Connect with us

Specialty Non-Apparel

New York Nightmare

Grandin Road’s spooky home decor pops up in Macy’s Herald Square

mm

Published

on

Multi-channel retail brand HSN (St. Petersburg, Fla.) has partnered with Macy’s (Cincinnati) to launch the debut brick-and-mortar outpost of its home furniture and accessories brand, Grandin Road (West Chester, Ohio). A huge player in the holiday decor sector, HSN went slightly off the beaten path with the concept, adopting a Halloween theme for its first limited-run Grandin Road pop-up shop, open Sept. 1 through Oct. 31.

Opening in a physical retail store was hardly the first step for Grandin Road, founded in 2003, but it was a natural one, says the company in a release, stating that the success of its Halloween line has built steadily over the decade, leading to the decision to move beyond tele- and e-commerce. The National Retail Federation backs up that growth, reporting that, in 2015, Americans spent $6.9 billion celebrating the autumnal holiday, including a spend of $1.9 billion on decorations; Americans are expected to spend more than ever during the 2016 Halloween season with $8.4 billion projected.

Considered a destination for its legendary holiday and spring events and displays, Macy’s Herald Square was an ideal spot for the department store to debut the pop-up, as well. “Macy’s is known and loved for its place in bringing the holidays to life for customers across the country, and the new Halloween at Macy’s Herald Square was designed with that tradition in mind,” said Shawn Outler, svp of leased businesses for Macy’s.

To create the design and execute the build-out of the shop, the retailer tapped an outside design and merchandising company to come up with something totally custom, reflecting Grandin Road’s vision of an elaborate haunted house – with a touch of sparkle, of course. The pop-up is divided into four key zones: Spooky Apothecary, All Hallows Eve, Halloween Glam and Witches of Salem.

The brand’s decorations and home goods are the stars of the show, carefully incorporated into the story of each zone. Movement was imperative throughout to instill excitement; using cable-attached chandeliers and props, objects spin and sway within Macy’s 34th Street window. Shoppers are drawn into the pop-up space with digital signage depicting a swarm of spiders coming together to spell the retailer’s name. Once inside, guests are enticed to snap a picture in the pop-up’s photo booth, which they can then share on their social media sites.

Grandin Road’s primary goal in creating the pop-up was to offer its customers “boundary-less retail,” a way of developing relationships with their customers to forge long-term loyalty – something HSN CEO Mindy Grossman suggests was made possible by collaborating with the more than 150-year-old brand. “Together we are more powerful and can create a greater experience and greater customer acquisition,” Grossman said at Shop.org’s Retail’s Digital Summit, Sept. 27, in Dallas.

Advertisement

In producing such a playfully frightful, must-see seasonal destination, it sounds like they’ve accomplished all of that and then some.

PROJECT SUPPLIERS

Retailer
Macy’s Inc., Cincinnati
HSN Inc., St. Petersburg, Fla.
Grandin Road, West Chester, Ohio

Design and Merchandising
Winston Retail, New York

Visual Merchandisers and Brand Ambassadors
Winston Retail, New York

Photography: Courtesy of Winston Retail, New York

Advertisement

Advertisement

SPONSORED HEADLINE

7 design trends to drive customer behavior in 2024

7 design trends to drive customer behavior in 2024

In-store marketing and design trends to watch in 2024 (+how to execute them!). Learn More.

Promoted Headlines

Advertisement
Advertisement

Subscribe

Advertisement

Facebook

Most Popular