Display and Design Ideas - May 2009 - (Page 10)

10 | Newsworthy | Headlining GlobalShop sessions tout 2009 as a call to action “ his unprecedented era requires unprecedented action,” exclaimed Dan Stanek, executive vice president of Retail Forward, as he spoke to conference attendees at GlobalShop, held March 23-25 in Las Vegas. Stanek, who presented a realistic, research-driven view of the state of the retail economy, believes that 2009 will be worse than 2008, with steady declines until a bottoming out in the third quarter, when he feels the government stimulus will begin to take effect. Stanek cautioned retailers that troubles facing consumers today will pervade not just through the T Dan Stanek coming year, but in years ahead as well. “The issues we have today are not going to be going away any time soon,” he told the audience. “Consumers will become more cautious about spending for the next three to ﬁve years as they go through the ‘rebuilding’ process.” Consumers, he went on, will be rebuilding not only their conﬁdence in the coming years, but also their credit, their housing situation and their overall spending habits. To combat these inevitable changes, Stanek suggested that retailers ﬁnd a way to be more relevant to their consumers. Kellogg, Stanek explained, doubled their ad spending during the Great Depression—and came out with a commanding share of the market when the clouds started to lift. He suggests promoting a message of value (through lifestyle and money-saving strategies), values (people and planet, versus conspicuous consumption) and valued (tap into the local sentiment through personalization and making customers feel their worth). Also speaking on the economy, Dan Butler, vice president of retail operations for the National Retail Federation (NRF), in his GlobalShop session discussed the opportunities arising for retailers as the nation emerges from the recession. “As sales come back, so will stafﬁng,” Butler stated. Dan Butler He further suggested that the economic stimulus package could potentially lead to up to 350,000 new jobs for the retail industry, and that the supply of available store space will lead to a bevy of leasing deals as retailers look for new store sites in years ahead. Butler also suggested that retail CFOs are going to be more involved with key decisions than ever before, and that ﬁscal responsibility now has become a company-wide priority. “When it comes to design, the conversation has to start with what is the right thing to do for the business,” he emphasized. He further reiterated that retailers are using design to differentiate themselves in the market. He emphasized creating ﬂexible, resilient, impactful store interiors at a lower per sq. ft. cost, and using and editing color, lighting and space to the best advantage. “Make small BIG, and make BIG pay for itself,” he advised. —ALISON EMBREY MEDINA, EXECUTIVE EDITOR For additional GlobalShop seminar coverage, see page 42. | Green Wal-Mart Canada debuts environmental demonstration store Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc., will begin to roll out prototypical stores that are 30 percent more energy efﬁcient. The new Burlington supercenter is expected to use an estimated 60 percent less energy than the company’s typical supercenter store and to reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 141 tons. It is also expected to divert an estimated 85 percent of its waste from landﬁll through a variety of recycling programs. “We’re determined to build the greenest stores on the block, and our Burlington store puts us one step closer,” said David Cheesewright, WalMart Canada’s president and CEO. “We remain committed to being green, not only for the good of the environment, but for the long-term sustainability of our business. There’s a tremendous opportunity to reduce our construction and operating costs and to pass those savings on to our customers, who are looking for lower prices now more than ever.” The environmental demonstration store will feature a daylight harvesting system using skylights to refract daylight throughout the store, while light sensors monitor the amount of natural light available and rise, dim or turn off lighting as needed. The store is powered 100 percent by renewable power sources like wind and low-impact water power. An in-ﬂoor radiant heating and Continued on page 12 al-Mart Canada Corp., which operates 316 retail outlets, has unveiled its ﬁrst environmental demonstration store in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. The store features a ﬁrst-of-its-kind application of geothermal technology in a large-scale Canadian retail operation, as well as energy-conserving lighting innovations, among many other sustainable features. This year, Wal-Mart Canada, a division of W | May 2009 www.ddimagazine.com http://www.ddimagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Display and Design Ideas - May 2009

Display and Design Ideas - May 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Consumer Insights
Greentailing
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot
Channel Focus: Convenience/Drug
Michaels
Shopping Malls
Right Light
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
GlobalShop Coverage
Trends
Booth Winners
Conference Sessions
Products
Calendar
Advertisers
Classifieds
Shopping with Paco

Display and Design Ideas - May 2009