Humans are visual creatures. Most of us process information based on what we see. According to the Social Science Research Network, 65 percent of humans are visual learners. Therefore, visual merchandising is one of the crucial aspects in retail that cannot be ignored.
Visual merchandising aims to make retail outlets more attractive and enjoyable for visitors and encourage impulse buying. This strategy is becoming increasingly important because customers have turned to online shopping sites in recent years. Visual merchandising is all about your store and brand's look, feel, and culture. If done perfectly, it will help increase your customer's brand loyalty.
Customers only have a few seconds to view your store and decide whether or not to enter your store. Therefore, store exteriors that are neatly arranged, attractive, and clearly explain the brand will attract buyers to enter your outlet. Appearance, uniforms, lighting, menus, signage, colors, point of sale, and packaging are visual merchandise elements. By displaying these elements clearly and consistently, you can help customers understand your brand, leading to a positive shopping experience and increased sales.
A layout that optimizes the visual component of a product can lead to big sales. For example, when you go to a furniture store, do they display all the sofas in a row? Or instead, you find sofas, vases, tables, and armchairs arranged in a living room format? Helping customers imagine the product's appearance can actually help retailers increase sales. The look may also encourage customers who previously only wanted to buy a sofa to add a table that perfectly matches the sofa.
Place new products, special offers, and small items near the checkout queue at low prices. The correct position of the discount sign can also encourage customers to make impulse purchases.
Also read: 8 Powerful Visual Merchandising Strategies and Tips for Retail Store
There's nothing worse than getting lost in a messy store. Overwhelming customers with products and offering too many choices often backfires on retail. Customers will feel overwhelmed, confused, and decide to leave the store. For this reason, retailers need to choose the right product to attract the target audience they want.
Signs in your store should be concise and clear. Too many signs and writing will make your visitors lose their way. Match the visual elements with your company branding. Use a font that is simple and easy to read from a distance. Not all products need to be displayed. Choose products that have the most appeal to be displayed in front and the center of the store. Analyze the available space to find out how much product you should display. Try placing products by color or category to make it easier for customers to find what they need. Show how the product can be helpful to the buyer.
Well, now you know the importance of visual merchandising. Has your retail business implemented it? If not, immediately make a visual merchandising plan for your retail outlets. If so, have you ensured that the implementation of the visual merchandising daily is according to the original plan?
Creating a visual merchandising plan isn't always easy, but applying the plan consistently can be even more difficult if you don't use the right technology. But, you don't have to worry. Now there's Nimbly that can help you monitor product placement and decor in your outlets. With Nimbly, you can reference the correct product placement, and when performing a retail audit, have your team in the field check and correct the product placement as per the references.
Consult the operational management of your business for free with the Nimbly team.
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