Introduction to Visual

UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL Merchandising

MERCHANDISING
Structure
1.0 Objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Concept of Visual Merchandising
1.3 Trends in Visual Merchandising
1.4 Importance of Visual Merchandising
1.5 Objectives of Visual Merchandising
1.6 Elements of Visual Merchandising
1.7 Effective Visual Merchandising
1.8 Essential Features of Visual Merchandising
1.9 Planning for Visual Merchandising
1.10 Let us Sum Up
1.11 Key Words
1.12 Answers to Check Your progress
1.13 Terminal Questions

1.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
● define the concept of visual merchandising;
● explain the trends in visual merchandising;
● describe the importance of visual merchandising;
● discuss the objectives of visual merchandising;
● identify the elements of visual merchandising;
● discuss the steps to be followed in effective visual merchandising; and
● describe the essentials required for visual merchandising.

1.1 INTRODUCTION
Today visual merchandising plays an important role in retail-industry. It is the art of
presentation whereby Visual merchandiser conceptualizes designs and implements
window and in-store displays for retail stores. Visual Merchandisers are the professionals
who are responsible for granting any brand a face. This exercise educates the customers,
creates desire and finally adds to the selling process. In this unit, you will learn about the
concept, trends, objectives, elements and essentials of visual merchandising. You will
further learn how to make visual merchandising more effective to attract the customers
and pre-requisites to be kept in mind while planning for visual merchandising.

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Visual Merchandising and
Store Management 1.2 CONCEPT OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING
Merchandising involves acquiring the required goods and placing them with due
prominence on the designated shelf. It also involves setting price for the goods that
helps the retailer in reaching the goal that has been set. In large stores thousands of
items are kept for sale. Retailers often try to keep complimentary products that assist in
each other’s sales like, TV sets, DVD players. Merchandising becomes a vital part of
stores operation as the success of store depends mainly on the products sold there.
Today’s successful retailers make the most profitable use of every square foot of space
in the store. Since the space is very expensive, one must take a strategic approach to
use the space.

Figure 1.1: Space utilization

Floor patterns, location of merchandise, level of inventory and appropriate displays are
all key factors in the proper use of space. Mishandling of space can be as harmful to
your success as poor buying. It is very important for every store to create a suitable
atmosphere and appealing presentations in order to trigger the consumer’s buying
decisions. In a competitive world where you can find identical merchandise in more
than one store, layout and presentation become key differentiating factors. Look at
figure 1.1 which shows how effectively space is used to display the goods in retail store.
Visual merchandising is concerned with presenting products to customers within the
retail space. It refers to the efforts undertaken to make a retail outlet attractive to the
prospective customers through the art of presentation, with the ultimate aim of selling
the merchandise offered. VM aims at selling the image of the retail store and goods and
services offered by it. It is a term sometime used as an alternative to merchandise
display, but these days visual merchandising is generally understood to have a wider
definition encompassing all activities concerned with the presentation of the product
within the retail outlet. It includes the choice of store layout, the method of product
presentation, the choice of fixture and fittings, the construction of displays, and the use
of point-of-sale material. Gini Frings had defined it as the means to communicate a
store’s fashion, value, products, and quality message to prospective customers so as to
entice them to buy from the store on a sustainable basis. The main objective of visual
merchandising is to make the customer experience memorable along with satisfying his/
her needs. It helps in increasing sale and customer satisfaction by creating the right
ambience through good visual presentation and store planning.
Visual merchandising is more important in some retail sectors than others. For example,
fashion and home furnishing retailers have always devoted considerable resources to
6 display their products in an appealing way. The grocery retailers are much more concerned
with space efficiency. Visual Merchandisers must combine their artistic flair and creativity Introduction to Visual
Merchandising
with technical know-how to set up displays that maximize the space of the store while
effectively catching the eye and appealing to the senses of their target customers to
serve their purposes. Visual merchandising educates the customers about the benefits
of products and services in the following way.
● It establishes a creative medium to present merchandise in 3D environment, thereby
enabling long lasting impact and recall value.
● It sets the company apart in an exclusive position.
● It establishes linkage between fashion, product design and marketing by keeping
the product in prime focus.
● It combines the creative, technical and operational aspects of a product and the
business.
● It draws the attention of the customer to enable him to take purchase decision
within shortest possible time, and thus augmenting the selling process. It makes
easier for the customer to locate the desired category and merchandise.
● It makes easier for the customer to self-select.
● It makes possible for the shopper to co-ordinate and accessorize.
● It helps to highlight and demonstrate particular products at strategic locations.

