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10 key principles of visual merchandising for a retail store by Sarah Manning, Visual Merchandising Courses & Consultancy

19 May 2023

Ankorstart have partnered with Sarah Manning at VMC to offer our retailers support and advice with Visual Merchandising & Window Dressing. Sarah has written these top 10 tips for applying effective Visual Merchandising throughout your store.

The visual merchandising principles

The window dressing principles, the eyeline level, the use of colors, connecting your physical and digital window, the hot spot, wall and table merchandising, the back areas, conducting a customer flow exercise, the importance of a peaceful ambience.

My top recommendation to my retailers and students is to obtain an understanding of how to apply the four Visual Merchandising principles, which include the presentation methods Symmetrical, Asymmetrical, Repetition and Alternation. These principles can be applied to your window space, in store Visual Merchandising and to E-Commerce Retail. These principles are my “toolbox” to assisting me with my own Visual Merchandising work! Some retailers may choose to work with a specific principle which would be best suited to their brand style but have in mind that all four principles can be used with any type of merchandise.

Symmetrical – A pyramid, creating a mirror image and balance either side. Top of the pyramid to be positioned at the eyeline level of your customer. Asymmetrical – A half pyramid graduating either towards the left or right. When using within a window, ensure the graduation takes your customers eye towards the store entrance. Repetition – The use of odd numbers, groups of 3 being most popular, creating a central focal point. Repeating a consistent pattern. Alternation – An alternating pattern which assists our customers eyes flow through the composition with ease

Use the principles, Symmetrical, Asymmetrical, Repetition and Alternation for window dressing and creating displays. However, when applying these principles to product merchandising consider using Symmetrical, Repetition and Alternation only. The Asymmetric principle is not effective within product merchandising due to this being a display method – where merchandise feels too over dressed for the customer to feel comfortable with shopping from a space where this principle has been applied.

When creating your shop window display, consider your customer profile and brand style to create a strong, consistent message for the customer. The average turnaround time scale of a store window is 4-8 weeks, this helps to create regular newness for your customer.

Remember to create impactful eyeline level height within your window, the principles of Symmetrical and Asymmetrical pyramids will help you to achieve this. The top of your pyramid should reach the eyeline of your customer whilst they are passing by your window, this location is referred to as a “focal point.” Your focal point should feature a brand, product, or message which you would like to highlight to your customer first, this is your priority location within your window, a location where your customer will focus upon first.

Consider the use of colour within your window. Colours which connect us back to nature or have a positive mood boasting quality have become popular over the past couple of years. I would recommend looking at trend forecasting companies; WGSN and Trend Bible for colour trends and pantone references of the season. I feel using a colour palate of three key colours and using them consistently throughout the display composition always seems to create a stronger impact.

Connect your physical store window to your digital channels by applying a vinyl QR code on the window front. This will assist with connecting both physical and digital channels and also offer the possibility of 24/7 purchases. Your E-Commerce homepage header banner should act like your digital shop window, so mirror the same campaigns and messages which you are highlighting within your store window within your header banner and social posts.

Create a connection to your window campaign by creating a hot spot space at the front of your shopfloor. Your hot spot should be the first location that customers see as they come into your store, most retailers position their hotspots within the central area at the front of their stores.

The hot spot space should mirror the campaign highlighted within your window. Ensure the same range of merchandise is displayed within this area, you can also include any props, signage and POS which are also used within the window to connect the two spaces. Your hot spot should be changed in line with any window changes.

It is important that your customers can shop your merchandise with ease and gain inspiration through link selling. My tip to presenting merchandise on a wall bay or table fixture is to consider the Symmetrical layout.

For a wall bay use a variety of equipment; shelving, front hanging bars and side hanging bars and install this creating a Symmetrical template. When creating a Symmetrical formation, it assists our customers to look at a space with ease and for their eye to focus upon the merchandise more effectively when shopping.

For table merchandising, consider creating a pyramid shape, which involves creating central height. This should bring the middle area of the table up to the customers eyeline level. As example, height can be created by using a mannequin bust form, platforms, or wooden crates.

Increase your possibilities of link selling by merchandising associated product lines together, this also helps to create customer inspiration whilst they shop and helps to create ideas of how customers can put or use those products together within an outfit or within their home.

It can often be a challenge to encourage your customers to shop within the back areas of your shopfloor space! You may have noticed that many retailers position their popular product lines towards the back areas of their store, this would include product lines that they know most of their customers always come into purchase. You will also see service areas located within the back of the store too, these could include changing rooms, click and collect/ customer services and hospitality spaces. Therefore, consider which product lines or departments will draw your customers to the typically quiet back spaces?

Within the front areas of your shopfloor, you should feature your hot spot and new collections, these are product lines that you would like to prioritise highlighting to your customer, but they are not product lines that customers have necessarily come into store to buy.

I was introduced to the concept of Customer Flow exercises whilst working within the Visual Merchandising team at Selfridges and I have used this customer mapping exercise within my own work ever since. A customer flow exercise is an extremely helpful exercise to assist with understanding the customer flow within your shopfloor space, it also helps us to re-evaluate where the opportunities are for us to improve upon our store layout and product locations.

The exercise involves us mapping on the customer activity onto a bird’s eye floor plan. I would recommend mapping on the journeys of five customers on your map, using a different coloured pen for each customer. Create a key to mark on the areas where your customers have paused to look at the merchandise and those areas where you saw a product picked up to purchase. Once you have marked on their journeys within your store floorplan, you will notice a pattern. Review your store plan to evaluate if all areas of your shopfloor are being accessed by your customers?

Creating a peaceful ambience in your store has never been more important and we have seen retailers adjusting the ambience within their stores over the past couple of years, which has helped to encourage customers to come back to our high streets to shop. It is important to create a safe space for your customer, somewhere that they will want to spend more time browsing. We have seen a key trend in reconnecting to nature, using more natural colour tones, natural textures, and natural lighting to create a more calming and inviting environment.

Creating a multi-sensory experience for the customer has also been seen across our retailers, where they are not just creating a shopping experience but also a sensory experience for their customers. We have seen an introduction of an increase of hospitality experiences, craft, and mindfulness classes as well as Pop Up Shop retail concepts making their way into stores to combine with the customer’s shopping experience.

These are my current top 10 principles which I discuss on my courses & workshop s and apply practically within my retailers’ stores.

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Retail | Tip List

12 Visual Merchandising Strategies to Improve Your Store

Published February 13, 2023

Published Feb 13, 2023

REVIEWED BY: Meaghan Brophy

WRITTEN BY: Brigitte Korte

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This article is part of a larger series on Retail Management .

Make the most of your space

• 1 Create Cohesion with Color
• 2 Draw Attention With Lighting
• 3 Direct & Inform Customers With Signs
• 4 Use POP Displays
• 5 Guide Customers With Focal Points
• 6 Direct Traffic With Your Layout
• 7 Tell a Story With Visual Merchandising
• 8 Use Product Placement
• 9 Avoid Empty Space
• 10 Organize Your Space
• 11 Use Seasonal Displays
• 12 Entice Shoppers With Window Displays
• 13 Bottom Line

Visual merchandising is the practice of displaying your product and organizing your store to drive sales, enhance your brand, and provide a stimulating and enjoyable shopping experience for customers. This article and our corresponding video outline a dozen of the most important visual merchandising techniques and how you can implement them in your business.

1. Create a Cohesive Visual Experience Using Color

A uniform color palette will help create a cohesive visual experience in your shop and draw attention to certain elements of your space. You will want to limit the number of colors you work with to create a harmonious visual experience for your customers. Typically, you will want to work with three to four hues at a time, with variation within each color.

The palette you choose should match your brand and your sales objectives. For example, let’s say you are a pet supply store, and you want your brand to be family-friendly and evoke images of animals and nature. You might want to stick with earth tones and greens, as these hues elicit associations with nature and comfort.

Bright, light colors draw the eye more than darker ones. Use bright colors to catch shoppers’ attention and highlight specific products, and darker ones to keep the eye moving.

​​Menchies uses bright colors to draw people’s eyes to their soft serve dispenser.

The blue color palette in this luxury store creates a serene and soft environment for shopping. (Source: Adobe Stock)

A neutral color palette creates a modern and minimalistic feel in this grocery store. (Source: Adobe Stock)

Want to use color strategically in your space? Learn more about how specific color palettes impact customer responses .

2. Draw Attention to Merchandise & Set Ambiance With Lighting

The lighting scheme is a crucial element for making your space complete. Your lighting choices will create an atmosphere and help define the mood your store and brand will inspire. Not only that, but good lighting design will also draw attention to the products you want your customers to see and can even make a statement that sets you apart from the competition.

A spa wants to create a mellow and calm mood, so it chooses sparse warm ambient lighting for its space. (Source: DesignspiritsCo)

A medical supply store, on the other hand, selects brighter and cooler ambient lighting to maximize visibility and contribute to a more energized and sterile atmosphere. (Source: retaildesignblog)

A smart lighting design can be used to highlight or draw attention from certain products, as you can see in this boutique. Here, accent lighting is used to highlight certain products and draw the eye. (Source: Shopify)

You can also use lighting to create bright visual displays that will catch your customers’ eyes. Decorative lighting is a great way to entice customers. (Source: Environmental Lights)

When creating your lighting scheme, be sure to include the four primary types of lighting:

• Ambient Lighting
• Accent Lighting
• Task Lighting
• Decorative Lighting

Ambient lighting is the main lighting source for your store. It is the backdrop on which you will layer other lighting and creates a comfortable environment for customers to explore your space. Ambient lighting should reach every corner of your store.

Accent lighting highlights specific products or key areas, indicating their importance and drawing the eye. This type of lighting helps guide customers to key products or areas by increasing their visibility or accentuating them.

Task lighting is used to provide light for a specific task or purpose. This includes lighting up the register, where transactions will happen; the fitting rooms, where people will be trying on and evaluating clothes; and your office space, where you fill out paperwork and work each day. Task lighting is used as a supplemental light source anywhere tasks are being done.

Decorative lighting includes lighting features that serve an aesthetic rather than a functional purpose. It can be used to embellish your space or add to the ambiance of your storefront.

Want to learn more about the best retail lighting practices? Check out our retail lighting guide .

3. Use Signage to Direct & Inform Customers

Effective signage can enhance your brand image, highlight products or features, guide your customers to specific items, and share information with your shoppers.

There are a few major dos and don’ts when it comes to designing and placing your signs.

Exterior displays are all about capturing people’s attention and intrigue; they will often be the boldest visual display in your entire storefront. Think of your exterior signage as the greeting your business gives out into the world. Is it inviting enough to beckon the passerby inside?

A well-lit sign outside a Converse store draws customers’ interest. (Source: Starfish Signs)

Folding sidewalk and lit window signs are great examples of eye-catching signage that work well for exterior displays. (Source: Aosom.com)

You can also use signs to help customers find their way through your store. (Source: Dreamstime)

Want to learn more about exterior displays? Read our guide to designing storefront signs .

