Visual Merchandising: An Introduction

In a highly cluttered and competitive market place, where you can find identical merchandize at more than one outlet, the key-differentiating factor would be in terms of designing a suitable store layout and attractive presentation of products. Retailers have identified that visual stimulus is the easiest and most widely used tool for increasing footfalls and are putting extra efforts to ensure optimum utility of floor and wall space to display the goods and attract customers. The shift in focus, from customer information to customer’s pleasure while shopping at the outlet, is the genesis of Visual Merchandising. Visual merchandising refers to the display of products to arouse interest in the customer and attract him towards that display/product, makes him examine the product and admire the product either through verbal or non-verbal cues. Broadly there are two objectives of Visual merchandising (i) through creative display of the products, draw the customer’s attention and generate an enquiry and (ii) compel him/her to buy it or refer it to others for purchase. The book "Visual Merchandising: An Introduction" is divided into two sections. Articles in the first section address various related issues such as store planning and design, store windows and floor displays, signs, space design, fixtures and hardware, props and decoratives, mannequins and forms. Insights are also provided on the importance of selling ambience and visual display in driving footfalls. The concept of ‘Floor Advertising’ adds a whole new dimension to the concept of propelling decision making at the point of buying. The section on cases examines the issues and challenges that arise when planning a new store, changing the store design without alienating the customers affinity for the existing stores and ensuring that the design variables are in line with the company’s overall retail strategy. These and other dimensions of visual merchandising at UK based Next, Habitat and French Connection, Watsons’ of Hong Kong, GAP of US and the Indian experience of L’Oreal are bound to provide the reader–whether he is a corporate manager, professional or a student–with a useful insight into the intricacies of visual merchandising.