Fashion Sense

Apparel and fashion accessories constitute a sweeping category, encompassing a broad array of products, price points and target audiences. But in many ways, the marketing hurdles are universal, whether you're talking about eyewear, underwear or watches: Shoppers are harried, sales associates are few and far between, retailers are more assertive, and competition is fierce.Watches, perhaps, serve as a microcosm of the situation. "You used to be able to count the few key watch manufacturers on one hand, and each had a convincing presentation," says Gloria Maccaroni, vice president of marketing for Seiko Corp. of America, Mahwah, N.J. "But the introduction of watches by designers and by licensed brands has increased dramatically. There's only one renowned designer who doesn't have a watch, and that's Ralph Lauren."Maccaroni adds that for most of these companies, watches are just one component in a broad mix of fashion products, the core of which is apparel. "Then you look at a company like Fossil, which approached it from the opposite direction. They started out launching a watch line and are now branching out into apparel and accessories. I don't think that's ever been done before, and it shows the strength of the watch category." What it adds up to is more -- and more intense -- competition. "Since watches are no longer just a timepiece but also a fashion accessory, they're competing not just in terms of price points, but against the lifestyle, the imagery, the cachet associated with those names, across all categories of [fashion] products."But the silver lining here is that there's a greater demand for watches, precisely because they have evolved into "fashion accessories." "People used to buy a watch primarily to tell time, and they'd have one for work, one for dress," says Maccaroni. "Today, with the change toward more casual dress at work, as well as just a heightened watch awareness factor, many people have three, four, even five watches." And it transcends the simple example of a woman having a gold watch to go with her gold jewelry, a silver watch to match her silver jewelry. Varieties now include high-tech watches, fashion watches, sporty watches, fun plastic watches and status watches. "It's really watch wardrobing that's happening," Maccaroni says. "The attitude is, 'How does my watch fit my fashion wardrobe?'"Tin-tillating PackagingOne response to this sea change in watch attitude is a greater focus on packaging. "Packaging has started to play a much bigger role at the point-of-sale," says Maccaroni. "I'm talking about things like the novelty of the Fossil retro tins that they sell watches in. Nobody thought twice about packaging before. But now the box that the watch comes in is another area where somebody can stake a claim and make a difference."Raphael Henry, design director for Fossil Inc. in Richardson, Texas, explains that the tins were conceived of a few years after the company was founded. "Now there are hundreds of designs, with new ones being added every few months. This is really helping us gain recognition." Not only do the tins bring distinction to the line, they up the value perception of the purchase. And because they're a "keeper" kind of item that can be used indefinitely to hold small personal effects, they extend the presence of the brand.More than that, though, the packaging harkens back to decades past when many products were sold in tins. As such, they're part and parcel of the Fossil '50s-Americana concept that targets the value-driven consumer. In Fossil stores, that concept is brought to life with retro fixtures -- gas pumps, old oil cans, old banners, recreations of old building advertisements painted on brick. The tins are an extension of that story. "They're like this graphic code for the environment we've created," says Henry. "We try to build a whole story around our products. I think people are looking for that. They don't just want a watch, they want a story."A story also helps Sam Frazier, marketing manager for Neostyle Eyewear in San Diego, sell Momo eyewear. Momo started out in the 1960s as a small Italian company that manufactured steering wheels for racing cars. Today the company's product range has expanded to include leather goods, sportswear, shoes and sunglasses. "People who are into racing know and love Momo," says Frazier. So P-O-P display pieces feature the logo prominently, along with splashy graphics depicting race cars and drivers. "It leverages customers' familiarity with the subject and adds another dimension to the product," says Frazier.As effective as a story or a splash of color can be in compelling consumers to stop and take a look, sometimes you have to know when to let the product speak for itself Take, for example, Fossil's new patented Big Tic watches, which feature digital numbers that flash across the entire watch face with each second. An elaborately designed display might actually detract from the product's inherent allure. "We point out this distinctive feature in a subtle way," says Henry. "The watches are just lined up in the showcase, with each one flashing at the exact same second. So you see this whole showcase pulsing -- it's so striking, it almost merchandises itself."National ConnectionOther marketers have had success tying into national ad campaigns. For Levi Strauss & Co., the national marketing direction takes shape at the home office in San Francisco. The job of Chris Denovi, retail marketing manager in Hoffman Estates, Ill., is to take that national direction