4. Highlight Products With Point-of-Purchase (POP) Displays

POP displays are temporary digital or physical displays located around products you want to draw attention to or advertise. They can promote product features, showcase deals, break up clutter, or draw attention to an exciting item. Think of your POP displays as one-dimensional employees—while they are confined to one product area, they are the expert and key salesperson for that product and can help you sell it faster and easier.

Did You Know? It is said that 65% of people learn visually , and showing visuals can significantly increase message retention. POP displays are a great way to create a visual stimulus around a product and make customers engage and remember your store.

When choosing the best POP displays for your business, you will first want to identify what products you want to target. These might be your personal favorites, best sellers, or even slow sellers that you want to push through. This is up to you and what products you think will get the most benefit from POP displays.

The POP design you choose should be eye-catching, draw customers in, speak to your brand voice, and fit in with the rest of your store. Take a look below at some great examples of POP displays:

This POP display in a home goods store advertises cooking supplies. (Source: Grand Image Inc.)

This holiday-themed display for tape shows customers right where one of their wrapping essentials is located. (Source: Assemblies United)

This display for the candle brand Oldman & Magpie showcases the wares in one eye-catching spot. (Source: Pinterest)

With your POP displays designed, the last thing you will want to do is figure out how to incorporate them into your store layout. POP displays are great for breaking up clutter in high-volume product areas, filling open space, and guiding customers through your store. Think about what areas of your store have monotonous shelving or little diversity in product. These might be great places to feature POP displays to help create visual interest and break up repetitive visual areas.

5. Guide Customers Through the Store With Focal Points

One of the best ways to break up your store and guide customers through your space is by creating focal points. These are specific points of visual interest that will draw your customers’ attention and move them toward the things you want them to see.

While POP displays are a type of focal point, focal points do not necessarily have to be overt ads. They can also be design features that brand your store and create a narrative for your customer. A group of mannequins, a piece of wall art, or a table display all act as focal points and will work to create visual interest and promote customer involvement—without actually creating a new shoppable space.

When considering how you want to place your focal points—and what you want them to be—you will need to think about three main things:

• Traffic flow
• Functionality

Focal points will draw customers in and make them engage with the area of your store in which they are located. You will want to consider what areas of your store you want customers to engage with, avoiding spaces that can’t accommodate high traffic or direct customers out of your store.

When considering your focal points, figure out the kind you want. Will they be ads or exclusively aesthetic? Will they be shoppable displays or simply visual? This will largely come down to how much space you have to give to unshoppable or aesthetic areas and whether you want to create a more overt ad or a display geared toward just visual appeal.

You will also need to consider how your focal points fit into the rest of your store and your brand. Does this display improve the shopping experience or impede on your space? All in all, you want to determine your display’s utility and how it works with the rest of your merchandising and branding.

A focal point display in a home goods store draws attention to new products. (Source: Juliequidiagan)

This arrangement of the mannequin and tables helps draw people in and guide them to key products. (Source: Adobe Stock)

This cosmetics store is full of small table focal points to highlight brands and new products. (Source: Adobe Stock)

6. Direct Customer Traffic With Your Store Layout

A store layout refers to how shelving and furniture pieces are arranged in your store and how this impacts traffic flow, customer movement, and shopping experience. Store layout can affect what customers are drawn to, how long they choose to stay in your store, and how they move in your space. Ultimately, it can influence the story your store is telling, and the sales you can generate.

In general, there are six types of store layouts you can choose from, each providing different opportunities for your merchandising. When deciding what layout is best for your store, you will want to consider the volume of product, the space you have, how you want to showcase your merchandise, and the traffic flow in your store.

6 Types of Store Layouts

For more detailed information and guidance on how to plan your store layout, check out our article on planning your store layout . Alternatively, you can download our free store layout checklist for a comprehensive guide to setting up your store.

7. Use Visual Merchandising to Tell a Story

At the end of the day, you want your business to tell a story about who you are, what you stand for, and what people can expect from you. Customers crave this narrative—they want to understand and assign meaning to the places they shop. This is where storytelling comes in.

Think of your business’s story as the way you would want your customers to describe your store if they were recounting it to a friend. For example, if you were starting a gardening store, you might want customers to walk away feeling like they just left a quaint English country garden or maybe a luxurious chateau estate. Both of these stories would require different merchandising strategies to make them clear, but, if merchandised effectively, would leave customers with a clear picture of who you are and the story you are telling.

To best tell your story, ensure that each element of your merchandising makes sense as part of a complete visual narrative. Cohesion plays a major role in creating a discernible story.

You can find a great example of effective storytelling via merchandising with the brand Free People. When customers walk away from a Free People storefront, they are left feeling like they just experienced a girly, bohemian escape. Pale colors, soft lighting, whimsical decor—everything fits into Free People’s girly-boho narrative.

Not only that, but Free People’s visual merchandising story is perfect for the brand. Its customer demographic is primarily young girls and its clothing leans toward bohemian style. Thus, Free People’s story is in line with both its customer base and product.

Take a look at the examples below:

Free People uses pale colors and whimsical, girly decor to create a narrative in their stores. (Source: Fashion Network)

The dark and high-tech feel of this store helps to tell a story of innovation and toughness for this outdoor store. (Source: Adobe Stock)

Serene colors and product arrangements tell the story of a home in this furniture and decor store. (Source: Adobe Stock)

8. Use Product Placement to Drive Sales

Product placement is a visual merchandising technique in which products are placed thoughtfully throughout a store in an effort to draw attention to them so that, ultimately, customers will be more likely to purchase them.

This store placed its most expensive, weighted candies at eye level and its less expensive items near the ground. (Source: Surveillance Security)

This store added greeting cards to its checkout counter to inspire impulse buys and keep people shopping as their things get rung up. (Source: Magento Blog)

Adding top sellers or new products to the front of this store helped draw shoppers in and get them exploring. (Source: iStock)

In some instances, larger companies using the same merchandising plan for multiple locations will use a planogram to plan their product placement. A planogram is a 2D drawing of your store layout that details all the products on display and where they should go.

Product placement can be as elaborate as a focal point display or as simple as placing key items on eye-level shelves as opposed to knee-level ones. A couple of key product placement strategies include:

• Cross merchandise complementary items: Putting commonly used items in the same area increases the likelihood that shoppers will purchase multiple products.
• Place more expensive items at eye level: Encourage more expensive purchases by having more expensive items on eye-level shelves and less expensive options below or above people’s line of sight.
• Put impulse-buy products around your cash wrap : Add small, inexpensive items that customers are likely to grab without much thought around your cash wrap. This will keep people shopping and promote more units per transaction.
• Highlight slow sellers with best sellers: Use best sellers to draw customers in and then place slower sellers in their vicinity to boost visibility.
• Put top sellers in the back and front of your store: Entice customers to enter your store by placing key products near your entrance, and then force them to move through your entire space and see all that you have to offer by putting additional best-selling items toward the rear.

Learn more about how you can use product placement to boost sales with our guide to retail store design .

Bundle Products to Increase Your Units Per Ticket (UPT)

Grouping or bundling products is the practice of merchandising related products in a group to be purchased together with the goal of incentivizing customers to purchase multiple items in a single purchase. This is a great way to increase your units per ticket (UPT) and create a more convenient and pleasurable experience for customers.

UPT (units per ticket): A common retail metric that measures the average number of items per transaction.

At my boutique, for example, we would display items together in our racks that could make an outfit. So, say we had a sweater hanging. On either side of that piece, we would hang shirts or dresses that could match it and create a full outfit. As customers were browsing, they would see complete outfits rather than disparate pieces and were more likely to buy multiple items and create a full look.

Bundling strategies will naturally incentivize customers to increase their purchase volume, as it will direct them from items they are already purchasing to items that would enhance that purchase. When using bundling strategies in your own store, you will want to consider what products logically go together and how you can display them to make customers see their connection.

A grocer bundles all the ingredients for strawberry shortcake together in one display to show customers how the ingredients can work together and encourage a multi-item purchase. (Source: Pinterest)

A men’s store bundles together complete outfits on their wall display so it is easy for customers to see how products can work together. (Source: Pinterest)

Spring decor is displayed together to show customers how multiple items could work together in their homes. (Source: Pinterest)

9. Avoid Empty Space to Increase Product Exposure

One of the keys to effective visual merchandising is utilizing your space. While you want to break up how you display inventory and avoid clutter, there should seldom be unused space. The more you can maximize your customer’s exposure to your products, the more likely they are to find something they want and, ultimately, make a purchase.

Avoiding unused space will also help keep your customers visually interested. This, in turn, will promote more engagement with your store and interaction with your products, ultimately helping drive sales.

While unused space decreases customer engagement, you want to avoid overfilling your space and creating a cluttered and distracting experience for shoppers.

Unused space can make your store feel bleak and unengaging.

This store has struck a great balance between having adequate products to fill the space but not too many that there is clutter. (Source: Adobe Stock)

This antique store is displaying too much product, creating a messy and overwhelming shopping environment. (Source: iStock)

10. Organize Your Space to Make Shopping Easy

Keeping your store organized is essential to visual merchandising. Having a tidy and organized store will allow your customers to find the items they are looking for with ease and will limit shopping frustration. Additionally, it will contribute to a positive shopping experience and favorable customer sentiment and make running your store easier on your end.

Organizing your storefront starts with creating a system for categorizing and displaying your products. This will largely depend on the type and volume of your products and the space you have to display them. For example, where a grocery store with lots of space and merchandise might want to use a categorical organization system, a clothing boutique with fewer items and less space might want to use color categories.

Avoid shopper and staff frustrations by using a consistent organization strategy throughout your space.

Whatever you think will make shopping and store maintenance the easiest and most logical is the route you should take. And, don’t be afraid to play around with different organization methods. It might take a few tries to determine what is best for your space and customers. At my store, for example, we found that shoppers reacted best to a color-coded organization as opposed to a categorical one, but coming to this organizational method took a couple of tries and customer reaction studies.

A grocery store organizes its fresh produce in the same zone to make shopping easy and logical. (Source: Southern Living)

For short, seasonal items, Target stays organized by installing temporary bin displays that can be taken down easily when the time comes. (Source: Adobe Stock)

For stores with lots of different merchandise, categorical aisles are a great organization system for both shoppers and your staff. (Source: Adobe Stock)

11. Connect With Customers Using Seasonal Displays

When considering your visual merchandising, seasonal factors should play a role. Ensuring that your store merchandising correlates with what customers are experiencing, whether that be a holiday or the time of year, will help your business feel relevant to your audience.

Seasonal displays can take many forms—from POP displays and focal points to window displays and seasonal decor. The main thing is you want to incorporate timely merchandising into your store to capitalize on seasonal sentiments and buying habits. Many businesses will make this easier by letting one seasonal display replace another during its window of relevance rather than redoing an entire section of their store.