1.3 TRENDS IN VISUAL MERCHANDISING

Needless to say, today the retailers have realized the importance and power of an attractive
window display. Merchandise presentation encourages the buyers not only to enter the
store, but also to purchase the merchandise. Today window display is not only an
expression of art but a strong selling tool. Display should sell it the mantra to be applied.
Window displays and merchandise presentation are now calculative and they are based
on the psychoanalysis of consumer behavior. Visual merchandising trends are constantly
fluctuating because retail is always changing. The challenge for retailers is to react to
the evolving needs and wants of their customers. Visual elements in a retail store have
always been very important in attracting and keeping consumers. But in the past, visual
merchandising trends dictated that featured merchandising is used primarily to promote
sale prices. End caps were and still are, used for this purpose. However, twenty years
ago the visual merchandising trend was to bulk stack end caps promoting prices on
single items. Today retailers often use end caps to promote new items and to inform
customers of those items’ specific purposes or benefits. End caps today are also more
attractive. The visual merchandising trends of today find retailers using end cap fixtures,
lighting and color to highlight featured products. Visual merchandising trends have also
influenced the way store aisles are merchandised. Focal points are often developed in
the middle of categories or aisle runs. This is referred to as micro-merchandising.
Sections of particular groups or products are featured by changing the type or color of
fixture on which those products reside. Visual merchandising trends have also led retailers
to sometimes include radius shelving in their product sets. Radii shelving are shelves
with rounded front edges. When used as feature elements, they extend past the straight
front of neighboring shelf sections. Product visuals are improved and the items featured
have a distinct advantage over products that are adjacent and not featured. Current
visual merchandising trends have seen overall fixture heights drop in many stores. By
dropping fixture heights customers can be enticed visually to explore other areas of the
store.
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Visual Merchandising and
Store Management

Figure 1.2: Trends in visual merchandising

Look at figure 1.2, which shows that retailers use visual cues to guide customers through
their stores for the purpose of increasing unplanned purchases. New store layouts not
only use visuals to plan fixture placement, they also use visual merchandising techniques
to design store décor. Visual merchandising trends have definitely influenced store
signage. Retail store signs have gone from Styrofoam letters glued to a wall to colorful
high impact three dimensional graphics. Even now we are seeing a shift in visual décor.
Visual merchandising in stores is going digital. Flat screen TV’s are being utilized
everywhere, not only presenting products in full color, but also communicating and in a
very literal sense, selling. These digital signs are like having another salesperson on the
floor. Visual merchandising trends have led to merchandising that improves profitability
and exposes shoppers to more key elements within a store. Visual merchandising is just
one of the essential elements of the discovery process. Online shopping has become
important that the store put in extra effort in attracting customers in the store and providing
a pleasurable shopping experience, to make sure that the customer returns to the store
for repetitive purchase. Encouraging and helping the customer to cross merchandise
will not only increase sales but also facilitate customer convenience.

1.4 IMPORTANCE OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING

In the present scenario competition is increasing and becoming more complex. Therefore,
keeping in view the nature of competition, it is necessary to display the products in such
a manner that they look attractive and appealing to the minds of customers. It can be
understood with the help of an example. If you have two cakes in front of you - both
chocolate, but one with yummy frosting and the other without it - just a plain chocolate
cake. Which one do you choose? Both are cakes, and chocolate flavoured as well.
More often, we choose the option which is more visually appealing. Such is the human
mind, we immediately feel that the better looking one will be the tastier one as well. The
task of visual merchandising is similar. It is the art of displaying merchandise in a
store, in a manner that is appealing to the eyes of the customer. This helps in
presenting the products/services in a way that would convert the window shoppers into
prospective customers and ultimately buyers of the product. Visual merchandising includes
store layout, window displays, signs, cosmetic promotions and any other sales promotions
taking place in the store. The Retail business is booming these days, however, along
with this, it also invites a lot of competition. With the large amount of options that customers
have these days, it is very difficult for business to attract customers and increase customer
8 loyalty. One way to do so is through effective visual merchandising. More and more retail
businesses have started putting focus on the art of visual merchandising to increase Introduction to Visual
Merchandising
footfalls and ultimately enhances the sales.

