What's a thingamajig anyway? Michael Lopez, ASID, principal
of Michael Lopez Designs Inc. and author of Retail Store
Planning & Design Manual, contributed to these definitions.
This glossary is provided as a reference and is not intended
to be a comprehensive listing.
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AFF:
Acronym meaning "above the finished floor."
Accessorial Charges:
Charges for equipment required to load or unload freight.
Air-Ride Delivery/Air-Ride Equipment:
Trailer rides on air (airbags); airbag resides between axle and trailer; airbag compresses and decompresses to absorb vibration from road, so trailer stays level and cargo is unaffected.
Architectural Woodwork:
(also known as millwork) Trim, detailing, or ornamentation
required to finish a retail space. Components permanently
attached to the perimeter or ceiling of a store. Ex:
casework, paneling, moulding.
Architecturals:
Drawings prepared by an architect to establish dimensions
for the layout and construction of exterior and interior
walls, floors, and ceilings. They also establish the
location of all mechanicals, such as plumbing, electrical,
heating, and ventilating.
As-Built Drawings:
Drawings of an existing building interior, prepared
by an architect to establish dimensions for the layout
of furniture and fixtures.
BOL:
Bill of Lading.
Backroom Equipment:
Various types of sales-support equipment located in
the "employee only" area of the store. Ex: shelving,
receiving/shipping desk, storage areas.
Backward Scheduling:
Scheduling a project from the completion date backward
to the present.
Bid By Invitation:
A bid from a pre-approved supplier, who is systematically
notified of the opportunity; price quotes requested
from companies appearing on a "bid list," as opposed
to the manufacturing community at large.
Brand:
A class of goods identified by name as the product of
a single firm or manufacturer. Ex: Donna Karan, Tommy
Hilfiger, Kleenex.
Branding:
The strategies used in merchandising and marketing to
impress indelibly upon a customer?s mind a particular
type of product or a particular product manufacturer.
The process of creating a perceived distinction that
defines one product as different from another.
Bumper System:
Metal and high-density rubber or plastic components
applied to fixtures at specific heights to avoid damage
from shopping carts, stock carts, and cleaning equipment.
CAD/CAM Design (computer-aided design/computer-aided
manufacturing):
A computer system that uses one or more software program(s)
to create, record, and store drawings. The programs
enable the use of templates, stored designs, and utilities,
such as spell check, to speed the designing, drawing,
and revising processes.
CNC Woodworking Equipment:
Computer-numerically controlled woodworking equipment
capable of being programmed to perform a number of functions,
depending on how the machine is equipped and configured.
CNC equipment is typically used on applications requiring
a high degree of accuracy, for mass production, and
for repetitive manufacturing processes.
COD:
Cash on Delivery.
Cable Hanging System:
Cable connectors that move up or down to various heights
with a touch of a button, and that horizontally or vertically
hold shelving or display posters, photographs, or apparel.
Cashwrap:
(also known as checkout counter service desk, return
counter) A fixture designed to assist in sales transactions,
often with special compartments to organize sales forms,
customer packaging, and a cash register.
Certificate of Liability Insurance:
Document generated by insurance producers outlining
a company?s specific coverages, policy numbers, and
limits.
Classifications:
A retail design term designating a particular type of
merchandise. Ex: toys, DKNY, jewelry, INC.
Collect Billing:
Freight charges paid by consignee.
Commercial Buildout:
A term used to designate the state of a project on which
the contractor has completed all construction and finishing,
and on which the designer is then responsible for providing
all elements of interior design.
Components:
Individual parts that together comprise the whole assembly.
Consign:
To transfer to another?s custody or charge.
Consignee:
The person or party to whom merchandise is shipped.
Consignor:
One who delivers or transfers goods.
Critical Path:
The longest path of sequential activities on a project.
Decking:
A means of constructing a temporary second floor inside
a van trailer.
Design Plan:
Drawings prepared by an interior designer that show
the location of furniture and fixtures.
DOT:
Department of Transportation.
