Issue: June 2009  

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West Marine: For the love of boating
The in-store experience is perhaps the most important expression of the West Marine brand—it’s where all the spirit and adventure of boating comes to life for customers. West Marine, the leading specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories, knew their stores weren’t delivering on this brand expression so they challenged Chute Gerdeman Retail to create a memorable and effective flagship retail store in Jacksonville, Florida, that would expand the experience and assortment to attract a wider customer base.

Several key strategic goals drove the design. West Marine wanted to broaden their audience by inviting more recreational customers into the world of boating and fishing. To do that, a new real estate strategy was developed to gain visibility in mainstream customer locations. The retailer also wanted to adopt more entertainment-based, lifestyle-driven design and merchandising strategies. Integral to Chute Gerdeman’s design strategy was to elevate the West Marine brand voice while quieting, but not eliminating, the vendor voices also present in the store. [More]

    
West Marine
In Other News...
What's Your Brand's Secret Sauce?
Sweet or spicy, it’s what makes you stand apart from the competition. More and more customers are studying what the market has to offer and then carefully evaluating a product's features and benefits before buying. A great way to appeal to customers is to focus on the end use of an item. Shoppers who ask "What's this going to do for me?" will become buyers when you show them. [More]
Flippers Pizzeria: Passion for Perfection
Flippers Pizzeria has unveiled a new identity and branded restaurant environment, working with Chute Gerdeman Retail. The first prototype location opened its doors in Orlando May 6. The new warm and casual design communicates Flippers’ freshness message while maintaining its operational efficiencies. [More]
20th 20/20 Vision: Five Great Finds
In celebration of Chute Gerdeman’s 20th anniversary, we’re introducing a new Gist feature—20/20 Vision. Twenty years at the forefront of retail strategy and design has given us a unique perspective on our ever-changing industry, and our trendwatchers are bringing you their insights—everything from consumer trends and hot new concepts to cutting-edge materials and great do-it-yourself visual techniques. We’ll include five great finds in each quarterly Gist this year. By the end of our 20th year, you’ll have 20 great new ideas—all to give you a better view of the retail world. [More]
Katie's Top Five
Summer is finally here, so check out the hot new materials with shimmer and glimmer. [More]
Q & A Q&A with Bess Anderson
Director of Visual Strategy
The Gist sat down with Bess Anderson, in its continued quest to get inside the creative minds at Chute Gerdeman Retail. [More]
In the News CG in the News
Several Chute Gerdeman concepts and insights have recently been featured in the news. Read more about Barbie, Flippers, Hamleys Dubai, merchandising trends, and store refresh tips. [More]
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