Md.Azmeri Latif BegMSc. in Textile Engineering(DIU)

VISUAL MERCHANDISING& FASHION STORE LAYOUT

• Fashion designers and manufacturers promote their clothes not only to retailers (such as fashion buyers) but also to the media (fashion journalists) and directly to customers. Once the clothes have been designed and manufactured, they need to be sold. But how are clothes to get from the manufacturer to the customer? The business of buying clothes from manufacturers and selling them to customers is known as retail. Retailers make initial purchases for resale three to six months before the customer is able to buy the clothes in-store.

• Fashion marketing is the process of managing the flow of merchandise from the initial selection of designs to be produced to the presentation of products to retail customers, with the goal of maximizing a company’s sales and profitability. Successful fashion marketing depends on understanding consumer desire and responding with appropriate products. In today’s fashion retailing business, Visual Merchandising plays an important role to bring shoppers inside the store and make them a purchase clothes. In this article author has showcased an overview of visual merchandising and built a relation in between visual merchandising and retailing.

VISUALMERCHANDISING

What is Visual Merchandising???

Visual merchandising is the art of presentation, which put the merchandise in focus.

It educates the customer and create desire to buy.

Its a presentation of a store.

The objective of a store sale promotion plan.

A team involved- the senior management, architects, merchandising managers, buyers, the visual merchandising director, industrial-designers, and staff is needed.

VISUAL MEANINGRelating to the sense of sight.

MERCHANDISING MEANINGMerchandising is a marketing practice in which the brand orimage from one product or service is used to sell another

Definition of Visual Merchandising

• Visual merchandising is coined as the Art of Retailing. Related o the world of apparel and fashion visual merchandising has great impact and utmost relation in retailing.There is a saying -“Give the customer a reason to buy”.

• Visual merchandising can be simply defined as the physical presentation of products. It is the coordination of all physical elements of a business to project the right image. Visual merchandising has increased tremendously in importance with the growth of self-service retailing.

The History of Visual Merchandising

• On 15th march, 1909, Gordon Selfridges became the benchmark of British retailing.

• The 1920 s saw an explosion of creativity in the arts of fashion, which spilled over into the arts of window display, once again, its was paris that led the way.

• Selfridge also revolutionized the world of visual merchandising by living window lights on at night, even when the store was closed. So that the public could Still enjoy the presentation While returning from theatre.

The purpose of visual merchandising

To make merchandising desirable

To make merchandise easy to locate in the store

To introduce and explain new products

To promote store image

To cajole customers into the store

To show merchandise assortment

Visual Merchandising Placement Process

Where the products are located and how retailers arrange it around the store can be placed based on shoppers’ buying behavior. For their easy access and reach, the ultimate visual merchandising is liable. A proper visual merchandising can affect on consumer decision to make a buy from prompt to multiple.

Eye level and hand level arrangement Customer Entrance Window Displays Store Layout Customer Space Store Interior Store Decorations Props

Visual elements that compose the retail environment

Essentials of Visual Merchandising

• Interior Floor Design And Display. • Space Design And Signage. • Fixtures And Hardware. • Window Display. • Advertising Materials • Interior Floor Design And Display. • Space Design And Signage. • Fixtures And Hardware. • Window Display• Advertising Materials

– Floor Plan: A drawing showing arrangement of physical space, such as showing the positioning of merchandise groups and customer services for a retail store.

– Grid Layout: A retail floor plan that has one of ore primary (main) aisles running through the store, with secondary (smaller) aisles intersecting with them at right angles.

– Maze Layout: A free-flowing retail floor plan arrangement with informal balance.

– Fixtures: Shelves, tables, rods, counters, stands, easels, forms, and platforms on which merchandise is stocked and displayed for sale

• Merchandise presentation includes the ways that goods are hung, placed on shelves, or otherwise made available for sale in retail stores.

– Shoulder-out presentation: The way most garments are hung in home closets with only one side showing from shoulder to bottom.

