1. Chapter 18: Visual Merchandising and Display
Section 18.1: Display Features

2. What is Visual Merchandising?
Visual Merchandising = the coordination of all the physical elements in a place of business that are used to project the right image to its customers. The visual and artistic aspects of the entire business environment.
Invites interest in the merchandise or service
Encourages purchasing
Makes customers feel good about where they are doing business
It creates the whole vision of an organization and draws in customers

3. Goal is to create a distinct, clear and consistent image for their customers.
Store characteristics
Location
Products
Prices
Sales promotion – most important component
Advertising
Public relations
Personal selling

4. Display vs. Visual Merchandising
Display = the visual and artistic aspects of presenting a product to a target group of customers.
Visual Merchandising vs Display
Entire business Specific product
With the popularity of superstores, there is less personal selling and more of a dependence on products selling themselves.
Increased need for effective visual merchandising and displays.
Why are superstores sometimes called category killers?

5. 4 Elements of Visual Merchandising
Storefront
Store Layout
Store Interior
Interior Displays

6. 1. Storefront Storefront = total exterior of a business.
Well-lit parking lots
Lots of parking
Close to competition
Near highway
Bold graphics
1. Storefront
Storefront = total exterior of a business.
Projects an image:
Discount vs. expensive
Conservative vs. trendy
Store’s sign – gives a first impression and should be recognizable. Designed to attract attention and advertise a business.

7. Marquee = an architectural canopy that extends over a store’s entrance.
Entrances – designed for customer convenience and store security in mind. Size and location of store dictates number.
Each type projects and image:
Electronic sliding – practical, self-service business
Push-pull with fancy metal or wooden plates and bars – full-service.

8. Window Displays – begin the selling process before the potential customer enters the store.
Promotional Display – promotes the sale of one product, a line of related products, or a variety of products. They use special lighting, signs, and props. Themes are popular (Mother’s Day, Easter, End of Season Sales, etc.)

9. Institutional Displays – promotes store image rather than specific products. Designed to build customer goodwill by showing an interest in the welfare of the community (American Cancer Society, local volunteer efforts, etc).

10. Outdoor lighting
Banners
Planters
Awnings

11. 2. Store Layout
Store Layout = the way store floor space is used to facilitate and promote sales and to best serve the customer.
Management and visual merchandisers decided:
The best location for products and services :
(by door, elevator, exits, parking lots, etc.)
Design traffic patterns to promote extended shopping within the store.

12. 4 Distinct Spaces of Store Layout:
Selling Space – assigned for interior displays, product demonstrations, and sales transactions.
Merchandising Space – allocated to items that are kept in inventory for selling.
Personnel Space – assigned to store employees for lockers, lunch breaks, and restrooms.
Customer Space – assigned for the comfort and convenience of the customer (food court, dressing rooms, lounges, area for children)

13. Free-Flow Store Layout
Storage, Receiving, Marketing
Underwear
Dressing Rooms
Checkout counter
Clearance Items
Feature
Jeans Casual Wear Stockings
Accessories
Pants
Tops
Skirts and Dresses Hats and Handbags
Open Display Window

14. Grid (Straight) Store Layout

15. Curving/Loop (Racetrack) Store Layout

16. Spine Store Layout

17. 3. Store Interior
Selection of floor and wall coverings, lighting, colors, store fixtures, etc.
These all strongly affect the store image.
Fixtures = permanent or movable store furnishings, such as display cases, counters, shelving, racks, and benches.

18. Clothing pined to the wall to save on space and catch customers’ eyes.
Size of aisle
Size, variety, and quality of the merchandise carried by the store affects its clientele.
Brand names vs. generic.
Each will attract or puts off a different kind of customer.

19. See Figure 18-1: Types of Interior Displays on page 323
Displays generate 1 out of every 4 sales (25%).
If done extremely well, they enable the customer to make a selection without personal assistance. More important today with the shift to self-service stores.
5 Types of Interior Displays
Closed Displays
Open Displays
Architectural Displays
Point-of-Purchase Displays
Store Decorations
See Figure 18-1: Types of Interior Displays on page 323

20. Visual merchandisers use fixtures and props to showcase merchandise.
Props may be:
Functional – items for holding merchandise mannequins and shirt forms.
Decorative – background scenery to indicate a season.

21. Need to create a clean and organized visual display.
Display designers try to be creative to catch your attention.
Need to create a clean and organized visual display.
Group merchandise by type or with related items to simplify to help customers.

22. Chapter 18: Visual Merchandising and Display
Section 18.2: Artistic Design

23. Display Design and Preparation
In a retail setting, a display has about 3 to 8 seconds to attract a customer’s attention, create a desire, and sell a product.
A business must target its displays carefully to appeal to its customers.
Completely changing how you display may attract new customers but may lose you established ones.
A business needs to identify its customers, the desired image, and the kind of merchandise concept that it wants to promote before building displays.