Electronic Recoiling Devices:
An electronic retractable tether that connects a displayed
item to an alarm system. If the recoiler is removed
from the displayed item without authorization, the alarm
sounds.
Endcap:
A freestanding or attached merchandise presentation
unit at one or both ends of a display unit
Entrance Turnstile:
A post with arms pivoted on the top, set in a passageway,
so that persons can pass through only on foot, one at
a time. Generally attached to the floor near a store
entrance.
Exhibit:
A booth or fixture at a trade show or exhibition used
to generate customer sales by display of merchandise
in a temporary setting.
Faceout:
1.Hardware that allows the front of merchandise to be
displayed (e.g., a bracket that allows a blouse to face
the aisle). 2.Merchandise with its front prominently
displayed (e.g., the blouse that can be seen from the
end of the aisle, as opposed to a blouse facing another
blouse in a closet or on a rack).
Field Superintendent:
The person assigned by the contractor to oversee construction.
Fingerprinting:
Driver of truck unloads merchandise.
Finishing/Finish:
Finishes enhance the appearance and serviceability of
materials used to manufacture store fixtures. Finishes
may include, but are not limited to, paints, stains,
plating, waxes, oils, and various types of protective
coatings.
Fixture Specifications:
Specifications include all of the information critical
to manufacturing a fixture that will perform the intended
function. Information may include dimensions, materials,
finish, color, lighting, electrical voltage, glass and
mirrors, installation requirements, etc.
Forward Scheduling:
Scheduling a project beginning with the start date.
Framework Systems:
A system of connectors and tubing used to construct
fixtures.
Freestanding Fixtures:
Modular equipment units standing alone or connected
to perimeter fixturing that are designed to promote
and sell merchandise of various classifications. Come
in a variety of materials, colors, and styles.
GC:
General Contractor.
Gantt Chart:
Timeline chart that initially schedules project activities
and then monitors those activities over time by comparing
planned progress to actual progress.
Gilding:
1. To overlay with, as if with a thin covering of gold;
2. To give an attractive but often deceptive appearance
to.
Gondola:
Fixture approachable from all sides used in a self-service
retail store to display merchandise. Designed to carry
a variety of merchandise classifications.
Green Terminology
(Link to terms used in green building)
Grid Rack:
Network of uniformly spaced horizontal and perpendicular
rods creating a fixturing component that can be used
to display or support merchandise as a shelf attached
to a wall, or as a shelf or side of a freestanding display.
Grid racks can be adapted for different purposes easily
and quickly.
HVAC:
Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning.
Hanger Management System:
The equipment used to organize clothes hangers at point
of sale for the purpose of reusing them to display future
merchandise.
Island:
Unit designed for people to move around a store
and shop from more than one vantage point.
Kiosk:
A single fixture or a group of freestanding
fixtures assembled to create a boutique or selling unit
within a store; a freestanding shop located in a high-traffic
area in a mall.
LTL Shipping:
A "Less than Truckload" designation typically means
that shipment will be shipped sooner (before shipper
has a full truck to your area) and at a higher delivery
rate per piece. LTL is the opposite of TL Shipping (Truckload
Shipping.)
Lifestyle Presentation:
Displaying merchandise as it would be used in real life.
Examples: dressing a mannequin or bust form; accessorizing
a suit on a hanger.
Liftgate:
A device attached to the back of a truck that enables
the carrier to raise or lower freight to the ground.
Lightbox:
A backlit sign, internally illuminated, generally with
fluorescent lamps, which displays a photographic, digital,
or printed graphic that is usually sandwiched between
two acrylic faces. May be wall-mounted, inset into a
wall, freestanding, or built into a store fixture. A
line-voltage electrical fixture, which legally must
be UL-listed to be used safely in a commercial or retail
space.
Literature Holder:
Store display accessory item available in various shapes
and sizes that houses and displays coupons, in-store
information, brochures, etc., and allows easy access
by customers.
Loose Fixtures:
Portable or moveable display units.
Merchandise Capacity:
1. The maximum number of goods or products that a fixture
will accommodate. 2. The maximum number of goods or
products that can be displayed and sold within a store
or department thereof.
