Going GlobalShop(ing)

The GlobalShop Show & Conference has earned a reputation as one of the largest annual store design and at-retail marketing events in the country. It attracts retailers, brand marketers and industry suppliers time and again—and this year’s show, which will take place once again at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas from March 23-25, is gearing up to follow suit. 

The year’s theme is “Come Wondering, Leave Knowing” and will include sessions on a wide range of topics from trends in design, space, lighting, fixtures and color to consumer engagement, shopper marketing and technology. “Since this show first began nearly 25 years ago, just about everything in retail has changed,” says Doug Hope, the founder and show director of GlobalShop. “Borrowing a page from many of today’s retailers, we wanted to shred every belief by featuring new speakers, all of whom are setting the trends and building retail’s future.”

Karen Katz, president and CEO of Neiman Marcus Group, will be the keynote speaker. She will join PAVE (the Planning and Visual Education Partnership) president, Harry Cunningham in a fireside chat to discuss The Evolving Style of Retail.

 Other special events slated to take place during the three-day conference include Wednesday evening’s 2016 A.R.E. Design Awards Celebration, which kicks off with a networking hour. Following the awards, GlobalShop’s Opening Night Bash will take place at Drai’s Beachclub, a nightclub at The Cromwell Boutique Hotel. Then on Thursday, POPAI will hold its Outstanding Merchandising Achievement (OMA) Awards in the Four Seasons Ballroom.

Yasmina Dhimes, director of sales for Forte Product Solutions, based in Kansas City, Mo., says GlobalShop is a valuable venue for retailers to find a great assortment of products and services that will help them make their brand stand out, engage customers and grow their sales. “Time does fly. Last year’s GlobalShop event seems like it was only a few months ago and the 2016 show is already upon us,” says Dhimes. “As we start thinking about booth design and décor, choice of products to display and what customers will be looking for, we also start pondering about our company’s goals for attending this year’s show.”   

Brad Cox, director of sales and marketing for Trion Industries, based in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., says his company regularly attends GlobalShop for a number of reasons, not the least of which is making and maintaining face-to-face relationships. Officials from Trion also use the show as a platform to introduce new products and better understand customer needs. “GlobalShop gives our customers the opportunity to see and touch what we have to offer as well as see what’s new in the industry,” says Cox.

Officials at Dana Industries say attending GlobalShop provides the opportunity to feature the company’s shelf talkers, introduce new products and services and create solutions for attendees’ in-store needs. “Retailers appreciate and see our passion, plus they can learn about our company’s unique capabilities,” says Roopjot Derose, marketing manager for the Toronto-based company. 

Marco Prete, general manager of Midway Displays, says the Bedford Park, Ill.-based company exhibits at GlobalShop because it is the single largest source for decision makers to find merchandising solutions for their products. “GlobalShop, being the largest venue of its type, makes it our best way to connect with the industry,” he says. “Our goal is to introduce our goods and services to, and connect with potential companies that will benefit from our products, by reaching all facets of the retail arena.”

Industry observers say, if for no other reason, retailers should attend GlobalShop to see the wide range of products and services available to the retail industry. Whether retailers are looking for store display fixtures, visual merchandising, digital solutions, in-store marketing, flooring, lighting or all of the above—it is all available at GlobalShop. 

The following is a sampling of exhibitors and the products and services they will be highlighting at the show:

The big news officials at Oakland, N.J.-based Amerlux will be sharing with attendees at GlobalShop is their recent partnership with Enlighted. Chuck Campagna, president and CEO of Amerlux, says that this new agreement will enable Amerlux LED lighting fixtures to be fitted with Enlighted’s lighting sensors and controls. 

Enlighted’s sensors are engineered with secure, data-rich architecture designed to provide unparalleled insights around the clock, while helping to achieve sustainability goals and reducing costs. The controls offer motion and photometric sensors, dimming capabilities and data collection. The system has the potential to extend savings to HVAC, real-time demand response, security and safety systems.

“This will give our customers the ability to have leading edge, control-embedded lighting that’s smart and code-compliant, while its efficiencies will dramatically impact their bottom line,” says Campagna.

Dana Industries

Dana Industries is best known for manufacturing shelf talkers, which help increase sales, promote brand awareness, decrease labor and maximize the value of a product’s space on the shelf. In addition to shelf talkers, the company also manufacturers pre-printed sign holders, iQtalkers, iQVirtual Stores, data strips and clear and printed packaging and clips. “We are committed to helping retailers and brands create outstanding shelf signage programs by helping them come alive where it counts, in-store and at the shelf,” says Derose.

This year the company will be showcasing its Dana Dimensionals, Dana Digital Signage and Dana Beacons. “We are helping retailers and brands connect the physical and digital, in a seamless way,” says Derose.

Forte Product Solutions

Forte Product Solutions is best known for its POS and POP fixtures. Its standard line of merchandisers are visually appealing, multipurpose, efficient and meet and exceed the criteria that retailers like to find in their search for new products and ideas, say company officials, adding that they are also able to design and engineer custom pieces. 

“The ability to accommodate customers’ demands is our specialty and one of the things that makes us a better company to service this market,” says Dhimes. 

Forte will introduce a new size merchandiser that is 24-inches by 12-inches by 6-inches. Complementing its series of existing merchandisers, officials say that this new item will give retailers more choices to maximize their use of space in different areas of the store, showcase their products in a highly visible and efficient style and provide additional opportunities to create more sales. 

Lozier 

Lozier has been manufacturing store fixtures for nearly 60 years. Officials from the Omaha, Neb.-based company will be highlighting its Moveable Point of Sale Display at GlobalShop. The display’s locking casters and durable steel construction allows it to be moved as needed for seasonal sales or special events. The unit has wiring raceways to accommodate equipment and includes a bag well. Plus, the flexible merchandising options hold a variety of impulse items. 