There are a few things, however, to consider when using seasonal displays:

• Timing: While you want to maximize the time that seasonal displays are effective, you do not want to put them out too early. This can annoy customers and even drive them not to make a purchase with you. Get a feel for when the community and other businesses bring out their seasonal displays, so you don’t pull yours out too far in advance.
• Consistency: Don’t let your seasonal display exist in a vacuum. Adding more than one display or small decor pieces throughout your store will make the seasonal displays feel less gimmicky and more celebratory. Take a look at our article with tips and tricks to make your seasonal displays shine .
• Relevancy: Your brand or market specifically might benefit from highlighting a time of year. For example, for a health and wellness business, advertising cold and flu season or New Year’s resolutions through seasonal merchandising might help make its products more relevant to customers and help people understand the importance of its business at that moment.

A festive Halloween display advertises candy to shoppers. (Source: Jersey 101.5)

A springtime display draws attention to new spring products and reminds customers of seasonally relevant goods. (Source: Pinterest)

Christmas displays are great for inspiring holiday shoppers and getting them in the gift-giving mood. (Source: KDM Pop Solutions Group)

12. Entice Shoppers Inside With Window Displays

Your store windows present another opportunity to flex your visual merchandising and draw passing traffic into your store. Here, you have the opportunity to display products in a visually appealing way, advertise deals, or even put in an art installation that draws customer attention.

For your window displays, you will want to be sure you are focusing on creating something that will catch your customers’ eyes and give them a glimpse into what they can expect once they are inside. Your window displays should not be misleading for the sake of creating a statement. Think of your window display as the cover of your business’s book. It should be attractive and make customers want to know more and also help them understand what is going on inside.

Window displays are one of the few places in visual merchandising where your display doesn’t have to be shoppable and can entirely focus on visual appeal. Many businesses use this as an opportunity to create something super special for their business, so have fun with it.

A fun and colorful window display (Source: TDF Asia)

In addition to design, you can display your promotions in your window displays to catch people’s attention. (Source: Adobe Stock)

There are no limits on window displays, as they are the one area of your store that does not have to be shoppable. (Source: Adobe Stock)

The possibilities for what you can do with your window space are endless, but, at the end of the day, what you want is for your display to be eye-catching, speak to your brand voice, and create interest among your customers.

Want to learn more about creating window displays that will make customers have to stop and shop? Read our full guide to creating stunning window displays .

Bottom Line

Visual merchandising affects every customer-facing aspect of your business. From your brand voice to customer experience to sales, visual merchandising is much more than just arranging products in an aesthetically appealing way. Keeping all the techniques and tricks that this article reviewed in mind will allow you to create a storefront that is not just beautiful but also in line with what your business stands for and the experience you want to create for your customers.

About the Author

Find Brigitte On LinkedIn

Brigitte Korte

Brigitte is a retail specialist and staff writer with brick-and-mortar management experience. Before joining FSB, she managed a storefront for several years, working in everything from merchandising, to buying, to sales analysis. Brigitte also has a background in writing, research, and publishing, with an undergraduate degree in writing.

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Retail Industry

The Ultimate Guide to Visual Merchandising

Eric Walker

Visual merchandising is a powerful tool that retailers use to create an engaging and visually appealing shopping experience for their customers. It involves the strategic placement of products, signage, and displays to attract attention, highlight key features, and ultimately drive sales. In this ultimate guide to visual merchandising, we will explore the key principles, strategies, and techniques that can help you become a successful visual merchandiser.

Understanding the Importance of Visual Merchandising

Visual merchandising is a crucial aspect of retail marketing that involves creating visually appealing displays to attract and engage customers. It is the art of presenting products in a way that not only showcases their features but also tells a story and evokes emotions. Understanding the importance of visual merchandising is essential for retailers to effectively communicate their brand message, enhance the shopping experience, and ultimately drive sales.

First and foremost, visual merchandising plays a key role in capturing customer attention . With the ever-increasing competition in the retail industry, it is essential for businesses to stand out from the crowd. Eye-catching displays, creative arrangements, and compelling product presentations are all elements of visual merchandising that can help grab the attention of potential customers and entice them to explore further.

Brand Identity and Values

Moreover, visual merchandising helps retailers communicate their brand identity and values . By carefully curating displays that align with their brand image, retailers can create a cohesive and memorable shopping experience. For example, a luxury brand may use elegant and sophisticated displays to convey a sense of exclusivity, while a sustainable brand may focus on using eco-friendly materials and earthy tones.

In addition to attracting customers and communicating brand identity , visual merchandising also enhances the overall shopping experience. A well-designed store layout and visually appealing displays can create a pleasant and inviting atmosphere for shoppers. It can help customers navigate through the store easily, discover new products, and make informed purchasing decisions.

Direct Impact on Sales

Furthermore, visual merchandising has a direct impact on sales . A study conducted by the National Retail Federation found that 55% of consumers make unplanned purchases based on what they see in-store. Effective visual merchandising techniques such as product grouping, color coordination, and strategic placement can influence customer buying behavior and encourage impulse purchases.

Lastly, visual merchandising allows retailers to showcase the unique features and benefits of their products. Through creative displays, retailers can highlight the functionality, quality, and value of their offerings. This not only helps customers understand the product better but also builds trust and confidence in their purchase decision.

Key Principles of Visual Merchandising

To ensure effective visual merchandising, several key principles should be considered:

Layout and Flow: The layout of a store plays a crucial role in guiding customers through the space. A well-designed floor plan ensures a smooth flow of traffic, allowing customers to easily navigate and explore different product areas. It is important to create clear pathways and avoid clutter to promote a seamless shopping experience.

Window Display: The storefront window is a powerful tool for attracting potential customers. A captivating window display should convey the brand’s identity, showcase featured products, and create curiosity. It should be visually appealing, well-lit, and regularly updated to capture attention and entice people into the store.

Color and Lighting: The use of color and lighting can greatly influence the mood and atmosphere of a retail space. Carefully chosen color schemes can evoke emotions and enhance the overall shopping experience. Lighting should be bright enough to highlight products but also create a warm and welcoming ambiance.

Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy refers to the arrangement of products based on their importance or desired focus. By using different display techniques such as size, color, and positioning, retailers can guide customers’ attention towards specific products or promotions. The most attractive and high-value items should be prominently displayed to maximize sales.

Signage and Graphics

Clear and well-designed signage is essential for effective communication with customers. Signage should provide information about products, prices, promotions, and store policies. Eye-catching graphics and typography can also enhance the overall visual appeal of the store.

Seasonal Themes

Incorporating seasonal themes into visual merchandising can create excitement and encourage impulse buying. Retailers can use appropriate decorations, colors, and props to align with holidays, festivals, or changing seasons. This helps to create a sense of urgency and encourages customers to make purchases.

Interactive Displays

Engaging customers through interactive displays can enhance their shopping experience and increase their time spent in-store. This can include touchscreens, virtual reality experiences, or product demonstrations that allow customers to interact with the merchandise.

Storytelling

Visual merchandising is an opportunity to tell a story and connect with customers on an emotional level. By creating cohesive displays that align with the brand’s narrative, retailers can build a unique identity and foster a sense of loyalty among customers.

Effective Visual Merchandising Strategies

Now that we understand the key principles of visual merchandising, let’s explore some effective strategies that can help you create compelling displays:

1. Window Displays

Window displays are your first opportunity to capture customers’ attention and entice them into your store. Create visually stunning displays that showcase your best products and reflect your brand identity.

2. Feature Displays

Feature displays are strategically positioned within the store to highlight specific products or promotions . Use creative props, signage, and lighting to draw attention to these displays.

3. Color Blocking

Color blocking involves grouping products of similar colors together to create a visually impactful display. This technique can create a sense of harmony and make your products stand out.

4. Storytelling Displays

Create displays that tell a story or evoke a specific theme. This can help create an emotional connection with customers, making them more likely to engage with your products.

5. Interactive Displays

Interactive displays encourage customer engagement and interaction. Incorporate elements such as touch screens, virtual reality, or product demonstrations to create a memorable experience.

6. Seasonal Displays

Seasonal displays are a great way to create excitement and showcase relevant products. Use seasonal props, colors, and themes to create visually appealing displays that align with current trends.

Tools and Techniques for Visual Merchandisers

As a visual merchandiser, there are various tools and techniques that can help you execute your vision effectively.

One of the most fundamental tools for visual merchandisers is a planogram . A planogram is a visual representation that outlines the placement of products within a store to optimize sales and maximize space utilization. By following a planogram, visual merchandisers can strategically position products, create eye-catching displays, and guide customers on their shopping journey.

Another essential tool for visual merchandisers is lighting. Lighting plays a significant role in highlighting products, creating ambiance, and influencing customer perception. By utilizing different lighting techniques, such as spotlighting or backlighting, visual merchandisers can draw attention to specific areas or products, enhance the overall atmosphere, and create a memorable shopping experience.

In addition to planograms and lighting, visual merchandisers also utilize props and displays. Props are objects used to enhance the visual appeal of a display and create a theme or narrative. They can range from mannequins and signage to furniture and artwork. Displays, on the other hand, are carefully arranged product presentations that showcase merchandise in an attractive and organized manner.

By incorporating props and displays, visual merchandisers can create visually captivating scenes that capture customers’ attention and encourage them to explore further.

Furthermore, technology has become an increasingly important tool for visual merchandisers . Digital signage, interactive displays, and virtual reality are just a few examples of how technology is revolutionizing the field. These tools allow visual merchandisers to create dynamic and interactive experiences, personalize messaging, and gather valuable customer data for future decision-making.

Jewellery Industry is hiring Merchandisers for the Retail or Design Teams in Manufacturing companies. Understanding the role and having previous experience with Merchandising or Design will help you land a job.

Visual Merchandiser Online Course

A Visual Merchandiser Online Course is a comprehensive program designed to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills required to excel in the field of visual merchandising. This course provides a flexible and convenient learning experience, allowing participants to study at their own pace from anywhere in the world.

The course covers a wide range of topics related to visual merchandising, including understanding consumer behavior, creating effective window displays, designing store layouts, and implementing strategic visual merchandising techniques. Participants will learn how to use color, lighting, and props to create visually appealing displays that attract and engage customers.

One of the key advantages of an online course is the ability to access a wealth of resources and materials, including video lectures, interactive quizzes, and case studies. Participants will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other students and receive feedback from experienced instructors.

Upon completion of the course, participants will have gained the necessary skills to pursue a career as a visual merchandiser in various industries such as retail, fashion, and interior design. They will be equipped with the knowledge and techniques to effectively communicate brand messages and drive sales through visually compelling displays.

Visual merchandising is an art form that requires creativity, strategic thinking, and attention to detail. By understanding the key principles, strategies, and techniques outlined in this ultimate guide, you can elevate your visual merchandising skills and create captivating displays that leave a lasting impression on customers. Remember, effective visual merchandising is not just about making products look good; it’s about creating an experience that engages customers and drives sales. So go ahead, unleash your creativity, and transform your retail space into a visual masterpiece!

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What Is Visual Merchandising? – Importance, Elements, & Examples

Visual merchandising is what one sees when walking into a retail space. It is the presentation and organisation of products in both the store and on display to arouse customer interest and convince them to buy and return to the store.

