The 10 Benefits of Visual Merchandising
Maybe you’ve heard of visual merchandising, or maybe not, either way, you’ve been impacted by it. Visual merchandising is the science of how product is placed through out retail environments, and almost all big name brands have a team of people, behind the scenes, who are paid to maximize sales through product display. Believe it or not, there is some science to it, like that customers won’t shop within 15 ft. of a door, but a lot of it is driven by product assortment, customer profiles, and brand strategy. So here are the top 10 reasons why all stores should be utilizing visual merchandising, not just the top brands.
Easier shopping experience
No matter how you decide to execute your in-store merchandising, customers learn to shop the store based on where things are placed over time. And if you’re executing your store setup well, then it will be much easier for customers to find what they’re looking for.
Better sell through
If you seem to be lacking in sales in a certain category, chances are if you make a grouping of it, in a prominent location in store, you’ll sell through it much faster. Thus, rotating product throughout your store will maximize product sell through and encourage better margins since you ideally won’t have to discount as much.
Brand identity
Have you ever been in a store that has a great website, and wonderful product, and then your in-store experience was less than? Or vice-versa? That overall feeling you get should be continued whether you’re on the website, in the store, or seeing it in a magazine. Because stores should look great and product should be as easy to find in store, as it is on a website.
Point of differentiation
Let’s be honest, retail in all areas, is a crowded field. And if you aren’t the best, then how can you compete with other brands that are. Having a store look and feel good really does set you apart from so many other brands. And especially those mom and pop shops who haven’t ever even thought about their in-store experience.
Driving customer traffic
Do your windows look great? Do they capture the attention of people passing by? They need to, like they really, REALLY need to. Because as stated earlier, retail is crowded, and if the windows, which are the first impression of your brand, aren’t singing to your customers, then what ARE they doing for you? Change them frequently, and don’t let them get stale. Because the items in your windows should be the first to sell out, especially if you’re using your best product, which you should be (at least some of the time).
Move slow-selling items
Have you ever bought something that no one likes? You thought it would be a strong seller, and now it just isn’t? Perhaps you should try it somewhere else, on a table, in a featured position, somewhere to really ensure your customers see it. Then if it doesn’t sell, you can mark it down confidently, and know that it might have just been a miss.
Increase customer Loyalty
Falling in line with customer experience, is customer loyalty. We LOVE customer loyalty. We strive for customer loyalty. And we can achieve customer loyalty by creating a shopping experience where things look great, and people feel good.
Maximizing retail square footage
Big brands often look at how profitable every square foot of a store is. But having great visual merchandising often allows more product to be put on the floor (in cleverly placed nooks and crannies), while still looking appealing.
Increasing unit sales per transaction (making more money)
People love easy shopping (remember number 1?) So if they see jeans with a cute top put together, and they like it, they’re going to be much more inclined to buy the whole look, rather than just the jeans they were initially interested in (and this can be true for many other categories as well).
Customers can serve themselves
Not every customer who walks through the door, enjoys having to talk to a salesperson. In fact many do not. They don’t want to be upsold, and they don’t want to be convinced that they must buy this or that. In a well put together store, customers can help themselves, find what they need, and keep a positive experience in store.