– Face-forward presentation (face-out presentation): Hanging of clothing with the front fully facing the viewer. This should always be done at entrances and aisles.

carousels (circular shape)

Four-way-rackT-Stand

waterfall

Dump Tables/bins

Retail Fixtures

Individual and notable physical presentation of merchandise.

Displays are intended to:

Stimulate product interest

Provide information

Suggest merchandise coordination

Generate traffic flow

Remind customers of planned purchases

Create additional sales of impulse items

Enhance the store’s visual image

Locations for interior displays:

Just in the entrance

Entrance to department

Near cash/wrap

Next to related items

Across from elevators and escalators

Ends of aisles

Merchandise Lighting Props Signage

The different color suggest an identify different the theme

and mood.

Color is one of the most powerful tools in the Visual

Merchandising segment.

It attracts attention and pulls more customers into the

store.

Example:

▪ A Halloween display would require black color in the

display theme.

▪ Valentines theme should be ruled by red color

supplemented with pink and white.

▪ A display of baby’s accessories should reflect light

shades of pink and blue colors.

▪ A Christmas display should contain colors of red,green, gold and silver.

Emotional Response to Color:

• Natural day light and light used at night reflect the merchandise appearance.

• The same product looks different in different light .

• Lighting is the most important part of display as it highlights features.

• If the display require emphasis on certain product it can be done through light.

There are three types of lighting used :

Primary lighting Store illumination Atmosphere lighting

Objects added that support the theme of the display.

Functional Props: used to physically support the merchandise. (mannequins, stands, panels, screens, etc)

Decorative Props: used to establish a mood or an attractive setting for the merchandise being featured (ex: mirrors, flowers, seashells, surfboards, etc)

Structural Props: used to support functional and decorative props and change the physical makeup of displays. (boxes, rods, stands, stairways, etc)

PROPS

ACCESSORIES USED

Includes individual letters and complete signs.

Often on some kind of holder.

Can tell a story about the goods.

Should try to answer customers questions.

Should be informative and concise.

Can include prices, sizes, department location.

FLOOR LAYOUT

STRAIGHT FLOOR LAYOUT( GRID DESIGN)

Best used in retail environments in which majority of customers shop the entire store

Can be confusing and frustrating as it is difficult to see over the fixtures to other merchandise

Forcing customers to back of large store may frustrate and cause them to look elsewhere

Most familiar examples for supermarkets and drugstores

DIAGONAL FLOOR LAYOUT

Good store layout for self-service type retail stores

Offers excellent visibility for cashier and customers

Movement and traffic flow in the store is smooth

ANGULAR FLOOR LAYOUT( CURVING/LOOP –RACETRACK DESIGN)

Best used for high-end stores

Curves and angles of fixtures and walls makes for more expensive store design

Soft angles create better traffic flow throughout the retail store

GEOMETRIC FLOOR LAYOUT(SPINE DESIGN)

Is a suitable store design for clothing and apparel shops.

Uses racks and fixtures to create interesting and out- of- the –ordinary type of store design without a high cost.

MIXED FLOOR LAYOUT(FREE FLOW DESIGN)

Incorporates the straight, diagonal and angular plans

Helps generates the most functional store design

Layout moves traffic towards walls and back of the store

Storage, Receiving, Marketing

UnderwearDressing Rooms

Checkout counter

Clearance Items

Feature Feature

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Sto

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Acc

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Pan

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Open Display Window Open Display Window

WINDOW SIZE AND STYLE

Closed windows

Open-back windows

Closed windows

Shadow box window

Focal/Angled windows

Rack windows

No window

WINDOW SIZE AND STYLE

• Closed windows:- These are usually Seen in department stores.

With a large pane of glass at the front

• A solid back wall and two solid walls and a door, these window

resemble a room.

• Open back windows:- These have no back wall but may have side

walls. Many retailers prefer them because they make the interior of

the shop visible from outside.

Closed window

Open back window

• No window :- shopping arcades often have

good examples of stores with no windows. The whole front of the store is expressed to the public with only grille to separate the store from public

in the evening.

