Merchandising as Storytelling
Storytelling is a powerful and positive tool in merchandising.
Take Industry of all Nations flagship location on Abbott Kinney as an example – where displays are more than seasonal ornamentation and marketing collateral reinforces the brands commitment to rethink methods of production for consumer goods and return manufacturing back to the regions where products and materials originate.
Thought-provoking and impactful visuals include:
- Apparel displayed thoughtfully by color on pine apparel racks along white walls with brief messaging to elevate the assortment, highlight design, and generate social awareness.
- An Indigoferia Tinctoria plant adjacent to containers of plant seeds, sticks, and powers to reinforce a commitment to natural dyes, sustainable resources, and clean clothes.
- A tightly curated grid photo storyboard of twenty images that demonstrates their attention to detail and commitment to developing goods horizontally in collaboration with local communities around the world.
- Multi-cultural marketing materials in a variety of languages to promote the brands fair trade practices, pledge to open boarders for all nations.
- Bowls of virgin fiber alpaca fleece to tactilely embody the foundation of quality and distinct design.
- The playing of a vibrant film on a small flat screen in a tertiary location near the dressing room to provide global richness.
Individually, each merchandising component is a simple, treasured clue. There’s a purposeful aesthetic subtlety in each element that gives way to a collective understanding of "what's happening here" without bohemian visual prompts or grandiose marketing fanfare. More importantly, the Industry of all Nations retail concept in Los Angeles allows the customer to engage in the experience on their own cultural terms.