Merchandise Shipper:
The person or party who loads and ships (typically the
manufacturer).
Merchandising System:
Assembly of various hardware components, such as standards,
brackets, hang rods, shelving, face-outs, etc., necessary
for the presentation of merchandise.
Millwork:
See "Architectural Woodwork."
Modular Utility System:
Prefabricated, "plug and play" modular power
and data packages, which enable the retail construction
contractor to reduce wiring installation time.
Multimedia:
Using, involving, or encompassing several modes of communication,
generally of an auditory or visual nature. Ex: videotape
with sound; Web presentation with sound.
Nesting Crates and Tables:
Crates and tables in multiple sizes that are designed
to fit inside each other during shipping and storage
and can create the effect of a cascading display when
set up.
OS&D:
Overages, shortages, or damage.
Open Bid:
A bid solicited from, and generally promoted to, the
community at large, not just preselected suppliers.
Open
Sell:
A sales concept which enhances customer interaction
with a product in order to encourege sales, unlike a
showcase which compels that customer to be serviced.
Overlay:
A see-through plastic piece that fits over a hook and
accommodates the scan label.
PERT:
"Program Evaluation and Review Technique" for planning
and coordinating large projects.
Pallet:
1. Fixtures that can be dropped in-store by a forklift.
2. Portable platform for handling, storing, or moving
materials and packages (as in warehouses, factories,
or vehicles).
Pedestal:
Base or foundation fixture constructed in various heights,
sizes, materials, and finishes that stands alone and
is used to highlight merchandise.
Peg Hook:
A hook that fits into pegboard and from which merchandise
hangs.
Perimeter Fixtures:
Fixtures applied to or abutting a store's walls which
aid in the selling of merchandise and can include casework,
slatwall/slotwall, etc.
Pilaster:
Vertical mechanical merchandising system applied to
a fixture or wall for the adjustment of hardware, shelving,
or brackets.
Point-of-Purchase Display (P-O-P):
Movable displays with a short life span usually placed
in impulse areas near checkout or near other featured
merchandise within a department. Often provided at no
charge by brand marketers or suppliers to help boost
product-specific sales.
Positioning:
The niche market identified for a brand of product.
How a company wants its product to be perceived in the
marketplace.
Powdercoated Metal:
The process of applying dry paint powder to metal by
use of opposite electrical charges. After the powdered
paint is applied to the metal object, heat is applied,
which causes the paint to bond to the object and cure.
Power Panel:
A 2- to 3-foot-wide by 5-foot-high wire grid that hangs
on the sides of an end cap and displays goods for the
purpose of cross-merchandising.
Pre-Bid Walkthrough:
The opportunity to see the site before a bid is submitted.
This not only provides information about the property
but also about the surrounding infrastructure and any
limitations that may be present. The pre-bid walkthrough
allows the gathering of facts and eliminates false assumptions
that can complicate a job and make it unprofitable.
Prepaid Billing:
Freight charges paid by shipper.
Profit Strip:
A plastic or metal unit with several clips (usually
12) from which merchandise, such as bags of candy, bags
of nails, etc., are hung on display.
Punch List:
A list of problems requiring correction before the premises
can be occupied.
Queuing Systems:
The use of permanent or temporary floor standards connected
with rails, chain, ropes, or strapping to guide customers
in an orderly fashion to the point of service.
Railing:
Bar extending from one post or support to another that
serves as a guard or barrier. In stores, often used
as both a decorative element and a safety device.
Ready-to-Assemble:
Display and fixturing that requires only a screwdriver
for proper setup and installation.
Refrigerated Case:
Display unit with a window and temperature control for
the display of perishable goods. Generally used in fast-food
establishments, convenience stores, and grocery stores.
Riser:
1.Display unit within or atop a showcase for creating
tiers of merchandise. 2.One display placed atop another
to create multiple levels of larger items.
Rollout Program:
A systematic approach for the manufacture and delivery
of multiple fixtures of the same design to various stores
within a set period of time.
