Goody's Family Clothing has long been the small-town department store for budget-minded shoppers hungry for brand names. But for its newest store in its headquarters city of Knoxville, Tenn., the retailer wanted a sleeker, more upscale store appealing to a wider customer base without alienating its existing shoppers.
Fitzpatrick Design Group (New York) began by emphasizing the store entrance. “The play of curved and square geometric forms and patterns gives a strong contemporary impact to the entrance,” says FDG president Jay Fitzpatrick, “with the orange and blue logo colors used as bold accents.” A simple oval floor plan features a main aisle directing the customer around the entire floor.
For the first encounter area on the aisle — a new fashion-forward Juniors department — designers developed a flexible fixturing system. A strong backlit graphics wall was used to draw attention. Other design elements include bold, colorful highway-styled signs, new-merchandise presentations, accented with contrasting floor tiles, at key intersections; and a mural of the Knoxville skyline along the back wall.
Client Team: Goody's Family Clothing Inc., Knoxville, Tenn. — Robert Goodfriend, chairman/ceo; Lana Cain Krauter, president; Marc Smith, senior vp, real estate; Randy Mullins, executive vp, stores; John Wise, vp, visual presentation; David Miller, director of store planning; Steve Clark, director of construction
Design Team: Fitzpatrick Design Group Inc., New York — Jay Fitzpatrick, president and creative director; Errol Spence, vp, production and planning; James Robertson, vp, design/décor; Frank Sluzas, project planning director; Enrique Montalvo, senior project designer; Valerie Sporea, senior project coordinator
Outside Consultants: Thomas N. Black & Associates, Birmingham, Ala. (architect of record); Stewart Perry, Birmingham, Ala. (general contractor); Store Lighting Systems, New York (lighting consultant)
Suppliers: Rusco Fixtures, Oakboro, N.C., Carlson Store Fixtures, Brooklyn Park, Minn., Excalibur Store Fixtures, Libertyville, Ill., Vira Mfg. Inc., Perth Amboy, N.J., Wesco Signs Inc., Concord, N.C., and Look, New York (fixturing); Benjamin Moore Paint Co., Montvale, N.J., Janovic, Long Island City, N.Y., Nevamar, Odenton, Md., Sto Finish Systems Div., Atlanta, Stylmark Inc., Minneapolis, Tiger Drylac, Reading, Pa., Wilsonart Intl., Temple, Texas, Wolf-Gordon Inc., Long Island City, N.Y. (materials); Armstrong World Industries, Lancaster, Pa., Cooperative Ceramica D'Imola, New York, Daltile, Dallas, J&J Commercial Flooring, Dalton, Ga. (flooring)
Photography: Whitney Cox, New York