Scientifically speaking, humans are visual creatures, as our brain processes images 60,000 faster than text.
No wonder that visual appeal plays such a vital role in marketing and sales.
In order to attract customers to your retail store, it’s crucial to have a visual merchandising strategy in place. Nowadays, when the competition is fierce and markets saturated, maximizing the aesthetics of your products can be a make-it-or-break-it factor for the success of your retail business.
It’s more important than ever to distinguish your store from others like it, and visual merchandising is the best possible way to do this.
What Is Visual Merchandising?
Visual merchandising refers to the practice, or perhaps even art, of displaying your products so that their uniqueness and benefits are highlighted. However, visual merchandising goes well beyond your window-shop. Among many other things, it also includes:
- your entire retail store design and décor
- layout
- lighting
- scent
- staff uniforms
- signage and packaging
- point-of-sale marketing materials
All these elements create an immersive and pleasant store atmosphere and contribute to an exceptional customer experience that will get your store visitors to pull out their credit cards.
A study by Nike has shown that scents in their stores increase intent to purchase by 80%, and this perfectly illustrates how important details are in a successful visual merchandising strategy.
It’s Crucial for Building Brand Loyalty
Consumers are faced with a number of choices whenever they want to purchase something. There are different retailers that offer similar or the same products as your store, and the only thing that will draw your target audience to pick you over them is brand loyalty.
Visual merchandising can do wonders for helping you create memorable in-store experiences that will not only get your customers to make a one-time purchase but also to come back again.
Consistency is crucial when it comes to building brand loyalty.
So, depending on your industry and target audience, you can, for example, opt for colorful displays and vibrant colors to appeal to younger customers, or embrace a more conservative approach with pastel colors and soft visuals to attract more mature customers.
It Can Drive More Foot Traffic to Your Store
Having a stop-showing window display is a surefire way to increase foot traffic and bring you new customers. Think of them as your personal brand billboards that will make all the difference whether a customer will enter your store or just walk by.
The first thing to bear in mind is that your window display should be frequently updated.
It doesn’t have to be an expensive or time-consuming effort. If you don’t have a new collection or anything, in particular, to show off, then it’s a good idea to simply print large-size images of your products and your customers using them.
Another crucial rule to follow is: always keep it clean in every sense. So, make sure that it’s properly dusted as well as decluttered.
Finally, using the right angle to shine the light on your products is an effective way to catch the eye of your customers. Don’t hang lights directly above the items in your window display to avoid shadows. Instead of that, a couple of spotlights can be a great investment, as well as some must-have tools for window dressers.
It Boosts Visibility
While the get-it-seen-to-get-it-sold approach is perceived as very effective for both brick-and-mortar and online stores, it can be a double-edged sword.
If you visually overwhelm your customers, they will have a hard time deciding what to pick. On the other hand, it’s a good idea to focus on your high-margin or exclusive product.
The trick is to identify the right balance that will both help your customers to find what they like easily and allow you to prioritize and push the most popular products and those that are most likely to sell.
Use data analytics to stay on top of your inventory and demand so that you can showcase trending items and make them visible by playing with color palettes, fabrics, and other visual elements.
If we’re talking about online stores, white space is one of the best ways to influence your customers and put certain products in the spotlight. This visual approach will prevent customers from being bombarded by an excessive amount of products by giving them some breathing space.
In order to provide some context, try grouping matching products that complement each other. This way, you’ll present a look in the best possible way and highlight certain products. In addition to that, customers will be compelled to purchase two or more products and pair them.
Visual merchandising has become the key factor for in-store and e-commerce stores equally. It encourages impulse purchases that account for a bulk of sales, which is why leveraging this strategy can significantly increase your profit.
