For the noobs out there who are wondering what visual merchandising is, take this scenario for instance- Suppose you see two retail stores adjacent to one another, one of them being well lit, has the merchandise nicely color-coordinated and categorically stacked. The second one, on the other hand, is shabbily set up with lighting that doesn’t match the theme of the store and is not categorically arranged – which one would you be more tempted to enter? The most obvious answer would be the former, and that is precisely what visual merchandising is all about. Visual merchandising in the retail industry is all about the visual experience that you give to your customers through the overall store setup that prompts them to walk into your store and make a purchase. Now that you know what visual merchandising is and what it does for your business make a note of these tips that will help you transform your store into a visual treat for your customers:
Put Yourself in Your Customer’s Shoes
Understanding your customers is one of the critical ingredients for success in the retail business. Well by this we don’t just mean researching the demographics of your customer, there is more to it than that. What you need to do is to dig deeper into customer psychographics and look at things from a customer’s perspective. Through this, you will gather ideas on what exactly your target audience is looking for and evaluate the same against the existing facilities at your store. This will help you know the gaps and bridge them more efficiently. For example, many prominent retailers have started to place complementary goods such as shampoos and conditioners in adjacent rows in the display, which not only reminds the customers that these products are to be used together but at the same time acts as a cross-selling effort for the players in the retail industry.
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Look for Inspiration in Everything
All thanks to the Internet, you no longer have to break your head over innovation in the business, there are plenty of got-to-ideas and strategies that are widely available on the internet for you to take inspiration from and replicate them in your store. Just make sure you add a pinch of your brand’s essence into these ideas to make your brand more appealing for the customers.
Engage Customers With “Sensory Branding”
Keep in mind the fact that your customers have five senses – sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. If you can incorporate and mix these into your visual merchandising strategies, there would be nothing like it when it comes to creating an immersive and engaging customer experience. Let us take the example of a Starbucks Coffee store, a combination of the smell of freshly grounded coffee, the dim lighting, the cozy ambiance, and the taste of the energy-boosting coffee is what makes it one of the most beloved and popular coffee chains in the world.
Display Speaks Louder Than Words
Have you ever walked into an IKEA store and felt that “ This is exactly my dream living room”? Well, that is precisely what your display should do for your customer. Customers typically prefer to get a look and feel of products before making the actual purchase. Many retailers, especially in the clothing sector, use props such as mannequins and are experimenting with grouping similar categories and color blocking techniques to establish this for the customer.
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