Displays & Signs

Market Track compared retail circular advertising in June 2016 vs. June 2015 and noted trends occurring across top retail chains.    Kroger increased their total circular pages by nearly 42% in June. Whereas in 2015 their 6/28 circular featured a handful of deals on patio furniture and accessories, their 6/29 circular this year featured a July 4th theme with several pages dedicated to grilling proteins, grilling accessories, patio equipment, and other holiday food and drink categories.  

RANDOM NOTES: The North Face unveiled a new store pilot — complete with a Redwood tree — at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, Calif. The 6,500-sq.-ft. store combines the best of digital in-store technology with features that speak to the locale and the brand’s DNA. Highlights include interior digital “sky windows” that feature artistic, atmospheric content. At the heart of the store stands a reinvented, salvaged Redwood tree. ...

Jeff Rubin, founder and CEO of It’Sugar, has always had a sweet tooth — and a passion for retail. Both are in his DNA. His father owned a chain of toy stores in the Midwest. After leaving the toy business, he went on to open a chain of bulk candy stores. Rubin worked on Wall Street for a while before returning home to help run the candy chain. In 1994, he left to go out on his own. He’s been on an upward trajectory since.

Experts credit Rubin with breathing new life into the candy store format.

Dyson, the consumer electronics brand best known for it pricey vacuum cleaners, has opened a store in the heart of London’s main shopping district.   The sleek, futuristic-looking store, on Oxford Street, is designed to allow shoppers to see and test Dyson’s complete line of vacuum cleaners, fans, heaters, humidifiers and other products, with some 65 items on display. It also has 64 different dust/dirt samples and four floor surfaces available on which customers can to test vacuum cleaners.   

Racine, Wisconsin’s planning commission has overturned the local Regency Mall’s policy to suit the signage requirements of new retailers there, according to a report in The Journal Times.   When J.C. Penney closed its doors at the CBL & Associates-owned mall, the vacant space was favorably distributed among three new tenants. All three, however, had issues with the space allotment for their signs.   

A coordinated rebranding effort has resulted in a new name for retail associations POPAI and A.R.E, which merged last October.   The new, combined group has changed its name to Shop!, a trade association focused on enhancing retail environments and experiences. The name is designed to represent the 2,000-plus global member companies and align with the full industry community they support.  

Kellogg’s is in a New York state of mind. Times Square to be more specific.    On July 4, Kellogg's will open Kellogg's NYC, its first-ever permanent café, at 1600 Broadway.    

Photo: Jeff Rubin, Founder, CEO, It’Sugar (Credit: Patrick Gray, Kabik Photo Group)   Jeff Rubin, founder and CEO of It’Sugar, has always had a sweet tooth — and a passion for retail. His father owned a chain of toy stores in the Midwest. After leaving the toy business, he went on to open a chain of bulk candy stores.