The visual merchandising landscape has changed significantly over the past century. Today’s fashion mannequins literally embody the changes store shop displays have recently undergone. Having evolved from wax-covered, paper-mâché statues of the 1920’s (and the wickerwork mannequins of the 1800s), the modern mannequin continues to break ground in retail merchandising, point of purchase display and store design.
It has done so through an endless series of artistic, mechanical and material changes. Now visual merchandisers are breaking further ground by equipping these silent salesmen with technology… and it’s getting creepy.
Mannequins have an interesting effect on our imaginations. They have been used in many films, across several genres, from horror films to romantic comedies. But for some reason, the focus on effective merchandising strategies and retail displays occasionally takes a back seat to possessed mannequin shenanigans; however, a consistent motif does appear throughout these flicks. At a certain suspenseful point in each film, a character will sense that they are being watched.
Back in 2012, this terrifying sensation manifested itself into reality for many retail shoppers around the world. Advances in high-definition cameras and facial recognition software armed some shop owners with detailed demographic info that could profile each customer based on their looks. These days, retailers are bolstering their stores with Smart Phone Beacons to improve the in store experience by keeping a closer eye on you and sending you messages based on your precise location.
Finally, a visual merchandiser named ChadMichael Morrisette of CM Squared Designs may have found a way to fuse all of these sci-fi elements together by using mannequins with digital faces. Attendees seemed to be captivated by the screened faces during a Las Vegas MAGIC Show that took place earlier this year. His mannequins were clearly effective display accessories, as the booth maintained a steady flow of traffic throughout the show thanks to the digital infusion.
Although this particular instance might not be very troubling on its own, I have recently grown concerned over potential 2015 holiday retail trends: Could smart mannequins merge all of these technologies into one super agent display/researcher/salesperson package? Will we see a rise of tech-savvy mannequins propel us into a machine-fueled apocalypse? Should we expect to see retail employees replaced by silent salesmen and sign holders once they find their voices? … Well, probably not.
In fact the old school, analog mannequins have recently experienced a boost in popularity. Their upgrades don’t require batteries. They can’t record your movement. And their service is silent. Yet, visual merchandisers still see potential for these quiet models to tell the story behind the product lines. It seems that many creative types can still feel the magic and leave it to their imaginations to bring their designs (and the dummies) to life.
We expect to see lots of minimalist mannequins return to shop windows throughout the retail world this holiday season. The current style of sleek and realistic models in a glossy white finish with minimal facial features should stay on trend for the rest of the year. This means that visual merchandisers will need to get extremely creative with their designs to make their displays standout.
Of course we can only speculate over the trends, changes and upgrades that are in store for mannequins as they grace our shop windows and retail displays over the upcoming holidays. We’ve seen a lot of futuristic styles hit the stores after their appearance on stage at a few of the best music festivals ever. There is only one thing of which we can truly be certain this year:
We look forward to seeing all of them… before they see all of us!
Thanks for reading!
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