“The Mobile Point of Sale Display was developed to meet the need in retailing for nimble, flexible, multi-purpose display units,” says Kent Williams, a design consultant for the company. 

Midway Displays 

Midway Displays has been designing and producing point-of-purchase merchandising solutions since 1982. Its stock and modified-stock merchandisers are used by a diverse group of retailers and consumer product companies, as well as custom POP companies. Midway’s mission, says Prete, is to provide innovative, well-designed products, while maintaining the highest quality at an affordable price.

Midway Displays will be highlighting a number of its products at the show, including its new stock 4-Tier|16 Tub Floor Merchandiser. The merchandiser is designed as a long-term retail solution for presenting small individual products that otherwise would be lost in larger bins and do not hang well on hooks. “This new tub display is perfect for selling multiple flavors, colors and brands within brands,” says Prete, noting the heavy-duty, shatter-resistant tubs are manufactured for continuous retail use. A swivel sign clip can be added to the tub to call out promotions, pricing or other information.

Officials will also be on hand to discuss how the company’s products can be mixed and matched to create unique stock merchandisers and the impact a dynamic graphic package can make.

Se-Kure Controls

For 50 years, Se-Kure Controls has been working with retailers to reduce shrinkage caused by shoplifting. The Franklin Park, Ill.-based company specializes in developing, designing and creating both custom and standard state-of-the-art security products that help reduce theft and shoplifting as well as improve facility safety. Company officials say benefits of keeping the entire security process within Se-Kure Controls include the reduction in delivery times and improved quality control.

The Se-Kure team will be on hand to discuss its new Bottom of the Basket (BOB) Mirror. Officials say that the BOB Mirror, which installs in minutes, was created to help cashiers easily view the lower portion of the basket to ensure nothing is left behind in the shopping cart.

“For years, items left on the bottom of shopping carts, whether intentional or not, has been a loss issue for retailers,” says John Mangiameli, vice president of business development. “The Bottom of Basket Mirror saves time and effort for the cashier because it provides them an opportunity to view the bottom of the cart without leaving their register, and for retailers it offers a low cost method of reducing those losses.” 

SPC Retail

SPC Retail is best known for its specialty display design and manufacturing of durable, easy-to-assemble modular displays made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. One of the products SPC Retail will be focusing on is its Convertible Dump-Bin system, a 3-in-1 self-contained display solution. Its three-foot by three-foot footprint makes it an ideal choice for power aisles, seasonal, bulk or promo displays indoors or out, say officials for the Holly, Mich.-based company.

SPC will also be showcasing its Extended Tilt-Top Display System. The Extended Tilt-Top Display System is designed to provide more surface area for merchandising. It includes convenient storage underneath for overstock or cross sell opportunities. Officials say the display sets up easily without tools and is available in a variety of sizes. The Tilt-Top can be paired with other displays from the company’s product line to create focal or promo areas. Officials note the Tilt-Top is ideal for produce, baked goods, apparel and more.

“There continues to be major shifts in how and where consumers shop,” says Harry Newton, sales and marketing director. “This is forcing retailers to re-evaluate store layout, site lines, traffic flow, merchandise presentation and marketing strategy.” Newton notes that retailers must be agile and able to determine what constitutes a successful shopping and brand experience in the mind of today’s shopper. He adds that concepts such as Pop Up merchandising give retailers a chance to create excitement in the store that aligns with shoppers’ desire for a quick, easy, convenient and interactive trip. “Our displays are ideal for today’s fast, agile and always evolving retail selling space, including applications in live goods, produce, soft goods and general merchandise,” says Newton. 

Trion Industries

Trion Industries is rated among the top-50 North American retail and point-of-purchase fixture makers and is a leading manufacturer of display and scanning hooks. Product lines include shelf management systems, cooler and freezer merchandising systems, storewide labeling systems, anti-theft and security fixtures, bar merchandisers, sign systems, display and scanning hooks, POP display components and hardware.

Cox says the goal at GlobalShop is to have attendees come away with a better understanding of Trion’s display fixtures as well as the other products and services the company offers offers in a face-to-face setting.

“Most importantly, we want retailers to understand how Trion can help them optimize their display space, attract customers, increase in-store shopability, grow sales and cut labor costs with products that are built to last,” says Cox.

Since its inception in 1961, Zero Zone has been manufacturing energy-efficient refrigerated display cases and custom-designed refrigeration systems for a broad selection of retail industries. In recent years, the North Prairie, Wis.-based company has developed a line of reach-in display cases, the Crystal Merchandiser. 

The Crystal Merchandiser cases are not only more energy efficient, but they are also preferred by shoppers who seek packaged produce, wrapped meat and dairy that they feel is fresher, cleaner, safer and less handled by other shoppers, notes Carl Petersen, marketing and advertising manager. Zero Zone also offers a freezer version of the Crystal Merchandiser, available in single or back-to-back versions, enabling retailers to extend the unique Crystal Merchandiser modern look throughout their stores.

Zero Zone is also a leader in environmentally-friendly refrigeration systems. For example, it carries ColdLoop Glycol Secondary Systems as well as CO2 Systems that use natural CO2 in conjunction with reduced charges of either HFCs or ammonia. “With tightening EPA regulations, these systems are becoming more popular with retailers wishing to further their sustainability initiatives,” says Petersen.

However, what really sets Zero Zone apart, says Petersen, is the company’s responsiveness to retailers’ needs. He notes that Zero Zone’s products are custom tailored to each store’s unique requirements. 

“We do not push off the shelf solutions or make retailers jump through hoops to reach us. In today’s fast-paced world, retailers need quick, effective solutions from a partner they can trust and Zero Zone is committed to providing just that,” he says.