Thursday, 21 August 2014

Ideas for Visual Merchandising

Basic Window Dressing Rules to Make More Sales

Are you aware of the latest trend in the retail industry? Why do you think that the retailers are focusing on developing effective visual merchandising? Why is there such a high demand for the visual merchandisers?
The visual merchandising is the latest market norm and its demand is increasing at an accelerating rate. The concept “Visual merchandising” can be best described as the art and strategy of displaying the merchandise in the manner that has an aesthetic appeal that draws the attention of the customers towards the retail store. It basically sets the merchandise of the store in a way that customers get attracted to the retail store and enhance their shopping experience by visiting the store.
In order to develop an effective visual merchandising in the store, the store owners are looking for skilled visual merchandisers who know the art of enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the retail store. The professional needs to be creative and talented so that he can place all the merchandise in proper way so that the customers get attracted to the aesthetic appeal of the store. Hence, the experts need to have passion for design, creativity and innovation so that they can make sure that they are talented and highly skilled visual merchandiser.
The main visual merchandising duties comprise of working on every aspect of the retail store from the placement of the merchandise to the promotion offers on the merchandise. Therefore, the professional will need to work on attractive window displays, creative signs, aesthetic interior displays and other types of sales promotions that should be offered to the customers. Hence, the professional will have to ensure that everything is properly coordinated which means that the color of the store should be complemented with the display of the products and the stage of the retail shop.
Hence, the professional will also be up-to-date with the fashion world and must be aware of the changes happening in the dynamic environment and market so that the changes can be incorporated effectively. Therefore, the visual merchandisers will have to make sure that they are aware of the latest market trends and they must ensure that everything is coordinated and strategy must be properly designed and implemented.

Also check out the following resources:

Wednesday, 20 August 2014

What is Visual Merchandising

Visual Merchandising is the art of presenting the store and the merchandise in the best possible way. The aim of any retail visual merchandising is to maximise profit while minimising the costs.
Visual Merchandising is a key instrument in showing off the uniqueness of the merchandise for maximising the marketing and sales.
Especially in the developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, visual merchandising has an important priority in commercial product and store planning.
Most big retail chains understand that ill presentation and bad display will have a negative impact on the sales. As a result they adopt the scientific visual merchandising techniques rather than the traditional practices of display of merchandise.
Visual merchandising spans a wide range of activities from educating the customers on the use of a new product or service to creating desire, which is all aimed at augmenting the sales process. Retail visual merchandising not only helps the shoppers’ make the right purchasing decision but will also help establish a long lasting impact by setting the company apart in an exclusive position. It combines the marketing, product design and most importantly marketing.

Duties of Visual Merchandiser

The visual merchandising experts possess a mixture of skills including, technical aspects, creativity as well as extensive business and product knowledge. Depending on the nature and the size of the retail shop typical work responsibilities may be slightly different but the typical work activities include (but not limited to):
  • Following local and national marketing trends
  • Tracking the competition’s point-of-sale and window display ideas
  • Producing new promotional activities, events and displays
  • Having an awareness of stock levels to restyle the activities accordingly and easily
  • Understanding of sales figures and data analysis for shaping future activities
Whatever you decide to do with your business, do make sure to pay extra attention to your visual merchandising.



Also check out the following resources:

Thursday, 8 May 2014

Why is Visual Merchandising So Important

Visual merchandising is not, by any means, a new field of art or sciences, and it has been following the growing popularity of window and floor displays. This article will discuss the importance and potential of visual merchandising for small and medium size businesses.

The visual merchandising consultant who undertake the visual merchandising activities are called visual merchandisers. And they play a very key role in the visual merchandising process from inception to implementation.
It would be unimaginable and incomplete to think of the sale of services or merchandise without a supporting image. For the longevity of the brand loyalty as well as stressing the quality of the product, projecting the merchandise the best possible way is essential. To achieve this, many companies fall into the trap of investing enormous amounts of money on the promotions. But many businessesare naive about the holistic presentation; including, the way the products are displayed in the shop. If the visual merchandising is not handled properly, it can damage the brand loyalty and image.

