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Solstice Sunglass Boutique is a rapidly growing upscale sunglass retailer known for its large production selection, fashion-forward sense, celebrity appeal, and staff expertise. Tom Dougherty of Dougherty Partners, which handles Solstice's store expansion program, knew just what he wanted for the retailer's new flagship store:
• An open-sell format with easy accessibility
• The ability to merchandise up to 1,000 pairs within a small area
• Space to accommodate special events in order to maintain its status as resource to the stars

RSP Architects achieved those goals in a 1,125-sq.-ft. store whose wall space is limited by two glass storefronts through subtle changes to the existing prototype. A neutral palette was chosen to enhance the upscale merchandise. The space is efficiently organized with contemporary wall displays and floor fixtures that present a high volume of merchandise, yet leave ample floor space open. The feeling of spaciousness is augmented by vacant wall space below each wall display.

RSP made clever use of the storefront by adding storefront window displays that feature lightbox graphics on the street side and merchandise on the interior side.

idX Toronto, a subsidiary of St. Louis-based fixture manufacturer idX Corp., fabricated feature wall displays from white DuPont Corian solid surface materials, creating cutouts for the eyewear display and signage. idX Toronto also used Corian solid surface materials for the wall mirror fillers and for the rear wall feature display, incorporating lightbox inserts for graphics into the latter. Graphics are changed every three weeks to keep the appearance fresh.

On the floor, glass uprights on walnut bases display sunglasses without overpowering the merchandise. idX also fabricated freestanding acrylic displays and the cashwrap with its built-in computer monitors in keeping with the store's clean lines.

The result is a design that promotes and encourages a hands-on shopping experience. It is now being used in multiple stores and may be implemented elsewhere. IdX Toronto is providing an economical solution for Solstice as the retailer expands. Having built Solstice stores for three years, idX initially shared the project with another fixture manufacturer, but rapid growth led the retailer to seek a single provider for the complete fixture package along with the project management skill set to manage the volume. With its wide range of capabilities, idX began handling the program exclusively and now bulk manufactures a blanket order of 10 stores at a time, giving the retailer bulk-run savings, explains John Simmen, president of idX Toronto.