Visual

Merchandising
and Store
Management
Syllabus:
Unit 1:
Introduction

Objectives of Visual Merchandising

Concept of Visual Merchandising

Trends in Visual Merchandising

Importance of Visual Merchandising

Elements of visual merchandising

Essential features of visual merchandising

Planning for visual merchandising

Steps to be followed in effective visual merchandising

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.
 Concept of Visual Merchandising

• Merchandising involves acquiring the required

goods and placing them with due prominence
on the designated shelf.

• It also involves setting prices for the goods

that help the retailer reach the goal that has
been set.
Concept of Visual Merchandising
Merchandising becomes a vital part of store operations as the success of the
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.

Utilization of center space.

Key factors in the proper use of space:

Floor Pattern Level of

Location of inventory
merchandise
 ❖ 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.
❖ It is a term sometimes used as an alternative to merchandise display.
❖ It includes the choice of store layout, the
method of product presentation, the choice of
fixtures and fittings, the construction of displays,
and the use of point-of-sale material.
❖ The main objective of visual merchandising is to make the customer
experience memorable along with satisfying his/her needs. It helps in
increasing sales and customer satisfaction by creating the right ambiance
through good visual presentation and store planning.
 To brief:
❖ Visual merchandising is the art of presentation, which puts the merchandise
in focus.
❖ It educates the customer and creates a desire to buy.
❖ It is a presentation of a store.
❖ The objective of a store sale promotion plan.
❖ A team involved is needed- the senior management, architects,
merchandising managers, buyers, the visual merchandising director, industrial
designers, and staff.
VM includes:

❖ Skills
❖ Creativity
❖ Lighting
❖ Props
❖ Background
❖ Interiors
❖ Flooring
 ELEMENTS OF DISPLAY
Color:-
– The different colors suggest an identity different from the
theme and mood.
– Color is one of the most powerful tools in the Visual
Merchandising segment.
– It attracts attention and pulls more customers into the store.
Eg: Valentine’s theme should be ruled by red color
supplemented with pink and white. And Christmas display
should contain colors of red, green, gold, and silver.
ELEMENTS OF DISPLAY

Lighting:-
• Natural daylight and light used at night
reflect the merchandise’s appearance.
•The same product looks different in a
different light.
•Lighting is the most important part of the
display as it highlights features.
•If the display requires emphasis on a certain
product it can be done through light.
 ELEMENTS OF DISPLAY

Merchandise:- Product itself

Functional Block:- Mannequins, Dress forms, Hangers
Decorative props:- These are used to display the
background or a theme for enhancing the merchandise
put on display.
Structural props:- These props support functional props
and decorative props. They are architectural and are used
as per the shape of the window.
 ELEMENTS OF DISPLAY

Background:- The back side of the wall in a window

display provides the framework on which the product is
demonstrate.
Fixtures:- Shelves, tables, rods, counters, stands, Aisle,
and platforms on which merchandise is stocked and
displayed for sale.
 Importance of Visual Merchandising

❖ Attract customers by being different

❖ Tailor your displays to correspond with the kind of customers you

attract expansion of the store

❖ Reflects your brand

❖ Increase sales generation

 Objectives of Visual Merchandising
Support Selling
• Communicating and reinforcing the store’s brand
image.
• Informing the prospective customers about the
various merchandise available in-store.
• Generating excitement through window displays
and in-store ambiance to encourage
more customers to enter the store, especially during
special events (like SALE, festive season, new product
launch, etc.)
• Well-planned fixture Planograms help save staff
time while stacking and rearranging
merchandise, which they can use to attend to a
prospective customer.
 Objectives of Visual Merchandising
Co-ordination

• Merchandising department: The visual merchandiser must be aware and understand 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 sales strategy.

• Advertising/ Marketing department: It is fruitless if the marketing department

advertises some merchandise, and customers cannot locate them in the store. Hence
the VM should work in coordination with the marketing team. Further 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.
 Trends in Visual Merchandising

❖ Window displays

❖ Virtual Window Displays

❖ End caps

❖ Radius shelving with rounded edges

❖ Lower fixture heights

❖ Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Displays

 Window displays

Closed windows Open-back windows

These are usually seen in departmental These have no back wall but may have side
stores with a large pane of glass at the walls. Many retailers prefer them because
front, solid walls at the back and a door, they make the interior of the shop visible
these window resembles a room. from outside.
 Window displays
Shadow box window Focal/Angled windows

Shadow boxes are small entities An angled window display refers to a store's
usually found near the entry of a window presentation where the items are
store. It is a perfect display of luxury arranged at an angle or slant rather than
items like jewelry and watches. being perfectly straight or parallel to the
Shadowbox requires individual window. This is done to create a dynamic and
lighting. eye-catching visual effect.
 Window displays
Windowless Corner Window

It is wide opening at the friend of this The window wrapped around the corner list of
store will bring customers into the shop the placement of stock is important because it
for merchandise easily visible to the will be visible from both directions.
passer by.
 Window displays
Island window Elevated Window

Island window displays can only be This type of elevated display is used to rise
seen in the large department and featured products enough to catch the eye ,
flagship stores. such a window display usually combined with a graphic display or
request shoes space. retailers use this method of displaying the item itself to raise
type of window display to create a awareness even further. It can either be closed or
sense of focus on the latest products or open window that is located in a higher level.
promotions.
Virtual Window displays
Virtual window displays involve using
digital technology to create dynamic and
interactive presentations in store
windows or on screens placed behind the
window glass. These displays can change
content, animations, or visuals in real-
time to engage passersby.
End Caps
End caps, in the context of retailing, refer
to the displays or shelving units located
at the end of store aisles. They are
positioned perpendicular to the main
store aisles and are designed to capture
the attention of shoppers as they pass by
or approach the end of an aisle. End caps
are strategically placed to promote and
highlight specific products, categories, or
promotions.
Radius shelving with rounded edges
Radius shelving, also known as radiused
shelving or curved shelving, refers to a
type of shelving system where the front
edge of the shelves is curved or rounded
instead of being straight. This curved
front edge creates a continuous and
visually appealing display surface. Radius
shelving is often used in retail
environments, libraries, and other spaces
where aesthetics and accessibility are
important.
Lower fixture heights

Lower fixture heights in displays refer

to setting up shelves, racks, or fixtures
at lower levels within a retail or store
environment. In essence, it means
positioning product displays and
shelving units closer to the ground
compared to traditional or higher
fixture setups.