Visual Merchandising 101

Pan After

Telka

Black Blaze

VISUAL MERCHANDISING 101

With Alexandra Urban, Visual Merchandising Guru

When a customer steps into your store you want them to instantly think, “Oh I could live in this store - I love everything in here!”

Shopkeepers have always been storytellers, communicating a better lifestyle through merchandise. The challenge is to rise above the pedestrian to narrate a shopping experience with a unique offering that engages and captivates your customer.

Plant the seed. You have around three seconds to make an impression on customers as they walk past the products in your store window, the stakes are high. “Knowing your brand DNA is key,” says Visual Merchandising Guru Alexandra Urban. Knowing what your customer wants. It needs to have a ‘buy now, wear now’ feel.” Window displays and how your store is merchandised should spark interest in a purchase whether they know it or not. The first week for a new display is always a little bit soft,” says Alex.“But it’s in the second week we have an increase in sales.”

Keep it consistent. The job of a store also crosses over from bricks and mortar to include an integrated online presence and your message must be one of consistency, connection and creativity. The story on all your social platforms, EDM and website need to be consistent with instore. Alex calls this ‘repetitive messaging and this promotes a “see it, buy it” mentality. No matter where customers connect with you they need to feel they are in the same space.

Saarde Store

OPUS Store

OPUS Store

“You want to make sure they enjoy the experience, but there’s alot of science and thought behind how we can tap into what customers like and need.”

Focus on feelings. Keep things interesting with displays that weave an evolving story and show products in the best way possible, they should be planned ahead of time and don’t need to be changed weekly. “Create windows that give the customer more of the feeling, rather than pushing price. Discover hot spots for good turnover and rework what’s not driving sales.

More than just product placement. Alex says it’s important to think commercially as well as creatively. Beyond the shop window and fixtures alone, visual merchandising is how the store should visually be represented at all times. “Making sure your counter is clean, you’ve vacuumed and there aren’t dust bunnies and dead moths in the window,” gives customers the confidence to purchase.”

Jumbled Storie

Jumbled Store - ORANGE

Alex’s tops tips for effective visual merchandising:

Window Concepts Change your window concepts monthly to keep it fresh

Customer Flow Know the customer flow of areas in your store - observe the path they take naturally

Touch Ensure you always have something for customers to touch and feel as soon as they walk in

Drawing the eye Use top level shelves to draw the customer’s eye up to see what else they could discover

Stay true to your DNA Don’t steer too far from your store DNA - display what you know your customer will like in terms of look and feel

The best sellers Always stock best sellers that your customers love and can expect to find every time they visit

Always reevaluate Evaluate the flow of the store. If it’s not working, change it.

Follow @alexurbanvm >