In the 1980’s and before, retail stores were always viewed as impressively innovative when they had handmade hanging signs with neon stickers displaying the prices and one or two ‘premium’ products sitting on upturned cardboard boxes arranged in a line.
Nowadays, however, visual merchandising has become a level of expertise and an artform in itself and, especially with the supreme and almost devastating competition from online retailers, how your store and your products look and are displayed and promoted can often be the difference between success and failure.
With this in mind, continue reading to learn some valuable tips, tricks and techniques to improve your visual merchandising skills.
What Exactly Is Visual Merchandising?
The art, practice or discipline, depending on your point of view, of visual merchandising is essentially a marketing and promotional practice which brings together several different key components to create an attractive online or in-person aesthetic appearance, with the end goal of tempting customers and clients to invest in products and services.
The essential elements which come together to become the practice of visual merchandising include:
- Lighting
- Color
- Signage
- Displays
- Floor Plans
- Technology
Key Examples Of Visual Merchandising
A creative flair is, whilst not entirely essential, certainly a bonus when it comes to aesthetically attractive and eye-catching window displays. Below are some key examples of effective visual merchandising:
Vehicle Wrapping
Full color graphics and eye-catching signage does not have to be confined to a static object, display or area. Vehicle wrapping is a popular visual merchandising technique which is a simple way of covering an entire car or truck in a printed advertisement without damaging or changing the paintwork underneath.
Lighting Arrangements
Lighting is one of the key factors in creating an eye-catching display and the use of carefully placed and timed lights can create the perfect ambience and atmosphere for a store.
Themed Window Displays
Window displays are hands-down the most effective way of encouraging new customers into your store who would otherwise have carried on walking by. With the best window displays being based around a solid and durable Aluminum Composite Panel (from renowned suppliers such as Multipanel UK), window displays certainly stand the test of time.
Interactive Kiosks
Now computing technologies are so sophisticated, there is a new wave of visual merchandising which technology companies, quite naturally, tend to employ to showcase their latest electronic products, which are namely kiosks with technological interaction. Such kiosks are a brilliant way to engage and enthrall customers and potential customers alike.
Mannequins
One of the oldest and most recognizable examples of visual merchandising for clothing brands is that of carefully arranged and displayed mannequins. Some high-end stores in fashion-mecca cities, such as Milan and New York, specifically employ visual merchandisers whose sole role is to arrange clothing, accessories and even make up on their mannequins to maximize the visual aesthetics of the products.
Benefits Of Visual Merchandising
There is a multitude of significant benefits to employing an effective and well thought-out visual merchandising campaign, including the following:
- A clear rise in retail sales and overall profit over time
- An increase volume of footfall to a store
- Enhanced levels of brand loyalty and the establishment of your brand
- Improved shopping experience for your customers
- An added value to the products you sell