Inside The North Face’s Retail Evolution

[INTERVIEW - Sofia Mincuzzi, Visual Merchandising Coordinator, The North Face] 

Visual Merchandising often lives somewhere between strategy and reality. Between headquarters and the field. Between intention and execution. At The North Face, that balance is part of everyday life.

Based at the Stabio headquarters, Sofia Mincuzzi, Visual Merchandising Coordinator, works at the heart of this connection. From coordinating retail campaign launches to developing seasonal VM guidelines and supporting store openings across the EMEA region, her role is about one thing: making sure ideas travel clearly from the office to the shop floor. In this interview, Sofia shares how her team works, the challenges they faced before adopting new tools, and how a more visual, more connected approach has changed the way stores understand and execute visual merchandising today.

Q: DO YOU MIND INTRODUCING YOURSELF? 

Sofia Mincuzzi: Hello! 
I’m Sofia, Visual Merchandising Coordinator for The North Face, based at the Stabio headquarters.

Our VM team consists of Dalila, our VM Manager, and me in the office, along with Laura, Kyle, and Josef who work as field VMs.

In my role, I coordinate the launch of retail campaigns while also supporting the creation of the retail marketing calendar. I develop seasonal VM guidelines, manage our VM supplier, and oversee new store openings to ensure all props and tools are in place. Together, we cover the EMEA region, including own and operated stores, partner stores, and the outlet channel.
The North Face is an outdoor brand founded in 1966. It is a brand built on innovation; offering unrivaled, technically advanced outdoor products designed for everyone from the most accomplished climbers, mountaineers, snowsport athletes and endurance athletes to novice explorers in search of adventure.
The North Face® brand has been revolutionizing outdoor gear and inspiring a global movement of exploration for nearly 50 years.

Q: 3 WORDS TO DEFINE THE BENEFIT OF IWD

Sofia Mincuzzi: 

1. Efficiency: A smarter, more efficient way of working
2. Impactfullnes: Clearer and more impactful merchandise displays
3. Connection: Stronger connection with the field

Q: AND CAN YOU JUST GIVE US A QUICK RUNDOWN OF HOW YOU WORKED BEFORE IWD?

Sofia Mincuzzi: Before using IWD, I used to create VM guidelines with graphic design programs, manually cutting out each product image and placing them into the display to try and create a sense of depth. IWD has made the process much faster and the final result significantly better. Being able to import an entire collection into the software and build a 3D store that closely resembles reality allows for a very high level of rendering. As a result, stores gain an incomparable understanding of the collection and the guidelines.

Q: SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF ISSUES WITH GETTING THINGS DONE QUICKLY, COMMUNICATION. HOW HAS IWD HELPED WITH THOSE CHALLENGES SPECIALLY?

Sofia Mincuzzi: 

_The main use of the tool
I mainly use the tool to create VM seasonal guidelines, with a monthly drop to stores that includes new packages and a review of the VM displays already implemented in-store. In addition, I design ad hoc VM displays for retail campaigns.
_ Who is impacted
The entire VM team and store staff review the guidelines to draw inspiration for their in-store setups.
_How your team work better thanks to IWD 
The team performs much better thanks to IWD, as the guidelines are clearer, more visually impactful, and highly detailed—now including all store fixtures that were previously difficult to design.
_Getting started with the software?
I have an excellent relationship with the IWD team, everyone is extremely kind and helpful. The initial training I received to learn the software was particularly well done: clear, thorough, and easy to follow.

Q: SOME STATISTICS ABOUT ROI AFTER USING IWD

Sofia Mincuzzi:  The impact on workflow speed has been significant, especially considering the balance between hours worked, the final result, and the speed of implementing changes and updates.

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