Figure 1.3: Importance of visual merchandising

The importance of visual merchandising has been discussed as below:
Understand the importance of visual merchandising: The first step to good visual
merchandising is to understand how it is important. It will definitely be an asset to your
store and business. With good visual merchandising, you will be able to accomplish your
store’s objectives easily.
Tell your store’s story through visual merchandising: Visual Merchandising gives
you the chance to convey to your customers what your store is about and how you can
satisfy their needs without being too intrusive. If you are running a high end fashion
store your, VM strategy will be different than other economical fashion stores. For
example, if the store has a new fall collection, the visual merchandising should portray
that to the customers.
Attract customers by being different: Just using visual merchandising is not enough.
You have to invest time and effort on it. The same old tricks do not work any more, so
attract your customers by being different. For example, Instead of hanging garments on
hangers or keeping them in racks, hang some of them on hooks from the ceilings.
Tailor your displays to correspond with the kind of customers you attract: A
good visual merchandising is the one that has been done keeping in mind the objective of
the store along with the needs of the customers. You should keep in mind that your VM
strategy should give your customers ample opportunity to browse through your products
and convert them into sales. For example, a toy store which gives a chance to the kids
to touch and feel the products/ play with them, will always do better than a store which
keeps it products in closed boxes, out of the kid’s reach.
Keep your visual merchandising dynamic: The human mind gets bored easily, hence,
if the display of the store is constant without any novelty, it will not attract enough
customers. Keep changing your displays daily or at least once in 3 days - the more
dynamic your visual merchandising, the more it attracts the customer. It also increases
the awareness of your products by giving you the chance to display more products.
Use it to fulfill the stores objectives: It is important to understand the power of
visual merchandising. You can use it to your advantage in achieving the store’s objectives.
For example, if your objective is just to get more footfalls other than coveting sales,
make use of displays. Put up eye catching displays which say ‘Walk in to get free
vouchers, etc. These are just a few of the various elements that you can use to increase
your store’s awareness and sales through visual merchandising. Passion for creativity
and design along with coming up with new ideas, are essential to ensure a good VM
strategy.
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Visual Merchandising and
Store Management 1.5 OBJECTIVES OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING
Any retail organization conducts its business with an objective of earning profit by selling
its merchandise and services. To do so, it has to make sure that its prospective customers
are aware about the merchandise and services that are available. The main objectives
of visual merchandising are to support selling and to coordinate marketing activities. Let
us learn them in detail

i) Support Selling
Visual merchandising facilitates sales by:
1. Communicating and reinforcing the store brand image. Visual merchandising displays
and designs should be designed keeping in mind the target customers (their lifestyle,
values, educational background, income group, etc.)

Figure 1.4: Visual merchandising – a supporting activity

2. Informing the prospective customers about the various merchandise available in-
store
3. Generating excitement through window displays and in-store ambience to encourage
more customers to enter the store especially during special events (like SALE,
festive season, new product launch, etc.)
4. Cleverly place merchandise category adjacencies and strategic merchandise
presentations and displays, not only help make sale in one category but also help
cross merchandise.
5. Well planned fixture Planograms help save staff time while stacking and rearranging
merchandise, which they can use to attend to a prospective customer.