Visual merchandising is the art of presentation that places the products and the services on offer as well as the shoppers at the heart of selling process. It aims to educate the customers, to entice them into buying the merchandise. In most cases, this is an area where some small business owners lack adequate knowledge and expertise.

If implemented properly, visual merchandising can be invaluable for accentuating the unique usage points of the products; therefore ultimately optimising the marketing and sales efforts.

Please check the visual merchandising portfolio before choosing the right partner though in order to make sure that they are the right professional for your shop window dressing.


Also check out the following resources:

Monday, 10 February 2014

Visual Merchandising for Valentines

Provided by VM Design Visual Merchandisers who have a wide range of visual merchandising portfolio.

Valentine's Day is one of those annual events where people are thinking of shopping for special presents to give to their loved ones. As a result, it is always a good opportunity for retail businesses. If you own (or manage) a retail business and you would like to maximise your sales and revenue this Valentine's Day, then here are the most important things that you should watch out for.
All Products are on Display
Make sure that you display your products well. It should be in the areas that are easily visible to the naked eye. Remember, if your clients can not see your products, then they are not going to buy it.
The key here is to display your merchandise in a manner that all your customers will be able to see it and eventually purchase them.
Display Popular Items in Hot Spots
Unpopular items do not need to take up the best spots in your shop. Reserve those "hot spots" for profitable items or best seller products. Since it is Valentine's Day, the best sellers are usually chocolates and other gift items. But this does not mean that you just simply ditch those slow moving items. Just relocate them elsewhere in the store for the meantime.
For best seller items, place them in areas that are easily seen by the customers the moment they walk inside your store. These items are the highlight of your store so you should emphasize them.
Directed Towards the Customer
Display your merchandise at an angle that is directed to your consumers. They should be at an angle that lie within the customer's line of vision.
Avoid flat surfaces because they do not work well when it comes to attracting the customer's attention. Create some height as this is the best way to emphasize a product. If you are selling men's and women's apparel for Valentine's Day, and you need to display them on a mannequin, make sure to place the mannequin on an elevated area.
Make your Feature Items Stand Out
You should not just merely display items in your window display and wait for customers to come in and buy them. You must also add some decorations and ornamentations to it.
As it is Valentine's Day, it is probably a good idea to display some flowers along with the products, hearts, cherubs, or any items that are related to the occasion.
Of course, proper colour combination must also be observed so the products will look even more appealing.




Also check out the following resources:

Tuesday, 7 January 2014

Window Dressing for Valentine’s Day

Some tips from a window dresser with a wide range of visual merchandiser portfolio

Now that Valentine’s Day is approaching, a lot of retailers are thinking of ways on how they can prep up their display windows to entice shoppers to check out some of their Valentine stuff. As you know, the display window helps to give a boost to the overall appearance of the store which also helps to entice shoppers to get inside. This Valentine’s Day, adding a burst of color to your display window, especially the shades of pink and red is definitely a great idea. Here are more ideas when it comes to decorating your display window this Valentine’s Day.

Crepe Paper Hearts
The crepe paper hearts are easy to make. Simply crumple some red crepe papers and attach it on a heart shape Styrofoam. Then tie the heart on a string and hang it on your display window. Create about a dozen of small hearts and scatter them on your store window.

Kisses on Window
Another great idea is to scatter kisses all over your display window. Just make sure it won’t appear too crowded and that there should still be some spaces that will be left on the window so your customers can still have a peek of what you are displaying there. You can cut out a red cardboard for the kissing lips or purchase kiss stickers at a craft store. These stickers easily come off so you won’t have a hard time removing them after Valentine’s Day. Also, set around some red clothing and accessories to match with the overall window theme.

Valentine Paper bags
Another simple design idea for Valentine’s Day is to make use of paper bags. You can simply make use of your own store’s paper bag. Stuff it with white, red or pink tissue paper. Scatter them all over the window floor or place them on the display rack inside your store.

Red Roses
Red roses are among the things that symbolize Valentine’s Day. Thus, include these flowers on your window dressing for Valentine’s Day. Arrange them beautifully so as to make your window look appealing to your customers. You can go for fresh flowers, plastic flowers or perhaps, create some red roses using crepe papers.

These window display ideas for Valentine’s Day are so easy to achieve. Just keep in mind that your merchandise should be the main focus on your display window and that the props and all other decors should not appear too cluttered.

