As you enter a shopping mall, there are a plethora of garment outlets awaiting your attention. Increased competition is making the retailers focus on making the first impression impactful. The store design is critical in attracting a customer and leading him to convert. For any retail business, Visual merchandising is the art that grants the store an attractive physical identity. Off late, Visual Merchandising India is gaining prominence, and let us cover more facets of the same.
What is Visual Merchandising
When used strategically, visual merchandising helps in boosting the brand’s identity. The aim remains to create a store environment that not only attracts the customers but maintains the desire until the sale is completed.
Usually, retailers must create a plan-o-gram that showcases how to execute the final design. This includes the final placement of products, deciding the theme, and the commercial viability of the design.
Tools of Visual Merchandising
Retail merchandising involves creating a sensory delight for the customer when he enters the store. Often that means using tools that evoke a desire to know more. In India, the focus is shifting to using the following tools:
- Props that comprise mannequins, accessories, and theme-based items.
- Store lighting must be effective in producing the proper effect of the item. It also reveals the exact details like size, fit, styling and tailoring nuances, etc.
- Signages are rather impactful and can increase sales by almost 40%. They can mention price events, discounts, store policies, specific departments, offers, etc.
How Visual Merchandising India is progressing
Indian Retail Industry presently has a market cap of around $180 billion. Every year the industry shows a hike of 11-12%. Customers are conscious of their needs and want stores that focus on being unique.
With global brands entering the fray, customers want similar innovations and designs from Indian retail stores. To accommodate the large scale, stores are spending massive amounts just focussing on retail merchandising.
Earlier stores spent 1.5-2% of their budget on store designing. This figure has risen to almost 4%, now showcasing the need to stand out.
Institutes have started offering courses in Visual merchandising. This is in line with providing the required resources to a booming industry. The government is doing its bit by providing training and courses and encouraging trade shows.
Apart from that, companies offering signages, props, displays, banners, etc., are on the rise. Some solution providers are working on completely redesigning a store as per industry trends. Marketers realise that if they do not adapt, their store is most likely going to lose valuable leads.
Summing up
The present lot of customers are highly focussed and aware. There is a need for them to follow the fashion trends. Retail stores must explore the concept of Visual Merchandising India to impress them at first look.
The industry of Visual merchandising would continue to boom. Retailers must adapt to the changing times, or else they will fail. It is wise to include merchandising as an integral part of the marketing budget. Doing the same gets brand visibility and boosts the store’s sales figures.