Winning a Grand Prix du Design (recognizing excellence in design in Quebec), in the category Commercial Space: Boutiques (1,600 square feet and under), is Ruscio Studio – for its latest Solara shoe store, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
One of the primary needs of Solara, which had two branches at the time (one in Granby, the other in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield), was to expand. The second requirement was to define its brand so that malls will be interested in giving them a prime location allowing them to easily reach their target customers.
One of the decisions made towards branding was not to sell unisex but rather to focus on women, especially on typical women 30 years of age. The retailer was very limited by its internal structure and staff resources; therefore Ruscio Studio had to create a visual impact without the need for regular maintenance.
The remarkable ceiling of shoes is an expression of creativity and originality of the brand Solara. More than 6,500 discontinued women’s shoes were sprayed white and all mounted to the ceiling one by one. The audacious visual focuses on a particular demographic group, becoming an integral part of the concept, and more easily visible from the mall.
The result was an immediate success and has exceeded the expectations of the owner/client and customers. Sales have increased dramatically, to the point that Solara is negotiating with other malls to open new branches this spring.