Also check out the following resources:

Monday, 10 September 2012

Colours: Important Tool in Visual Merchandiser's Toolset

This article is courtesy of VM Design, which provides Retail Window Dressing services.

Visual merchandising is a process of promoting the sale of goods through their special presentation in different outlets. Many elements are used by a visual merchandiser for the creation of an effective display. These include balance, harmony, rhythm, space, color, lighting, product information, sensory inputs such as sound, touch, smell, and technologies such as interactive installations and digital displays.

Color and lighting is a huge contribution in creating a first impression on customers as it makes up a store's appearance more exciting and interesting. A color wheel is a handy tool to use in developing a color scheme for a store. Several color schemes are possible by choosing different combinations. Blue is a cool color and it calms and relaxes excited people whereas green is easy for the eyes and stimulates conversation. On the other hand, red excites an individual and induces aggression. There are no absolute rules for combining colors, only flexible guidelines.

Experimentation and imagination will find color schemes according to the atmosphere that attract customers. The type of merchandise features such as jewelry, hardware, and clothing will have an effect on the type of color scheme that can be used and the ratio of each color.

There are various color schemes, which can be used according to the type of merchandise and business. There is a monochromatic scheme in which a single color is used with three to five tints. For example, several pieces of blue merchandise can be arranged together with each range consisting of a different value ranging from baby blue to navy blue.

Under analogous scheme, three or four consecutive colors are combined to make up a combination. This can be used to create a soft and subtle décor and warm or cool effect. Examples of this scheme could be yellow, yellow-green, green and blue-green or blue, blue-green and green. This scheme should be handled with care so that it does not lead to over stimulating or too much depressing atmosphere. A complementary color scheme is represented by two colors that are exactly opposite one another such as green and red or yellow and purple. This can result in a very pleasing combination of warm and cool colors. One way to learn about color is to observe some new stores and see what color combinations have been used in different departments. In the last resort, you can take the help of a visual merchandiser.



Also check out the following resources:

Sunday, 2 September 2012

what is visual merchandising

Visual Merchandising

is the art of presenting the store and the merchandise in the best possible way. The aim of any retail visual merchandising is to maximise profit while minimising the costs.

Visual Merchandising is a key instrument in showing off the uniqueness of the merchandise for maximising the marketing and sales.

Especially in the developed countries, such as the United Kingdom, visual merchandising has an important priority in commercial product and store planning.

Most big retail chains understand that ill presentation and bad display will have a negative impact on the sales. As a result they adopt the scientific visual merchandising techniques rather than the traditional practices of display of merchandise.

Visual merchandising spans a wide range of activities from educating the customers on the use of a new product or service to creating desire, which is all aimed at augmenting the sales process. Retail visual merchandising not only helps the shoppers’ make the right purchasing decision but will also helpestablish a long lasting impact by setting the company apart in an exclusive position. It combines the marketing, product design and most importantly marketing.

Duties of Visual Merchandiser

The retail window dressing experts possess a mixture of skills including, technical aspects, creativity as well as extensive business and product knowledge. Depending on the nature and the size of the retail shop typical work responsibilities may be slightly different but the typical work activities include (but not limited to):
  • Following local and national marketing trends
  • Tracking the competition’s point-of-sale and window display ideas
  • Producing new promotional activities, events and displays
  • Having an awareness of stock levels to restyle the activities accordingly and easily
  • Understanding of sales figures and data analysis for shaping future activities
Whatever you decide to do with your business, do make sure to pay extra attention to your visual merchandising.

Retail Window Dressing

Visual Merchandising and Window Dressing Services



Also check out the following resources:

Monday, 30 July 2012

Important Considerations When Planning Window Dressing

Retail window dressing is probably the most commonly known and used visual merchandising technique.

From the small independent shops to the multi-million high street retail chains, this technique is used for distinguishing the shop's brand from the competition.
If it is planned and executed well, it can be one of the most effective ways to increase the sales in a shop. However, if you do not implement a well thought plan, it may detract the potential shoppers.
It is very important that you present your shop's brand well to your potential customers. And, there are a number of options that one has to consider to make window dressing a success.
Here are a number of very important considerations that you should be aware of:

  • Colours: You have all the colours of the rainbow to choose from when setting up window dressing, but not just any colour will do. Although going with your business theme is one of the top picks, it can also suck if you have terrible colour combinations. Therefore, you need to research and find out which colours are attractive, soothing and more likely to win a customer's trust fast.

