Page 211 - DMGT552_VISUAL_MERCHANDISING

Visual Merchandising

Notes increase in sales. However, a number of cases have been noted wherein customers have
undertaken impulse buying under the influence of attractive window display.
Creativity plays a very important role in window dressing, but at the same time, business
acumen is also required in order to make it effective. The window display should be designed in
a way that attracts customers, rather than looking like a piece of art. The window display
designer should design the window in the best way possible within the budget fixed for the
same by the retailer. Retailers in developed countries spend large amounts on window displays,
but Indian retailers lag behind in this respect.

Notes 10 basics essentials for an effective display:
1. Put your most sensible foot forward: Selecting what to display is a strategic decision.
What do you have in stock? What’s most popular? What will customers notice?
Somehow the item you select to put on display must make sense for your business.
The general formula is attract, interest and sell.

2. Focus attention: Show a customer one product and you’re dealing with 100% of
their attention. Show them two products and you’ve got only half as much attention
on each. That’s called splitting attention. And the more products you add, the worse
the math. Some store owners violate this principle hoping that something in the
window will catch the eye.
In practice, however, the normal result is to catch nothing at all. So little attention is
available for any given item, the average passerby sees nothing at all.

3. Mask distractive background: If viewing above and around the display is distractive,
if it looks cluttered, use a backdrop of some sort to wall off distractions. Cover the
background panel in fabric or display vinyl. This could be a large panel, or even
fire-resistant seamless photography paper.
4. Keep it clean: A dirty or dusty window display lowers not only perceived value of
the product, but also the integrity and control of store management. Using cleaning
agent and water. Wipe edges with clean paper towels or newspapers.

5. Present the correct quantity: Generally speaking the less involved the customer is
in the purchase of the item, the more you may want to display a volume of the items
on display.
For example, a potato does not require a lot of thought on the part of a buyer,
whereas an expensive watch does. So display only one of the watch, but offer potatoes
in a huge pile.
6. Elevate: Get your items off the ground. Never place items on the floor in a display.
Make it special. Elevate.
And if you have multiple items in the same window, put some items on different
levels to break up the visual monotony and make it more interesting.

7. Cover surfaces: It makes a better impression when receiving a present in wrapped
instead of unwrapped condition.
8. Accent with light and shadow: When you light something brilliantly and cast its
surroundings in shadow, you force attention onto the lit item in a dramatic and
Contd...

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