Degree
1. Introduction
Jimmy Choo Man is a shoe retail company that has several retail stores around the world. Known for its unique urban style, and simple lines, the brand appeals to men aged 25-45 with college or higher education, and living a modern lifestyle (Alexander 2015). The company was founded by Jimmy Choo and his niece, and the first store opened in 1996. Today, the company has more than 150 stores worldwide, and the brand is present in 32 countries (Jimmy Choo 2017). It also has an online retail store. Designing the layout and style of the store should be based on the values and visual effects created by the company, as well as the overall image of the brand. Being asked by the leadership to create a display and layout for a store, the author will review the main brand messages and the target market of the company to create a good visual match for the represented values.
2. Principles of Brand Image and Store Design
According to Pegler (2007), physical stores are extensions of the retailer’s brand identity. This indicates that the presentation of the merchandise has a great impact on the strength of the brand. With a global brand, however, it is also important that the store has some unique distinguishing features. As Pegler (2007: 4) states: “Many retailers, hoping to expand into multi-store chains, know the importance of that recognizable Retail Brand Image and how it plays in the marketplace”. Porter et al. (1997) also created a study that focused on the brand image and its connection with the strength of the company’s message, finding that matching the design to the brand image can increase brand recognition and prominence. The impact of lighting should not be neglected, either, as it is important for representing the style and beliefs of customers, as Schielke (2015) states. According to the author, store lighting has a great impact on the brand classification and personality in the fashion retail industry. It represents social status, attractiveness, and value. This is the main reason why most designer stores are well-lit and use shiny objects or glitter flooring: adding glamour to the shopping experience. Another researcher from Romania (Tanase 2011) found a correlation between brand architecture and customer relationships. The research highlights the fact that “s perceptions about a retailer as reflected by the brand associations stored in consumer memory” (Tanase 2011:5), therefore, the shop design should be unique and memorable. Further, shop design can be a tool for the brand to differentiate itself from competitors, create continuity in its marketing strategy, and compliment other marketing elements.
3. The Importance of “Place” in the Marketing Mix
The Marketing Mix consists of the Five P-s: Product, Place, Price, People, and promotion (Kotler 2006; Oliver 1997; Shankar and Chin 2011; Borden 1984), and they all play a crucial role in connecting the offers with customers. Borden (1964) was one of the first researchers who acknowledged this importance. Owomoyela, and Oyeniyi (2013:488), the place element “encompasses all decisions and tools which relate to making products and services available to customers”. Location also has a great importance in reaching the target market. Tanase (2011) identified retail site location as one of the most important elements of a brand’s marketing strategy. All the elements of the marketing mix (4P or 5P, sometimes 9P) have a direct impact on customer satisfaction (Pour et al. 2013; Mason 2007), and distribution channels or methods should be aligned with the expectations of the target customer. Pour et al. (2013) states that “in today's global business environment there is increasing complexity, rapid change and unexpected developments”. As Jimmy Choo Man is a relatively new, modern company, its retail store design should be reflecting a youthful, dynamic, and responsive image that the target customer is looking for.
3. The Elements of Store Design as the Representation of the Brand Image
A recent Deloitte research (Deloitte 2015) identified retail stores as image builders in the luxury fashion industry. As the research confirms, “a store is where the brand can orchestrate a multisensory, immersive experience that enables the consumer to identify and aspire to various brand attributes” (Deloitte 2015: 24). The brand values of Jimmy Choo can be identified as: providing quality products, ethical responsibility, helping those in need, optimism, modern view of life, simplicity, self-assertion, and craftsmanship. This indicates that the store design of the company should be built on a modern, light look, with luxurious but simplistic decoration, and bold contrasting colours. The unique designs of men’s fashion and accessories would be best represented on a clear surface. Brand colours should be easy to recognize throughout the store. Topete (2015) published a case study on Jimmy Choo, highlighting the unique retail design and merchandising strategies of the company that will assist the author of the current study in designing the 1200 square foot high end store.
4. Store Design
In order to represent the brand’s values, the store design should be representative of the colours of the company and the personality of the brand. Topete’s (2015) study revealed that Jimmy Choo was best associated with a personality that is “the right side of sexy”, daring, playful, cosmopolitan, and effortlessly glamorous. This means that white or black plain backgrounds emphasizing the sophisticated colours and shapes of accessories and shoes. For men’s clothing, black and white store design with see through shelves and lighting over the items would work the best. Attention seeking decorative items should be avoided, as the brand’s identity suggest effortless style. At the same time, it is also important that the company makes it easy to find the fashion items, therefore, there should be an organization method applied in the store. The best way to arrange the store would be to create a sophisticated shop window with the latest collections, and place the counter to the left hand side of the entrance. This way, customers can be greeted by the retail staff without feeling that they are being stopped and harassed. As the above review of luxury brand fashion retail has highlighted, it is necessary to make the shopping experience of customers as pleasant as possible. However, the target customer of Jimmy Choo is a man aged 25-45, affluent, educated, and cosmopolitan. He is independent, and might not want to be followed around the shop. As the target customer of the stores is likely to have a mobile phone, and be technologically literate, the shop could provide every display shelf with a button or OR code, so the customer can find out more about the item, price, and materials, before they make a decision. There would also be an option to ask a retail staff member to come over and tell the shopper more about the accessory, shoe, or other luxury fashion item. This would make them feel in control and valued as an independent customer.
On the right hand side of the store, see-through shelves would hold the items of the latest collection, provide more information about available sizes and variations. Individual lighting from above would focus in the fashion item, and the light will be energy-efficient, and cold light.
Colours would be used scarcely in the store, in order to emphasize the shapes and shades of the collection items. In the middle of the store, high shelves would display different shoe models, all individually lit using energy-efficient spotlights. The main organization method of the store would be based on displaying general and sale items in the middle rows in multi-storey shelves with individual compartments for each items, and the latest collection on the side, in clear, see-through compartments with more information and interactive buttons to find out more. All items would have a photo displayed next to them being worn at the latest fashion show, so customers can see how they look like.
Overall, black and white should dominate the store’s design, and the floor should be either grey or black with slight glitter pattern to display a sense of playfulness and daring, associated with Jimmy Choo. The main lighting of the store should be ceiling spot lights, however, the floor should reflect the light providing customers with a glamorous and relaxed, luxurious atmosphere. Air condition should be discreetly used, and a quiet model needs to be utilized. Upbeat, modern music should be played in the store on low volume, to create an ambient feeling (Bruno Mars, Michael Buble, John Legend, Chris Brown).
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