• Angled windows:- these are angled back to

the entry. This type of window is gradually being replaced on the high street. Product should be displayed parallel to the pane of glass.

Related display

Related display

Rack window

• Corner window:- The windows wrap around a

corner. In this windows groupings should be

dressed towards the centre of the arc.

• Arcade/ angle window:- The door is set

back from the windows. In this case, part of the display should be facing the pavement to gain the customer’s attention.

• Showcase window:- stores that specialize in

small items such as jewellary often rely on showcase windows to attract the customer’s attention.

Corner window

Focus window

Showcase window

Importance of visual merchandising

• Increase Sales generation

• Profit

• Expansion of the store

• Corporate image

• Big share in market

TIPS FOR GOOD VISUAL MERCHANDISING

1. Take It Outside- If the weather's good and you're allowed to do so, set up a display

of merchandise outside your store. This can create a sense of excitement and

buzz: consider a "Street Faire" environment, with flags and balloons.

2. Identify Everything- Customers are in a hurry. Use signage to identify not only

departments but categories -- this will help customers pinpoint what they need

and inspire additional purchases.

3. Set The Mood With Windows- Store windows are incredibly valuable

merchandising territory: use them to set the mood of the event or sale you're

having. This mood should match the mood your customers want to experience

after buying from you: do they want excitement, family fun, romance?

4. Embrace All The Senses:- Great merchandising appeals to more than the eyes.

Consider how your store sounds, smells, and even feels are all of these

'messages' you're sending with music, scents, and other environmental factors in

keeping with the displays you create? You can evoke senses without addressing

them directly. For example, putting a pair of red bowls and spoons with a display of

tomato soup can get mouths watering!

5. Show the customers How It Will Look At Home

Use your displays to show customers how the merchandise will look in their home:

Example:-

if you're selling furniture, set up a grouping of chairs.

jewelry presented in the gift box, perhaps with some curls

of ribbon still clinging to the box...

6.Group Like With Like/ThemeOrganize your store logically: customers should be able to find all of one type

of merchandise easily. Create 'groupings' within categories, so all the

merchandise that is one color, type, price or size is positioned together.

7. Group By Lifestyle

Display merchandise from several categories -- that all share the same theme in the appropriate home or workplace setting. For example, in an office

supply store, a display could reflect the workplace of a high-tech wizard.

8. Use the SpotlightLighting attracts customers.

Like- Dramatic lighting doesn't have to be expensive:

well placed spotlights can draw attention to key pieces of merchandise.

Make sure to use spotlights within your store as well as in the windows!

9. Change the Displays Often-A great display is the first time the customer sees it. But if

the customer sees that same display next week, and the week after that?

Suddenly the display is not so great. It's boring, the same-old, same-old...and

customers don't come back to boring stores!

Plan on changing your displays atleast weekly.

10.Don't Be Afraid Of Color-Strong color can have strong results: plan your displays around a central color

that pops and captures the customer's attention. Try to have a different color

each week: if you've used yellow as your central color this week, go with

purple or blue next week -- not red or orange!

WINDOW DISPLAY

APPAREL WALL PRESENTATION

OF THE MERCHANDISE

INCORRECT

Fashion apparel wall presentation.In the correct example, formal balance isachieved by creating a mirror image ofgarment on both sides of a center line.This does not occur in the incorrectexample

INCORRECT

In this, Informal balance is achieved because an equal amount of space is filled on either side of a centre line. This does not occur in the incorrect example.

Conclusion……..

Sale increases is the main target for a merchandiser, by the combination of mannequin, lighting and props in a window display and a store highlight can further intensify the decision process where the former affects the affective pleasure of consumers and help them determine the suitability of a store’s retail identity to personal preference, the latter intensifies the sensational feeling of consumers and encourage the tendency to try on or purchase which directly relates to the pre-purchase stage. Thus it can be concluded that visual merchandising play one of the important role in customers’ decision making process. Finally we can say good to marketing & presenting is merchandising, which attempts to maximize sales and profitability by inducing consumers to buy a company’s products.

THANK You EVERYBODY…………….