Why visual merchandising matters: There was once a time when the bare minimum of stocking product inventory on shelves might have been all that took to invite a customer to walk into a store, but today how a store is created speaks volumes. When almost every market is saturated with products and services that intend on curating at least one customer need, a retailer is usually left with having to manoeuvre every resource he has to make sure they hold onto their piece of the highly divided pie that is; competitive advantage.
More than ever, customers today shop with emotions and feelings instead of their wallets. The ancient model of in-store retail strictly played its resources only on the products that had to be sold by the end of the day. However, customers today have gradually begun to move away from simply ‘shopping for products’ to craving an experience inside the store. Of course, this trend has had millennials on the front seat and their growing preference for experience and emotions over things. This has given a rise to visual merchandise and art, where creating a seamless blend of signage, lighting, props or window dressing were needed to win the hearts of customers.
On a grand scale, there is usually a plethora of skills that can be taught on visual merchandise- such as communication, store management, or organisation. Having said that, the same can only really be implemented if there is recognition that creating an intriguing atmosphere cannot be executed just academically or theoretically, but rather emotionally. Experts over the years have spoken about the fine art of mastering visual merchandise and how this is usually considered by leaders as a frivolous expense, but the truth is – it can make or break your business. Visual merchandising matters. While investing in a store and placing your products can be more often than not, done by the rule, the intelligence needed to conceptualise something visual and powerful comes with a creative eye and a sense of storytelling.