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Visual merchandising
More than just eye candy
Technology has been changing the way retailers do everything , including visual merchandising . But is it enough to appeal to today ’ s shoppers ? Muneerah Bee takes a peek at how this area is evolving in the industry .
Visual Merchandising plays a very strategic role in communicating the brand in the retail space . It reflects its values and aspirations .
There is no denying that visual merchandising leaves an impact on buying behaviour , affects consumer response and does make a difference to the shopping experience .
Acting as a window to the range of tools that retailers have at their disposal , visual merchandising ( VM ) brings merchandise to life , puts across the personality of the store and injects theatre into the retail space .
Tom Ng , founder of the shoe brand Pazzion , opines that a successful piece of visual merchandising work will be able to stop passers-by to have extra look at the display , attract their attention to enter the store and lastly , trigger their impulsiveness to purchase the product .
“ Visual merchandising is usually one of the reasons that stops passersby in their tracks and lure them into the store . A nicely laid-out shop and product showcase also signals quality and heightens the attractiveness of the product .
“ This is like the start of the cycle — of course in a traditional shopping cycle .
Now , the start probably comes from online ,” he says .
Indeed , the customers ’ experience is vital when they interact with brands , especially in today ’ s ‘ experience economy ’, as Geraldine Ong , lecturer and programmes facilitator , Singapore Institute of Retail Studies , puts it . “ As a key touchpoint in the customer ’ s engagement with the brand , a retail space has to be productive , engaging and experiential .
“ VM plays a very strategic role in communicating the brand in the
14 Retail Asia May 2018