5 Examples of Effective Visual Merchandising

Visual merchandising is a challenge for retailers that must compete with cheaper online prices and mega store chains with superior resources. All stores will benefit from following the five examples below of effective display merchandising.

Merchandising Themes

The most effective merchandising displays use a common theme that is creatively expressed for all to understand. Color coordination is an easy way to create a basic theme. For example, orange and black colors for Halloween, red and green products for Christmas and pink products for Valentines. Once the colors are established, it’s easy to create a visual story and central theme through props and products. Possible Christmas themes include a sleigh ride, caroling to neighbors and the Nutcracker. Possible Halloween themes include trick-or-treating and Sleepy Hallow. Valentine themes can use famous couples from history, literature and even the media.

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Merchandising Focus

It’s important to take a break and view the display through the eyes of a customer either on the walkway or on the street. This will help you to consider the customer’s eye-level, attention span and potential reaction. It’ll be helpful to establish a central point in the display that attracts the most attention and acts as a call to action for prospective customers. For example, a Valentines display should have the most lucrative item and target theme, such as jewelry and a happy woman, in the center. This is the point to experiment with things like product arrangements, color themes and supplemental decorations.

Advertising Audacity

Prospective customers may only view a display for a few seconds, so every millisecond counts. These prospective customers will probably be multi-tasking, which means that they may be walking, texting and talking with a friend all at the same time. This means that product displays must immediately attract and maintain the attention of prospective customers. This is possible through using bold colors, smooth shapes and engaging props. For example, a Christmas display can creatively use different shades of red, green and white. Props are the best tool for merchandising unconventionally because they are only limited by the availability of unique art materials.

Simplicity vs. Complexity

One of the biggest problems with constructing a window display is the danger of overdoing it. It’s very easy to get carried away and attempt to display too many contrasting products within a single-themed window. This will produce an opposite effect because a visually complex and unfocused display to turn people away. Simplicity and creativity are the best tools to draw attention to products and help customers quickly understand the logic and implied theme and call to action. When creating a display, always try to balance opposites like large and small objects, dark and light colors and props and products. Balancing all these different elements will create pleasing aesthetics and maintain customer focus.

Industry Secrets

Before customers purchase a product, they have an idea of what it will look like and how it will feel. Merchandise displays should encourage customers to identify with the brand, envision themselves using the product and create a positive future vision of benefits. For example, displays in furniture stores are designed to help customers envision how the products will create harmony, pride and comfort in their homes. A display for kitchenware should invoke comfort food and familial relationships.

Finally, it’s a good idea to group similar items together because they give customers additional reasons to buy more items and it saves them time from searching these matching items. Be sure to follow the advertising rule of three, which means that visual merchandising will be viewed by short, medium and tall people.