What is it that catches your eye and entices you to walk into a showroom or a store? What is it that sets apart one store from another? Well, you can’t deny the fact that it is the window display or visual merchandising in a store that magnetically draws you to it. At the local market you would probably have a person standing outside a shop and inviting potential customers in. In the case of upmarket showrooms, the window display acts as a welcoming invitation to attract customers. Many will be surprised to know that window display designing or visual merchandising is a profession in itself. Read on to know more about it.

Visual Merchandising––An Important Feature in Stores Today:

Visual merchandising is a design strategy; the art and science of communicating one’s business to the world. To attract potential customers, it is important that you try and connect with customers by every possible means. Therefore, in today’s competitive business world, business planners look at visual merchandising as a key aspect while laying down marketing strategies for their products.

Role of a Visual Merchandiser:

A visual merchandiser is expected to devise creative ideas to increase the visual image of a store.  He might propose themes for all retail displays. They can be romantic, wild, capricious, or anything that captures people’s imagination. For instance, a theme for display of casual wears can be a group of mannequins sitting casually in different poses.
There are two types of visual merchandising: external and internal. External visual merchandising increases footfalls. Customers hardly give three to five seconds of their attention to the window display and hence the external visual merchandising should be made interesting enough to influence a shopper’s choice in a matter of seconds. When it comes to internal merchandizing, decisively tapping the hotspots and blindspots inside the store is the key. Hotspots are those parts any customer will definitely look at; while blindspots are those where people don’t go to at all. The arrangement of window display should go with the product and highlight it to make it discernible to the eye.

Career Scope:

Since lifestyle business accounts for 40 percent of the 600 billion dollar retail industry worldwide, visual merchandising is definitely in high demand. In India, at a time the retail sector is not just growing but booming, careers in visual merchandising truly seem to be creating a buzz amid students. Visual merchandisers can be employed in retail stores selling fashion clothing, groceries, jewelry, or any other product. You could also choose to freelance. Freshers could start at 25,000 a month; freelancers with experience earn about 75 to 80,000 a month. Internationally, this profession offers great opportunities.

Courses and Training:

A professional wanting to pursue visual merchandising must study art, business, and materials. Visual merchandising is a subject common to all streams at NIFT. It is also part of any retail management course. NID Bangalore also offers a postgraduate diploma in retail experience. Abroad, you can find some of the best courses in visual merchandising in New York and France.