VISUAL MERCHANDISING

Visual Merchandising is the art of displaying merchandise in a manner that is appealing to the eyes of the customer.

EXTERNAL PRESENTATION

The exterior appearance of one store, a block of businesses or a cluster, silently announce what customers can expect inside. Good exterior visual merchandising attracts attention, creates interest and invites the customer into the business.

1. Exterior Signs

A sign is a silent salesperson, and part of ashopper’s first impression of a store. In less than10 seconds the sign must attract attention, tellwho the business is and what it has to sell.

2. Marquees

A marquee on some older buildings is a permanent canopy projecting over an entrance that provides protection from the elements. It can be used to announce a change in seasons, a special event or a promotion.

3. BANNERS

Banners are used increasingly as an inexpensive but colorful, eye-catching means of promotion.

4. Awnings

They provide the customer with protection fromweather and makes viewing the window displaymore pleasant as it reduces heat, cuts down onglare and reflection, and prevents fading of themerchandise from exposure to the sun.

5. Walks and Entries Approximately 75 percent of first time customersremember a store’s entrance, which provides the firstand last view of the store’s interior.

Landscaping should lead the

customer’s eye to the focal

point using color and

texture to provide contrast

and harmony.

7. WINDOW DISPLAYS

Window displays can be as important, if notmore important, than advertising. As many asone in every four sales could be the result of agood window display.

Principles of Design

INTERIOR PRESENTATION• Selling space is the most important part of a

store and therefore, efforts to utilize eachsquare foot will help to maximize sales.

• When planning interior displays, rememberthat the theme and image presented on theexterior must be carried throughout theinterior of the store to provide consistency forthe customer.

DISPLAY DESIGN

• An effective way of attracting customers to a store is by having good displays, both exterior and interior.

• Good design makes a visual presentation come together. This means the design attracts attention in a way that strengthens the store image, as well as introducing merchandise to the customer.