It is a well-defined strategy that aims to influence customer decisions inside a store; thus, it is crucial for retail marketing.

But what exactly is visual merchanding, why is it important, and how it works? Here’s a guide explaining everything.

What Is Visual Merchandising?

Visual merchandising is a practice of optimising retail store presentation and displaying goods to highlight their features and benefits better and encourage customer interest.

To make this visual merchandising definition simpler, divide it into three parts –

• It’s a practice of optimising retail store presentation: Visual merchandising is an intentional practice to optimise the space and layout of the store to present the inventory in the best possible way. 
• It focuses on highlighting product’s features and benefits: Marketers plan, design, and display products with an aim to highlight their features and benefits.
• It aims to encourage customer interest: Visual merchandising aims to influence customers and encourage them to purchase goods and return to the store in the future.

Visual merchandising is an important aspect of retail marketing. It does not only include displays for merchandise on display but also includes store layout, greeter design, floor plan, signage, fixtures, and lighting.

It includes shaping customer experience inside a retail space through presentation and advertising. Therefore, it is an important tool that retail marketers use to influence consumer behaviour and thus fulfil their marketing goals – sales and repeat visits.

Importance Of Visual Merchandising

A good looking and well strategised retail space is essential to meeting a business’s sales and marketing goals. Visual merchandising helps retailers –

• Improve customer experience : Customer experience is vital to running a successful business and visual merchandising is a very important part of it. It helps to organise the retail space and help customers find what they’re looking for easily – thus improving their experience while shopping in your store. Moreover, it helps to attract, engage, and inform customers better with carefully designed displays.
• Sell targeted items: Some items bring in more profits than others, and sellers want to sell more of these. Visual merchandising helps highlight these targeted items and thus help sell them more.
• Influence Buyer decisions: Visual merchandising also involves using neuromarketing techniques to influence buyers’ decisions by appealing to their unconscious minds. This involves strategic product placement (profitable items are kept at the eye level), store paint (to set the mood), fragrance (to make you want more), and music (to influence you subconsciously).
• Meet sales goals: Visual merchandising is the salesperson that persuades the customer to purchase intended products subconsciously. Marketers do this by strategically placing profitable items, making them noticeable and tempting people to buy them.
• Market retail stores: A memorable store is what stands out in the crowd of boring retail stores. Visual merchandising aims to make the store stand out and find a place in the customers’ minds. This is done by using visual cues, positioning, and aesthetics, making them stop and look and, sometimes, even take photos or spread the word organically.

Objectives Of Visual Merchandising

Customers enter a store by seeing two things – the brand and the store design. Visual merchandising aims to influence customers by directing their attention towards the store and then to certain areas inside the store, creating a positive first impression.

Besides bringing in more customers, the process of visual merchandising aims to –

• Creating a good customer experience,
• Make the retail space visitor engage with space with all the senses (hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste)
• Increase sales
• Develop store design to target the right audience
• Use store resources to get the most out of marketing ROI
• Give a reason to customers to come back
• Make the most out of promotional space.

Elements Of Visual Merchandising

Visual merchandising involves six distinct elements that work in conjunction to help retailers create a unique experience for shoppers. They are –

Store Layout

It is the organised arrangement of retail space that helps customers find what they’re looking for quickly. It includes store greeter, entry point, focal point, shopping flow, signage, and display fixtures.

• Store design: It is the physical look of the store that can be seen by anybody walking into it. It includes vinyl graphics, store fixtures, paint colour themes, lighting sources, and display fixtures.
• Interior design: The interior layout of the retail store that customers cannot see from the outside – it involves showroom floor covers, countertops colours, merchandising fixtures.
• Merchandise presentation: Product categories that are displayed together (by size or type), linear vs non-linear displays (merchandise arranged in a way that they have a path). It also includes decisions about which type of merchandise is suitable for the location and how to use the space effectively.
• Focal Point: A display is incomplete without a focal point where the attention is directed. This can be displays like mannequins, art pieces, themed decorations (like Christmas), lighting fixtures, etc.
• Empty Space: There is always a certain amount of empty space in the store to improve the visual appearance, the flow of foot traffic , and breathing room. It is used as an additional display area for merchandise.
• Display fixtures: A store fixture is anything installed within the retail space to display items, such as rotating racks, shelves, or tables.
• Signage: Store signage helps customers navigate to the right area, locate a product, special offers, and wayfinding. It can be in-store signs at entrances and exits, backroom information boards, shelf edge panels, window decals/signage.
• Marketing collaterals /POP displays: Store brochures, price tags, product cards, table-top visuals, floor decals and aisle signs are used to spread the store’s message.
• Promotional space: It includes backdrops for events and samples, popcorn machines etc. They can be used to entice customers into the store or encourage them to try something new.
• Mannequins: Mannequins are full-scale, detailed figures that are used as life-sized models to display clothing. Besides clothing, they can also be used to display props like jewellery and scarves.
• Brand elements: It includes any unique aspect that customers identify with a brand. This can be packaging, logos, or mascot figure that promote the brand and its visual identity .

Store Ambience

Store ambience creates a sensory experience by using lighting, music, colours or scents, which are all designed to enhance the overall customer experience. The store ambience directly affects other items in visual merchandising – it can change the perception of merchandise based on how customers perceive it. It includes:

• Colour: It is used to draw attention to certain items, create a mood or theme. Colour is also an important element in retail marketing because it will increase sales if marketers choose a colour that matches their target audience’s colour preferences.
• Lighting: The right lighting setting changes the ambience of any space. It creates shadows with no visible distractions, gives the merchandise a spotlight, and makes all colours brighter.
• Music: It can be used to create a positive atmosphere that increases sales because of the moods it arouses. Music also affects shoppers’ emotions – happy music will make shoppers cheerful, so they spend more freely. Sad music makes people feel less energetic, so they don’t spend as much.
• Scent: It can be used to create a certain mood – it increases the perceived value of products and makes customers more comfortable, relaxed, and willing to make purchases.

Store Narrative

The narrative is the story that the retail space tells. It can be based on the brand’s history and personality, the brand’s theme, the products sold there, or any other popular story that communicates an interesting message. The narrative creates a memorable experience for customers based on how it is presented – every element of visual merchandising has to be reflected in it. It includes:

• Store Theme: The store’s theme aims to create the mood marketers want their customers to associate with their products. The theme may be displayed through interior design, brand elements, or product selection. For example, a chocolate store may use warm colours, creamy pastel hues, and soft music to promote the ‘chocolate experience’. The store theme may be based on a certain season, event, holiday or trend. The theme will change with the seasons to match the latest fashion trends.
• Store Atmosphere: It combines store ambience with visual merchandising elements that are used to convey a certain message about the brand or product. For example, lighting can be used to create a calm atmosphere for relaxation, while colours and music can help customers feel energised. Buyers will associate these feelings with the brand or product and come back for more in future purchases.
• Storytelling: The retail space can be designed to tell a story about the brand’s history, products, theme, or any other idea that matches its business objectives. The narrative is displayed through all visual elements in the store – interior design, product selection, and merchandising methods have to complement it.

Benefits Of A Good Visual Merchandising Strategy

A good visual merchandising strategy may prove to be a game-changer for your business. Here are a few benefits you can get from implementing it –

• Increases store traffic: Through strategic placement of products and displays, retail marketers attract potential buyers. Once the customer is inside the store, retailers make them wander around and lose themselves in a maze of merchandising displays, all intended to direct their attention towards certain areas. Ikea is a perfect example of a store that makes people travel around the space to find products, creating an exciting and memorable shopping experience.
• Increases sales: Right placements with complementary visual elements draw buyers’ attention to a certain area. Retailers make sure that the attention is not only drawn to a single product, but also to related products or complementary items. The process of making people wander around in a store also encourages them to discover new things and be open for impulse buying – whether it is an extra item they had not planned on purchasing or bought because it was on sale. All this leads to more sales.
• Leads to more repeat customers: A good store narrative is a great way to retain customers because the experience they get from it will be memorable and unique. They will associate that experience with your brand or product and become more likely to choose them again in future purchases.
• Aids retail store marketing: Sometimes, good visual merchandising leads to word of mouth marketing – customers will recommend your store to their friends because of the shopping experience they had. The narrative you’ve created for them has become unforgettable, making it easier to market to past and future customers. The store can also get organic Instagram and Pinterest exposure for free , which is essential in the age of social media.

Visual Merchandising Examples

Visual merchandising can be seen at every retail store. The idea is to grab the attention of potential customers through strategic placement of products and visual elements, so they are drawn to certain areas in the store. Here are a few examples of visually merchandised stores –

IKEA is a great example of a company that uses visual merchandising to create a memorable shopping experience. The products are displayed in a way that makes people wander around the store, discover new things and be open to buying an extra product or two – all this leads to more impulse purchases. Ikea also does storytelling through its interior design, choosing colours and furniture styles that reflect the brand’s theme or idea.

The company also has a well-established online presence that attracts buyers with attractive merchandising displays. The icons in the main categories are presented in a neat grid.

Zara is a perfect example of a company that does storytelling with its visual merchandising. The clothing and accessories displayed in the store tell stories about certain themes or characters, like this one:

The brand also employs a full-time team of architects and visual-merchandising experts to make sure Zara stores not only have the perfect narrative, ambience, and layout but that they have almost identical scenes all over the world.

The store plan is placed in the middle of the store. The products are displayed at the end of long aisles that make you walk around in them, increasing your chances to discover other items that might interest you.

The brand uses a wall-mounted display rack in all its stores, showcasing a complete outfit. This interactive feature has become popular among shoppers, who share photos of themselves in Zara outfits on social media.

Zara also uses complementary colours and lighting effects to direct attention towards certain areas in the store.

Bottom-Line?

Visual merchandising is a key marketing tool that can make or break a retail store. It helps marketers connect with customers, create a memorable experience for them, market to past and future customers, and increase sales. It should be an integral part of every retail marketing plan.

Go On, Tell Us What You Think!

Did we miss something?  Come on! Tell us what you think about our article on  visual merchandising  in the comments section.

A startup consultant, digital marketer, traveller, and philomath. Aashish has worked with over 20 startups and successfully helped them ideate, raise money, and succeed. When not working, he can be found hiking, camping, and stargazing.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Merchandising Design & How to Apply it in eCommerce

Have you ever seen a fantastic shop display that you just had to go inside and buy the item?

Such is the power of merchandising design – a critical aspect of the retail world , covering everything from product layout and display to packaging and branding . In this article, we’ll cover the basics of merchandising design, including the principles of visual merchandising, the importance of product presentation, and how to apply it to eCommerce.

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What is Merchandising?

Before we discuss merchandising design, let’s first definite what merchandising is. 

Merchandising refers to promoting and selling products, typically in a retail setting . It involves a range of activities, including:

• Selecting and sourcing products
• Pricing and displaying them in a visually appealing manner
• Marketing them to customers

Merchandising aims to create a positive customer experience that encourages them to purchase. It can be used in various settings, including brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce websites, and at events such as trade shows or pop-up shops. Effective merchandising strategies can help businesses increase sales and build brand awareness.

