MARKET OVERVIEW
The clothing and accessories we wear tell a story, from our professional lives to our personal lives, clothing plays a role. Then came the pandemic and those roles changed, at least for the time being. Working from home and staying at home decreased the demand for suits, dresses, and fancy shoes and increased the demand for casual wear, athleisure, and loungewear. Pivoting and making quick changes meant survival for retailers during the pandemic. The purpose of a store was redefined as stores began offering curbside pickup and contactless payments and turned some locations into online warehouses to help with supply chains constraints.
MERCHANDISING STRATEGIES
When customers returned to physical stores, retailers had to once again reimagine experiential retail. As demand for contactless fulfillment offerings like buy online, pick up in store surged, retailers looked for ways to make these services more sustainable and link the physical store with the digital.
To maintain physical stores as the preferred shopping outlet, retailers found ways to integrate in-store and online shopping experiences and provide access to products that are not immediately available. Vanguard Companies help brands and retailers in their omni-channel efforts by bridging the in-store and online experiences with targeted messaging on displays, signage, and packaging. Vanguard connects consumers to brand-generated content with scannable, digital code embedded in the display art.
Signage is another way to retailers improve the in-store experience for shoppers. Signage serves three purposes: wayfinding, promotional messaging, and branding. It is one of the easiest ways to help inform and guide shoppers through the purchase process by helping customers find categories and products. Information about products and promotions helps shoppers make decisions. Retailers and brands also use signage to communicate the brand story and convince shoppers to buy.
Sustainability is major concern for shoppers and it goes beyond the products and their packaging. It also involves the in-store signage and displays, along with the packaging used for shipping. Average box size and usable packaging all play a role in reducing the carbon footprint on the planet. Vanguard’s sustainability initiatives begin with the manufacturing facility and continues through to the signs, displays and packaging we create. In addition to our own sustainability initiatives, Vanguard is committed to using vendors who share its sustainable philosophies.
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