The project management and the complete refurbishment of the Byron Visitors Centre, located in the former Station Masters residence, in the heart of Byron Bay.

Critical objectives of this refurbishment were to reflect the culture, heritage and values of the local Byron community. Improve the facilities and deliver an experience showcasing the best of Byron, creating an exceptional customer experience. At the same time taking into consideration the heritage zoning of the building & its surrounds.

The refurbishment of the physical interior involved;

• creating an environment for exceptional customer service and increased engagement, showcasing the history, values and culture of Byron Bay and its aboriginal heritage.

• redesigning the space creating flexibility to accommodate peak and off-peak periods

• increasing the retail merchandising offer & effectiveness

• creating a centre that integrated and promoted locals and visitors coming together

• engaging best-practice environmental and sustainability practices and where possible, using recycled materials

• delivering a centre that is vibrant with plant life and creates a green environment within

• installing technology providing the ability to open 24/7 through the use of external digital screens

‘Engaging Carol to spearhead the interior renovation of the Byron Visitor Centre was an invaluable decision. Carol was efficient, intuitive, and we felt included in the decision making process the entire time. The results have spoken for themselves, with the outcome being exactly what we had hoped for and more. The space is completely reinvigorated and the staff and volunteers here have a new enthusiasm for their workspace - with “wow factor” reactions from entering visitors becoming a regular occurrence’.

-Mick Webb, Manager, Byron Visitors Centre

Visual Merchandising Facts Guide. Developed for the Office of the Small Business Commissioner, 10 pages full of simple tips and tricks to share with small business retailers in need of visual merchandising information & inspiration.

Click here to download the VM Facts Guide pdf

Regional Retail Revamp is an interactive visual merchandising program that has been running in regional towns for over 14 years. The very first regional workshop took place in October 2006, in the NSW town of Hay. To date over 50 workshops have been conducted across 35 + towns in regional Australia.

Working hand in hand with local Councils, Business Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Managers, local Tourism Officers & the NSW Office of the Small Business Commissioner, the Retail Revamp program has travelled far and wide from the back of Bourke to Boorowa, delivering retail inspiration and information to regional business communities.

Typically the Retail Revamp program will arrive into town, kick starting with a workshop followed by one on one store visits. In addition to this, hands on visual merchandising sessions, window walking tours & community creative brainstorming sessions are some of the other activities on offer within the program.

Retail Revamp brings the business community together. This program provides much needed inspiration and motivation to get ‘things happening’ within the Main Street of a regional town and within the community itself.

Bringing a fresh set of eyes and a new perspective, this program identifies the potential of individual businesses and delves into what is possible for a regional town when Main Street businesses work together.

‘It’s been terrific to have Carol in Inverell this week. The visit has attracted lots of positive feedback, has generated some fresh ideas for promoting our beautiful town and also brought our business community together. We look forward to sharing the results with you! ‘

— Inverell Shire Council

‘A massive thank you for coming to Orange with your Revamp Retail workshop. We have received multiple emails of thanks from businesses attending. So it was lovely to receive these emails from local business’

— Sharon D'Elboux, Business Development Manager, Orange City Council

‘The Retail Revamp Workshop provided a valuable and engaging experience for our local businesses. It has been inspiring to see businesses making or planning improvements to their store layouts and shopfronts as a direct result of attending the workshop. Attendees learnt a great deal and are already asking when the next Retail Revamp workshop will be!’

— Sarah Derrett, Economic Development Team, Warren Shire Council

The project management and complete design of the new Harden Murrumburrah Visitors Information Centre in regional NSW.

The project objectives were to create a warm, welcoming and light space that is suitably professional but maintains a high level of personal appeal. Murrumburrah is the historic precinct of the town, this needed to be acknowledged without becoming captive of it, as the area and the region have a huge number of other, unrelated attractions to offer.

The design of the Harden Murrumburrah Centre involved;

• showcasing the external of the building with ‘wow’ factor as the Visitors Centre is set back from the main street and dominated by a petrol station on one side, and museum on the other side. There was a need to exaggerate the nature of the building with oversized eye catching signage, and to create a quirky and artistic design element through a rood mural reflecting key community events and the history of the area

• developing a floor plan to welcome visitors, with the layout encouraging a positive in Centre experience, enticing guests to shop from fixtures filled with local produce, sit and watch short entertaining videos promoting the area, or relax at the oversized ‘bar brochure’ table where guests can easily spread out and open up maps to learn about the region

• design and develop a customer service counter and bar brochure table that represent the railway history of the area, constructed from railway sleepers. In addition to this, second hand pieces of furniture were sourced and converted into retail fixtures creating a warm and welcoming feeling reflective of the two towns in general.

• other design elements included window treatments, occasional furniture, a retail fixture system, wall brochure system and signage solutions

A Retail Revamp workshop organised by the Gilgandra Shire Council (sponsored by the NSW Office of the Small Business Commissioner) was held for Main Street retailers & businesses in Gilgandra. The business community attended the workshop in May 2019, discussing the frustration and the feelings of defeat by the ongoing drought, further compounded by the exit of Target (a main street anchor business) from the community.