What is Merchandising Design?

Merchandising design is the process of creating visual displays and presentations of products in a way that is appealing and engaging to customers .

It involves designing and arranging products, displays, and signage to effectively communicate the brand’s message and entice customers to make a purchase. Merchandising design encompasses a wide range of elements, including:

• Product layout
• Product packaging design
• Music and scents in a store

One component of merchandising is visual merchandising, which uses colors, lighting, and decor to generate interest. To illustrate how this applies to a brick-and-mortar store, check out this image of a L’OCCITANE Sunshine Store:

According to the brand’s press document released in 2017, L’OCCITANE aims to light up its stores with “the simple authenticity of Provence.” But more than the warm colors and elegant fixtures, the brand stepped up its game by designing its store to offer an immersive customer experience.

Store visitors are welcomed in a luxe hands station, where they can exfoliate and hydrate their hands and try out the brand’s hand cream.

Guests can browse and try products at the fragrance and skincare sections. There’s also an elegant lounge where guests can check out handmade gift ideas and personalization options. 

This case study shows that merchandising design can make all the difference in creating a strong brand. It can combine elements of visual, auditory, and sensory elements to build a memorable shopping experience for customers.

What is Digital Merchandising Design?

Merchandising design sounds exciting for brick-and-mortar stores. But what about eCommerce ventures?

That’s where digital merchandising design comes in – creating visually appealing and engaging digital displays and presentations of products, services, or content. Merchandising design involves designing and arranging digital elements, such as product images, videos, animations, and text, to communicate the brand’s message effectively and entices customers to purchase or take a desired action. Aside from eCommerce websites, it can also be applied to social media, mobile apps, and digital signage.

Like digital advertising design , merchandising design for digital channels must make the most out of available elements to entice customers . After all, prospects will be viewing the store through a screen, unlike in a physical store where they can be immersed in a sensory experience.

To illustrate how you can apply visual merchandising design to eCommerce stores, let’s take a look at this example from TWG .

Remember how L’OCCITANE welcomed its visitors with an elegant hand station that showcased its iconic products? TWG did the same but digitally. Its homepage featured a promo image for Ramadan featuring Alexandria Tea, described as a “dreamy reminder of Arabian nights.”

Scrolling further down the homepage, you’ll find products related to Iftar (the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims during Ramadan).

This digital visual merchandising example incorporates products into prospects’ lifestyles , creating a memorable customer experience . Though website visitors can’t touch or taste products, the visuals are enough to make them appreciate their value and inspire them to purchase.

TIP : When you’re banking on your products’ visual appeal alone, you need to ensure that you have professionally-crafted images that will make them click the add-to-cart button.        

Digital Merchandising Design Tips and Tricks

Here are some top tips to consider when designing your digital merchandising strategy:

• Prioritize visual appeal . Digital merchandising design should be visually appealing, with high-quality product images and a clear layout that makes it easy for customers to browse and find what they’re looking for. Use clear and consistent branding across your site to create a cohesive look and feel. Never settle for less than the top 2 percent of designers for your website graphic design needs. 
• Optimize for mobile. With more and more customers shopping on their mobile devices, it’s essential to ensure that your digital merchandising design is optimized for mobile. Ensure your site is responsive and has a mobile-first design that makes it easy to navigate and purchase products on smaller screens.

• Personalize the shopping experience . Use customer data to personalize the shopping experience, such as displaying recommended products based on previous purchases or search history. Use dynamic content and personalization tools to provide a tailored experience that enhances the customer’s journey.
• Utilize effective product categorization . Proper categorization and organization of your products can help customers find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. Use clear and concise product names, descriptions, and tags to make searching and filtering easy.
• Display social proof . Displaying customer reviews, ratings, and testimonials can be a powerful way to build trust and credibility with potential customers. Consider displaying social proof prominently on product pages and using it to inform customers of the quality and reliability of your products.

By following these tips, you can create an ecommerce store that maximizes sales and enhances the customer experience.

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The Basic Principles Of Visual Merchandising

May 17, 2017

In the competitive world of retail, attracting and retaining customers is an art that successful brands have mastered through effective visual merchandising . Visual merchandising goes beyond simply displaying products on shelves; it's about creating an immersive and enticing shopping experience that captures the attention of potential customers.

In this blog post, we will explore the fundamental principles of visual merchandising, including store layout, window displays, organization, and catering to customers' preferences. We will also provide real-life examples from leading brands.

READ MORE: What Lies Ahead For Retail Media Networks In 2024

Design To Audience Tastes

Understanding and catering to customers' tastes is a cornerstone of successful visual merchandising. Nike, for instance, has mastered the art of connecting with its diverse customer base. By personalizing in-store experiences through customizable products, interactive displays, and athlete endorsements, Nike ensures customers feel a personal connection to the brand.

Invite customer feedback in stores and online to better understand what they prefer and why. This extends beyond display windows and into store layout. Ask customers what works and what doesn't. Try to understand what makes your brand memorable and what you can do better; then, you're well on your way to crafting the ultimate shopping experience.

👉 Tip: Use data analytics to understand customer demographics and tailor your merchandise and displays accordingly.

Mastering Store Layout

The layout of a store plays a pivotal role in guiding customers through their shopping journey. Major brands understand the importance of an intuitive and aesthetically pleasing store layout . Take Apple, for example. Apple stores are designed with an open layout, encouraging customers to interact with products and fostering a sense of exploration. The strategic placement of product tables and demo stations allows for easy navigation and a hands-on experience.

👉 Tip: Consider the flow of foot traffic , highlight key products strategically, and create designated zones for specific categories.

Window Display 101

A compelling window display can differentiate between a potential customer walking by and entering the store. Luxury brands like Louis Vuitton are known for their elaborate window displays that tell a story and showcase the brand's essence. These displays pique interest and set the tone for the overall shopping experience.

Luxury retail is generally regarded as the leader on this front. Designer brands treat window displays like art exhibitions curated to thrill and delight shoppers. While this is costly, there are lessons to be learned no matter the size of your retail business: embrace your brand's unique voice, be bold, and focus on the entertainment factor.

👉 Tip: Change window displays regularly to keep things fresh and align them with seasons, holidays, or promotional events. Refreshing the window look and feel will keep passersby intrigued and may compel them to come inside the store to learn more about the latest products or campaigns.

READ MORE: Understanding 'Hyperphysical' Luxury Retail

The Power Of Organization

An organized store not only enhances the shopping experience but also makes it easier for customers to find what they're looking for. The Japanese retail giant, Muji, excels in minimalistic organization. Their products are displayed in a clean and simple manner, promoting a sense of order and tranquility. Muji's approach proves that simplicity can be a powerful tool in attracting customers.

👉 Tip: Prioritize clear signage , intuitive product placement, and consistent shelving to create an organized and visually appealing space. Moreover, consider how customers will move through the store, then use this to map a logical flow when designing shelf, promotion, and product placement.

Retail is an ever-changing industry where visual merchandising plays a vital role in helping brands stand out and create lasting impressions on their customers. Brands can achieve this by focusing on store layout, window displays, organization, and customer preferences. By adopting these practices, major brands set high standards of excellence in the field, which can help retailers increase customer footfall, boost their sales, and build a loyal customer base. Ultimately, these factors contribute to long-term success in the dynamic world of retail.

READ MORE: 2024 Retail Trends Worth Having On Your Radar

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The Difference Between Merchandising Presentation and Visual Merchandising

Product placement and displays play a vital role in retail design. These strategic techniques can ultimately be the difference between making a sale or not. Both merchandising placement and visual merchandising are crucial aspects of designing a retail space. However, although some people use these two words interchangeably, they are in fact two very different design components.

It’s important, as a visual merchandising expert, to realize the distinct difference between these two terms in order to maximize their potential.

What Is Merchandising Presentation?

In basic terms, merchandising presentation is a design strategy that involves placing merchandise in a neat and organized manner to make it easy for the customer to shop. While merchandising presentation is not meant to be boring, it is also not designed to be the main attraction in the store. Its main purpose is to enhance the shopping experience by making wanted products easy to locate.

What Is Visual Merchandising?

Visual merchandising, on the other hand, is more about grabbing attention. The goal of visual merchandising is to show consumers why they need a certain product, how to use a product, or how multiple pieces of merchandise can be used together. Examples include window displays, mannequin displays and feature end displays. The end result is to draw the attention to specific merchandise a customer may have otherwise overlooked, and entice them to make one or multiple purchases.

While visual merchandising is, by design, the exciting and creative component of product placement marketing, it is not a stand-alone feature. You cannot have visual merchandising without first having merchandising presentation in place. The two retail design techniques should complement each other in a manner that maximizes the customer’s shopping experience.

When using merchandising presentation and visual merchandising, the most important thing is to have a plan. Make sure both displays clearly support the company brand. It’s important to always perform a walk-through of your store to make sure everything flows seamlessly together in a way that benefits the customer.

If you’re ready to blend the power of merchandising presentation and visual merchandising to reach your full product placement marketing potential, SPC Retail ® can help. We offer high-quality, 100-percent post-consumer recycled plastic fixtures for affordable display solutions.

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38 Best Merchandise-Themed Templates for PowerPoint & Google Slides

With over 6 million presentation templates available for you to choose from, crystalgraphics is the award-winning provider of the world’s largest collection of templates for powerpoint and google slides. so, take your time and look around. you’ll like what you see whether you want 1 great template or an ongoing subscription, we've got affordable purchasing options and 24/7 download access to fit your needs. thanks to our unbeatable combination of quality, selection and unique customization options, crystalgraphics is the company you can count on for your presentation enhancement needs. just ask any of our thousands of satisfied customers from virtually every leading company around the world. they love our products. we think you will, too" id="category_description">crystalgraphics creates templates designed to make even average presentations look incredible. below you’ll see thumbnail sized previews of the title slides of a few of our 38 best merchandise templates for powerpoint and google slides. the text you’ll see in in those slides is just example text. the merchandise-related image or video you’ll see in the background of each title slide is designed to help you set the stage for your merchandise-related topics and it is included with that template. in addition to the title slides, each of our templates comes with 17 additional slide layouts that you can use to create an unlimited number of presentation slides with your own added text and images. and every template is available in both widescreen and standard formats. with over 6 million presentation templates available for you to choose from, crystalgraphics is the award-winning provider of the world’s largest collection of templates for powerpoint and google slides. so, take your time and look around. you’ll like what you see whether you want 1 great template or an ongoing subscription, we've got affordable purchasing options and 24/7 download access to fit your needs. thanks to our unbeatable combination of quality, selection and unique customization options, crystalgraphics is the company you can count on for your presentation enhancement needs. just ask any of our thousands of satisfied customers from virtually every leading company around the world. they love our products. we think you will, too.

Widescreen (16:9) Presentation Templates. Change size...

