Pocket-sized and Instragrammable

Adriana Genro, the founder of PiùStore, a design studio based in Milan which has had a hand in the restyling of many lingerie and swim stores across Italy shared with Intima Media Group the useful tips of how to make a small sized store instagrammable.

Before the restyling
The Castelli intimates store has existed for almost 30 years, and while the building itself remains the property of the original owners, the Padula sisters took over the store in 2013. “Entering into the management of an existing store, we decided to keep the ‘Castelli’ name to give consistency to the business, which was already very well known in Sestri… much to the delight of the original owner!” explains Sandra Padula.

Despite its commercial success, the store’s look and feel - described by the owners as chaotic and suffocating- was outdated, and the lime green walls and ceiling had the vibes of an old ‘80s bar. The display system didn’t allow for a front-view of products; the only possible way to display products was side-on. Although this may be normal in most stores during the sales period, here it was done even for brand new collections.

Art-déco as a style reference
The restyling work was focused first and foremost on the store’s exterior: Castelli’s new storefront, made-to-measure in iron, is inspired by the store’s vintage-style logo and by life at sea, with its 3 porthole-shaped display windows. Inside the store, the first step was to free up space: display walls were removed, as were the old drawers and hosiery displays. Due to their utility for showcasing stock, there was a time when the team considered keeping the latter. However, used as they were, they created a ‘wall’ of hosiery, which lowered the perceived value of the store and made it more chaotic, and hence it was decided to remove them.

When choosing the layout, it was decided to maintain the two changing rooms at the back of the store, making them larger than before. The perimeter walls on the left and right were used entirely for displays, using a technique which has served PiùStore well in other lingerie stores: chests of drawers underneath, with wall units above for stock, and a display in the middle. The display structure used for products is flexible, simple, and effective, and allows the creation of different display types. Every inch of space was used as storage: they even found space underneath the sales tables and above the fitting rooms to keep stock. These strategies allowed them to use the space they had to its full potential.

The insta wall and fitting-room selfie moments
A key part of the identity of Castelli’s social media presence has always been posts framed by the brand’s personal pattern and logo, produced by graphic designer Stella Femke Rigo, who is the store’s social media manager. The idea, which makes the store and its posts instantly recognizable, was immediately loved by Adriana: “Nowadays, it is absolutely essential that any commercial activity’s social media presence can be instantaneously linked to the store itself, and viceversa: in the store, it is essential to use visual elements that allow the client to recognize the business as being the same one they have seen on social media,” she explained. She added, “There is no point in having a beautiful store if your social media presence doesn’t reflect it: through a bad profile picture, an ugly logo, or bad product photos. The same logic also works the other way around: there are businesses that have an amazing social media presence, but customers who come into store are then disappointed by bad lighting and thrown-together spaces”.

In conclusion, let’s see a quick summary of the most important steps to follow in order to kit out your small store to make it social-media friendly.

Step #1 - Choose a decor style that speaks to your target market
Choosing a style for your store is part of a strategy to attract clients and up the value of your products. The target client can vary in terms of age, gender, income, habits, and interests, etc. For this reason, the style of your store should be thought out in terms of what your clients would like to see. For example: if you sell a romantic-style product, covered in lace and bows, a minimal style won’t suit your store.
Once you’ve identified the right style for the store and its target, it’s time to understand how best to adapt the style to the location to make the most of every square foot of sales space.

Step #2: Make a check list of the most important elements of your store’s image both offline and online and check that they are all aligned:
-    Logo and colors: a simple, legible logo, and colors that represent the store both online and offline.
-    Storefront: attention-grabbing signage and a well-lit window
-    Functional furniture and professional lighting
-    Customer experience: check that the fitting rooms are large enough, and that the mirrors are at the right height. Also check that the lighting is right: if the customer can see well and their reflection is well-lit, the likelihood of them buying the product is much higher than if they see a dark or backlit reflection.
-    Materials, colors, and finishes: use light colors and materials to provide a backdrop to your products
-    Instagrammable walls and displays should have your logo and preferably your colors, with adjustable, calm and soft light, like in a photo studio.

As for the rest, let your imagination guide you!
Making your small, instagrammable store has never been so easy!