Visual Merchandising
Caitlin Finnerty
Role of a Visual Merchandiser
What does a Visual Merchandiser do?
Visual Merchandiser's are the people who design shop windows, making them as creative and eye catching as possible. When its holiday time, they use holiday décor to make the window stand out a lot more and fit with the season. [5]
Regular floor moves.
Fit new lines into packages.
Make sure the floor is looking amazing.
Replenish the floor and make sure staff keep the packages full of correct sizes all the time- every size is available, two of each size.
Mannequins and torsos to match packages.
Window displays, always current and attractive, windows bring customers in so this is very important.
Make sure all the new lines are out on the shop floor within an hour, ideally before the store opens.
Advice from store manager and staff, what do they think of new lines.
Shop floor needs to be appealing, not boring.
Some paperwork, best sellers and money mapping: this helps with floor moves, to know what is doing well and no so well.
Reports back to store manager for head office visits, what is selling, what they think isn't selling. [1]
Typical day of a Visual Merchandiser
Starts at 7am to do floor moves, new windows and get new lines from delivery before the store opens.
Freshen up the floor, move things around, put out new lines and make packages look amazing.
100% customer service from everyone (everyone can say hello) [1]
Oasis
Oasis
Oasis
Oasis
Oasis
Oasis
The effect of visual merchandising
Difference between being a visual merchandiser for a chain store and for an independent store
When working for an independent store, a visual merchandiser has to remember that people probably won't have heard of the store and therefore probably won't pay any attention to it. An independent store has to create a reputation and send out their own message, to try and make themselves a standing in the world of fashion. They can take advantage of seasonal holidays to try and get themselves custom, and create a usual crowd that visit their store regularly. In order to gain attention for the store, the visual merchandiser could create a display that is unusual, and inviting, or create something's similar to a popular high street store, to allow the customer to recognise the similarities in the display, and go in to see if there are similarities in the products.
H&M London
H&M London
H&,M London
Qualifications needed to be a Visual Merchandiser
- Level 2 or Level 3 Diploma in Fashion Retail.
- Level 2 Award, Certificate and Diploma/SVQ in Retail Skills.
- Level 3 Certificate and Diploma/SVQ in Retail (Visual Merchandising)
- Foundation degrees in display or design.
- Foundation degrees and degrees in marketing or retailing. [3]
Responsibilities of being a Visual Merchandiser
-Research into current and upcoming trends
-Visit store branches to teach in store Visual Merchandising
-Assembling and dismantling window displays
-Seek feedback on displays from colleagues on what is done well and how to improve [4]
Skills required
- a talent for design, colour and style;
- creative flair and imagination;
- strong interest in current and future design trends;
- visual/spatial awareness and manual dexterity;
- effective communication and negotiation skills;
- engaging and working well with a range of teams;
- able to work with constructive criticism. [4]
What to expect as a Visual Merchandiser
-Driving licence may be required.
-If you're bases on HQ, you may have to visit stores which means spending time away from home.
-80% of Visual Merchandisers are female. [4]
Where can you get a degree relevant to being a Visual Merchandiser?
-Visual Merchandising and promotional design at Hugh Baird College in Liverpool
-Visual merchandising at Hertford Regional College. [4]
Bibliography
Bibliography
Visual Merchandising:
[1] own research through talking to a visual merchandiser 14/09/16
[2] http://smallbusiness.chron.com/impact-visual-merchandising-sales-24397.html 19/09/16
[4] https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/visual-merchandiser 19/09/16
[5] https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+does+a+visual+merchandiser+do 23/09/16
H&M images:
First image: http://blueberryshakeout.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/h-olympic-windows.html#!/2012/07/h-olympic-windows.html 16/09/16
Second image: http://www.think19.com/things-we-like-at-19-2-2-3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3/ 16/09/16
Third image: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtqKR4LSt2E/UB6yFUxnmzI/AAAAAAAAkS4/OG_7dzyVMHA/s400/Olympic+Windows+032.jpg 16/09/16
Oasis images: personal images taken myself of the London Canary Wharf store- 15/09/16
YouTube video: https://youtu.be/-W1uFjzx7zw 18/09/16