Seasonal trade will be different this year but regardless of which channel members use or when festive sales will peak, effective visual merchandising will help engage customers & drive sales.
Here’s a quick reminder of five key techniques for effective visual merchandising:
Pyramid technique
Arrange merchandise in a series of steps, building the pyramid to create a focal point. The same principle applies if we are presenting product on a series of shelves e.g. reduce the density of merchandise as the height of the shelves increase.
Use an Asymmetric approach
An odd number of elements is always more attractive to the eye than an even number. An asymmetrical arrangement which is slightly off balance provides a built-in visual dynamic to keep the eye moving around
Colour
Colour creates impact. Look at colour trends for the season when creating your displays or bring in colour pallets of key products you’ll be promoting. Creating blocks of colour using the same products helps maximise visual impact.
Repetition
Don’t be afraid to feature identical merchandise again and again in the same space – repeating a product or theme can be very powerful. This way entire displays can be created with just a few different products in a range and the brand exposure is still maximised.
Less is More
Keep things simple, make sure there is space and ‘air’ around the product so it can stand out - use simple props and an uncluttered approach. The principle also applies to floor layout; over-crowding of fixtures or product creates confusion for the customer and inhibits sales
"Good visual merchandising is a mix of art, inspiration and science. While great visuals can sell lousy product, poor visuals can do nothing for great merchandise." - ‘Why we Buy’ by Paco Underhill.
Here, we’ve only touched the surface for ways to utilise visual merchandising opportunities inside and outside your shop. Learn more about how to maximise sales through visual merchandising with Bira Training.
Interested in our VM Training programmes?
For more information please contact Neil Moss at neil.moss@bira.co.uk.
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