The 'Ahh' Factor

Once in a while I walk into a store and, without thinking, exhale a deep, contented sigh. Why? Because something in that particular store delights me, and I know I want to hang out there for a while. This summer I found myself "ahhing" a few times on my visits to gift shops in Seattle and Westhampton Beach, New York. When I was in the Pioneer Square area in Seattle, I ran across a little shop that looked as if it had grown up with the neighborhood. There was nothing new or shiny about the store, and it had a slightly touristy feel. But it was so charming, warm, and friendly that I ventured in, expecting a potpourri of quaint merchandise. And I got just what I expected: the "ahh" factor.

The decorating scheme offered a mix of warm wood, brick, and muted color. Soft greens, terra-cotta, and butter yellow prevailed, along with some soft pink shades mixed to create an interesting, eye-catching environment.

But it was the gift displays that really made this store sing. The most impressive one was also the simplest. It featured a metal grid hung with dozens of origami animals and birds suspended over a table on curly, colored ribbons. Spotlights were trained on the area between the grid and tabletop, illuminating the menagerie of origami animals, and the table was neatly heaped with the products in their boxes ready to purchase. The table is a major focal point in the store because customers are drawn to the colorful ribbons, the movement of the origami paper ornaments in the breeze, and the bright lighting.

I asked the gracious owner how long the display had been up, and if it helped move product. "It's been up for over 20 years," she told me, and they have to replenish their stock every few weeks. The origami and ribbons are also changed frequently.

You can hang any type of lightweight ornament from a grid to create a neat focal point in your store. There are two vital things that make this work — lighting and one specific category of merchandise. If it isn't lit the display will disappear. And if you have all sorts of tschotchkes hanging from the grid nothing will stand out. Also, make sure the grid is about the same size as your table, and attach it securely to the ceiling.

A totally different type of store also charmed me in Seattle. This store was in the Belltown area, and carried beautiful ceramics. Instead of being a crowded, noisy gift shop, the store was spacious and inviting, with merchandise that allowed you to approach it. What really gave this store the "ahh factor" was its use of color on the walls and floors combined with excellent merchandising by color and form.

This store proved that ceramics can stand on their own. And while storeowners might be tempted to stick with white walls as a blank canvas for colorful pottery, these walls, glazed with deep, strong Mediterranean colors such as yellow ochre, sand, and coral, all combined to create a warm, inviting atmosphere. These colors made both the store and the customers glow with warmth. Glowing is always good for an "ahh."

Beyond that, such simplicity of presentation highlights the value of the merchandise. Tschotchkes travel in crowds. Artwork stands alone.

But be warned: A simple presentation only works when the merchandise requires it. Don't try to display inexpensive merchandise as if it's a museum piece. That will only confuse the customer, and probably irritate them.

On another trip, I was in Westhampton Beach, New York, where I found a charming store called O'Suzanna. This store carries pottery — but unlike the Seattle store, it has a huge selection, creating a "hunt and peck" atmosphere. Because space is at a premium in this store, merchandise is displayed much more intimately.

O'Suzanna also knows its community and customers. Located on the main street of this sophisticated beach town, the shop caters to vacationers and part-time residents, as well as the year-round residents. Along with the fabulous ceramics lines, it carries a fun grouping of beach totes and hats that not only add color and texture to the store, but sell quickly. Of course, because the owners are smart merchandisers, there is a mirror right next to the hats.

Just down the block from O'Suzanna is another specialty shop, The Little Red Wagon, which offers gifts, clothing, and toys for children. The owner created a variety of great design touches that make a customer look around in wonder when she enters. One such design element is a 2½" deep gloss white molding mounted two feet from the ceiling — making a little shelf on which small, colorful toys and an imitation beach fence made out of tongue depressors are displayed. Such a display is charming, easy, and fun. I'm always impressed by terrific in-store displays created on a low budget — that's the kind of "ahh" environment that is truly magical.

The ideas that impressed me are all very simple. Each is something you can do tomorrow in your store to create a focal point and add some impact.