and marry it to retail on a regional level. That was done successfully last year in a back-to-school gift-with-purchase program in which customers who bought Levi's at Kohl's also walked away with an interactive CD. Both the CD case and the signage throughout the store featured the same images seen in Levi's national print and television ads. The idea, of course: Create P-O-P that mirrors -- and leverages -- national advertising. "So the customer walks into a store, sees the P-O-P and says, 'That's the message I saw yesterday in a magazine or on TV,'" says Denovi. "There's an immediate connection, and they'll take a closer look at the product because of that."But bringing a national campaign to life on the selling floor isn't as easy as it sounds. "Some retailers begin to take control of a project, and by the time they finish tweaking it, it doesn't look like the national campaign anymore," says Denovi. Such was not the case with the back-to-school program. "Kohl's understood that we were trying to translate the national print campaign to this promotion, and that this would energize customers. They contributed a lot to the program and had ownership of it, but they maintained the look. So it was the perfect marriage -- it was tailored to the retailer, but it still looked, felt and smelled like the Levi's brand."Another challenge Denovi overcame in the program was addressing various age groups without going over the budget. The CD featured multiple offerings: video games for younger kids, music for teens and moneysaving offers for parents. These multi-generational benefits were all called out on the same in-store signage, "so we only had to produce one sign that could run in different departments, which helped keep our costs down." How successful was the program? About 400,000 CDs were given away; of those, one-third of the money-saving offers were redeemed. More importantly, there was a strong increase in sales over the previous year. "Kohl's was pleased with the results, and so was Levi's."Like Denovi, Peter Barry also strives to find creative ways to keep costs in line. Barry is project supervisor for Seiko Corp. of America, and he says they recently produced acrylic countertop displays for the company's Spoon watches that can be converted to freestanding displays by simply attaching powder-coated metal legs. "This helps us take advantage of economies of scale in production, because we now do one big run of countertop displays and a smaller run of stands. It also cuts down on the number of displays we have to stock."The case features lockable sliding glass doors on the back to deter pilferage, something Barry says is a major consideration in all the displays he works on. "We always test our prototypes, and in this case someone was able to bend the door and reach in and grab a watch." A slight re-working of the doors prior to production nipped the problem in the bud. Both versions have been placed in independent jewelry stores, watch-only stores, department stores and fashion boutiques. "Sell-in has been really good. The retailers love it because it has increased sell-through." He adds that this display is easier to stock than previous ones because each watch is shipped in its own watch "stand" which, once removed from its pouch, slips easily into routed areas in the display. "Then, when a watch is sold, the whole stand comes out and goes to the customer. That saves time and also has saved us money on separate watch boxes."Easy Does ItIndeed, catering to retailers' need for ease -- and shoppers' need for speed -- is a top priority with many marketers. "Clearly, in a market with low unemployment, a lot of our accounts are understaffed in their stores," says Shannon McKeen, director of marketing for Champion underwear at Champion Products in Winston-Salem, N.C. "At the same time, shoppers are in a hurry and don't want to spend more time in the store than they have to." A recent thermal underwear shipper display addressed both issues. "You just pulled it out of the box and it was pretty much ready to go, so it was easy for the stores." Colorful images of men playing sports, complemented with a conspicuous Champion logo, grabbed consumers' attention, making it easier, faster and less frustrating for customers shopping for thermal underwear to find what they wanted.The same thinking shaped the development of Carhartt's freestanding denim display. "A lot of our retail accounts have a hard time finding people to staff their stores," says Michael Majsak, director of marketing for the Dearborn, Mich.-based manufacturer of workwear and outdoor wear, "so it's more critical than ever that we make it easy for consumers to help themselves." The corrugated piece comprised stacked bins designed to hold up to 64 pairs of denim pants. It was developed to be used as a single-piece endcap, or doubled up, as an aisle display. "That really called out the product, so customers didn't have to scratch their heads and say, 'Now where are those jeans?' And, of course, the secondary placement really improved exposure and sales. Anything we can do to get our product out there and in front of the consumer is a win-win-win situation, for the shopper, the store and Carhartt."The bins were reinforced with wire frames to support the weight of the jeans and prevent sagging, an important logistical consideration as well as an image-building one. "We wanted to be sure the display was strong and durable, just like the jeans, and was something that would reflect well on the product."Fossil's Henry