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Going GlobalShop-ping
On its silver anniversary, the GlobalShop Show promises to be as fresh as ever.
Carol Radice
January 1, 2018
10 Min Read
The GlobalShop Show celebrates its 25th anniversary at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas March 28-30. Over the years GlobalShop has grown more successful, in part because it combines retail design and operations, merchandising, fixturing, shopper-facing technology and marketing, attracting many of the retail world’s top influencers under one roof.
For the past quarter of a century, GlobalShop has served the industry as a platform for growth, education and innovation, attracting more than 11,000 retail professionals each year. Doug Hope, GlobalShop founder and show director, notes that efforts have been redoubled this year to ensure the show remains relevant and appealing to a wide range of attendees. “Retailers are always looking for inspiration, for fresh ideas and innovative solutions to optimize their retail environment and our show delivers,” he says.
Hope says hundreds of the industry’s top retail suppliers will be on hand this year, displaying the latest solutions to help retailers stay competitive. “The show offers attendees an opportunity to be hands-on with the latest advances in our industry,” he adds.
In this day and age, it is becoming more critical that retailers deliver great experiences to shoppers, moving them into the progression of buying goods. “That’s why our theme in 2017 is ‘Experience Defines You,’” says Hope. “Staying true to that theme we have developed the Experience Journey, which maps out experience points on our show floor and in exhibitor booths that have inspiring new ideas that retailers can implement into future and existing projects,” says Hope.
This year, GlobalShop features a number of educational sessions led by today’s industry thought leaders and retail experts who will be on hand offering ideas and practical takeaways.
Jacques Panis, president of Shinola, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker. He will kick off GlobalShop on March 28th, with his comments on “The American Experience,” followed by a Q&A with Women’s Wear Daily editor, Maghan McDowell. Attendees are invited to join Shinola and WWD to hear about the experiences built into his stores that make it easier for consumers to appreciate the Shinola brand and its core values.
On March 29th, the Retail Roundtable will be presented by the Christine Taylor Collection. Roundtable participants will be discussing the state of the retail landscape today. Evening events include the Shop! Awards Celebration, taking place at LIGHT Nightclub. The awards recognize the best in retail design and experiences. This year, the awards show will include the OMAs Design Awards and Global Awards.
Roopjot Derose, marketing manager for Dana Industries, based in Toronto, says attending GlobalShop gives the company the opportunity to introduce new and exciting products and services to attendees. “Retailers and brands appreciate and see our passion and gain a better understanding of our company’s unique capabilities,” says Derose, adding “Dana is at GlobalShop to tell the type of story you can’t learn from a photo, and to show retailers we have the in-store solutions they are searching for.”
For officials at Trion Industries, based in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., GlobalShop’s long history of attracting qualified buyers is one of the reasons they attend the show. “During the past 25 years, the show has developed a strong reputation of offering everything retailers need for their business and that’s something we want to be a part of,” says Phillip Thrash, sales and marketing communications specialist for Trion.
Team members from Plymouth, Mass.-based Bissell Commercial will also be exhibiting at GlobalShop. Scott Bienstock, vice president, national sales, says the show gives the company an ideal platform to display its line of products and discuss its warranty programs with retailers.
Harry Newton, director of sales and marketing for SPC Retail based in Holly, Mich., says the company has been exhibiting at GlobalShop for more than 23 years for one simple reason—the show provides the opportunity to meet with a variety of retail executives from different markets. “Our products and services are designed to serve a wide range of retail types, and GlobalShop is the only show that gives us an opportunity to meet with a diverse cross-section of retailers from all around the world,” he says.
Robin Brower, senior vice president of business development for Wood Dale, Ill.-based OPTO International Modular Displays, says GlobalShop is “the single place for hands-on exploration of retail’s newest developments.” Brower adds that there is no better place to showcase product, exchange ideas and foster relationships. “Retailers will find unlimited opportunities for inspiration, regardless of their size and specialty,” she says.
The following is a sampling of exhibitors and the products and services they will be highlighting at the show:
Southern Imperial
Southern Imperial specializes in the visual presentation of merchandise. The Rockford, Ill.-based company will be presenting a number of new innovations in shelf management, including its new Kinetic Shelf system, which company officials says is a cost-effective way to manage difficult-to-face products. The Kinetic Shelf features a patent-pending design intended to allow products to easily glide along the surface, making product facing easier.
“Retailers and brand manufacturers look to Southern Imperial to create and supply solutions to current retail challenges,” says Robb Northrup, director, marketing communications. “This includes everything from increasing merchandising space, product turns and brand recognition to reducing theft, spoilage and labor costs.”
Bissell Commercial
Bissell Commercial carries a complete line of commercial vacuums, sweepers and floor care equipment, as well as related accessories.
Bienstock says a key focus at the show will be highlighting some of Bissell’s upright vacuums and canister vacuums, as well as a backpack vacuum. Additionally, the company will be featuring its line of manual and battery operated indoor and outdoor sweepers.
The company also offers rotational warranty programs for some of its vacuums. Participants can rotate or switch out broken units for working units in a relatively short period of time which can reduce the amount of time that a store location is without a working vacuum, notes Bienstock.
RTS Retail
RTS Retail is best known for its kiddie cart, cart corrals, dunnage racks and demo/sampling kiosks. Darren Norley, national accounts manager for the Austinburg, Ohio-based company, says the goal at GlobalShop is to let retailers know RTS Retail is about more than just kiddie carts. “In addition to our carts, we are also a custom fixture manufacturer who can take an idea from concept to design and create these products in our own state-of-the-art facilities,” says Norley.
