Visual merchandising is the activity of promoting the sale of goods, especially by their presentation in retail outlets.

(New Oxford Dictionary of English, 1999, Oxford University Press). This includes combining products, environments, and spaces into a stimulating and engaging display to encourage the sale of a product or service. It has become such an important element in retailing that a team effort involving the senior management, architects, merchandising managers, buyers, the visual merchandising director, industrial designers, and staff is needed.

Contents
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1 Facility 2 Purpose 3 History 4 Variances o 4.1 Planogram  4.1.1 Window Displays  4.1.2 Food Merchandising 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 See also

[edit] Facility
Visual merchandising starts with the store building itself. The management decides on the store design to reflect the products the store is going to sell and how to create a warm, friendly, and approachable atmosphere for its potential customers. Many elements can be used by visual merchandisers in creating displays including color, lighting, space, product information, sensory inputs (such as smell, touch, and sound), as well as technologies such as digital displays and interactive installations. Visual merchandising is not a science; there are no absolute rules. It is more like an art in the sense that there are implicit rules but they may be broken for striking effects. The main principle of visual merchandising is that it is intended to increase sales, which is not the case with a "real" art. Visual merchandising is one of the final stages in trying to set out a store in a way that customers will find attractive and appealing and it should follow and reflect the principles that underpin the stores image. Visual merchandising is the way one displays 'goods for sale' in the most attractive manner with the end purpose of making a sale. "If it does not sell, it is not visual merchandising."

Especially in todays challenging economy, people may avoid designers/ visual merchandisers because they fear unmanageable costs. But in reality, visual merchandisers can help economise by avoiding costly mistakes. With guidance of a professional, a retailer can eliminate errors, saving time and money. It is important to understand that the visual merchandiser is there, not to impose ideas, but to help clients articulate their own personal style. Visual merchandising is the art of implementing effective design ideas to increase store traffic and sales volume. VM is an art and science of displaying merchandise to enable maximum sale. VM is a tool to achieve sales and targets, a tool to enhance merchandise on the floor, and a mechanism to communicate to a customer and influence his decision to buy. VM uses season based displays to introduce new arrivals to customers, and thus increase conversions through a planned and systematic approach by displaying stocks available. Recently visual merchandising has gained in importance as a quick and cost effective way to revamp retail stores.

[edit] Purpose
Retail professionals display to make the shopping experience more comfortable, convenient and customer friendly by:
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Making it easier for the shopper to locate the desired category and merchandise. Making it easier for the shopper to self-select. Making it possible for the shopper to co-ordinate & accessorize. Informing about the latest fashion trends by highlighting them at strategic locations.

Merchandise presentation refers to most basic ways of presenting merchandise in an orderly, understandable, easy to shop and find the product format. This easier format is especially implemented in fast fashion retailers. VM helps in:
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Educating the customers about the product/service in an effective and creative way. Establishing a creative medium to present merchandise in 3D environment, thereby enabling long lasting impact and recall value. Setting the company apart in an exclusive position. Establishing linkage between fashion, product design and marketing by keeping the product in prime focus. Combining the creative, technical and operational aspects of a product and the business. Drawing the attention of the customer to enable him to take purchase decision within shortest possible time, and thus augmenting the selling process.

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[edit] History
When the giant nineteenth century dry goods establishments like Marshall Field & Co. shifted their business from wholesale to retail, the visual display of goods became necessary to attract the general consumers. The store windows were often used to attractively display the store's merchandise. Over time, the design aesthetic used in window displays moved indoors and became part of the overall interior store design, eventually reducing the use of display windows in many suburban malls. In the twentieth century, well-known artists such as Salvador Dal and Andy Warhol created window displays. It is also common practice for retail venues to display original art for visual merchandising purposes.

[edit] Variances
[edit] Planogram
A Planogram allows planning of the arrangement of merchandise on a given fixture configuration to support sales through proper placement of merchandise by Style, Option, Size, Price points, etc. It also enables a chain of stores to have the same merchandise displayed in a coherent and similar manner across the chain. The main purpose is to support ease of applicability to the merchandiser while also increasing selection & enhancing the merchandise display in a neat and organized manner. [edit] Window Displays Display windows may communicate style, content, and price point. A window might combine seasonal and festive points of the year such as Back-to-school, Spring, Summer, Easter, Christmas, New Year approaching, Diwali, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day,Women's Day, etc. [edit] Food Merchandising Restaurants, Grocery Stores, and C-stores are using visual merchandising as a tool to differentiate themselves in a saturated market. With Whole Foods leading the way, many are recognizing the impact that good food merchandising can have on sales. If a food merchandising strategy considers the 5 senses, it will keep customers lingering in the store, and help them with the buying decision process. Aroma, if pleasant, can be used to help sell product and visual graphics on the boxes and packaging can make them look as good as they taste. Texture can be utilized to entice customers to touch, and samples are the best form of food advertising. Especially for large quantity items, the ability to experience the product before committing to the purchase is critical. Food merchandising should educate customers, entice them to buy, and create loyalty to the store.[1]