As a group it was decided it was time to change the focus, change the conversation and embark on an event - a ‘main street’ revamp that would give retailers and locals something positive to focus on and enjoy. The Gilgandra Winter Wonderland event was born! Main Street businesses decorated their shopfronts and with the launch of the Winter Wonderland event (coinciding with school holidays) the businesses traded into the night with all types of activities and events taking place up and down the street.

The street came to life and decorations remained up and in place for the duration of the Winter school holidays.

Winter Wonderland won the Community Event of the year at the Australia Day Awards 2020.

A design audit and partial revamp and refresh of the Orange Visitors Information Centre.

An existing Centre that underwent a design audit to identify areas of the Centre that required attention and improvement.

Upon the results of the audit a mini revamp and refresh took place over a period of 12 months as the Centre remained open and the works were staged.

Works for the Centre included;

• reworked floor plan, introducing and further defining critical ‘zones’ + creating additional customer service spaces to cope with peak foot traffic into the Centre

• redesigned & refurbished counter, with the majority of the counter remaining, modifications were made to improve the overall appearance and enhance functionality

• further defining and developing the retail zone, introducing new fixtures and fittings, increasing the volume of merchandise effectiveness and overall appearance to generate increased customer interaction and sales

• other design elements included the selection of occasional furniture and accessories, wall brochure system, signage and storage solutions

‘What a transformation, our average sales have jumped 150% since the revamp.’

Glenn Mickle, Tourism Manager, Orange City Council NSW

RETAIL REVAMP - The No Nonsense Guide to Visual Merchandising & Display

Carol Bagaric has published Australia's first book on retail visual merchandising and display. It’s an inspirational read containing over 350 pages of photographic examples and step-by-step instructions on how you can create moneymaking displays in your store.

Retail Revamp provides an introduction to visual merchandising and details the importance of a visual merchandising strategy for any retailer in today's marketplace, no matter how big or small.

This book offers a do-it-yourself approach to visual merchandising, with basic merchandising principles and practices that can be implemented in your retail space. It takes the mystery out of visual merchandising, without losing the wonder, and helps you create those ‘wow’-worthy retail displays.

An easy to read book, packed full with information and inspiration, with plenty of colourful visual examples, it will have you re-merchandising your store to your great financial advantage in no time at all.

Click here to buy your copy now!

Two Day Retail Revamp Workshop

‘What a fantastic experience these last couple of days with the funny, down-to-earth, fabulous and thought-provoking Carol Bagaric.

Carol's Retail Revamp activities and conversations were entertaining and educational. Challenges to inspire change.

Thanks Carol! We hope to see you again very soon.

A great, collaborative experience with Merimbula Chamber of Commerce and Bega Valley Shire Council. Thanks also to Eden Chamber of Commerce.’

- Alison Vandenbergh, Economic Development Officer, Bega Valley Shire Coucil

The project management and complete refurbishment of the Lithgow Visitors Information Centre.

Key design objectives involved modernising and updating the overall internal space, at the same time remaining true to the historical heritage of Lithgow and surrounding towns. It was necessary to create a space that is functional and practical for staff, yet at the same time offers customers a memorable and positive experience.

Key design items included:

• developing a floor plan with clear and defined zones

• developed and designed a new and improved customer service desk

• total revamp and replacement of all retail fixtures and fittings

• replace carpet, introduction of new lighting, paint colours and window trims

• developed chill out zones, reading zones plus a kids zone

‘Absolutely amazing - we love our new centre so much. Thank you Carol for your amazing work, vision and ideas. We would highly recommend Carol for any work like this. Our centre has increased sales, wonderful feedback and our visitor numbers have increased, every reason why we engaged with Carol b. for this project’

— Kellie Barrow, Tourism Manager, Lithgow Tourism Visitors Centre

Design documentation and recommendations delivered for the part refurbishment of Lithgow Library in NSW. Delivered customised solutions that assisted the Lithgow Library with placement of new fixtures and fittings including a revised library layout and detailed zoned floorplan + general design advice. Developed and designed a new and improved customer circulation desk, and ongoing project management guidance provided for the duration of the refurbishment.

'Our customers have loved the new library – all the feedback has been very positive. They love the carpet, especially the colours. They also love the desk and have commented on how clean and spacious the library feels now. The desk is amazing, it is an absolute stunner - perfect for our needs and a beautiful piece of furniture. We LOVE it!'

- Terry O'Keefe, Library Coordinator, Lithgow City Council

Introducing Folkologie! Having spent my whole life in ‘shops’, and inspired by small scale, old school retail, and by the creativity of homegrown aussie artists, makers, and designers… it has always been my dream to open up a retail concept in regional NSW, with the focus on small runs of unique, creative & quirky goods.

Through my deep love and passion for all things regional & australiana, Folkologie was born as a result of a furniture craftsman and ‘me’ a retail designer / visual merchandisier wanting to bring something a little special, quirky & creative to the aussie consumer.

We are a small shop located in the historical town of Rylstone in NSW. You can learn more about Folkologie here.