Check out these sweet spring styles!”
 Can use literary techniques such as
puns, alliteration, and rhyming words
when writing copy for signs

36. +
Signs
Operational Signs
 Hanging “Open / Closed” sign
 Store hours – listed on front door in vinyl
 Return policies listed on standing sign at
cash (in vintage frame)
 Location sign not required since there is
only one location
 All signs to include store logo
 Cards at cash for customers to be able to
take with them

37. +
Signs
Lifestyle graphics (photos/illustrations)
 Can be put into vintage frames and placed on
shelves around the store
 Use a variety of real photos of outfits as well as
more artistic fashion illustrations that fit with the
theme of the store

38. +
Signs
Merchandise Signs
 Again, use same font for consistency
 Can be used around store to highlight
certain collections and to promote new
merchandise and new trends that are
featured in-store
 Remember to use fun and creative
copy!
 Can also highlight small sale section in
the back right corner

39. +
Windows
 Open back windows, because they allow customers to see
additional merchandise within the store from outside
 Windows will typically be fashion oriented, containing the latest
items that the store carries
 When possible, incorporates seasonal themes (eg. Winter
holidays, Spring)
 Incorporate props that are aligned with the bakery theme when
possible, BUT amek sure that the props don‟t overshadow the
clothing on display
 Use cross lighting in windows (because it reduces harsh shadows)

40. +
Windows

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Editorial Displays
 Main editorial display is within windows
 2 additional mannequins can be used to create small fully
accessorized outfits
 This is a great place to be creative in our displays!!
 Always remain on brand

42. +
Mannequins
 4 mannequins – 2 in window, 2
within store with styled looks
 Supporting rob support because
more stable and does not require
the same level of skill as striking
or wire rigging (also, striking and
wire rigging should be used only
for enclosed windows, and we
have an open back window
display)
 Patina V – “Downtown” collection
 Less costly than some other
manufacturers
 Semi-realistic – requires less
maintenance and don‟t need to
change as often as realistic
mannequins

43. +
Mannequins
 4 mannequins – 2 in window, 2 within
store with styled looks
 Supporting rob support because more
stable and does not require the same
level of skill as striking or wire rigging
(also, striking and wire rigging should
be used only for enclosed windows,
and we have an open back window
display)

44. +
Mannequins
 Patina V – “Downtown” collection
 Less costly than some other manufacturers
 Semi-realistic – requires less maintenance and don‟t
need to change as often as realistic mannequins

45. +
Props
 Lots of props!!
 Vintage mirrors
 Cake holders (can be used to hold accessories too)
 Found objects are great for a start-up because they are cheap yet
unique

46. +
Props

47. +
Props

48. +
Employee Dress Code
 Fashionable, trendy
 Employees get 40% discount so
can wear the clothing

49. +
Social Media
Twitter and Facebook Pinterest
 Our customer is always  With photos, interesting ideas,
involved with social media, so and a chance to engage the
interacting with these women in customer, Sweet Nothing‟s can
this particular way will ensure a show it‟s personality through
stronger relationship. Pinterest.

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Pinterest

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Thank You!