DDi - October 2013 - (Page 16)

16 | Shopper Insights State of the industry I t’s always good to know where one stands. As they say, if you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it. But, more importantly, assessing the current situation helps all of us to step away from the fray of daily life and take stock of things with a more objective eye. It allows us to keep things in perspective and, in many cases, truly appreciate those things that we enjoy. This is one reason why companies have retreats, presidents have State of the Union addresses and individuals meditate, so I’m told. We always look forward to DDI’s State of the Retail Design Industry Survey findings. It allows us to gain an objective assessment of how we are doing. Not only as an industry, but also how our businesses are doing vis-à-vis the industry. We approach the report with hopeful optimism that things are truly improving, and that we are similarly keeping up with the positive momentum. And, if we’re not keeping up, it certainly provides motivation to improve our game. It’s just our competitive human nature. Earlier this year, POPAI released results of our 2013 Size of the Industry study to the sponsors of that effort with a broader release of information to be shared with the industry in December. So, it’s official. The statistics confirm it. Our gut tells us it’s true. In spite of the naysayers and pessimists out there, we can confirm that the state of the industry is strong—and growing. From all indications, this trend will continue for the foreseeable future. Now that is something worth meditating about. I can tell you that there is plenty of good news and that the marketing at-retail niche of the industry remains strong. —Richard Winter is the president of POPAI, The Global Association for Marketing at Retail, an information source for brand marketers, retailers, producers and suppliers. Find out more at www.popai.com. In spite of the growing number of channel options for marketing dollars, including some attractive opportunities using social media, in-store continues to deliver the results that savvy brand marketers and retailers rely upon to convert shoppers into buyers. As it relates to the U.S.-based producers of displays and in-store marketing solutions, the state of the industry is very good. More than half of the Size of the Industry survey participants reported an increase in sales over the past 12 months, with an average increase of 21 percent for those with growing sales. Some categories are stronger than others, but overall growth abounds. Moreover, although there has been significant industry consolidation over the years, there is still room for all players—big and small. Sales increases were reported by the larger, more established companies, as well as by the numerous small businesses that support the industry. But, most of us did not need numbers to tell us things were good. You can see it in the attractive new retail store designs, creative instore promotions and the smiles on our peers’ faces. Once again, we can be confident in our step and optimistic about the future. What a great industry we are in. Source: POPAI’S 2013 Size of the Industry Survey | October 2013 www.ddionline.com http://www.popai.com http://www.ddionline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - October 2013

DDi - October 2013
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Shopper Insights
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Restoration Hardware (RH)
Converse
American Express
State of the Retail Design Industry 2013
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds

DDi - October 2013