Essay Sample on Visual Merchandising and Display Techniques

Visual merchandising is an aesthetic science that forms the backbone of retailing. It is the profession that involves developing floor plans and three-dimensional displays with the aim of maximizing sales. It main objectives are attraction, engagement and motivation of a customer towards purchasing of the product. Visual merchandisers employ various display techniques in order to develop, deliver and communicate visual concepts and strategies to ensure promotion of retail brands, service and products online, in catalogues and in stores. These display techniques include:

Shelf layout:

This display technique organizes and groups the available stock on shelves in a shop. It makes the product look more presentable. The advantage of this techniques is that it enables customers to view and access different product in a much convenient way.

Positioning:

The concern of this technique is the positional organization of the product. The basis of the technique is the psychology of the customer towards the where a product is placed.

Stocking facing:

In this technique the products are organized at the edge of the shelves in a manner that they face the consumer. This ensures that the product attracts the attention of consumer from the first glance.

Horizontal blocking:

In this display technique the product is placed in a horizontal manner as shown below giving it a more organized look.

Vertical blocking:

Unlike horizontal blocking the paper, in this technique the product is placed in a vertical manner as shown in the picture above. This type of place makes the product seem organized and attractive to the consumer.

Price marking legislation

This legislation states that all products for sale should have a fixed selling price. The fixed selling price in this case also includes the value added tax (VAT) and other taxes. For large business they need to provide a fixed unit price for their products, for instance, 2 pounds for 100 grams of coffee. Point of sale terminal can be used to promote a certain product where it is sold, for instance, by the till

Location

This is refers to the specific location of the store and how it attracts the consumer to the purchase the product. It entails relative location of the product in the window display and how they are position and fitted in the shop to ensure they are noticeable to consumers.

Product range

The product range is the variety of products that a consumer can choose from the shop. It is the product versatility of the shop and it usually depends on the type of business or store.

Themes

This entails the specific style and the product range unity. It also includes the package style, organization and the advertisement approach of the product. For example, during special occasions such as Valentines Day, there are special products from the products.

Promotions

Promotions involve the use of lucrative offers to advertise a product. For instance when one buy one product he or she gets an extra one for free.

Special events

Businesses can also organize special events as a means of promotionto attract consumer to their business.

People are trying new cosmetics in body shop. Business provided special event in order to introduce new products fro their consumers.

Use of fixture and fittings

Use of fixtures and fitting are essential in the promotion of a business product. There are two types of fixture and fittings:

Gondolas: this is a freestanding fixture used by businesses to display products.

Tables: another method of displaying products

Bins: they are mainly used for DVD disks that are sold for advertising.

Containers: this is very effective method of displaying products to consumers.

Sifting fixture include:

Round rails

Wall fixtures (with shelves, hanger bars or hooks)

Different Kinds of goods:

Retail sub-sectors: This includes different product categories such as clothing and footwear, food jus to mention a few.

Acting on Impulse: This is when a business provides a discount in order to influence the customer to buy a product from them.

Convenience goods: People buy the most readily available brans and the most accessible store for them.

Search and compare lines

Special goods: These are rare products such limited editions of a product and designer clothes and so on.

Complimentary merchandise placement; some products are complimentary in nature; when you buy one products it necessitates you to purchase another product. For instance when one buys a hand bag, she will definitely need a matching purse for the bag.

Seasonal goods: Some products are only available during a certain time of the year. For instance, seasonal food can be bought only in certain season. Another example is clothes; summer clothes are only needed during summer and not in the market during winter while Christmas jumpers are only available during winter.

Brown and white goods: These are goods which you are acquired for kitchen furnishing such as the oven and dishwasher and so on.

Layouts:

There are our types of layout:

Grid iron- this is where products are organized of either sides of parallel isles like in supermarkets

Open/ free flow: here products are organized in a free flowing pattern on the sales floor

Boutique- fixtures and aisles are asymmetric. This creates intimate and quite relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.

Spine- this involves placing products on a single main spine that runs from the front of the back of the store with merchandise branching off the spine.

Customer traffic flow

Consumer traffic flow can be categorized into four designs

Entrance design: this is further categorized into recess, open, flat

Automatic doors

Access

Multi level outlets- this is all about how escalators places, where are stairs and etc.

Space usage

When it comes to space usage a variety of factors need to be considered:

First of all it essential to look at the available space and compare it to the space that storage would require.

It is also essential to consider historical sales data to determining the amount of space required.

The gross profit margin should also be allocated

The sales should less the cost of goods sold

The value of space in terms of sales per square meter should be established

Sales per linear meter used for shelf space for groceries

Sales per cubic meter used for fridges and freezers should be determined

It is essential to define the positioning of departments

To ensure maximization of the available space freestanding displays should be used

Fitting room should be allocated some space as well as room for sampling and demonstration.

Rooms for preparing products like meat and fish should be allocated their own space.

It is essential to also establish the best positioning of seasonal areas and goods

Display Goods

Windows

When goods are displayed next to windows they are easily visible to many consumers and hence they attract a lot of consumers to purchase them.

Internal location

When establishing a business, the location of the business is very essential. When choosing a location for your business it essential to consider whether the target market is available in the location and will they be easily attracted to your businesses. A good location should be at the following site to ensure that many consumer have accessibility to the business:

Aisle ends

Near stairs

Entrances

Escalators

Lifts

Display goods:

When displaying goods the following should be considered

Balance: there should be a balanced theme

Dominance- there should be a dominant product; the main product of the business.

Eye movement: a technique should be designed to ensure the consumers move their eyes around and have a look at the various products available.

Gradation: arrangement of the goods should be in graded manner where small products are arranged first and the product size increase progressively as the consumer move around the shop.

Symmetry: a single product may be arranged in one line for example

Asymmetry: in other cases products may be placed around rather than in single line

Theme: special themes may be use especially during special occasion such as Mothers day.

Promotions- this is achieved through giving discount and bonuses like BOGOOF

Different product: the product range is increased by having different products and they can all be displayed to consumer at multiple windows in the shop

Special event: Special events such as having social guest like music group attract consumer to the business site and they eventually get to see the products of the business and purchasing them

Tangible Techniques:

These techniques are:

Transition zone for example products of fruit and vegetables.

Use of the company brand name.

Others include:

Fixture positioning

Use of mirrors: this mainly targets the consumers emotions.

Signage

Promotions

Odd versus even pricing: Some prices are more appealing to buyers compared to others

Pricing lining: the sale of a related range of goods at different prices, all representing different level of quality

Using price premiums: Pricing premiums refer to the percentage above the benchmark price that is charged. This is a great determinant of whether a consumer will purchase the product or not.

Packaging design: There is a unique packaging design and style for business that makes its product attractive.

Consumers are influenced to purchase a product by using their five common senses:

Sight

Touch

Smell

Taste

Hearing