CASE STUDY / THE ATHLETE’S FOOT / STORE FIXTURES
A modular store fixture system engineered for a global retail network.
Benchmarc reengineered The Athlete’s Foot retail fixture program to reduce manufacturing costs, improve modularity and create a more adaptable system for stores and franchise locations with different footprints.
CLIENT
The Athlete’s Foot
INDUSTRY
Footwear + Apparel
APPICATION
Modular Store Fixture System
DISPLAY TYPE
Franchise Stores
THE CHALLENGE
Create consistency without designing every store the same way.
A franchise-based retail network creates a difficult fixture challenge. Stores need to feel part of the same brand while accommodating different floorplans, merchandising requirements and individual location needs.
At the same time, the fixture program needed to become more cost-efficient without sacrificing its flexibility.
Reduce program cost
Reengineer fixture components and evaluate alternative manufacturing strategies that could lower overall program costs.
Support franchise locations
Build enough flexibility into the system to accommodate the requirements of individual franchise operators.
Adapt to different floorplans
Create modular fixtures that could be configured for stores with different dimensions and merchandising needs.
Maintain a consistent retail environment
Preserve a recognizable merchandising language across locations even when individual fixture configurations changed.
THE SOLUTION
Standardized where it mattered.
Flexible where stores needed it.
Benchmarc approached the project as a fixture system rather than a collection of individual fixtures.
Core components were engineered around repeatable construction and manufacturing methods, while modular configurations and customizable elements allowed the program to adapt to specific stores.
Modular fixture design
A family of compatible fixtures could be arranged differently depending on available floor space and merchandising requirements.
Value-engineered construction
Benchmarc reengineered fixture components and evaluated overseas manufacturing opportunities to help reduce program costs.
In-house customization
Components could be customized in-house to address store-specific requirements without redesigning the complete fixture program.
Program-level flexibility
Rather than treating every location as a one-off project, the system created a common fixture platform that could support multiple franchise environments.
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MODULARITY
One fixture language.
Multiple store configurations.
The strongest fixture platform is not one fixture. It is a system that can preserve the brand and shopping logic as the footprint changes.
THE FRANCHISEE EXPERIENCE
One streamlined process from fixture selection to delivery.
For a franchise network, the fixture experience needs to be as flexible as the stores themselves. Benchmarc created a custom website that allowed The Athlete’s Foot franchisees to configure their fixture package based on their floorplan, product assortment and individual store preferences.
Benchmarc’s team reviewed each order as it came in, built the appropriate fixture package, coordinated payment and managed delivery on behalf of The Athlete’s Foot corporate team. The result was a smoother, easier franchisee experience with one company responsible for the process from configuration through fulfillment.
Configured for each store
Centralized order management
Franchisees could select fixture options based on their specific floorplan, merchandise mix and store requirements.
Benchmarc’s team translated each franchisee submission into a complete fixture order, reducing complexity for both the store and corporate teams.
Payment + delivery coordination
One point of contact
Benchmarc managed payment and delivery logistics on behalf of The Athlete’s Foot corporate, creating a more consistent rollout process.
Franchisees had a single partner to coordinate the entire fixture program, making implementation simpler and reducing the number of vendors they needed to manage.
Benchmarc made a complex franchise rollout simple, scalable and easy to manage;
from configuration through delivery.
BENCHMARC SCOPE
From display thinking to retail execution.
Retail Display Design
Manufacturing
Engineering
Assembly
Prototyping
Packaging + Fulfillment
Value Engineering
Program Management
THE OUTCOME
One flexible fixture system. Built to scale.
Adaptable by store
Engineered for value
Modular fixtures flex to fit different floorplans and merchandising needs.
Value engineering and manufacturing flexibility helped control program costs.
Customized where needed
Scalable across the network
Individual locations could tailor fixtures to their specific requirements.
A standardized system made multi-location rollout faster, simpler and easier to manage.
PROJECT GALLERY
Amerock at retail.
Managing a large assortment at retail?
If your display needs to accommodate multiple SKUs, finishes, configurations or store formats, Benchmarc can help build a merchandising system around both the shopper experience and the realities of rollout.
Tell us what you're trying to merchandise.