RETAILING entails not just selling, but rather the art of selling with the right ingredients that include merchandise, store design, sales people, product line and display. Yes! All these elements together complete the look of a store and grant a customer the end satisfaction.

When you are into the business of selling brands like Reebok,Nike,Adidas and the likes, emphasis is laid on the display of the products. Every market you go to there are similar brands in a department store, similar merchandise, but what really differentiates one store from the other is the visual display.

Earlier, it was a big contrast to shop abroad and shop in India, but over the last five years or so the country has seen a remarkable change in retail, not just the sales, but in the entire visual display of stores. During a recent visit to the CP market one could notice a significant change in the visual display of the stores, be it specialty or department. The first sensory perception gets into action when the eyes catch and convey the message to the brain – that this is the store that needs to be dropped into. Here most of the stores have display windows, some have it openback, where one can sneak a peek into much of the store, while some have a closed back, in which the store is not visible from outside except from the main door area, and some stores have a windowless window whereby the entire merchandise is on the shelves and can be seen from outside, having no display in the window area.

Most Reebok stores have an LED illuminated sportsbar (illuminated table) and the plasma screen lure one into the tech savvy world of Reebok. The concept of this sportsbar is absolutely practical, and does justice to the product line, displaying the sole of the shoe along with the head view . The feet of the table have small balls in them illuminated in white colour, and around the table the LEDs run in blue colour shouting the currently running campaigns of Reebok all over the world. Being an electronics engineer by training I realized that these LEDs are economical too.The LEDs, low in consumption do not need more than 0.1 watt to operate, enjoy a long life of up to 100,000 hours, and are of high luminous efficiency. They are also low heat emitting, environment protecting, unlike fluorescents with mercury, and are great for decorative yet functional displays. The concept of the sportsbar is the signature focal point at the entrance façade for most Reebok stores. The open back-windows on either side of the clean front form the primary display and the secondary display window. The primary window carries the Paris Trainer campaign. This window has the graphic as the backdrop and Reebok Pump Paris trainer line of shoes for display. The secondary window has the latest collection of shoes along with apparel on the nesting tables .

The windows are tastefully done, serving as a teaser to the wider display area. The windows, which were being changed once a month, will now undergo the exercise every fortnight, keeping in mind the new product line and campaigns.

Once inside, the rubber wood shade wooden flooring and the interiors of the store clearly convey the concept of the universal appeal. It's a truly international shopping experience.

The product display is on the lines of a contemporary art gallery with a high tech sporty feel to it. Multipurpose fixtures with slatwalls in pine complement the gray which is the logo colour and steel edging in the fixtures.

The wall spaces have been optimally used with multiple options of front facing, side hanging and for stackables. The fixtures accommodate 80 per cent of hanging and 20 per cent of stackables. These fixtures are made of board in pine, acrylic with steel edging.

The nesting tables and the T-rectangular fixtures are placed at least 5-6 feet away from the wall cases giving enough space to the consumer to walk around the table. An interesting semicircular table going into a curve is placed at the centre of the store as the focal point that has merchandise related to golfwear and fitness accessories.

The menswear display on the left and the womenswear on the right have a colour story of only 2-3 colours which help the consumer make an easy choice with the coordinates, making the display look absolutely clean.

Both the womenswear and menswear have a headless mannequin displaying the merchandise next to these shelves, showing the related merchandise and the wearability, giving a complete look to the consumers.

In most stores the cash counters are located at the centre line near to the wall case fixture, having all impulse items next to it which includes socks and caps. The cash counter is illuminated with a translucent acrylic case.

Walking towards the rear of the store are the fitness accessories like yoga mats, duffel bags, sports bags and water bottles.

The store has one trial room with silver laminate and is absolutely on clean lines, no images or graphics, just one mirror and fixture to hang clothes.

The back wall is the complete shoe wall. It also has a reflective steel panel and panels in metallic blue breaking the monotony of the entire shoe wall. The entire wall is divided into independent panels of different categories of shoes, with effective and clean signages, rendering decision-making easy for customers.

Fluorescent blue lights illuminate the stair case, and the boundary has both white fluorescents with halogens as spotlights directly on the merchandise.

The focussed interiors and window display of this Reebok store thus herald the beginning of worldclass visual merchandising in India, endorsing the global youth through music, technology and sports.