Visual merchandising
Encyclopedia
Visual merchandising is the activity and profession of developing floor plans and three-dimensional displays in order to maximise sales.
Both goods or services can be displayed to highlight their features and benefits. The purpose of such visual merchandising is to attract, engage and motivate the customer towards making a purchase.
Visual merchandising commonly occurs in retail spaces such as retail stores and trade shows.
In the twentieth century, well-known artists such as Salvador Dalí
and Andy Warhol
created window displays.
of a store. It is one of the final stages in setting out a store in a way customers find attractive and appealing.
Many elements can be used by visual merchandisers in creating displays including color, lighting, space, product information, sensory inputs (such as smell, touch, and sound), as well as technologies such as digital displays and interactive installations.
allows visual merchandisers to plan the arrangement of merchandise by style, type, size, price or some other category. It also enables a chain of stores to have the same merchandise displayed in a coherent and similar manner across the chain.
Display windows may also be used to advertise seasonal sales or inform passers-by of other current promotions.
.
Both goods or services can be displayed to highlight their features and benefits. The purpose of such visual merchandising is to attract, engage and motivate the customer towards making a purchase.
Visual merchandising commonly occurs in retail spaces such as retail stores and trade shows.
History
When the giant nineteenth century dry goods establishments like Marshall Field & Co. shifted their business from wholesale to retail, the visual display of goods became necessary to attract the general consumers. The store windows were often used to attractively display the store's merchandise. Over time, the design aesthetic used in window displays moved indoors and became part of the overall interior store design, eventually reducing the use of display windows in many suburban malls.In the twentieth century, well-known artists such as Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
and Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
created window displays.
Principles
The purpose of visual merchandising is to:- Make it easier for the customer to locate the desired category and merchandise.
- Make it easier for the customer to self-select.
- Make it possible for the shopper to co-ordinate and accessorise.
- Recommend, highlight and demonstrate particular products at strategic locations.
Techniques
Visual merchandising builds upon or augments the retail designRetail design
Retail design is a creative and commercial discipline that combines several different areas of expertisetogether in the design and construction of retail space...
of a store. It is one of the final stages in setting out a store in a way customers find attractive and appealing.
Many elements can be used by visual merchandisers in creating displays including color, lighting, space, product information, sensory inputs (such as smell, touch, and sound), as well as technologies such as digital displays and interactive installations.
Tools
A planogramPlanogram
A planogram is "a diagram or model that indicates the placement of retail products on shelves in order to maximize sales".Also known as plano-grams, plan-o-grams, schematics and POGs, planograms are a tool used in visual merchandising.-Overview:A planogram is often received before a product reaches...
allows visual merchandisers to plan the arrangement of merchandise by style, type, size, price or some other category. It also enables a chain of stores to have the same merchandise displayed in a coherent and similar manner across the chain.
Window displays
Window displays can communicate style, content, and price.Display windows may also be used to advertise seasonal sales or inform passers-by of other current promotions.
Food merchandising
Restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores use visual merchandising as a tool to differentiate themselves in a saturated marketMarket saturation
In economics, "market saturation" is a term used to describe a situation in which a product has become diffused within a market; the actual level of saturation can depend on consumer purchasing power; as well as competition, prices, and technology....
.