The Importance Of Visual Merchandising

By Author: sfd retailer
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Visual merchandising is how product is arranged and displayed in retail outlets in ways designed to encourage the customers, to buy their Visual Merchandisers. As consumers have become savvier over recent years, brands have had to be smarter and more inventive in the battle to get your hard earned pounds into their tills. This has seen retailers place greater importance on the techniques and processes used to achieve this, meaning the role of visual merchandising teams has grown.

Every brand has their own ways of doing things, but they all based on the same basic principles. Certain areas will always be fixed due to the nature of the shop fit, such as footwear departments, but other areas are designed to be more flexible reflecting seasonal changes. Window is the first place to grab potential sales, and head office creative teams spend hours to come up with eye catching Window Display.

On entering the store, the first area you normally hit will be a trend area where the product displayed in the window is located. This is another great opportunity to wow your customers with an ...
... amazing mannequin display wearing the product. Mannequins up sell the products. By adding a few key accessories, an otherwise good outfit can be made über-desirable. From here the key is to lead your customer on a journey around the store – fixture placement is key to this. A mix of heights helps to create interest rather than a sea of fixtures all at the same height and position. Play with angles creating paths through each department. Incorporate mannequin displays in key departments. If floor space is limited, use high levels or areas within the wall bays by incorporating torsos, legs or props as ways to display product. When planning layout for Window Displays bear in mind seasonal influences. In autumn / winter coats and knitwear should sit nearer the front of the store in a primary position, or in summer pull together a festival based trend near the front. However, remember to keep a balance of space throughout.

VM techniques vary according to the type and size of business, but understanding how the fundamentals can stimulate to buy can translate into dramatic increases in sales.