River Island

When I used to work at River Island, I always used to notice how unusual their displays were. River Island has a very young and funky style, and I love how they use such bright, bold colours. River Island has their own team of visual merchandisers who go into the stores on a regular basis to create and maintain the displays. I decided to contact one of the members of the visual merchandising team from my local store that I used to work at, and ask them a few questions.

What is the procedure for creating the window displays?
Head office sends out a general brief to all the stores of River Island so that all the window designs are based around the same theme. The window displays obviously vary from store to store, due to the size of the shops, but it is very important that the themes are the same. The team then has to work fast to collect props and plan the construction of the displays. Construction of the window displays is normally done when the shop is closed and can be done in one night in most cases. Then the team maintains the displays and updates them on a regular basis.

What things do you have to consider inside the store for the customers benefit, and also for the shops benefit?
It is important to lead the customer through the shop in a logical order, encouraging them to stop at certain points and hopefully make a purchase. It is important that the shop is easy to shop in and to move about in. If the customer doesn’t feel comfortable then they are more likely to just walk out.

How important is lighting within the displays and also within the shop?
Lighting is extremely important as it can be used in a number of different ways. It can be used to highlight certain areas of the display, or simply just to provide enough lighting so thst the customer can find what they are looking for. We often use spot lighting as it is great for highlighting specific areas.

How do you use colour in your displays?
Colour is one of the easiest and most effective way of capturing peoples attention. Bright colours are always evident in our displays, as it reflects river Island products. However we have to be carefull with some colour assosciations as not to harm or offend anyone.