At GlobalShop, the company will be introducing its newest demo/sampling kiosk which allows retailers to not only provide customers with fresh, in-store samples, they can now sell product on the same unit without sending customers to the aisles looking for it. The kiosk comes with castors for maneuverability and is rotomolded for lightweight and indestructible durability.
MasonWays Indestructible Plastics
MasonWays Indestructible Plastics will be showcasing a wide variety of products at this year’s show including displays, merchandisers, fixtures and retail bases, plus recycle bins.
MasonWays is best known as a producer of economical recyclable plastic display merchandisers and bases. For more than 35 years, officials for the West Palm Beach, Fla.-based company have been delivering economical, high-quality products. MasonWays products carry a 10-year warranty and are produced with both recycled and virgin plastics. The company has six strategic locations to expedite deliveries and reduce shipping costs. According to Judd Ettinger, MasonWays’ president, the company’s manufacturing facilities host the most advanced equipment and are compliant to meet stringent quality control standards.
SPC Retail
For more than 30 years, SPC Retail has created modular, all-plastic displays for a wide range of retailers. SPC’s displays are made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic and are used for outdoor and indoor merchandising displays. Company officials say the displays are great for seasonal and drive aisles, focal areas and to create pop-up retail stores.
SPC will be highlighting some of its new displays while also demonstrating how it can be used by retailers to create a “Brand Soul” strategy, which officials say can improve the customer’s shopping experience and a store’s bottom line. “This year for the very first time, we plan to showcase the extreme ease and versatility of our Brand Soul displays by changing out the product and theme of merchandise set on our displays from one night to the next at the GlobalShop show,” says Newton.
Dana Industries
Dana Industries is introducing Dana Total Retail Solutions. The product categories falling under this new division are: shelf signage and packaging, store fixtures and accessories, shopping carts and baskets and Dana digital solutions.
Derose describes Dana Industries as a full-service provider with complete in-house capabilities. As manufacturers and marketers of shelf signage programs and store fixture components, he says the company can go from concept, to design, to prototyping, to full conversion and in-store execution. “We are a one-stop shop for all retail needs,” says Derose.
Versacart Systems
Versacart Systems is best known for its line of shopping carts, material handling and utility carts and shopping baskets and accessories.
At GlobalShop, the Boulder, Colo.-based company will reveal its new partnership with Joalpe International and the subsequent expansion of its product lines. Team members will also be highlighting back room equipment and its new nesting utility cart, the 33R. This multi-functional cart offers four different configurations in one cart for maximum versatility and efficiency. The 33R is part of the company’s new collection of stocking and utility carts, which is designed for to customers to save up to 500 percent of their backroom space.
“Versacart is dedicated to improving the user experience, which in turn improves sales and back room/stocking efficiency,” says Ginny Keaton, co-sales manager.
OPTO International
OPTO International is best known as a fixture manufacturer, but the company offers much more than that. With more than 35 years of industry-leading innovation and expertise, the company’s team of designers and engineers provide service and modern display solutions that are personalized and customized to each client’s needs. Through design-led, peer-to-peer collaboration, the company focuses on fully understanding a retailer’s story to communicate their brand.
At GlobalShop, look for their expanded product offering with highlights including modern fixture profiles and lighting integration. “From personalized design consultation, standard and customized fixture developments, we’ll be showcasing services and solutions to tell your brand story,” says Brower.
Trion Industries
Trion Industries is best known as a retail and point-of-purchase fixture maker. Product lines include shelf management systems, cooler and freezer merchandising systems, storewide labeling systems, anti-theft and security fixtures, bar and tray merchandisers, sign systems, display and scanning hooks, POP display components and hardware.
At GlobalShop, Trion will demonstrate how its WonderBar and tray merchandising systems can enhance any store, improve product and category management, while reducing labor and shrink costs.
Forte Products
Forte Products, based in Kansas City, Mo., is best known as a manufacturer of fixtures and equipment. This year at GlobalShop, Forte will feature its U-link Curve Merchandiser, which company officials say is a unique, and versatile fixture that is decorative in appearance and functional in application. It can be used in different configurations and it provides a two-tiered space for merchandising products, officials add.
LEDingEDGE Lighting
LEDingEDGE Lighting is best known as a U.S. manufacturer of LED lighting and LED lighting components for use in retail store display applications. The Camarillo, Calif.-based company’s all new IP 68 waterproof rated linear LED Luminarias have excellent lumen per watt efficacy and a very high CRI rating for color retention, say company officials.
“Our solution to the problem of flexibility in lighted shelving/gondola display is our all new TIPS low-voltage power distribution system,” says Bob Semerau, marketing manager. TIPS allows users to move shelves with ease and without having to rewire the gondola each time, he says.
Bunzl Retail
Bunzl Retail’s goal at Global Shop is to have meaningful business discussions with its current customers and to introduce its services to potential new customers. Bunzl Retail will be highlighting its supply chain optimization solutions for both resale and not-for-resale categories to drive profitability. Bunzl Retail consultants will show retailers some of the latest retail supply items available through the Bunzl Global Retail distribution network.
The company, which recently moved its headquarters to Bethpage, N.Y., is part of a global distribution network that provides retailers around the world with a single source for their operational supplies, branded packaging, props and decor and material consolidation services. Retailers leverage Bunzl Retail’s creative, sourcing and logistics capabilities to operate more efficiently and enhance their customers’ omni-channel brand experience, says John Henry Flerx, senior vice president.
