THE COLOR QUOTIENT
EB’s monthly take on looks and trends that will build business and your image
Editor: Stephanie K. De Long
MARCH 2015 |
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Welcome to the March issue of the LOOK. This month we focus on how to use color and texture in your display and dispensing areas.
TALK TO US Send us pix of problem areas, solutions you’re proud of, or questions about merchandising. We’ll be happy to ask the experts to address your challenges. You can reach me on Facebook or email. Just let us know how we can help. CONTINUING ED Going to Vision Expo East? Join Travis Reed and me for “Visual Merchandising Problems & Solutions” on Sat. March 21. Go to www.visionexpoeast.com to register. |
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| TIPS & TRICKS |
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Remember your color wheel from school? Use that to determine the order in which to put colors. STARTING POINT: You can start with any color. It can be a trend color or you can work from light to dark or warm to cool. After you begin, however, follow the order of the wheel. The color next to the first one you use should be created with the color to which it is adjacent. OPPOSITES ATTRACT: Use opposite colors on the wheel (called complimentary colors) when you want to make the most impact. They include blue with orange, red with green (only during holidays!), yellow with violet, etc. When you use complimentary colors together, they exaggerate each other. If you create a display of blue frames, for example, a yellow backdrop will really make the product jump. |
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| HOW I... | |
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Visual merchandiser Travis Reed, president of Creative Visionary, tells how he adds color, texture, and a variety of treatments to a retail environment.
1. “Look at retail. Then reconsider how you are doing things. Add color and texture.” 2. “Know your color trends. Pantone is the company you want to follow (pantone.com) for yearly and quarterly trends. Marsala is the color of the year, and, for spring, designers are toning it down with pastels, neutrals, and understated brights.” 3. “Decide on an accent color. If your accent color is yellow, for example, try a stripe along a wall here and there.” 4. “Where can you add personality? A great way to pull in accent color and add texture and different treatments is through props, fresh flowers, throw pillows, custom upholstery, wall art, and rugs.” |
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SILHOUETTE SOLUTIONS “In practical merchandising, placing collections that are visually light toward the top yields the best results. Bolder, darker collections should be placed toward the bottom. Also, remember to keep them sparkling clean. In coming issues of The LOOK, we’ll provide even more tips on how to make your eyewear pop.”— Kristen McLaughlin, Silhouette Optical, Ltd. |
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EXPERT ADVICE Q: How can color help me sell more eyewear?A: Color sells. It is the most important tool available to visual merchandisers. ✓ Color excites, attracts, and moves emotions. In fact, 84% of purchase decisions are based on color. ✓ To some, color is more important than style, shape and even price. The grouping together of like product in a strategically positioned focal point, showing trend or merchandise conviction, will always attract attention. When presented as a color story (all product and supporting elements of the same color), it will attract even more attention. ✓ Color is also an important touchstone of your brand. A retailer like Tiffany's, with its proprietary robin’s egg blue, uses color as a projection of who they are. Also, the appropriate palette within your interior design package will keep customers in-store. Aesthetics count, and color sells. — Eric Feigenbaum is Chair of Visual Merchandising, LIM College, New York |
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