Security System:
Electronic devices used to prevent loss of merchandise.
Service Center:
A point or area within a store or building where customers
receive special attention for services extending beyond
the sale of goods. Ex: customer service counter; appliance
repair and maintenance areas; a department store ticket
window or bill-paying window.
Shipper Load and Count:
Shipper is contracted to load and pack truck, as well
as prepare paperwork.
Shipping Class:
Code assigned to different classes of items to be shipped.
Shopping Cart System:
Moveable basket system used in food chains to help customers
transport goods throughout the store, through the checkout
area, and to their vehicles.
Showcase:
Illuminated display counter that provides the controlled
sale of smaller items; a showcase compels the customer
to be serviced. Ex: jewelry case; cosmetic counter.
Showcase Frame:
Welded or mechanical structure designed to support components
made of glass, board, laminate, etc.
Sightline:
The triangular space that represents an individual's
visual perspective from any given spot within a store.
Used in store design as a determination of where to
position displays for maximum visibility, and as a means
of helping customers focus on a particular classification
of product from a distance.
Signholder:
A device used to support pricing and/or information
inserts.
Signage:
A display of graphics, text, or both, used for corporate
identification, logo branding, advertising, lifestyle/environmental
ambiance, and for wayfinding. May be frontlit or backlit.
Single Ship Charge:
Surcharge applied to an individual shipment under 500
lb.
Sizing System(s):
A line of products that identifies clothing garments
with size information. The most common marker is the
"sizer" that is attached to apparel hangers. It is made
of soft, durable plastic and embossed with numbers or
letters that identify the specific garment?s size.
Slatwall:
(also known as slotwall) A board with evenly spaced
holes or slots, which allow for the variable positioning
of merchandising hardware.
Soffit:
The underside of a part or member of a building (such
as an overhang or staircase) often enriched with sculpture,
painting, or gilding.
Spec:
The written specifications for a project that outline
materials to be used, construction methods, finishes,
etc.
Stock:
Standardized items kept regularly in supply. Not customized.
Storage Bay:
A combination of single eight-shelf cabinets that form
a "bay" of fixtures used for storage of pharmaceutical
items in a pharmacy.
Storage System:
Electrified or non-electrified housing designed to control
inventory management. Examples: shelving; garment conveyor.
TL:
Truckload.
Third-Party Billing:
A business that is contracted to pay a freight bill
for a negotiated rate on behalf of the shipper, consignor,
or consignee. The third party will be reimbursed by
the organization (shipper, consignor, or consignee)
that contracted the third party. The third party does
charge a negotiated rate to process the paperwork and
handle the money involved in such a transaction.
Tower:
Vertical unit composed of various materials used in
the center of the department to highlight product.
Truss System:
An assemblage of members, such as beams, forming a rigid
framework generally suspended from the ceiling or by
corner supports and used to display merchandise and/or
compartmentalize merchandise areas.
Tubing:
A series or system of hollow elongated cylinders made
of metal, plastic, etc., used in the fabrication of
fixtures.
Turnkey Program:
Of, relating to, or being a job or project in which
a contractor completes the entire body of work, including
installation, to the point of readiness for operation
or occupancy.
Vendor Shop:
An area within a store wherein product-specific and/or
brand-specific merchandise is displayed.
Video Loop:
A sequence of video images that automatically rewinds,
and repeats each time the sequence is finished playing
until the stop button is pushed. Ex: graphics on a video
monitor in a trade show booth; instructional tape playing
next to related merchandise in a retail environment.
Visual Display (Visual Merchandising):
Mechanical elements and accessories that present merchandise
in a lifestyle presentation. Examples include mannequins,
hangers, bust forms.
Walkthrough:
An inspection of the building site by the architect,
owner and/or the general contractor.
Waterfall:
A straight-out or face-out affixed to a standard that
is attached to a wall, has a 30-degree downslant; most
commonly seen in metal.
Workstation:
A non-revenue-generating fixture used to help organize
materials and information in support of employee performance.
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