Kid Friendly: Gymboree's Playful Re-design
Gymboree sells kids apparel. Lots of it. And it is fashion. So not only does it change out seasonal and mid-seasonal styles often, the clothing is also very colorful and full of pattern. Also there are several age ranges that need to me merchandised, from Layette to Baby, and Young Kids to Older Kids.
Slatwall works for them, just from a engineering standpoint. But, it can have a way of looking not fresh, and not interesting. And while it allows for a lot of merchandise to be displayed, it does not provide interest or a breaking up of product categories.
Perimeter highlight areas use Sorbetti uprights with maple Sliders,and support frosted acrylic Plus Panels and graphic holders.
Gymboree contacted us to update their stores while still holding on to the basic slatwall perimeter. The solution: make the slats 6” on center rather
than 3”, and introduce the Sorbetti System, as well
as new materials.
While needing to refresh their look, the stores still needed to have an identifiable Gymboree brand appearance. So the slatwalls are done in maple, and the Sorbetti System incorporate maple Sliders (the pieces that are slid on to either side of the Sorbetti Upright, which are available in various species of wood and several acrylic colors.).
The Sorbetti System is used to make focal points along a wall, giving interest and creating relief amidst the long run of slatwall. These outward “bays” are also a vehicle to tell very directional product stories, promoting the overall color and design themes of the season. A special graphic channel holds a large photograph that reinforces the color story, as well as the recent marketing materials. Large photography also help with visual relief and contrast to the multitude of colors and patterns of the small garments.
Another interesting design aspect was the development of panels of frosted acrylic with a cutout in the shape of a “plus sign”.
In the wall Sorbetti applications, it allows the tone of the maple walls to glow through, while eliminating the strong horizontal lines of the slatwall. It is also a great way to enable the use of common and existing slatwall hardware. The “plus sign” shape
is an allusion to mathematics and learning, used in a functional way.
T-units on the floor use the “plus sign” acrylic panels, and can carry a tremendous amount of product. They allow the product to be gently backlit with light refracting in the panel. The panels allow merchandise on the other side of the unit to create soft glows of color, providing pretty interest, while still maintaining a clean background that is not too stark.
Special 2-way units were developed by our team that are basically a brushed metal upright frame. A custom “saddle” fits into vertical holes on the inside of the frame. The crossbar is then inserted into these saddles, pushing them against the frame and holding it in place. The crossbars are used to support double-
Perimeter units using Sorbetti Uprights
with maple Sliders, and a freestanding Sorbetti 2-way.
sided peghooks, allowing easy re-positioning of smaller merchandise.
The Newborn section of the store is an area where even more Sorbetti Uprights with spanning “plus sign” acrylic panels are installed. Using the same technique of creating “bays”, and breaking up the space, few of these setups, placed closely together, create a strong rhythm to this area of the store. This allows the Newborn clothing, which is small, to not be overwhelmed by the strong pattern of slatwall. The gentle frosted look of the panels lend a light and airy ease to the merchandising.
A completely fresh look is created for the Gymboree stores, while not sacrificing their brand identity, and not losing the loyalty of the customers. With the addition of new and fresh materials, and a simplifying of the space, the store reinvents itself with a clean new ambiance.
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