ii) Co-ordination
Just like all the departments in a retail organization work towards the advancement of
sale so does the visual merchandising department. VM department does not work in
isolation and has to be in synchronization with the company policies, retail merchandise
to be sold (e.g. merchandise introduce/discontinued), special offers (e.g. discount sales),
marketing policies, etc.
A Visual merchandiser should hence co ordinate his activities and time line with the
10 other departments in the organizations.
Merchandising department: The visual merchandiser must be aware and understand Introduction to Visual
Merchandising
the merchandising department’s selling strategy, including which merchandise is availed
at which store, the date on which they will be made available, etc. This will help the VM
to design VM plans/designs that will reinforce the sale strategy.
Advertising/ Marketing department: It is fruitless if the marketing department
advertises some merchandise, and customer cannot locate them in the store. Hence the
VM should work in coordination with the marketing team. Further more to create greater
sales impact and greater recall value the Visual Merchandiser should try and repeat any
special characters or symbols used by the marketing department.
Operations department: Coordination with the operations team is key when it comes
to the execution of the VM plans. Centrally manufactured props may need to be
transported to the individual store as well as maintains of the shop floor and the display
props need to be looked after.
Floor Staff: Store floor staff is one of the best sources to know about the customer
behavior at the store. They can give a visual merchandiser valuable information about
which product are the hot sellers and which ones are the slow movers.

Figure 1.5: Coordination of visual merchandising

1.6 ELEMENTS OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING

A visual merchandiser has to work with various elements of VM to bring about the
desired action (purchase) and reaction (satisfaction, to return for another purchase at a
future date) from the customers. These elements are as follow:
a) Store front
b) Store layout
c) Store interior
d) Interior display
Let us learn them in detail.
a) Store Front: The exterior of a business comprises the following:
i) Marquee: It is a sign that is used to display the store name
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Visual Merchandising and ii) Entrances: These are designed with customer convenience and store security
Store Management
in mind. There are several types of entrances each portraying a certain
image
Revolving – up scale stores
Push-Pull – full service stores often with fancy handles
Electronic – Self-serve stores, with carts such as Wal-Mart, Kroger etc.
Climate Controlled – shopping malls.
iii) Window Display: Window displays acts as an introduction of what will be
found inside the store. Given the fact that a pedestrian takes only a few
seconds to consider a store window, a window display should be well planned
to make the most impact. Main intension should be to capture the attention of
the passersby. It begins with the selling process even before the customer
enters the store and suggests the type of merchandise carried in the store
b) Store Layout: Store layout describes the overall look and feel of the interior of a
retail store, including the placement of fixtures and products within the store. It is
an important part of implementing retail store strategy. Effective layouts are designed
to expose customers to the most products possible given the amount of floor space
available. It refers to the way the floor space is allocated. It is of four types.
● Selling Space: It includes: Interior displays, Sales demonstration areas, Sales
transaction areas (wrap desk)
● Merchandise Space: It is allocated to items that are kept in inventory, Selling
floor, and Stock room area.
● Personnel Space: It refers to space for employees, break rooms, lockers
and restrooms.
● Customer Space: It refers the space meant for comfort and convenience
of customers. It includes: Restaurants, Dressing rooms, Lounges, Restrooms,
and Recreation area for children.
c) Store Interior: In-store displays should be in line with the window display in terms
of theme and props. In-store displays can be further categorized into:
i) High points: When a display is placed above the eye level to be viewed
from a distance is called a high point. They are usually on the top shelf of the
walls fixtures featuring the merchandise stacked/hung on that wall. They
are used to demonstrate the use of this merchandise and inspire the fashion
trends. They can also be used to cross merchandise.
ii) Focal points: Focal points are dedicated areas within the store for displays.
They display the merchandise stacked around that area which may be from
different departments. They are good source to encourage cross
merchandising.
It affects the store’s image and includes the items such as: Floor & wall coverings,
Lighting, Colors, and Fixtures. It is important to create a relaxing, comfortable
place for customers to shop.
d) Interior Display: These are the part of general store interior. It helps the customer
to make a selection without personal assistance. Interior displays use fixtures and
props to showcase merchandise. Props are generally classified as decorative or
functional. Functional Props refers to practical items for holding merchandise such
as mannequins and shirt forms whereas the purpose of Decorative Props is to
enhance merchandise items such as trees, tables, cars.
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Interior display may be of different types. Introduction to Visual
Merchandising
● Closed display: Examples are Look but don’t touch, require sales person assistance,
Expensive or fragile merchandise, and Jewelry cases.
● Open Display: Examples are to handle merchandise without a salesperson, Self-
service, etc.
● Architectural Display: Examples are: Actual room setting and Furniture.
● Store Decorations: It refers to decorations for holidays such as Christmas,
Halloween and Valentine’s Day.