24. 5 Steps Used in Designing and Preparing Displays
1. Selecting Merchandise for Display
Must have sales appeal
New, popular, and best-selling products
Latest fashion and trends
Visually appealing and current to attract customers
Appropriate for the season and store’s geographic location

25. 2. Selecting the Display
The merchandise selected largely determines the type of display that is used.
4 Kinds of Displays
One-item display – shows a single item. Advertised special or single product promotion.
Line-of-goods display – shows one kind of product but features several brands, sizes, or models.

26. Related-merchandise display – features items that are meant to be used together. Designed to entice customers to buy more than one item.
Assortment display – features a collection of unrelated items. Emphasize price and tell customers that a wide variety of merchandise is available. Discounters and supermarkets to have a special appeal to bargain hunters.

27. 3. Choosing a Setting
The setting a business selects will depend largely on the image it wants to project.
Realistic setting – depicts a room, area, or recognizable locale. Scene could be a restaurant, park or party. Props are used to set the scene.

28. Semi-realistic setting – suggests a room or locale but leaves the details to the viewer’s imagination. Due to lack of space or budget might only use a beach towel, little sand and cardboard sun to create a beach scene.

29. Abstract setting – does not imitate reality
Abstract setting – does not imitate reality. Focuses on form and color rather than reproducing actual objects (torn paper, paper, string, yarn, ribbon, paint). Gaining popularity due to being inexpensive and does not require large storage space for props.

30. 4. Manipulating Artistic Elements
Artistic Elements of a Display:
Line
Color
Shape
Direction
Texture
Proportion
Balance
Motion
Lighting

32. Line People read displays from left to right.
Straight lines suggest stiffness and control
Curving lines suggest freedom and movement
Diagonal lines give impression of action
Vertical lines offer height and dignity
Horizontal lines give width and confidence

33. Color Can make or break a display
Colors that match their surroundings may not catch the customer’s eye
Colors that are too bright or contrasting may overwhelm the merchandise
Colors should contrast those used on the walls, floors, and fixtures around them
Complementary colors = found opposite each other in the color wheel and create the greatest contrasts. (red and green, blue and orange, violet and yellow)

34. Adjacent colors = located next to each other in the color wheel and contrast only slightly. (blue-green, blue and blue-violet).
Effective displays use color groupings to create visual calm or excitement.
Warm colors (reds and yellows) are festive and work well with lower-priced merchandise. Red would not be used to convey tranquility.
Cool colors (blues and greens) represent calm and refinement and are associated with higher-priced merchandise.
Customers expect certain color schemes during certain times of the year.

35. Shape Shape refers to the physical appearance or outline of a display.
Determined by the props, fixtures, and merchandise used in the display.
Squares, triangles, circles are popular.
Mass Displays have no shape and are used to display large quantities and convey message of low price.

36. Direction
A good display guides the viewer’s eye over all the merchandise, moving smoothly from one part of the display to another.
Color, repetition, lighting patterns, and ribbons are used to create direction.
Displays should have a focal point.
Build a display around an imaginary triangle with more merchandise at the bottom than the top. Keeps the customer’s eyes moving up and center.

37. Texture Proportion The way the surfaces in a display look together.
Proportion = the relationship between and among objects in a display.
Merchandise should always be the primary focus.
Props and signs should never out shadow the merchandise.

38. Balance
Formal Balance = placing large items with large items and small items with small items in a display.
If you place a large item on one side of the display, place another large item on the side also to balance it off.
Informal Balance = balancing a large item with several small items.
Mannequin with several small baskets raised to the mannequin’s height.

39. Motion
Can be made part of a display through the use of motorized fixtures and props. Animated figures and other motions should be used sparingly to accentuate merchandise.

40. Too Much Motion?

41. Lighting Proper lighting makes merchandise appear more attractive.
Display lighting should be 2 to 5 times stronger than a store’s general lighting.
Colored lighting can be used to create dramatic effects.
Remember that items like crystal, jewelry, and fine china are reflective.
Dressing room lighting should be flattering and not glaring.

42. 5. Evaluating Completed Displays
After completion, visual merchandisers should evaluate to see if they enhance the store’s image, appeal to customers, and promote the product in the best possible way.
Displays should be creatively and appropriately themed, artistically pleasing, and clean an orderly.

43. Display Maintenance Displays need to be maintained daily:
Replace missing items
Fold clothing
Restock sold items
Repair damages
Dusted and cleaned – no one wants to purchase items off a dusty and dirty shelf.

44. Promotional Displays Examples
Give examples of special lighting, signs, and/or props you would find in displays for the following items:
Luggage
Fine Crystal Vase displayed during the holiday season
Stuffed Animals
Sweaters
Bicycles