Slide set featuring shopkeeper decorating shop window with new clothes background

Theme having shelf with fruits in supermarket

Slide set featuring woman merchandiser checking products available with digital tablet

Presentation design enhanced with closeup of digital tablet held by merchandiser in supermarket aisle

Presentation theme with set ot white blank men's t-shirt with a cap and other objects for advertising

Presentation having business man pointing the text merchandise

Theme having african woman street vendor

PPT layouts consisting of two hypermarket merchandise specialists wearing uniform walking along aisles discussing some issues copy space background

Theme enhanced with above view of two warehouse workers doing stocktaking counting merchandise on tall shelves pointing up

Presentation theme consisting of merchandiser checking products in automobile store

PPT theme featuring asian street merchandise in kathmandu

Presentation design consisting of closeup selection of merchandise in the supermarket backdrop

Presentation theme having view of shelves in warehouse full of merchandise

PPT theme having hands holding up merchandise against global business graphic in blue

Slide deck with man with glasses on his nose and a lantern in his hand searches through all kinds of things on the ground are items such as merchandise a game of chess and checkers dice and a card game

PPT theme having handsome man with clipboard in logistics company warehouse background

PPT theme having closeup selection of merchandise in the supermarket

Slide set consisting of workers in warehouse controlling incoming merchandise

PPT theme consisting of nagasaki japan - october 22 2018 pieces of broken japanese porcelain merchandise exhibited in the museum in dejima nagasaki

Presentation theme consisting of nagasaki japan - october 22 2018 japanese porcelain merchandise exhibited in the museum in dejima nagasaki

Presentation theme having nagasaki japan - october 22 2018 fragmences of japanese porcelain merchandise exhibited in the museum in dejima nagasaki

Slide set featuring fort collins co usa - april 30 2018 bed bath beyond inc also b3 is a chain of domestic merchandise retail stores in the us canada and mexico the stores sell goods primarily for the bedroom

Slide set with jodhpur india - 10 february 2015 three men in various merchandise store talk business

PPT layouts featuring romania - nov 30 an online site shows deals fo black friday on november 30 2013 many shoppers have been previewing merchandise in preparation for black friday shopping background

Slide deck with siem reap cambodia - december 28 unidentified vendor of palm juice is carrying his merchandise at unesco world heritage site angkor wat siem reap on december 28 2012 in cambodia

Slide set consisting of sepang malaysia - april 8 unidentified salesgirls from the ferrari merchandise shop wait for customers at the circuit grounds of the petronas malaysian f1 grand prix on april 8 2011 in sepang malaysia background

Slides with shenzhen china - february 05 2016 interior of a jusco store jusco is the acronym for japan united stores company a chain of general merchandise stores and the largest of its type in japan backdrop

Presentation featuring merchandise - isolated text in vintage wood letterpress printing blocks backdrop

PPT theme enhanced with closeup selection of merchandise in the supermarket

Presentation design having marrakesh morocco april 3 2015 vendor of opuntia fruits offers his merchandise on street

PPT layouts having winter bergen city with famous bryggen merchandise wooden houses and lights in snow season panorama of historical harbor buildings at christmas time with magical reflection in sea

Presentation enhanced with winter bergen city with famous bryggen unesco merchandise wooden houses in snow season panorama of historical harbor buildings at christmas time with magical reflection in sea

Presentation theme having happy attractive young woman window shopping standing outside a store window looking at the merchandise and smiling

Presentation design featuring workers in warehouse controlling incoming merchandise

Presentation theme having merchandise return credit at a department store

Theme featuring street seller on his way with his merchandise on his motor bike in india

Presentation theme having model merchandise railway station background

PPT theme having workers in warehouse controlling incoming merchandise

More merchandise presentation templates.

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Module 13: Retail Image: Layout and Visual Merchandising

Presentation techniques, learning objectives.

• List the benefits and drawbacks of each presentation technique

Every display method a retailer uses for his merchandise has its benefits and drawbacks. When choosing a type of display, one should consider if the display works for the type of store layout and the kind of environment you’ve created for the shopping experience.

Let’s look at each type now and determine where it will succeed and where it might fail.

End caps are very successful in grid layouts. Grocery stores and big box retailers use end caps to promote brands and celebrate seasons in their stores. They’re eye catching, and the space is easily “leased” to manufacturers that want to promote their brand.

The drawback of an end cap is its ability to be seen. If aisles end too close to a wall, the end cap may make walking space too narrow. And depending on where the aisle ends, the shopper may not even turn toward it as she follows her traffic flow path through the store.

Window Displays

Probably the most fun a merchandiser will have is creating a window display—it’s artistic and expressive and fun, and retailers can leverage your window space to tell outsiders what they can expect in their stores. Funky and hip? Serious and elegant? Your store window starts telling the story of the shopper’s experience before she’s even inside.

The drawback is that your window display, while taking up quite a bit of square footage at times, doesn’t always move product. The mannequin that wears a pink sweater might attract the shopper to come in the door, but because the product can’t be displayed adjacent to the mannequin in the window (and shoppers can’t go in there and browse), it’s not always going to sell your merchandise directly.

Promotional Aisles

This is the space you trip over when you walk into Target or Meijer, that little cove of space they didn’t know what else to do with. They filled it with junky stuff and put a bunch of bright colored signs up so the customer can shop it and get excited over the big values he’s finding. People often come just to shop these areas—they need trinkets for an event or they want to buy the kids something fun. They can be a draw for a shopper all by themselves.

The drawback of the promotional aisle is that it doesn’t really work for every kind of retailer. Target can use it well, but a Chanel store isn’t going to have one of these types of displays. And not every retailer wants to convey “cheap fun” as a part of their brand statement.

In-aisle Promotions

A store with a grid layout will almost always use an in-aisle promotion. Why is that? Well, grid layouts are for stores that carry a lot of product, so if a retailer is doing a sale they’re not going to be able to give every sale item its own display. Shelf tags and shelf talkers are a great alternative, drawing attention as the shopper browses.

The drawback of this display is that it’s not really a display, and therefore not as visible as the other types we’re talking about here. And, of course, if the store isn’t a grid (or at least a mixed) layout, it’s a bit harder to execute—but not entirely impossible.

Shippers are great little attention getters in a wide aisle, as they’re usually colorful and eye-catching, and stocked full of something the shopper didn’t know he wanted. Because you can put them right in a common traffic flow path, they’re always going to act like a “speed bump” and slow shoppers down to take a look.

The drawback of this kind of display is that it’s cheap. Shippers are usually made of cardboard and shipped flat, and, after a team member struggles for an hour or two trying to get it all put together, they sit out where they’re touched, bumped, and abused by customers. You’ll never see these in a higher-end store (unless it’s a high-end shipper!) On top of that, they take up valuable aisle space, which a small retailer might not have to give.

Dump bins scream “find deeply discounted items here!” The shopper understands that some amount of effort will need to be spent to find the right size, the right color, the right title, but she dives in willingly, because it’s part of the game. We are reminded again and again that shopping is an experience, and the dump bin is a discount experience all its own.

The drawback is that this type of display implies discount . . . and not necessarily quality. Higher-end stores may not want to move in that direction because they don’t want to send that kind of message to their shoppers – even if they have a product that would work in a dump bin. Also, dump bins take up a lot of aisle space too, so, like shippers, they may not work for a smaller store.

Point of Sale/Point of Purchase Displays

Point of sale displays get shoppers with that last little item they didn’t know they wanted or needed. Whether it’s a pack of gum or a cooking magazine, retailers get one more opportunity to add to the final ticket.

Even in its drawbacks there are pluses. Moms have forever complained about candy in the checkout aisles at the grocery store, but that gave grocery stores the opportunity to offer something to Moms by having a couple of “candy free” check out aisles. Few retailers miss the opportunity to do this. Those that do . . . and Apple comes to mind . . . are offering a different kind of check-out experience.

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• Presentation Techniques. Authored by : Freedom Learning Group. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

The Art and Science of Retail Merchandising

By Kate Eby | September 20, 2017

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Retail merchandising is subtle. When customers walk into the store, they don't consciously think about the sensory experience. Rather, the colors, sounds, smells, temperature, and the way the merchandise feels combine to deliver an experience to the customer psyche that they may not even realize. Retail merchandising is an art and science. Decades of customer research, driven by the overwhelming economic importance and growth of the retail industry, arm retailers with actionable data for effective merchandise strategies and best practices. 

This article provides information for retailers to better understand retail merchandising and the difference between related concepts. Whether you are new to retail, have been a retailer for years and are looking for new inspiration to outperform the competition, or work for an e-commerce giant, there's something here for you. Learn tips and the new visual merchandising concepts from experts and researchers who are using cutting-edge science to study buyer behavior. Explore the impact that retail merchandising has on customer experience as well as the business of merchandising, including criteria for selecting a merchandising solutions provider. Discover the new rules of visual merchandising and how to be successful as a merchandise manager.

Free E-book: Building the Retail Store of the Future 6 Essential Concepts to Maximize Retail Profitibility  Get it here

What Is Retail Merchandising?

Retail merchandising refers to the various activities and strategies used to visually optimize retail displays in order to attract customers. These activities include in-store design, selecting specific merchandise to match a target market, and marketing merchandise to customers.

In the retail sector, professionals use the classify things as merchandise to categorize the industry by the types of goods and services offered (e.g., automotive parts, shoes, jewelry, etc.). Merchandising is both an activity and a strategy that contributes to selling goods and services by stimulating interest or otherwise enticing customers to make a purchase (e.g., promotional deals and discounting methods).

The goal of retail merchandising activity is to support a retail strategy that generates revenue for the retailer and value for the customer. The selection of retail merchandise and the type of goods and services a retailer decides to stock are key retail strategies. According to author Michael Levy in Retailing Management , the decision to carry particular merchandise is tactical rather than strategic. Merchandise management, along with store management principles, are the "tactical decisions" that Levy believes help implement retail strategy. For example, Lululemon uses attractive packaging to market its apparel. Lululemon provides customers with reusable bags in a variety of sizes and styles. The bags leave the retail store and serve as a type of moving merchandising strategy for brand awareness. The packaging is so effective and recognizable among the brand’s loyalists that there is a resale market on ebay for the bags. 

The Difference Between Retail Strategy and Merchandising Strategy

Levy believes merchandise management decisions, like Lululemon’s impressive presentation of seasonal athletic apparel worn by local yoga instructors on in-store posters, have short-term - rather than long-term - impact. (Long-term retail strategies are more resource dependent.) A merchandising philosophy that combines Levy's retail strategies (such as store location, systems technology, or customer relationship strategy) with tactical decisions (such as the type of merchandise a retailer carries) contributes to a customer's overall brand loyalty. 

• The target market(s) in which a retailer focuses its resources
• The retail format (products and services, pricing, communications, location) that satisfies the needs of the target market
• How the retailer will build a sustainable (long-term) advantage over competitors
• Merchandising Strategy: Merchandising strategy involves the tactics (or business processes) that contribute to the sale of goods and services to the customer for profit. Tactics within the overall retail strategy include the variety of merchandise available for sale in store or online and how the retailer advertises and displays that merchandise to stimulate interest and create a customer experience. A sound retail strategy involves developing a desirable retail merchandise mix of products that add unique customer value. 