is another in-store marketer who values the carry-over power of high-caliber P-O-P. "It's an amazing experience, going into a Fossil store. In the P-O-P we use a lot of woods, from cherry to honey. You see lots of chrome that reminds you of a car from the '50s. The store fixtures are made by a manufacturer in Detroit that does a great job -- you see gas pumps, steel lines. It provides a strong, rich, high-quality environment for consumers, and that helps our image as a supplier of quality products."Silent SalesmenPerhaps the most eloquent spokesman for P-O-P's halo effect is Myron Orlinsky, chairman and ceo of VSI International in Miramar, Fla. "We say that presentation is a silent salesman," says Orlinsky. "People relate to a display, either consciously or subconsciously. A durable, high-quality fixture is an implied endorsement that the quality of the product is good." That philosophy is evident in the two displays that Orlinsky has helped develop for Acura Vision over-the-counter reading glasses and attendant accessories. One is aluminum and can be designed as either a standalone or endcap unit. The other is a plastic illuminated display. Both are the "Cadillacs" of eyewear merchandising units."Nobody uses aluminum for reading glasses in the mass merchandising market," says Orlinsky. "Aluminum is dust-retardant, so it looks cleaner. It also stands up better than other materials; it's much stronger and it looks stronger. We do an anodized silver color, and we think it really draws customers. It looks almost clinical and it looks expensive. The products, in fact, are all under $20, so you don't expect to find this kind of quality in a fixture. And that implies quality and value in the products that are displayed." Similarly, the plastic version is unique in its class. "You'll find illuminated fixtures in department stores and optical shops, but you won't find them in mass merchandising." Illumination significantly increases the cost of the fixture, but the investment pays off in drawing power. "Illumination calls people over. Plus, it brings out the detail in the frames, whether they're tortoise shell, black or gold. You just don't see the color as easily on a non-illuminated unit."Superior quality wasn't Orlinsky's only aim. "They're also store-friendly and consumer-friendly in the way they're planogrammed." Since consumers shop by frame style first and diopter strength second, all the glasses are arranged by frame style in rows. "First you find the frame you want, then you go down the row and find the strength you need. That's just the opposite of our competitors, who arrange by diopters. So you find the strength you want and then have to search through 20 to 50 different styles to find the frame you want." The arrangement not only helps shoppers shop, it makes it easier to re-stock. Another consumer-friendly feature: The higher-strength glasses are found in the middle of the display. "Higher-strength glasses are usually bought by someone who is older. We don't want 60-year-olds having to bend and stretch to reach the glasses they want."The paucity of sales associates is particularly evident in mass merchants, so the Acura-Vision displays come equipped with plenty of informative literature. "There's no one there to help the consumer in these stores, so we include consumer handouts. We also have a patented tester where consumers can determine what strength they need." By turning a knob, shoppers turn a barrel that displays a tester as well as answers to frequently asked questions. "This barrel design allows room for a lot more copy than the sliding knobs you see on other fixtures."Orlinsky's motto is "One to show, one to go." In keeping with that thinking, they had a special saddle designed that will hold up to three pairs of glasses. "When the consumer buys a pair of glasses, there are still two behind it, so the unit doesn't have to be stocked as frequently and we can offer three colors of the same frame."Considering the careful and comprehensive planning that's gone into Acura Vision fixtures, it's no surprise that sales are strong. Granted, the category enjoys healthy growth on its own. "As Americans reach the tender age of 40, they suddenly find their arms aren't long enough," jokes Orlinsky. And there are plenty of boomers who have yet to reach this milestone. Still, he maintains, "The fixturization we've developed has increased sales over and beyond this inherent growth."From Dock to FloorOnce the P-O-P is executed and sold into stores nationwide, it's time to relax, right? Not so fast, says Miles Bohannan, director of marketing for Bestform Intimates Inc. in New York. "Store execution -- that's the challenge."Bohannan works on women's intimate apparel P-O-P that's destined for mass channels. He says that mass merchants have such strict rules regarding signage that, "you need an act of Congress to get your stuff in there." Even when it's finally sold in, you're never sure it will make it to the floor. "You can have the greatest signage in the world and it'll never leave the dock." To encourage mass merchant cooperation, Bohannan says they'll occasionally sponsor contests; whichever store within a particular region puts together the best Bestform display is awarded a prize -- $500 toward the store's party fund, for example. "The marketer who wins is the one who is able to get his P-O-P from the dock to the floor. The contest is one way we've discovered that helps accomplish that."

Fashion Sense

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