Spanning the GlobalShop

There is no shortage of products and services for retailers to checkout at GlobalShop 2013. The GlobalShop trade show and conference dedicated to design, visual merchandising and shopper marketing has been connecting retailers, brand marketers and industry suppliers for 20 years. Its educational sessions, peer networking and interaction with suppliers have helped retailers build their brand, creating a more effective retail environment, says one association official. The show offers retailers a first-hand glimpse of the latest innovations, the ability to discover new retail vendors and reconnect with their current business partners. GlobalShop 2013, being held at McCormick Place in Chicago, April 16-18, will once again feature multiple pavilions all in one location. It is here that the top companies in fixturing, store design and operations, retail marketing services and kiosks gather to highlight their latest solutions, innovations and products. Each year the show attracts nearly 12,000 industry professionals all looking to learn about the latest emerging retail trends. Industry observers say the show is a must-attend event for anyone wishing to remain current on the latest trends and learn how to use the right tools to connect with consumers. The following is a brief sample of some of the companies exhibiting at the show: Amerlux Many retailers understand how LEDs can reduce energy and maintenance costs. Most do not understand how to use LEDs in their stores. Amerlux, based in Fairfield, N.J., will be at GlobalShop to help retailers gain a better understanding of which LED fixtures and options are best to use. The company will also have its full line of accent LED lighting products on display. The company is featuring the Cylindrix IV (C4) 66W LED accent. The C4 can replace Ceramic Metal Halide fixtures up to 70w, delivering better color, control and maintenance. “One of the biggest misunderstandings about LED is that all LEDs are long life, better color, easier to control and produce no heat, which just isn’t the case,” says Don Knickerbocker, director of supermarket sales. “You must be careful when selecting a LED product and that’s why at Amerlux we not only offer solutions, but also knowledge,” For more information, visit www.amerlux.com. Bedford Industries Bedford Industries will be featuring its ElastiTag. Officials for the Worthington, Minn.-based company say the ElastiTag offers a way for retailers to visually engage the consumer when launching a new product, giving product benefits or offering a coupon. The tags can also be custom designed into different shapes, helping to attract consumer attention and move more products off the shelf. ElastiTag benefits include the ability to “grip” products and stay in place, which allows it to work on uniquely shaped products and offers package reduction possibilities, add officials. “The high-impact ElastiTag allows marketers to create and attach promotional and advertising materials to the products both enhancing shelf appeal and promoting brand awareness without having to change their current packaging,” says Patsy Youngblom, marketing specialist. For more information, visit www.bedfordind.com. CIP Retail CIP Retail, will be talking to attendees about their wide range of services. CIP, based in Fairfield, Ohio, has years of experience offering turnkey solutions, from creative design and fabrication to installation. They also are experienced in delivering an outside design firm’s vision. “CIP partners with you every step of the way, making it unbelievably easy to turn ideas into reality and create truly smarter spaces,” says Mike Huff, vice president of business development. Huff adds CIP Retail’s approach is to treat every cubic foot of retail sales space as a precious commodity and to work with retailers to transform the way the space looks and feels. “Your retail space is where you connect with customers, forging relationships with them for, hopefully, years to come. Often times it is done in an overt way through great customer service, but it can also be done in a more subliminal way through the environment you create,” he says. For more information, visit www.cipstyle.com. Dana Industries With complete in-house capabilities, Dana Industries can go from concept, to design, to prototyping, to full conversion and in-store execution of shelf signage programs. The Toronto-based company will be highlighting several Dana Shelf Talker options at the show. Featuring its Raiser Back Lok technology, the Dana Blinker adds visual hot spots to shelf signage with the addition of a blinking light, say company officials. The Dana Mirror flags important, time sensitive and noteworthy messages. The company will also be highlighting its new line of data strips, the Dana AT Grip. Officials say their Vulcanized Ink and Integra Bend technology are two features that help set them apart from other shelf signage manufacturers. “What makes us different is our unique approach to every retail challenge and commitment to excellence,” says Roopjot Singh, sales and marketing associate. For more information, visit www.danaindustries.ca. ElectraLED ElectraLED is best known for producing energy efficient, LED lighting products for commercial use including refrigerated displays, signage, loading docks, walk-in coolers, security and flood lighting. Jeff Brooks, director of new business development for the Largo, Fla.