Visual Merchandising means a visual display of the store. When you walk into the store, you're most likely first drawn to the visual displays that are there, as 90% of the information our brain receives is visual. This can include aspects such as window displays, decor style, accessories, and many other things that give a visual identity to the space.
Today, many retailers follow the culture of visual merchandising in their establishments to maintain a strong brand image, using effective graphics and visual arts with the goal of increasing foot traffic per square meter to drive sales. According to studies conducted by Nielsen in 2016, 70% of purchase decisions are made directly at the point of sale, whether physical or online.
However, there are both positive and negative ways in which your visual merchandising affects sales in commerce. Therefore, as a retailer, you must choose the right type of business layout to increase sales.
Visual merchandising takes charge of the store's image and presents products in a way that appears attractive and enticing to your customers. Furthermore, introducing periodic sales campaigns to play with the store layout will increase productivity and boost sales.
What is Visual Merchandising?
The practice of visually displaying your goods and products in a way that highlights their unique features and benefits, along with the optimal use of space, with the ultimate goal of driving sales, is known as Visual Merchandising.
Who is your target audience?
It's crucial to recognize your target audience. No sales strategy or visual merchandising can help if you don't recognize your audience. Here are some tips you can use to target your audience:
Important: Not everyone is your target audience.
Check the demographic data of your target audience: age, gender, ethnic origin, location, purchasing power, and interests.
Make this questions:
What: What is your product?
Who: Who will benefit from your products?
Where: Where should it be located?
When: When is the best time to start?
Trust survey forms and feedback forms, and follow them religiously.
What does your audience expect?
Customers want the product to speak for itself. To capture their interest, the visual presentation of the product must be attractive and self-explanatory. The audience loves glamour, for the product to steal the show, the display to be bright and beautiful, and, most importantly, care and concern for them.
7 Aspects of Visual Merchandising that Drive Sales
1- Color
Color is considered the key component of visual merchandising that can influence consumer choices.
Firstly, it will help attract attention and encourage consumers to quickly enter the store. The proper use of colors increases the likelihood of reading the content of a visual piece by 80%.
For example, if your department store wants to primarily attract customers, then using colors like red and orange at the entrance tends to stand out and grab attention; whereas cool colors like blue and green will keep your spaces calm and can be used indoors.
Secondly, color can also create an emotional effect on customers, which can convey a meaningful message about the products you offer.
2- Accesories
Another important aspect of visual merchandising display that impacts in-store sales is accessories and complements. An upward or downward elevation level on your accessories will create a negative effect on your sales.
You might have multiple screens installed in your store, but inaccurate installations and accessories can bother customers, which in turn will directly affect sales.
Therefore, it's essential that you first create a theme and then organize the accessories and complements properly.
3-Signage
Signage will act as a salesperson, so it's an advantage that can open doors, providing more sales opportunities.
Infusing the right signage is crucial in your visual merchandising display, as this will allow customers to comfortably reach their desired destination or location by following the display shown on it.
By doing this, your customers won't have to wait for a salesperson who might be busy assisting other customers. And making customers wait means you automatically lose sales and diminish customer service.
Make sure to install the right signage so that you can capture the attention of customers within 10 seconds of them entering your store.
4- Lights
When executed correctly, lighting is crucial in visual merchandising displays. It can help sell merchandise, but if done poorly, it can have a negative impact, even on high-value products.
You should maintain a proper balance of light and shadow in your visual merchandising displays because an excess of either can obscure product details or even alter product colors. This can create a completely different appearance from what you intend to sell, leading to a loss of value.
Therefore, retailers should ensure the use of proper lighting (preferably spotlights) to focus on key areas or key products to generate more sales and business for your store.
5- storefront
A shop window is ideal for attracting both existing and potential customers, allowing you to showcase new arrivals, best-selling products, promotional items, and even create a brand image.
Make sure to focus more on this aspect of visual merchandising and update them frequently if you want to increase foot traffic and sales in your store.
The smart way is to create different themes for each window, and each one represents a different story based on any theme that is inspiring at that moment.
6- Conceptualize interesting product groupings
Inspire your shoppers through product groupings. Product grouping is perfect for clubbed products that complement or connect with each other.
For example, a pocket square with a suit. All of that paired with a shoe, an umbrella, and it can also include a wallet.
Keep thinking. Let your dreaming mind take over with a dose of commercial sense.
7- Music
Music can have a significant impact on the shopping experience for customers. Although it is not visual, it can influence customers' moods and affect their purchasing behavior.
With all the above factors, music can indeed have a hypnotic effect in a commercial establishment.
Benefits of visual merchandising
While we discuss visual merchandising display techniques, we must also understand the benefits! Well, we can't just follow the crowd blindly, can we? We need to do our own study. So, let's find out how this will benefit us.
get more clients
Visual Merchandising always attracts more customers. So, showcase your best products, make them appealing and seductive, draw in those people who are looking at the shop windows and show them off in your store.
higher brand value
The more attractive your store looks, the more customers prefer to visit it. This way, it increases the value and visibility of your brand.
sales boost
When customers enter the store, they clearly have an inclination towards your products. As your brand increases its value and customers grow, sales are expected to increase as well.
Create a good first impression
Imagine if you were invited to a friend's house and the house didn't meet your expectations. You wouldn't want to visit them again or would prefer to meet them elsewhere. The same goes for the retail sector. If you're inviting customers to your store, make sure it's a place they always want to come back to. Remember: first impressions matter.
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