Check your Progress A

1. What is meant by visual merchandising?
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2. What do you mean by brand Identity?
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3. State the trends in visual merchandising.
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4. What is the importance of visual merchandising?
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5. Mention the elements of visual merchandising.
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Visual Merchandising and
Store Management 1.7 EFFECTIVE VISUAL MERCHANDISING
You have already learnt about trends, objectives, importance and elements of visual
merchandising. Let us now discuss different ways through which one can make visual
merchandising more effective.
Visual impact is a huge component of retail merchandising. Customers entering a store
are greatly influenced by the visual information they gather in the first split of second.
One simple visual element, such as color, can catch a shopper’s attention and also
greatly affect their mood. In today’s ultra competitive market place it is of paramount
importance that retailers understand the basics of visual merchandising. Here are some
steps that help you to maximize the positive results of your efforts.
Display products in a creative way: When building a product display look for products
that are natural add-ons to the main product featured. A great visual merchandising tip
for a grocery store: Build an end cap special on tomato soup, but don’t just stop with the
soup, get creative. Merchandise the entire end cap with tomato soup then place a shelf
at eye level displaying brightly colored soup bowls as an add-on sale item. Visually the
display would have a repeating label accented by one ribbon shelf of bowls. This is
good visual merchandising practice and great way to increase margin.
Use accent lighting to feature products: Customers are drawn to light. Lighting
can make products shine and bring colors to life. Using this visual merchandising tip to
wash a display wall with light will enhance any product. Accent lighting creates visual
interest for shoppers, and magically puts products in their sight. Once a product has
captured a customer’s attention the odds are increased that a purchase is at hand. This
visual merchandising tip will impact your customers’ impression of their shopping
experience and your profits.
Change displays weekly: This visual merchandising tip reminds us that customers
want to see new and different products. There is an aspect of entertainment and
education that customers appreciate when stores change their displays. Stores that
don’t change their displays weekly will have customers simply walking past displays
that are no longer fresh. If the customers have seen the same end cap for the last six
weeks, the displays are no longer new or relevant to them. These stores will not reap
the potential rewards of incremental or add-on sales and can lose out to their competition.
If the competitor down the street is constantly and creatively changing their visuals,
there is a good chance shoppers will gravitate to that store.
Colour matters: Colour can demand a shopper’s attention, evoke emotion and influence
decisions. Your merchandising plan should include bright colours not only for displays
or end caps, but also for the middle of aisle runs. Visually painting your store with
colourful focal points will help draw shoppers to those key areas.
Merchandising themes: Theme merchandising is a fun way to communicate seasonal
activities or other information. If your store is a hardware store, use garden gloves,
flower bulbs, decorative pots, hand gardening tools, and potting soil to get your sales
started for spring. Outdoor grilling displays are great themes for grocery stores and
home centers. Backyard chefs will be attracted to every item in your display. Themes
connect customers to projects or activities, and as a result, connect their spending to
your profits.

