Dolce and Gabbana, London

Thankfully we have spotted a few schemes around town which are not in Sale (finally) including this one at Dolce and Gabbana.  We find the schemes here a little 'hit and miss' at times, however we do rather like (although we are not so excited that we cant sleep) the simplicity of this scheme at this store with their articulate arms and hands holding onto the merchandise.  Not very revolutionary, but we guess in the context of Sale windows this is a welcome relief.

Gola, London

We are always rather pleasantly surprised when we see Gola's windows along Carnaby street here in London's West End.  For the size of the space that they have we have sadly come to expect so many retailers to put a large graphic in place.  However, not these guys.  The space is quite difficult to photograph when its dark and during the day we have problems with the reflection on the glass and therefore we dont always include these guys, although we do follow what they do.  We dont shop here but we like to look now and again and therefore the significance of the number 29 is a little lost on us, although we're sure it must mean something to someone out there.

Fred Perry, London

Its been quite a difficult week trying to find creative schemes, however thankfully Fred Perry are rocking the Sale period right now.  Quite a few brands have been highlighting their heritage over the past few months and rightly so too as this particularly draws in the international clientele.  Faux brands and fake heritage also are a huge turn off for us so we love the depth and the details highlighted within this scheme that otherwise would have gone perhaps unnoticed unless one is actually part of the brand itself?  Anyway, another little winner from this brand we think, dont you?  

 

Y-3, London

As the majority of London is currently in 'Sale', as we mentioned recently, we currently only have images of Sale schemes for you to view.  Anyway, here's one from Y-3 which we rather like.

Diane Von Furstenberg, London

We're not massive fans of what this brand do here in London but as there is virtually nothing left to show you that is happening right now around town (unless you know otherwise?) therefore our hand is slightly forced.  So here you have it.

On the Streets, London

Well, we have to admit that there is so little happening 'out there' visually that we are only able to show you some bits and pieces on the high street around us.  As usual large format graphics are as big as the buildings themselves which actually compared to other cities is not very big at all. Anyway, this is all we have for you today unless you have something you wish to share?

London Telephone Boxes, London

Those of us in London right now cant help but notice these old style telephone boxes doted around the city; 100 in total (interestingly designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott who also designed another iconic London landmark that is now the Tate Modern).  Anyway, in celebration of 25 years of Childline various artists and designers have contributed to these incredibly missed boxes that were part of  London streets for so long (although there are still a few around Parliment Square which always have tourists hanging off the doors) and will be auctioned off to raise money for Childline.  A very worthy cause indeed and great to see these much loved telephone boxes once again.

Ralph Lauren, London

We are really struggling to find new and innovative schemes around town right now as everyone seems to have plunged very quickly into Sale.  Fortunately however, Ralph Lauren have just recently implemented their latest scheme which is definitely a breath of fresh air.  How fabulously architectural does this look?  We absolutely love what these guys are doing right now and couldn't wait to show you this scheme.

Guest Post from Michael Koploy: 5 iPad Checkout Tips Retailers Need to Hear

In a 2012 RIS News report, research found that 28% of retailers are in the process of testing tablets in their stores, and an additional 31% said that they would testing tablets this year.

Michael Koploy, ERP Analyst at http://www.softwareadvice.com/retail/ spoke with three retailers that have recently deployed point of sale (POS) solutions on the Apple iPad. They had five suggestions for retailers about to make the same investment:

1. Make a one-for-one exchange of cash registers for iPads. Because of the ease of deployment and access to extra iPads, retailers should only purchase as few tablets as they need. If retailers end up needing more tablets for the point of sale or would like additional tablets, they can easily purchase them online or at most local electronics stores.

2. Invest in Internet and wireless router upgrades. Because these tablets rely on an accurate WiFi connection, retailers should invest in an upgraded bandwidth package from a reliable Internet Service Provider (ISP). In addition, retailers should upgrade their wireless router so that the connection can meet Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards and is WPA/WPA2 encrypted.

3. Ask for assistance from resellers and mobile device management experts. These solutions are often very easy to deploy, but it is worthwhile to conduct product resellers to assist with setup and deployment when the time comes. Additionally, if retailers have multiple locations and need to connect/lock-down devices and their data, mobile device management (MDM) firms can be a big help.

4. Use the iPad to improve the customer experience. With a mobile POS solution, retailers can better service customers within the store aisles or eliminate checkout lines entirely. This provides ample up selling and cross-selling opportunity, as the negation of the physical point of purchase reduces the chance that the customer is emotionally “done” shopping.

5. Involve the customer at checkout. The retailers also suggested that others involve the customer at checkout to have customers share the experience with the iPad. One retailer noted that she commonly has customers sign and complete the transaction themselves. After the purchase is complete, customers were asked if they would like to take a picture using the iPad’s camera and share the picture on the customer’s social media channels.

For more tips from retailers, check out: 5 iPad POS Tips For Retailers, From Retailers.

Hackett, London

Oh those boys at Hackett have done it again.  Whether you are a fan of Hitchcock or not, you cant help but love what these guys have produced.  If you are familiar with the 1946 film Notorious which starred Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains; a story of the intertwining of three people's lives during an espionage operation then you will immediately recognise the narrative here.  What our images don't capture is the key which is suspended through the key hole (above) which of course was the iconic symbol for this particular film.  Anyway, while everyone is currently in Sale and we are struggling to find much else interesting, this scheme is certainly the highlight on Regent st. right now so thank goodness for this brand's efforts.

Zara, London

We adore the current scheme at Zara right now at their Bond St. store.  Its such a pleasure to see global brands going 'local' and supporting this creativity.  Mannequins sporting part 'hair' and part 'hundreds and thousands' (or sprinkles if you're reading stateside) and bowler style hats fashioned also from synthetic 'hair' styled to perfection.  Thanks guys at Zara; a great pleasure to view.

Puma, London

With a sea of Red placed everywhere around town right now it was refreshing to see something Red that isn't Sale.  OK, well, Puma are in Sale but look at the fascia here.  Using images of the old iconic London Red Telephone box in a repetition format, parts of the telephone boxes are in relief.  It really is great to see brands coming out of their window spaces and doing something albeit on a very small scale that we are so used to seeing in NYC and to a certain extent in Paris.

 

Accessorize, London

We are just about managing to squeeze out a little bit of Sunshine here in London in between the miserable rain showers, however, in the meantime these giant / out sized lollipops at Accessorize brought a huge smile to our faces.  Normally this brand have product stacked to the rafters so this is quite a refreshing change and as the stores are never large and therefore neither are the window spaces, the schemes are normally composed of something in cardboard technology.  While this is not necessarily a bad strategy, viewing these props is a very refreshing change