JD Institute of Fashion Technology
An Overview of Visual Merchandising

The good visual appeal of your brand and goods is extremely important for making a name in the market. A bad presentation and poorly displayed products would never fetch you, customers. Just like the customers demand good food presentation in a restaurant, the same way retailers and brands have to present their products in a visually pleasing manner. You might have some of the best products in the market but if your stores display products blandly and poorly then people would go for something else. Therefore, you need to be extremely mindful of visual merchandising.

• What is Visual Merchandising?

Visual merchandising is the practice of displaying the products in a store with the goal of engaging the customers with the product and boosting sales in the long run. Visual merchandising is done by creating displays that accentuate a product’s features, appearance, uses, and benefits in an extremely visually compelling way.

The main point of visual merchandising is not just to make the products look good, but it is also to present the products in a way that increases the sales and the revenue of the brand. We often think that visual merchandising is all about how products are displayed in a store via mannequins, window displays, interactive experiences, signage, etc. That is true, but with the rise of online channels, visual merchandising skills must also extend to the online market.  

• The Importance of Strong Visual Merchandising: 

Visual merchandising is a powerful way to make your products stand out from the crowd. When there are so many stores and products that are asking for a consumer’s attention, it is most likely that the consumer will overlook most of them. Therefore, consumers have to be served with visually presented products that catch the eye of the consumers. 

The job of a visual merchandiser starts with the makeover of the entire retail space, whether it is a store, a mobile app or a website. The ultimate role of the visual merchandiser is to design spaces that combine the brand aesthetics and the unique selling points of their products. This is done like this to communicate the value of the brand and the products. It is all about giving your customer a visually appealing, wholesome experience across all channels that in a way conveys what you are willing to convey about your brand to your customer. 

Visual merchandising is done to catch the attention and interest of the customer which would ultimately lead your consumer to decide on the purchase. Visual merchandising can still catch people’s eye, pique their curiosity, and contribute to sales.

Types of Visual Merchandising: 

Most brands and retailers have already stepped into doing visual merchandising for their brands. But if you are someone who is just starting and looking to improve, here are some of the different visual merchandising techniques you can start with. 

• Interactive Displays: Touchscreen technologies are one of the great ways to draw people’s attention to a specific display to learn more about the specific product and brand. Some fashion retailers, such as Rebecca Minkoff, are incorporating these innovations into their outlets, while home goods retailers, such as Wayfair, have created smartphone applications that enable customers to choose designs to see how they will look in their home in real-time. High-tech technologies aren’t always needed for interactivity. Other methods, such as field marketing, may also be efficient. Field marketing is a great way to show what your brand is all about and instead of telling you just let your customer try your products out. 

• Window Displays: As the saying says, the first impression is the last. If you can make a good first impression on your customer, it can prove to be very advantageous for your brand.  A window display is something that catches the eye of a shopper and wins their interest in the brand as they enter into a retail space. Windows screens are infinitely adaptable and can be used in a multitude of ways to share essential knowledge about the goods and brand.

• Mannequins: Mannequins are the major source of attraction at any retail store. They allow the customers to have a deeper insight into how the clothes would look on a person without having to force someone to try them on. The art of visual merchandising with the help of using mannequins has been in the market for a longer time. Visual merchandisers place mannequins in a manner that is both fascinating and attractive to consumers.

• Signage: Signage is considered to be a simple yet effective visual merchandising technique. Signage is a time-tested technique that conveys a lot of information about a product or a brand in a very eye-catching way. It can either be a very simple poster or can even go up to a complex digital sign that not only entertains but also informs the customer. Just like the window displays and mannequins, signage is also one of the effective visual merchandising techniques that work well for a brand.

While using these visual merchandising techniques, you also need to be mindful of how to effectively do it. Various tips and tricks efficiently keep you going in the field of visual merchandising. Foremost is to always be aware of your customer’s choices and preferences. Be mindful of what attracts your consumers’ eyes and what appeals to the shopper in them. Only after being mindful of how to attract your consumer by using visual merchandising techniques, you would be able to generate sales. 

There are various other factors like light, colors, and mood that make a difference in visual merchandising art. Therefore, we at JD institute always train our students in the best way possible that they don’t miss out on any aspect of visual merchandising. We regularly offer our students with industry lectures and alumni sessions that give them a handful of real-time exposure to the industry.