-based company says in addition to its classic products the company will be focusing on some of their newer items at the show including its Kubeluxx, Heluxx and Solar Eclipse lines. “These new designs have all been engineered for maximum component life and are incredibly appealing to the eye,” says Brooks. The Kubeluxx line, specifically, is a complete family of LED fixtures using the latest generation of LEDs that brings together simplicity and elegance, with incredible lumen output in a great retail design, says Brooks. For more information, visit www.electraLED.com. FFR-DSI FFR-DSI will be displaying many of its 275-plus products, as well as featuring stock and made-to-order merchandising solutions designed to reduce labor, shrink and theft, while improving customer experience, sales growth and cost savings. One of the products FFR-DSI will be displaying is the Power Zone Sure-Set Self-facing System, which Jennifer Andrasik, assistant marketing manager for the Twinsburg, Ohio-based company, says is proven to reduce labor by as much as 67%. “Our Self-facing feature maximizes the impact of retail packaging, while reducing restocking and shelf conditioning time,” she says. The System offers a flexible storewide solution that keeps products at shelf-edge and easily accessible to shoppers, she adds. The newest addition to this proven family is the Kwik Connect Front Rail, featuring built-in fasteners to further minimize shelf setting time. The company will also be featuring its latest additions to the P.O.P. Security Invisi-Shield System, a product that company officials say has been proven to increase profitability by up to 60%. For more information, visit www.ffr-dsi.com. Lozier Corp. The Lozier Corp. will be introducing its Chef Collection. Company officials say that based on retailer feedback they created a contemporary fixture designed to help transform ordinary cookware and gourmet aisles into a feature shop worthy of being in the center of the store. The Chef Collection displays an array of shelves and accessories to showcase everything from cook and tableware to small appliances. It can also be used for cross merchandising featured products that tie-in with gourmet food selections. “The Chef Collection appears custom, but it is smarter than custom,” says Scott Muller, design concepts manager for the Omaha, Neb.-based company. “At Lozier we create solutions that hinge around the needs of retailers which includes elements of modularity and interchangeability with our wide array of shelves and accessories.” For more information, visit www.lozier.com LSI Floors In addition to talking to attendees about its product line, officials at LSI Floors will be highlighting the company, explaining its flooring options and custom capabilities designed to brand an environment and drive sales. Whether it is flooring that resembles cowhide or an ice rink, designers at LSI Floors say they can create just about any style of flooring imaginable in a wide variety of formats and sizes. “Increasingly retailers understand the importance and value of branding their spaces and our designers can help them achieve this goal in a unique way,” says Rick Moffatt, president and creative director of the Toronto-based company. “LSI was founded on a vision to add humor, warmth and a factor of cool to one of the hardest working surfaces in any facility. Our Imagination Studio was built as a vehicle for designers to create whatever unique designs they can imagine without sacrificing the durability they require.” For more information, visit www.lsifloors.com. Madix Madix will be featuring its Luxe displays at GlobalShop this year. According to company officials, the product assists retailers with creating a one-of-a-kind in-store display while maintaining the simplicity of installation unique to the Madix brand. Among the features that make the shelving stand out are a softer approach to metal fixtures and clean lines, both of which give Luxe an upscale feel with the benefits of a custom look, say officials for the Terrell, Texas-based company. Officials add that Luxe is ideally suited in more upscale retail environments where a “higher end” fixture is desired and can be configured to create aisle, wall or table design. “Luxe features a round upright that accepts Madix’s thousands of Maxi Line accessories, including shelves, baskets and hang rods which means the final look can be one of many,” says John Clontz, director of marketing and e-business. For more information, visit www.madixinc.com. MagneCorp MagneCorp will be displaying its Sign-EEZ and Hang-EEZ sign and banner hanging system. According to officials for the Minneapolis-based company, hanging signs and promotional materials from ceiling grids and windows are a great way to utilize existing space to place promotional messages for increased sales. Unfortunately many use ladders to hang these signs, which is often dangerous and can result in severe injury if a store associate falls. Officials say that MagneCorp’s No-Ladder sign hanging systems remove that risk and make it easy to hang signs from ceilings. The Sign-EEZ was designed for use on grid ceilings and MagneCorp’s gripper pole makes it easy to place the Sign-EEZ on the cross grids and magnetically hold the sign securely in place. The company’s Hang-EEZ product features large C-Hooks for placement on beams on open ceilings. For more information, visit www.magnecorp.com. RGIS Officials at RGIS will be featuring a number of its retail services including those addressing store remodels and resets. Mickey Rihtarchik, vice president of retail services for the Auburn Hills, Mich.