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 Introduction to Visual
1.8 ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF VISUAL Merchandising
MERCHANDISING
There are certain things which a retailer needs to take care while proceeding with the
process of displaying his products. These components when combined together in a
proper ratio will make a successful outcome. The essential features of visual
merchandising are as follow:
Make merchandise the focal point: The main goal of display is to showcase the
products within the overall display area. Customers give three to five seconds of their
attention to window display. The retailers visual message should be conveyed to the
customer in that short period of time. It should not be like an unsuccessful TV
advertisement, where the product is forgotten altogether and only the concept of the
commercial remains in the mind of the viewer. The arrangement of window display
should go with the product and should not suppress them to make it discernable to the
eye.
Appropriate colours: Color is one of the most powerful tools in the Visual Merchandising
segment. It is a visual perceptual property. Colors can be associated with emotions,
special occasions and gender. It attracts attention and pulls more customers into the
store. A retailer has to focus on the right choice of color that would match with the
theme of display. It is not possible to satisfy everyone all the time, but it is possible to
cultivate the taste of customers gradually and purposefully. A right choice of colors in
the display items can turn walkers into stoppers and significantly convert them into
customers. It is therefore mandatory to choose the right color for the right theme of
display. A Halloween display would require black color in the display theme. Valentines
theme should be ruled by red color supplemented with pink and white. A display of
baby’s accessories should reflect light shades of pink and blue colors. A Christmas
display should contain colors of red, green, gold and silver.
Supportive theme: A theme is a display of sale items of similar categories e.g. a
display of kitchen accessories. It is essential to have themes for all retail displays. They
can be romantic, wild, or capricious. A good theme will lure the customer with a shopping
mood into the store. Themes mainly depend upon the retailers’ imagination and creativity.
Focusing on the right theme rather than creating a display with expensive raw materials
is the key to successful window display. A shoe store theme can be a group of elves
buying shoes. A theme for display of casual wears can be a group of mannequins sitting
casually at a get together in different poses. Related themes will tug the heartstring of
the customers and will pay off.
Display should complement other strategies of the retailer: The content of the
display should complement the in store environment and other marketing strategies of
the retailer. If the retailer has a specific logo, the colors of the display can reflect the
same color of the logo. For e.g. MacDonalds display, the clown is of the same color, red
and yellow as in their logo.
Cleanliness: Neat and clean arrangement is the foundation of a successful visual
display. A beautiful display can be ruined by a cracked sign holder or an unclean display
environment. Effective cleaning schedule of showcases and display fixtures is required.
Change the display settings in frequent intervals: Changing the arrangement of
the displays in regular intervals will initiate new interest about the products in the minds
of the customer. By designing a Plano gram and activating changes frequently one can
be a proactive retailer. With globalization and the retail boom, visual merchandising is
growing in leaps and bounds. It is not simply concerned about decorating a store
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beautifully; but must also symbolize the brand keeping the target audience in mind.
Visual Merchandising and
Store Management 1.9 PLANNING FOR VISUAL MERCHANDISING
Visual appeal is an important component in the success of any retail store. Successful
business owners understand that the impact of visual appeal cannot be overstated in
retailing. Every visual detail can greatly influence a customer’s decision to remain in the
store and ultimately make a purchase. Even the simplest elements, such as the general
color scheme, can affect a customer’s disposition and determine a purchase decision,
as well as repeat business. The planning for visual merchandising involves following
activities.

Figure 1.6: Visual merchandising planning

Evaluate overall color schemes: Create a color plan that visually paints the retail
space by accenting focal points that draw customers to specific areas. Coordinate featured
items to provide a core structure for a visual merchandising plan. Match store color
schemes to products. Use dominant store product colors in strategic areas, such as the
entryway and exit. Find and use flattering colors that could evoke emotion. Include
bright colors in aisles as well as in product displays.
Develop merchandising themes: Consider the themes of the products, incorporating
holidays and special occasions into item groupings. Send visual messages through seasonal
activity communication. For example, for spring, use floral arrangements with products
as appropriate. Offer information for activities like outdoor parties for summer and fall,
displaying product use. Floral shops and hardware stores could feature flower bulbs,
seeds, pots, gardening tools and information on how to use them. Use themes to give
customers incentives for projects and activities that relate to the products in the store.
Feature sale products creatively: Build product displays that showcase sale products
with accents. Use vibrant colors that flow naturally with the color scheme of the store.
Use product add-ons for main products featured. For example, place every item that a
customer would need to create the effect of the display within the grouping. Build on
each item with merchandise to display suitable brightly colored items as add-on sale
products. Use accent lights for featured products, since light attracts attention. Study
and examine other retail stores. Consider how to effectively adapt and create new
themes to help design displays. This type of strategy can enhance visual merchandising
plans for increased sales margins.
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Keep a fresh perspective: Change all displays on a weekly basis. Use advertisements Introduction to Visual
Merchandising
to guide display creation. Customers need to experience new products that serve to
update old standards. Regular display changes can also entice customers to return
regularly. Use aspects of entertainment to educate customers who can appreciate learning
how to use products effectively. New displays are more relevant and interesting. Offer
special display-only incentives and indicate them as such. This strategy may appeal to a
customer‘s sense of the potential associated reward for frequent and regular store
visits.