  • Sunlight and lighting: How does sunlight strike the display window? Can it get to a point sunlight will get in the way of visibility of the window dressing from the outside? When dressing your window, you will want to go with the right window treatments that protect what is behind the glass without negatively affecting the people in front of it.

  • Functions: Different window dressing types have different functionalities. This is a very important issue when selecting the type of window set-up. Some of the window dressing types are costly and take a lot of time and energy to put up while others are simple enough to put up in a few minutes. You must evaluate your needs and budget and make a decision that you will be happy with.

  • Size and Materials: When you are designing your shop window, you must consider the size and the material to be used. There are some materials that you can adjust to fit the display window while others cannot. You have a wide variety of materials to choose from as well but you can pick one depending on price, size, use, effectiveness, colours and form.

Please note that all these options are very important. As such, each option should be considered and planned with care in order to make the window dressing a success.
VM Design provide Visual Merchandising services.


Also check out the following resources:

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

Basic Window Dressing Rules to Make More Sales

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6985085

In today's competitive commercial world, the visual merchandising has become a very important tool in retailers' marketing toolset. All the tricks of visual merchandising are used every day for promoting the products as well as increasing the sales.

As part of this visual merchandising battle to win the "hearts and minds" of the shoopers, the shop window displays have grown to be increasingly important battle grounds and they have become very sophisticated over the years.

It has been widely published that a well coordinated combination of merchandising and eye catching display in the shop window will influence why the customers decide to shop in one store instead of the other.

Both consumers and customers in general become more and more informed about the different marketing strategies and tricks. If you are a retail shop owner who is looking for some ideas and inspiration, here are some of the top tips on setting up the window dressing in your store to attract more customers and to increase your sales:

  1. The first thing that your window dressing approach to marketing must do is to attract the attention of passers-by, this is very important. This means that your window dressing should be appealing enough to attract people's attention and should be more cutting-edge compared to other competitors'.
  2. Make changes, you will probably be attracting the attention of people who pass by your shop every day, you will want to make them believe there have been changes - for the better. This means you need to illuminate the display items and use relevant brand colours. Good lighting is essential especially on gloomy days and during the night.
  3. Something else that most shop owners overlook is the importance of keeping the windows clean. This sounds straightforward but unless you remove those stickers that offered a discount last Christmas or completely wash off the remaining sticker marks from adhesives and sticking tapes, you risk chasing customers away because they will not take the display seriously.
  4. Use your creativity, no matter how tempting it is, you should not copy your next shop just because his style of shop window dressing is working. Be creative and put your wildest ideas into action; sometimes the controversial changes you make could rake in more customers than you anticipate.
  5. Lastly, choose the items you are going to place on the windows carefully. Wrap them properly if need be, polish them and under no circumstances should you make them look like you are desperate to sell them off.
VM Design provides Window Dressing services in all over of the United Kingdom.


Also check out the following resources:

Wednesday, 17 August 2011

why is visual merchandising important

Visual Merchandising is not, by any means, a new field of work which follows the growing popularity of window and floor displays. And, the professionals who undertake the visual merchandising activities are called visual merchandisers. This article will discuss the importance and potential of visual merchandising for small and medium size businesses.
It would be unimaginable and incomplete to think of the sale of services or merchandise without a supporting image. For the longevity of the brand loyalty, and to stress the quality of the product, the correct image is essential. To achieve this, many companies fall into the trap of investing enormous amounts of money on the promotions. But many businessesare naive about the holistic presentation; including, the way the products are displayed in the shop. If the visual merchandising is not handled properly, it can damage the brand loyalty and image.
Visual merchandising is the art of presentation, which puts the merchandiser in focus. It educates the customers, creates desire and finally augments the selling process. This is an area where some small business owners lack adequate knowledge and expertise.
Visual merchandising will be helpful for the projecting the uniqueness of the products and thereby increasing the market access and sales.


Also check out the following resources: