1. CHAPTER 10 VISUAL MERCHANDISING

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES • Understand the contribution that visual merchandising (VM) makes to RPM process by presenting the product to its best advantage • Explore the scope of VM within a variety of retail contexts • Understand the supporting role VM plays within a positioning strategy • Appreciate how VM and store design work together to create a stimulating environment • Understand how creativity in VM and display can enhance product appeal

3. THE SCOPE OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING • “makes the market place innovative, exciting and stimulating by creating product-led stories supported by merchandising solutions” (Corsie, 2003:1) • choice of fixtures • method of product presentation • construction of displays (including window) • choice of layout • use of point of sale/purchase material

4. VISUAL MERCHANDISING SYSTEMS • Helping to forge stronger links between product range planning, space allocation and product presentation • Store personnel can gain access to product range plans as they are being built by buyers and merchandisers • Finalised plans of photographic quality can be communicated through retailer • Help fashion retailers to inform store personnel of product linkages

5. RESPONSIBITY FOR VM • Varies in retail organisation • Visual merchandising • Corporate communications • Promotions • Brand management / marketing • Boundary between paid-for and unpaid-for in-store images is blurred • ‘Ambient media’ and VM blend together in the retail environment

6. VM SUPPORTS A RETAIL POSITIOINING STRATEGY • Visual Merchandising • communicates • differentiates • strengthens the retail brand • A centralised approach • promotes a strong national / international identity • allows for integrated corporate communication themes and messages • A localised approach • allows a retailer to adapt to local market preferences, competition and local themes

7. FIXTURES AND FITTINGS • Gondolas • Round fixtures • Fourways • Shelving • Rails • Bins, Baskets and Tables

8. FIXTURES AND FITTINGS • Largely dependent on • store layout • merchandise • cost • Fixturing • can be customised • should be co-ordinated in ‘families’ • should complement not compete with product • often have integral lighting • needs flexibility

9. PRODUCT PRESENTATION • Vertically stacked • Horizontally stacked • Hanging on hangers or hooks • Hanging on card / bubble packed • Presentation themes: • colour • price • product feature e.g. size, technical complexity • Dedicated fixturing for brands or categories

10. LAYOUT • Influenced by product assortment (depth and width) • Constrained by size and structure of store • Determined by fixturing • Objective: to move customers to every area of store • Trend towards more spacious and airy layouts

11. Shelving THE GRID LAYOUT Shelving (gondola) Shelving (gondola) Shelving (gondola) Shelving Shelving Aisles Aisles Checkouts

12. Shelving Shelv -ing Rails Rails Four Way Four Way Round THE FREE-FORM LAYOUT Service Round Shelving Shelving Four Way Four Way Rails Rails

13. STORE LAYOUT, DISPLAYS AND SPACE ALLOCATION • Concerns product adjacencies and flow • Must provide customer logic • VM can encourage • trading up • multiple complementary purchases • impulse purchases • Manipulation of the customer or providing a retail service?

14. DISPLAY OBJECTIVES • Present product attractively to customer • Create visual impact using product, fittings, display props and lighting • Reinforce retailer as a customer focused organisation • Attract customer to quieter areas of store • Promote merchandise to increase sales

15. TYPES OF DISPLAY • On-shelf displays, open to customer • Off-shelf / feature displays: • themed • classification dominance • lifestyle • promotional (tonnage) • colour co-ordinated • using body forms • Window displays • backed • open • Interactive`