-based company, says they provide everything from fixture installations to total space management. One of the products the company will be featuring at the show is SmartSpace, a fully integrated solution for macro-space management, designed to provide dynamic, up-to-date and accurate visual and data reference. “At RGIS, our focus is to help retailers achieve better profits,” says Rihtarchik. “We customize our retail services to help eliminate costly business disruptions, chaos, clutter and lost sales. Ultimately, our success is measured by the retailers bottom line.” For more information, visit www.rgis.com. RTS Retail RTS Retail will be featuring its recently launched “kidfluence” product—the Go Kart kiddie cart. Darren Norley, national accounts manager for the Austinburg, Ohio-based company, says the Go Kart is a two-tier specialty cart that helps entertain kids while creating a safe enjoyable experience so moms and dads can shop longer. The Go Kart is manufactured at RTS’s facility in Ohio and is one of many products in the RTS Retail One Stop Shop program which also includes cart corrals, cart wipes, dunnage racks, demo/sampling tables, recycling/waste containers, merchandising fixtures, store protection and more. Norley adds that in the few months since the cart debuted initial feedback has exceeded expectations. “One of our customers is reporting that they were easily able to lower their upfront purchase price, freight costs and back-end maintenance costs with the Go Kart vs. the competitors while improving the customer experience and providing a safer shopping experience for parents and children alike,” says Norley. For more information, visit www.rtsretail.ca. Southern Imperial Southern Imperial will be featuring the NEXT Merchandising System. Company officials describe the NEXT system as product facing tray system that allows retailers to create a visually stimulating billboard display and increase sales in almost any retail environment and category. Tom Valiulis, vice president of marketing and business development at the Rockford, Ill.-based company, says the NEXT System is “the most effective way to increase sales, increase merchandising space, reduce shrink and reduce labor costs.” He adds that the top features of NEXT include being adjustable, expandable and customizable for almost any type of product. “We believe that seeing innovative products such as the NEXT System at tradeshows like GlobalShop are a great way to learn about product benefits and discuss options with our representatives,” says Valiulis. For more information, visit www.southernimperial.com. Trion Industries New Dual Lane Tray Merchandisers from Trion Industries will be featured at GlobalShop. Gary Wozniak, regional sales manager for the Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-based company, says the trays allow for improved cross sell, more comprehensive adjacencies and better small product merchandising throughout retail. Wozniak adds that the Dual Trays allow retailers to sell a greater range of product and product families, including two completely dissimilar, unequal-size products in a single tray. In addition, separate paddles and spring-feed keep each lane individually faced and forwarded. Trion Dual Trays are made in the U.S., of sturdy steel construction and include replaceable parts to extend life and lower total life cycle cost. Trays can be configured for any merchandise category and offer a six-month ROI. “Our Tray Merchandisers have proven to maximize visibility, increase facing and enhance the total shopping experience,” says Wozniak. For more information, visit www.TrionOnline.com. Yunker Industries For nearly 70 years Yunker Industries has been manufacturing graphics and décor for the retail industry. Customers include brands, big box and specialty retailers, quick-serve restaurants, convenience stores and grocers. Specializing in helping retailers cost effectively reimage their stores through high-impact graphics and wayfinding, the Lake Geneva, Wis.-based company assists retailers in elevating their brand as well as their customers’ shopping experience. “Yunker distinguishes itself by offering a fully integrated level of in-house services including design, large format printing, décor and complete store installations,” says Jon Nedland, vice president, marketing and business strategy. “Our single source accountability makes us uniquely positioned to assist our customers and support their strategic objectives.” For more information, visit www.yunker.com.