Obstacles or challenges? Some aspects of visual merchandiser profession

We have already written on our blog about the fact that visual merchandising is the key to success in retail. VM has a significant impact on store sales, especially in today’s highly competitive market. Before we decide to buy a product or service, we want to look at it. Before we enter the store, we inspect its interior. Visual merchandising is the first level of building positive customer experience.

Visual merchandising specialists have the difficult task of telling the brand story with visual tools such as light, furniture, accessories and colors. While performing this task they may face numerous obstacles – four of them are described below.

1. Limited space

The store area defines the space, which is a field for a visual merchandising specialist. A small space can limit the possibilities of its arrangement, be an obstacle to putting some ideas into practice. In this case, it is worth considering what elements should be included in the interior, because they are essential for a brand. In the clothing store, these will be items of equipment that allow the display of collections – racks, tables, etc.

2. Limited budget

The budget defines the entire project, decides what resources and tools a visual merchandising specialist can use. Small retailers, due to a limited budget, are often forced to look for cheaper interior design solutions. Budget constraints can therefore be an obstacle, but also a motivator to increase creativity and look for unconventional solutions.

3. Lack of new technologies

Technological innovations are important aspect of  today’s visual merchandising. They allow to distinguish our store from the competitors – hundreds of almost identical stores, where the latest clothes are presented on mannequins. New solutions such as LCD screens increase the chance to attract customer attention.

4. Different opinions

Visual Merchandising is a teamwork. Not only visual merchandiser is involved in finalizing a design, but also the company owner or salesman. The differences between them often result in different visions on how to reach the same goal. In such situations, it is worth realizing that everyone should have one goal – to create a good customer experience and make a sale. Teamwork requires compromises and discussions.

Involving all customer senses, surprising customers with non-standard forms of presentation, integrating sales points with the virtual world – these are the main tasks facing visual merchandising managers today. Therefore, when designing the interior of the store, it is worth avoiding the pitfalls associated with routine thinking and proven solutions. Obstacles that a visual merchandising specialist may encounter on their way should be treated as motivation to search for more creative solutions.