Learn more about retail management strategy in the article How to Survive and Thrive in Retail Management .

The Difference Between Fashion Merchandising and Retail Merchandising

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) , which classifies and measures economic activity in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, classifies retail merchandising and fashion merchandising as two separate categories. NAICS organizes the retail trade industry (code 44-45) according to the “similarity in the processes used to produce goods or services.” Retail merchandising refers to business activities and retail management philosophy that cover a wider category of goods and services than fashion merchandising. For example, retail merchandising includes classifications like Clothing Accessories Stores (code 448150) and Shoe Stores (code 448210). The NAICS accepts that “knowledge of fashion trends” is a service that various retailers in the retail merchandising category provide. However, fashion merchandising services also represent a separate economic activity under the Specialized Design Services (code 541490) category.  

While there is some overlap between fashion merchandising and retail merchandising, fashion merchandising also involves a different supply-chain partnership and a unique retail mix. Retailers typically occupy the end of the supply chain involving manufacturers, wholesalers, and other suppliers and agents. Retail merchandising is, therefore, responsible for selling directly to the customer. Fashion merchandising may involve direct, value-added customer activities, but fashion merchandising professionals often sell directly to wholesale suppliers as well. 

Levy defines the retail mix as “the combination of factors used by a retailer to satisfy customer needs and influence their purchase decisions.” According to Levy, the retail mix involves the following factors: 

• The merchandise and services that a retailer offers
• The merchandise price 
• The advertising and promotional activity 
• The design and layout of stores (digital and physical)
• The visual merchandising

Fashion merchandising concerns a different combination of factors (and a narrower category of goods and services) than retail merchandising. For example, the merchandise, services, and store-design methods involved with fashion merchandising activities would not apply to used car dealers. The last component of the retail mix, visual merchandising, is another type of merchandising activity in the retailer’s tool belt.  

What Is Visual Merchandising in a Retail Store?

Visual merchandising guides the planning and activities responsible for how customers see your physical and digital stores, and the goods and services visible within. It helps create value by making the shopper journey memorable and motivates customers to purchase goods.

Visual merchandising includes everything from the store’s exterior to the entryway lighting, all the way through to well-placed furniture, fixtures, and promotional displays.

In today's omnichannel marketplace, e-commerce, retail stores, and mobile channels converge to shape the customer experience. Visual merchandising is responsible for creating the digital or physical environment that appeals to your target customer and aligns with your overall retail value proposition. The creative methods of visual merchandising stimulate customers to make purchases. Retailers can design a customer experience with the layout of store merchandise, the UX design of e-commerce landing pages, and the usability and imagery of a mobile app.

The Science of Visual Merchandising

With visual merchandising, retailers can influence how customers choose and what choices they make based on what those customers see in physical stores and online. Modern neuroscience studies suggest that the impact of messaging via optical stimulation is measurable and real. The field of neuro-marketing studies how customers make purchasing decisions and how retailers can influence customers. In the book Retail Marketing Strategy: Delivering Shopper Delight , author Constant Berkhout discusses how brain research is an appropriate retail marketing tool. For example, he cites a study in which researchers affixed smiley face stickers to merchandise price tags. These emojis gave shoppers the perception that the prices of the items displaying the stickers were lower than the prices of the items without the stickers. Berkhout explains that shoppers are “unconsciously attracted by pleasure and a feeling of reward.” A well-known and simple visual image — in the relatable and popular form of communication (emojis) preferred by highly sought-after millennials and Gen-Zers — had a powerful effect on customer value. 

Image Adapted from Source: Retail Marketing Strategy, Constant Berkhout

Visual Merchandising Tips from Neuro-Marketing Research

In Retail Marketing Strategy , Berkhout offers a summary of practical suggestions. He gleaned this information from his time with neuroscientists who were trying to understand the brain activity that accompanies the ideal shopping experience. He also cites research from The Buying Brain: Secrets for Selling to the Subconscious Mind , by Dr. A.K. Pradeep. Here is a list of the visual merchandising tips that Berkhout adapted from this neuro research. They include observations on how to turn insight into retail solutions:

• Signs Point the Way: Shoppers are scanners. They routinely look for changes in familiar retail environments (or on landing pages) and use visual stimuli closest to their point of entry. Place signs closest to the customer’s entry point, and guide the shopper journey with images rather than text to avoid overstimulation. 
• Display Images: The images retailers use for in-store displays or online stores should have a left-right orientation. (The picture should appear on the left, and the associated text should appear on the right.) The “shopper’s eye,” according to Pradeep, delivers observations more effectively in this way. It takes more effort for scanning shoppers if the text appears on the left, and the image appears on the right. 
• Aisle Attraction: Aisles that end with rounded gondola displays entice customers more often. These round-end caps should help the shopper navigate by providing clues to what they will find on the rest of the aisle. The ideal length of an aisle is approx. 20-22 ft., and, halfway down each aisle, there should be some “visual interruption,” such as special lighting or a floor display, to attract the shopper.  
• Show Off Consumption: Visual displays that show off consumption of goods and services prompt more action. If the display features people, it should always include imagery of smiling, happy customers. For example, if you wish to promote the breakfast items on your menu, it is better to show a person consuming said items rather than the product by itself. If your merchandise is apparel, it’s preferable to show that apparel in action. 
• Material Matters: Shoppers (and their brains) enjoy touching round, soft items. Place such items at eye level, and design merchandise displays with “touch moments” in mind. Also, the material of the shelving and displays matters to the customer’s visual perception of value. Wood gives the impression of “real, authentic, and organic,” but shoppers may perceive a higher price point for items displayed on natural wood shelves.
• Cross-Merchandising Solutions: Retailers should cross-promote solutions with visual merchandising. For example, position batteries next to electronic devices, stage merchandise kits next to core products (for example, socks, shoe laces, and shoe cleaner), and place unrelated (but logical) products on display with profitable merchandise.

The New Rules for Retail Merchandising

Studies cited by Shop: The International Magazine for Retailing and Shop Design indicate that conventional market research “is reaching the limit of its effectiveness.” The magazine cites the research of marketing expert Arndt Traindl (in partnership with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Functional Brain Topography). An investigation of brain activity during a “visual stimulation of goods” demonstrated the potential of neuro-marketing by finding that unconscious thought drives up to 80 percent of customer purchase behavior. The “rational customer” is a myth, and the point of sale itself can directly influence customers — especially if that customer fits the individual motives of the retailer’s target customer group. What does this mean for retail merchandising? A new set of retail merchandising rules must account for the emotional, irrational customer behavior discovered by scientific methods (such as neuro-marketing) and the customer experience demands of a digital era.

• The Rule of Three: Constant Berkhout writes about the challenges of “over-choice.” Behavioral economics and science indicate that too many choices does not work well for the shopper journey. The consequences include cart abandonment and order cancellation or, worse, choosing the competitor's environment that has fewer choices. According to findings cited by Berkhout, shopper happiness increases when retailers reduce choices. Consider three to be the magic retail merchandising number: Explore a category management strategy with three core products that you offer quarterly (every three months) to create demand and keep up with changing customer trends. 
• The Personalization Rule: Research suggests customers want to shop on their own terms. Using statistics from Malcolm Gladwell’s research, Berkhout writes that our contemporary life bombards shoppers with hundreds of daily messages in the form of TV, radio, and digital media ads. He uses the principle of availability to point out that people don’t have the time or capacity to process these messages and only pay attention to personal events that have occurred recently. Personalized service as well as a customer experience that matches the target customer’s lifestyle are more likely to create customer value. Leverage the segmentation capabilities of social media advertising platforms, and experiment with ads personalized for your customers. Make retail merchandise physically accessible to customers. 
• The Experience Rule: Products and services are two thirds of the equation now. An  outstanding customer experience is the final piece of the customer value puzzle. By using innovative in-store technology (and, thus, replicating the high-tech customer experience that makes digital retail channels so compelling), department store Neiman Marcus is combatting the shift of retail sales to digital channels. The company’s iLab project created a “Memory Mirror” for in-store customers trying on clothing. While the shopper spins around, the digital mirror records eight-second video clips, capturing multiple angles and building a library of different options side by side. Shoppers can then share the videos on Facebook or Instagram for feedback on different retail merchandise. The iLab project also rolled out Charge It Spot stations that allow customers to charge their mobile devices while shopping, simultaneously encouraging more time in the store and the digital discovery of retail merchandise. A retail merchandising strategy that successfully embraces the physical and digital customer experience doesn’t necessarily require the resources of a retail giants like Neiman Marcus - small, independent retailers can leverage retail management software that allows customers to reserve products online and pick them up in the store.

What Is a Merchandising Business?

Merchandising businesses provide expertise and resources for retailers of all sizes and industries to successfully plan and execute retail strategies. Retailers without the in-house resources to oversee merchandising budgets and activities rely on third-party solution providers.

According to their website, Umdasch Shopfitting provides international “consulting and value engineering experts” for the “development and planning of retail solutions.” The company calls the architects, graphic artists, interior decorators, designers, and marketing specialists “shop makers.” The shop makers work across four branches of expertise, including lifestyle retail, food retail, premium retail, and digital retail. According to Wikipedia, shopfitting is the “trade of fitting out” retail stores with equipment, fixtures, and fittings.” A shopfitting firm “typically incorporates professional expertise in interior design, the manufacturing of bespoke furniture, signage, fittings (with one’s own or outsourced facilities), and the purchasing of retail equipment.” 

Umdasch Shopfitting is an example of a traditional retail merchandising business operating and evolving in the digital era. The company provides general contracting and design services, and retail equipment specialization (shelving, furniture, lighting accessories, etc.). They also provide project management and digital retail professionals to implement advanced retail strategy and technology. Here’s a list of other prominent retail merchandising businesses and a snapshot of their advertised capabilities:

• ManagementONE: Management One provides international retail experts for merchandise planning and professional retail services, such as traffic and conversion management. The company offers turnarounds for retailers behind on expenses and a retail diagnostics program for financial analysis, industry benchmarking, and compensation review.  
• SPAR Group Retail Merchandising: SPAR Group is a publicly-traded international retail merchandising service provider. The company offers three categories of service: syndicated, project, and dedicated services based on the size of operation and the specific needs of the retailer. Within these categories, SPAR Group provides retailer directed in-store merchandising services dedicated to all manufacturers, new store set and remodel, events and demo management, audits, and assembly services.
• Advanced Retail Merchandising: ARM provides merchandising services, mystery shopper audits, planogram and presentation development, data collection, and market research for retailers located in the southeastern United States (Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina). The company uses an activity-based model to support each retailer partner and dedicates a team to the independent projects for tailored customer support and complete budget control.  
• Mi9 Retail: Named after the British military intelligence service (MI9), Mi9 Retail provides software solutions and professional retail services for merchandising, store operations, customer engagement, e-commerce, and business analytics across most retail categories. The company offers ERP integrations and retail management systems software implementation for a variety of proprietary software deployed as cloud-based SaaS or hosted on-premise. 
• Retail Merchandising Services: RMS is a privately held, family-owned company providing in-store visual merchandising and display solutions in the US. RMS employs retail merchandising service representatives, field coordinators, and management in geographic territories. The company lists a range of merchandising services including count updates, item corrections, instant rebate coupons, safety recalls, fixture/signage surveys, and endcap setup and maintenance. 

