Buster Brown Stomps Into Sears

A freestanding tower designed to entice parents and kids to "spend a little time with Buster Brown" is one of three new displays now being test marketed in Sears, Roebuck & Co. stores nationwide. Placed in January, the three units were designed exclusively for Sears by Brown Shoe Co., St. Louis, which markets the Buster Brown brand of children's footwear.Originally appearing in 50 Sears stores in the fall of 1996, the Buster Brown brand is slated to be in more than 600 of the chain's 800 stores later this year. Initial success of the brand spurred the development of the three new merchandisers. A tabletop display is targeted to smaller Sears stores; a slatwall unit is designed for mid-sized locations; and the freestanding tower is for larger store outlets."Our flexible and targeted three-tiered merchandising program for Sears is a direct effort to update and strengthen brand identity for Buster Brown, a name parents remember and trust from their own childhood," says Jeanne Tauser, visual designer for Brown Shoe.The tower represents Brown Shoe's most ambitious in-store effort for the Buster Brown brand to date, says Tauser. The 58-inch-high by 18-inch-square merchandiser invites interaction by parents and kids on all four sides with games, fun facts and jokes tucked between cubby holes that hold a total of 22 shoes. It features bright primary colors on a light maple, laminate wood background, a design also used in the slatwall unit, and graphics that include educational games and interactive components like heat-sensitive inserts and holographic lenticular panels."The freestanding display is extremely interactive, lots of fun for kids and encourages both parents and children to spend some time with us," reports Maureen McCann, director of marketing for the Buster Brown brand.The slatwall unit is designed to fit on either walls or columns in the children's shoe department. Like the tower, it uses primary colors on a wood laminate background that matches existing decor and gives the design a sophisticated look. "Using a wood finish helps reflect the quality of craftsmanship that parents already equate with Buster Brown shoes," says Tauser. The unit measures 19 inches wide by 46 inches high by 2 inches deep and holds up to 12 shoes.The tabletop display holds five shoes. The unit's primary colors contrast with its white background and base to create an eye-catching display.The tower and tabletop units were manufactured by Architectural Woodwork Co. of St. Louis, while Yunker Industries, Lake Geneva, Wis., manufactured the slatwall units. Silkscreen Products, St. Louis, provided the silkscreening. All units were designed in-house.The new displays follow a creative direction in visual merchandising of the Buster Brown brand that began in 1996 with the development of a slatwall unit for Famous Footwear discount shoe stores. "We modified our technique for Sears by providing a more sophisticated approach," says Tauser. "Each of our retailers has its own identity, and we strive to design product presentation pieces that fit that image."All three units are now being tested in 35 Sears stores. If successful, additional units will be acquired by the retailer at no charge with a minimum shoe purchase.

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