Visual Merchandising
What is Visual Merchandising?
Visual Merchandising is skills to help promote images, products and services of businesses and other organisations. They produce displays in windows and store layouts that are eye-catching and attach customers into the shop and encourage them to but the products. They can decide a customers mind on whether they want to go into the store or not.
What are the roles of a Visual Merchandiser?
- Attract customers by using vivid store displays
- Keeping up to date with product information: fits, fabrics, sizes and current trends
- Train and work closely with other members of staff
- Follow the companies policies and procedures
- Display all items on the sales floor in accordance with visual standards of company to maximize sales
- Interpret photos sent from pilot store and adapt the to their designed store
- You get to be creative
- The jobs change all the time, never the same task
- However, mannequins are heavy
- You maybe working for someone else unless you are the manager or working in a well know store.
Responsibilities
Key skills:
- Meet tight deadlines and concentrate
- Inspirations and Motivational
- Creative, imaginative and energetic
- Aware of current trends and activities in Design, Fashion and Culture
- Good communication skills to present ideas to others
- Use large and small spaces effectively
- Self motivated and practical
- Technical drawing skills and, for some jobs, be able to use computer- aided design packages
Salaries and hours?
Salaries vary depending on what area you go into:
- Starting salaries can be from £12,000 - £16,000
- Senior Visual merchandisers can earn around £20,000 - £25,000 a year
- Visual merchandiser managers or designers can earn between £25,000 and £55,000 a year
- Visual merchandising directors can earn £60,000 a year or over
Hours:
37 - 40 hours a week
An example of a visual merchandisers Job at H&M
Visual Merchandising (in-store)
Things to remember :
- Colours - attraction
- Clear entrance - if it is messy people won't want to enter
- Shop windows - it is what people see first
- Horizontal and verticals
- Symmetrical
- Colour coordination
- Colour block
- Themes - seasons
- Tell a story throughout the store
- Mannequins
V usual merchandising History
The first window display was in 1909 in London Selfridges, they left their lights on over night, so that the public could still enjoy the store display whilst they were walking home from the theatre, that's how "window shopping" was born.
In the 1930's Salvadour Dali began setting the creative criteria for window displays in the US. By the 1940's the production of window displays was at a higher level; props, colour, atmospheric lighting...
In 1990 super-brands like Gucci and Prada saw evolution in window displays, with massive marketing budgets, the larger brands were able to produce mass-marketing campaigns that featured the world's most desirable faces and bodies.
Shopping has always been a social event, the major part of a customers experience. Whether they are out to discover a bargin, find a sounght-after or meeting uo with friends whilst browsing, it is always the retailers to job to ensure the customers have a positive experience.
How to draw in customers
The psychology of window displays
Tips:
- Go Blue (trust)
- Dim lights (relaxation)
- Less is more (good quality)
- Happy lights (cheerful)
Questions and Answers
It is easier to start at a well know business as they have set guide lines to follow, however when you are able to come up with your own designs and more confident independent is better as you follow guideline but can add your own twist.
When your working in a team do you ever feel as though you don't get a say?
There will always be a creativity clash and not everyone will always agree with your ideas.