Check your Progress B

1. Outline the steps in visual merchandising.
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2. What are the essentials of visual merchandising?
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3. State the merits of visual merchandising.
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4. State whether the following statements are true or false.

i) Visual merchandising establishes linkage between fashion, product design
and marketing by keeping the product in prime focus.
ii) Visual merchandising refers to the efforts undertaken to make a retail outlet
attractive to the prospective customers through the art of presentation.
iii) VM aims at selling the image of the retail store only.
iv) A right choice of colors in the display items can turn walkers into stoppers
and significantly convert them into customers.
v) Store layout describes the overall look and feel of the interior of a retail store,
including the placement of fixtures and products within the store.

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Visual Merchandising and
Store Management 1.10 LET US SUM UP
Today visual merchandising plays an important role in retail-industry. Visual
Merchandising (VM) is the art of presentation whereby Visual merchandiser
conceptualizes designs and implements window and in-store displays for retail stores.
This exercise educates the customers, creates desire and finally adds to the selling
process. Needless to say, today the retailers have realized the importance and power of
an attractive window display and merchandise presentation not only to encourage the
buyers to enter the store, but also to purchase the merchandise. Today window display
is not only an expression of art but a strong selling tool. Visual merchandising trends are
constantly fluctuating because retail is always changing. The challenge for retailers is
to react to the evolving needs and wants of their customers. The visual merchandising
trends of today find retailers using end cap fixtures, lighting and color to highlight featured
products. Visual merchandising trends have also influenced the way store aisles are
merchandised. In the present scenario competition is increasing and becoming more
complex, therefore keeping in view the nature of competition, it is necessary to display
the products in such a manner that they look attractive and appeal to the minds of
customers. A visual merchandiser has to work with various elements of VM to bring
about the desired action (purchase) and reaction from the customers. These elements
are: Store front, Store layout, Store interior, and Interior display. Visual impact is a huge
component of retail merchandising. Customers entering a store are greatly influenced
by the visual information they gather in the first split of second. There are certain steps
which help a merchandiser in order to attract the shoppers’ attention. These steps are:
Display sale products in a creative way, Use accent lighting to feature products, Change
displays weekly. There are certain essentials, which a retailer needs to take care while
proceeding with the process of displaying his products. These components when
combined together in a proper ratio will make a successful outcome. These are: Make
merchandise the focal point, appropriate colours, supportive theme, Display should
complement the retailers other strategies, Change the display settings in frequent intervals,
and cleanliness.

1.11 KEY WORDS

Store Layout : A store layout is the design in which a store’s interior is
set up. Store layouts are well thought out to provide the
best exposure possible. They are designed to create an
attractive image for consumers.
Interior Display : These are the part of general store interior. It helps the
customer to make a selection without personal assistance.
Merchandise Space : It refers the space allocated to items that are kept in
inventory, selling floor, and stock room area.
Store Decorations : It refers to decorations for holidays such as Christmas,
Valentine’s Day etc.
Planogram : It refers to schematic drawing of shelves and fixtures
that helps in making the optimal use of available shelf-
space in a retail store.
Signage : Visual and graphic form of communication in letters or
any recognizable symbol that gives a message to customer
in terms of stores/outlet image as well as for a smooth
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flow.
 Introduction to Visual
1.12 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Merchandising

B 4) (i) True (ii) True (iii) False (iv) True (v) True

1.13 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

What is visual merchandising? Explain the objectives of visual merchandising in India.
What is the importance of visual merchandising in retail sector? Describe in detail the
trends in visual merchandising in India.
What are the elements of visual merchandising? Discuss the steps to be followed in
effective visual merchandising.
Discuss the essential features of visual merchandising. Also explain the pre-requisites
while planning for visual merchandising.

Activity : Visit a Mall in your nearby area and identify various visual merchandising
activities undertaken by a retail store.

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