When planning for your store opening, you may be considering purchasing mannequins. These silent partners represent a significant investment, and it is important to understand what kinds of mannequins you will need for your type of business before making such an expenditure.
Having a specialty boutique, you are limited in the product line you offer, so making this choice can be relatively easy. Having a deeper assortment of a narrow line of products requires fewer variations. You just need to find your theme and stick with it. In a full-blown department store, there are so many different needs for mannequins of different types, the selection process can be much more challenging. And in a mass-merchant store, display needs are totally different, when the goal is to assemble as much product as possible in the space in a fairly organized manner for the customers to shop. But regardless, the theme/style of the store should be matched to the mannequins and other fixtures.
What sort of boutique are you opening? Are you selling dresses? Accessories? Just formal wear? Or men’s business suits? Each will have its own needs for display, so plan accordingly. In a department store, a wide range of display fixtures will be utilized. In a mass-merchant shop, the point is to get the product out, with maybe fewer needs for mannequin displays.
The first question to answer is what is the style of your store? Are you high-end, formal? More casual? Do you emanate country style, or a more modern urban? How about retro chic? Mannequins come in a variety of styles to fit any of these decor options.
Super-modern and higher-end themes work well with shiny chrome-style fixtures. They come in assorted colors, including gold, and the add class and style to this atmosphere.
A retro-style shoppe likes old-fashioned and Art Deco style mannequins. These can be fabric or wire dress forms, or very traditional fiberglass figures painted with white skin and painted-on hair and make-up.
Menswear, activewear, and an urban vibe pair well with grey or black matte fixtures. In a department store, there will be many different product lines to display, but the overall store theme should be consistently honored throughout. Consider your product line and shop through the selection of finishes. Match your choice to your store theme and target audience.
Once you have chosen the materials you want to work with, no it’s time to take inventory of your stock. Is the display for full dresses, or just separates? Suits and formal wear? Will you also have accessories? Or are you just selling jewelry? Or maybe hats and shoes. Match the size of mannequin you’ll use to your products. In a section that is only selling shoes or accessories, it doesn’t make sense to invest in full body mannequins. You can purchase leg forms, foot forms, neck and hand forms. This will save you money, as well as valuable selling space.
If your store sells clothing, there are still decisions to make as to which forms would be best. First, consider how much space you have to allot to display. Even the best quality full body mannequins are a mismatch if your store space is too small. Pay attention to ceiling heights, as well. Remember that there is such a thing as a headless mannequin, or forms that are pose sitting or reclining, if a full body makes sense for your line but your ceilings are low.
How many mannequins to use is another very important consideration. Again, these forms represent a significant investment, easily costing $250 each on the low end, and the price goes way up from there. A boutique with less space to fill might get by with just one or to for their most show-worthy peices, but a department store will need several in each department. One way to save money is to combine full body manniquins with a selection of partial forms for different appropriate items.
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An island dislay of full mannequins is a great way to introduce the boundary of a new department, with partial forms used aroung the selling floor to add interest at a lesser cost.
in a mass-merchant store, fewer mannequins are likely to be used. If the store has a clothing department, perhaps only use a form to highlight the best items or to indicate the opening of the department. If no clothing is sold, often a merchant might use a mannequin scene to demonstrate toys, outdoor cooking equipment, or other activity items.
The best way to decide the needs of your individual store concept is to take a good, unbiased assessment of your store’s offerings and needs, and look around at many examples of what other sellers are doing. You can grab some great inspiration for your own business, and avoid costly mistakes of buying mannequins that might not really work for you. It may be wise for you to by mannequins and display forms “as you go,” starting with some economical basics and then taking the time to get to know your business (and customer base) first, feeling out where you can add something more, while also keeping an eye out for the opportunity to purchase at a discount or previously-used mannequins and forms. Adding in new displays will also create interest for your customers and give them a reason to keep stopping in, to see what cool new displays you may have added recently.
Who wouldn’t want to be the first to meet your new headless silent partner?
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