Visual Merchandizing

Visual Merchandizing is one of the oldest philosophies relevant to the marketing arena. It refers to the unique practice of displaying the products in a store in order to maximize the appeal generated by the brand. Display of a product bears an effect on the final purchase of product by the consumers. The retail industry has a lot to look into this area. Allowance of FDI in retail poses many responsibilities for the existing retail stores. Big retail chains like Marks n Spencer, Pantaloons, Westside, Mores, Levis, etc. face a tough competition from pricing to distribution. Out of the four weapons present with a marketer, these retail chains can’t cherish on pricing, distribution or product aspects. So, the only zone of comfort present for exploitation among the 4 P’s is Promotion.

Visual Merchandizing is an inherent part of the promotional strategies of any firm and complements the positioning of a product. The store display in the retail market influences the buying behavior of end users and buyers in a significant way. From the exteriors to the interior setting of a shop, everything is important to convey uniqueness in the product being promoted. It has a strong message though not overt to communicate the image of the store and the brands stocked in the store.

Human psychology can be molded in favor of a brand if placed strategically in a store, which makes the product pleasant to the eyes of the visitors to the store. It is believed that an exquisite display not only affects the purchase decisions of existing customers but also adds in new fans to the club. It is a major effecter to catalyze impulsive buying behavior wherein the visitors to the stores get tempted to buy things they would not have thought of or which were never on their priority list ever. Things with an approach in their display pattern or a strategic position in the store can witness a sudden increase in demand. We study the eye movements of customers, in research, while purchasing goods, this pattern observed can actually be utilized to decipher the most prominent and lucrative place for the product.

The exteriors in a store include the window displays and store design. The use of signage has increased these days owing to the prominence of visual displays on the human psyche. The recall and registry level is high for the passersby and visitors due to the use of advanced technology like signage, etc. People may not notice a board on the same path but a signage in motion is more likely to evoke a feeling of attachment and curiosity to explore the store further. The customers might decide to enter a store only on the basis of its appearance as from outside. The items displayed or put up for sale in the windows also play heavily on the final call for purchase. The frequent promotional offers like sale up to X % or discounts or Buy 1 Get 1 Free, need proper representation in the outer windows of the store to attract the highest level of interest which would finally evoke a desire to enter the store and inquire about the product. Its only when one enters the store, the interior ambience of the store comes into picture.

The interiors to be taken into count include the quantity to be stacked, the brands to be sheltered, the positioning of the products, the fixtures and fittings used, the off-shelf displays, the store layout, use of point of sale materials. Any customer tends to inquire about the product before making the final buying decision. If the product is a high involvement product, the display would act as a complementary cover apart from the service being provided in the store. The position of fixtures and arrangement of products in the available shelf and floor space is a matter of art. The approach taken to maximize the visibility of products to an extent possible limit depends on the space available with the store. Use of tables to display promotional products separately can be one such measure where the attention can be drawn to the displayed product exclusively. It is believed that consumers tend to see those products first which are in level with their eyes and they generally start from left to right to diagnose the displays.

Product positioning in a store is as important as the branding or the positioning exercise in marketing of a product. A certain image in the minds of the customer can be elaborated by a corresponding image being depicted in a store. The hanging fixtures can for example be used to display eatables, packaged food items or even accessories. It becomes important to change the configuration of the stores as per the nature of the goods being displayed. For an accessory, like in jewellery shops security and safety are important components to be considered when planning the display.

A proper plan is chalked out to maximize the reach of the promotional measures undertaken by store on individual levels. Product assortments stocked, number of product to be displayed, etc can help increase the turnover of favorite brands. The slow moving items can be tracked to increase their recall and thus sales. The strategies of attractive displays can in a way generate unexpected responses from the customers and enlighten the latent demand in the favor of an earlier unnoticed product.

This kind of a behavior observed can be attributed to the cognitive learning model called Promotional Model :

Attention	Notice the product
Interest	Inquire about the Product
Desire	Develop an opinion
Action	Buy the Product

The model says that a consumer gets attracted to the product on exposure, he then tries to evaluate the product and the claims made by the brand, an opinion takes shape upon conformance and finally he demands the product. This decision is not solely due to need and values, but is a cumulative effect of several environmental factors at play when making a purchase in the store.

Multiple display formats are available to encourage sales and increasing competition calls for a greater attention on such small things ignored for long. Retailers would have a high interest in generating better sales by such meager changes in their display format.