Choosing a Merchandising Solution

The decision to partner with professional merchandising solutions providers is largely an analysis of in-house merchandising management resources and capabilities. Retail merchandising strategy for small independents is distinctively different compared to omnichannel retailers or large multi-store retailers. Merchandising solutions businesses offer professional services for retailers or all sizes; however, many leverage their large workforce, proprietary technology solutions, and the expertise of various professions (architects, digital marketers, contractors, etc.) to solve complex retail merchandising challenges. Merchandising solution providers specialize in online retail stores and managing digital channels as well. If your IT capabilities or resources are limited, it is important to work with partners familiar with the complexities of online security, cloud-based software deployment and management, digital marketing, and web analytics.     

Joe Holley is the VP New Business Development - Displays/Merchandisers, for Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc . The company designs and manufactures point of purchase displays and kiosks for in-store environments. Holley has more than 20 years of experience in developing custom branded, in-store marketing solutions for retailers. He offers the following qualitative criteria for evaluating merchandising partners:

• Continuity: Holley recommends asking questions about the company’s longest-running retail merchandising client — a question you can pose to the company representatives partnering with you as well. How many clients partner with them on multiple projects? Can they provide real-world examples when a merchandising project was sidetracked and what the company felt was the positive, and negative, outcome? 
• Creativity: “Don’t tell me, show me,” is the adage Holley recommends applying to this criteria. Request physical samples of merchandise displays or a portfolio of digital media and pay attention to the small details. Review the merchandising solutions the company creates for their clients. Does their portfolio back up claims of creative capabilities and customer insights? What is the depth of creative resources on their team and how many designers work on a project on average? Concentrate on the design quality of graphics and use trade shows to scout how the company represents their craftsmanship for their own marketing and customer experience.
• Agility: Holley refers to this criteria in terms of in-house capabilities. “The greater the array of in-house capabilities, the more nimble an in-store merchandising partner can be,” writes Holley. It is important that your merchandising partners are willing to be flexible and modify solutions when challenges arise. Can they achieve the original plan on the agreed upon dates consistently? Ask questions to determine how nimbly the partner works around the challenges of the retail supply chain, involving multiple trade and category managers with a stake in the design and display of their products. 

Retail Supply Chain Merchandising

The retail industry relies on the cooperation of a supply chain made up of manufacturers, wholesale suppliers, distributors, transportation and logistics providers, and merchandising solutions providers. Supply chain merchandising is a partnership between merchandise managers and their network of suppliers, who use shared resources to stock products and displays for customers to access. This merchandising activity is done by the manufacturer, vendor, or wholesaler that provides the products to the retail store and in some scenarios, may include the partners who select the merchandise mix for retailers. Grocery retailers, for example, rely on the in-store merchandising services of their partners for activity such as shelf stocking, inventory management, and promotional display creation. Omnichannel retailers partner with suppliers and third party vendors on e-commerce merchandising activity such as implementing cart abandonment technology on a hosted website or managing dropshipping partners in the supply chain.

What Does It Take to Succeed in Merchandise Management?

Merchandise management is more than making sales. Managers must be skilled in retail management philosophy, planning, strategy, and the associated activities. Specialized roles in the field include specialty buyers, purchasing and vendor managers, sales trainers and consultants, professional service providers, and turnaround managers.

Retail merchandise management responsibilities include the following activities:

• Merchandising Planning: The expenses involved in running a retail business can make or break a retailer because of slim operating margins and strict competition. In fact, proper retail merchandise planning is so critical to profitability that the retail industry supports separate job categories for merchandise planners and the major retail management system software solutions providers design planning tools and technology for users. The planning responsibilities for merchandise managers include sales forecasting, inventory planning, customer trend analysis with vendors, visual merchandising design, and seasonal store layout.   
• Merchandise Budgeting: Managing and selling inventory is not an easy task, and retailers with large amounts of inventory or expensive merchandise rely on the accuracy of their merchandising budgets. The merchandise budgeting process requires projecting demand, projecting sales, determining which costs to attribute (cost of goods sold, marketing expenses, software cost, shipping) and estimating purchases and reduction (inventory theft or damage). The budget may be static or flexible, depending on the business history and retail category, and consists of projected sales, inventory cost, estimated reduction, and estimated purchases. 
• Inventory Planning: Merchandise managers are responsible for maintaining accurate inventory levels according to customer demand and operational capacity. The ultimate goal for retailers is profitability, and there are various methods used to manage a profitable inventory. For example, merchandise managers budget for real-time inventory expenses to identify how much capital is available at any given time. This portion of the merchandise budget is called open to buy (OTB). For more information on common retail formulas related to inventory planning methods, including average inventory, stock-to-sales ratio, sell-through rate, and stock turnover, visit the article How to Survive and Thrive in Retail Management .  
• Retail Assortment Strategies: Assortment strategy is the process of planning for the type and number of products a retailer carries. Merchandise managers plan for how many product variations of a particular product to carry, as well as how many types of products to carry overall. This requires determining trade-offs and savvy analysis of customer trends, operational capacity, and internal capabilities (such as sales staff experience). Merchandise managers may work for retailers known as category killers : A retailer using a deep assortment strategy of a limited number of products to dominate a category and make competition difficult (for example, Staples’ assortment of business supplies and services). A greater percentage of retail sales shifting to digital channels makes category killers less of a threat to smaller retailers leveraging narrow assortment strategies.  

The majority of merchandise managers have a bachelor’s degree (for BA/BS in Business, BS in Fashion Merchandising, and BA/BS in Marketing) or equivalent industry experience. The role is diverse, as merchandise management includes sales forecasting, creating merchandise plans and inventory budgets, evaluating market trends, and working with buyers to manage supply and demand. Merchandise Managers are often involved in the day-to-day activities in a variety of retail environments that include creating displays, stocking shelves, managing inventory, training sales staff, and working with information systems for inventory management and sales reporting. 

Job Hero is a comprehensive online resource for building resumes, cover letters, and career overviews. Here is a sample of highlights from the website’s merchandise management resumes:

• “Managed products through their lifecycle, from creation to disposition, vendor management, meetings, and negotiations, including minimum purchase quantities, rebates, and costs.”
• “Initiated a bridal registry system that increased registries by 33% and sales by $800 thousand and improved customer service in the first year.”
• “Managed team of product coordinators, analysts, event managers, and web merchandisers.”
• “Analyzed sales data in depth to optimize merchandise presentation and selection. Achieved consistent 4-5% comp growth in responsible departments.”
• “Successfully planned and executed substantial merchandise initiatives and relays, including new department rollouts, NOOK, and digital initiatives.”
• “Designed and launched new merchandise website with revenue doubling LY.”
• “Successfully reduced inventory 30% by implementing mark-down strategies and open to buy.”

Image source: Indeed.com

The Importance of Retail Category Management

At the center of retail merchandising management is the desire to understand customers in order to create customer value that leads to profitability. To do so, merchandise managers need to consider how every retail merchandising decision helps the customer. According to Berkhout, this is the core of category management. Professionals originally used the term category management to describe the joint business planning between retailer and supplier, writes Berkhout. Over time, the definition changed to include “the process of managing categories as strategic business units, producing advanced results by focusing on delivering consumer value.” He credits Brian Harris , at the time a University of Southern California Professor of Marketing and Procter & Gamble (P&G) consultant, for creating the term and the business model. The practice completely changed the way P&G and Walmart collaborated after the first-ever category management project between the two retail titans took off in the 1980s. Berkhout writes that the concept rests on four principles:

• Think category rather than brand or product.
• Include supply and demand retail activities as an integral part of your overall process. 
• Deliver customer value.
• Collaborate closely with suppliers.

Holistic, mutually beneficial collaboration between retailers and their supply chain partners is essential to surviving in the retail jungle. Category management is less dependent on customer behavior or motivations, and relies more heavily on strategic planning, understanding and analyzing data, and retail merchandising tactics. Merchandising strategy is what small, independent retailers need to understand in order to respond to the threat of retail giants, deep-assortment discounters, and digital disruption.

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Be Part of the Story

Merchandise Presentation Specialist – Walt Disney World

Job summary:.

Be Part of the Story at The Walt Disney Company as the Merchandise Presentation Specialist! This role will work in our shop locations in Walt Disney World.

This role reports to the Area Manager of Merchandise Presentation.

This is a full time role.

What You Will Do:

Assist in our day-to-day accountabilities in assigned locations, including merchandising multiple locations, leading projects, events, and teams

Ability to prioritize tasks and understand key performance indicators of our business to make sound business decisions

Maintain current project/day-to-day floor set schedule, window installations, signage roll-out and store development calendar

Responsible for meeting timelines and deliverables based on strategic plans and daily needs of the business.

Implement and maintain Merchandise Presentation Standards (product placement, adjacencies, photo documentation and windows)

Assist in the implementation of key merchandise initiative floor sets and propping *Required to attend all floor sets

Participate in creative process determining approach to location interiors and window creative approach

Timely communication with key partners (Location Strategy teams, Operations teams, and vendors) daily or weekly based on business needs (merchandise entry/exit logistics) in addition to the prioritization of calendar events.

Maintain Merchandise Presentation shop, event, or project by proper organization of company assets (hardware, fixtures, offsite storage.)

Provide Visual Merchandising Training to Operations Partners, maintaining standards and guidelines

Establish and run all delivery schedules

Able to work independently with a moderate level of mentorship and direction

Provide informal mentorship to our new team members

Full knowledge and compliance of all company policies, practices, and procedures

Required Qualifications and Skills:

Experience or equivalent knowledge of retail store operations

Possess strong communication skills with the ability to engage with all levels and partners with the business.

Exhibit and maintain consistent and high-quality work ethic

Self-motivated, with a commitment to succeed

Proven positive attitude and the spirit of a team player

Knowledge of fixture suites and hardware packages

Ability to manage multiple projects

Demonstrated computer proficient, including Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

Ability to create and implement planograms

Must be able to lift 50lbs

Minimum Two+ years Retail and Visual Merchandising experience

Benefits and Perks:

Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities, and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at https://jobs.disneycareers.com/benefits .

About Consumer Products Games & Publishing:

Disney Experiences brings the magic of Disney stories and franchises to life through theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, unique vacation experiences, products and more around the world. Disney shines in the travel industry with six resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line; a popular vacation ownership program; and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Plus, Disney's global consumer products operations include the world's leading licensing business; the world's largest children's publishing brands; one of the world's largest licensors of games across all platforms; and Disney store locations around the world and on the web.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with the following business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, Disney Parks, and Experiences and Products. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Disney Global Product Dev & Creative , which is part of a business we call Consumer Products Games & Publishing .

Disney Global Product Dev & Creative is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.

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