Collections by Stride Rite, New York

Stride Rite is taking more than baby steps into the 7-to-10-year-old consumer market with its new two-in-one store design, Collections by Stride Rite. The 1800-square-foot prototype, which debuted in New York last July, features a dedicated shopping area for older kids at the front of the store and a catered environment for parents shoe shopping for (and with) babies, toddlers and younger children at the rear. “The aesthetics and layout of both areas had to be rethought, and the fixture package had to be redesigned,” says Mark Looper, director of store planning and design, Collective Brands Inc., Stride Rite’s parent company.

Cool colors and white finishes provide consistency throughout the store. Lighting, large-scale lifestyle graphics and custom wallpaper with images geared to the age of the customer signal the change-over from baby shoes to youth-oriented fashion and sports brands.

Uncluttered displays make it easier for young shoppers to consider the options. Pull-out seating along the side walls gives boys and girls a comfortable spot of their own to try on shoes. Given the long, narrow footprint, most of the strong visual elements and product displays are on the walls to leave clear sight lines down the center aisle.

“We’re targeting an untapped market,” says Looper. With that in mind, Stride Rite plans to roll out more Collections stores in select high-fashion shopping locations later this year.

Project Participants:

Client
Stride Rite Children’s Group, Lexington, Mass.

Architect
BAR Associates, San Francisco
Bergmeyer Associates, Boston

Design/AudioVisual/Props and Decoratives
MDG Strategic Branding, Holliston, Mass.

Fixtures
Custom Surroundings, Valley City, Ohio
Marlite, Dover, Ohio

Lighting
Lightolier, Fall River, Mass.
Tech Lighting, Skokie, Ill.
Bartco Lighting, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Signage/Graphics
Loren Signs, Montebello, Calif.
MDG Group, Holliston, Mass.
Portland Color, Portland, Maine