Visual Merchandising at Work

Unit 3
 Unit Objectives
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
• Describe the story behind VM at work
• Explain the significance of packaging in
VM
• Discuss the eye, try and buy formula
 Introduction
 Visual Merchandising is about
maximizing visual appeal through various
means, e.g.
a. A simple product display
b. A shop window arrangement
c. A neat stacking of a product
d. An arrangement of products on a shelf, or
e. In a Visi Cooler as in soft drinks
 Introduction Cont…
 VM brings a sharp focus on products through
an attractive presentation which catches the
eye
 VM influences customers to respond to
stimulus of the attractive products on offer that
have been beautifully laid
 Packaging as a concept is about creating an
attraction to a product through the visual
appeal of its exterior packaging & presentation
 Eye Spy – The connection between VM &
Consumers
 The eye are the most powerful of the human
senses
 They are more powerful than our ears, sense of
smell & sense of touch
 Like you may catch someone’s eye because of
neat clothes you wear or for polite conduct…….
 Well placed and well decorated products catch
the eyes of consumers
 That is where VM really connects with
consumers
 Eye Spy cont…….
 We can see things and form our own unique
impressions and perceptions.
 Remember your experience when you saw
something you liked, e.g. bike, phone, etc?
 It all starts with you seeing something
 Visual appeal is the connection between your
− eyes,
− your impulses and
− your desires or want
Creating Desires: From Eye to try & Buy
 What happens when we see an attractive
display of products?
− We are either drawn towards the products, or
− We may choose to ignore them temporarily or
permanently
 When you are aware of something is when you
can consider whether you want to have anything
to do with it or not
 In the retail world, being aware is a function of
you seeing it or not seeing it
 Creating Desires…….
 Example
− You may go shopping for a pair of shoes in a multi
brand store
− You have a fair idea of which brand you want to buy
− However, if the visual appeal of another brand is
displayed in a grand fashion and appeals to you…
− It may swing your vote towards it
 As you see more, it bring you into the place of
knowing, and eventually considering to buy
 The reverse of this is true when you don’t see
anything that catches your eye
 Implication of the above
– Products are actually constantly competing for
customer’s attention even before they buy
– By standing smartly on shelves, products are
all waiting for a customer to decide
– When the customers attention are attracted,
they decide on their response
– VM does not make customers see what they
don’t want to see
– Customers choose what they want to see,
touch and buy in retail
Connection Between Packaging and
VM
 Overview
a. There is a strong relationship between
packaging and VM in the packaged product
segment
b. This may not apply to consumer durables and
washing machines, which depend on the
product itself as a package
 Outside Inside
a. Exterior Appeal
− Packaging attracts through exterior appeal of
things
− In retail, it starts with the stores exterior which
needs to be attractive
− The basic impact of packaging on consumers is
attraction
− We are attracted to the visual appeals of the
product packs we buy
b. Packaging works like the first level of visual
impact in retail, & VM is second level
 Up Close
a. VM brings customers physically closer to the
products as they transition from eye to try to
buy stages
b. When they do this, they often pick up
products and look at them closely if they can
Packaging Features that work for VM
 The Features include
a. Display construction
b. Big Branding
c. Product Specs
d. Product Trail
 1. Display Construction
a. Imaging the units of a product being stacked in a
symmetrical way as a full structure which is stable
b. Packaging protects the product inside yet also
support the construction of such displays
c. Example
− a tower of soft drinks or beer cases
 2. Big Branding
a. In the example of the tower of soft drinks
− How many cases make the whole huge display?
− This is big branding!
b. Packaging makes it possible to repeatedly display
the branding of products on packaging, in a
permanent way
c. Packaging enables branding, the heart of
consumer communication and connect for
products
 3. Product Specs
a. Because VM displays consumers can often notice
and read the product info printed on packages
b. This allows customers to easily access product
specs even for large home appliances
 4. Product Trials
a. This relates to introducing customers to move
from the eye stage to the try stage
b. Packaging enable VM through its great branding
and visual impact
END