One of the most underrated, but also most decisive parts of a shop. Nov-17 INSPIRED COLLECTIONS RETAILING VISUAL MERCHADISING One of the most underrated, but also most decisive parts of a shop. Therefore visual merchandising does not only determine the ambiance of the shop, but is also the driving force behind your sales.

FITTINGS Wall Space TOP ZONE Used for information purposes. Nov-17 FITTINGS Wall Space TOP ZONE Used for information purposes. This area should therefore be used for department/ brand labelling, for image/brand photo’s or decorative purposes. Attractive pictures and interesting decorative elements have a magnetic effect, drawing customers to the wall. Good lighting is important here. MIDDLE ZONE Shows the merchandise theme. The merchandise display is identifiable as the customer approaches. The type, shape, colour and material of the item must be visible. BOTTOM ZONE Large quantities of merchandise can be displayed. This zone is often only visible directly in front of the space. This space can also be used as storage.

Nov-17 FITTINGS Credit: Polly Redman Credit: Polly Redman

FITTINGS Floor Space TABLES Nov-17 FITTINGS Floor Space TABLES A table always appears attractive and inviting – a presentation table is no different. Whether it features luxury product or low-cost items; a table rarely goes ignored. Assorted items can be arranged according to themes. GONDOLAS  Gondolas are larger mif-floor units which can carry merchandise on two or more sides.

FITTINGS Nov-17 Credit: Polly Redman Credit: Polly Redman

SIGNAGE Nov-17 Credit: Polly Redman Credit: Polly Redman Credit: Graham Bancroft

REMEMBER CUSTOMER & BRAND Nov-17 REMEMBER CUSTOMER & BRAND Merchandising requires an understanding of your brand, your customer, your product range and how to segment it and present it to its best advantage to drive sales from your customers. Knowing your target customer inside and out will help you tremendously. But don’t just focus on age, income, education level etc. Dig a little deeper and target their lifestyles. 

MERCHANDISING PRINCIPLES Nov-17 MERCHANDISING PRINCIPLES KEY PRINCIPLES LAYOUT LOOK/STYLE DISPLAY GRAPHICS Space Planning Segmentation Fixture Layout Draw a Plan Create Layout Choosing the right style for your product Adding Interest Adding Character Supporting the Brand Add Interest Add Character Support the Brand Communicate Sell PRODUCT SEGMENTATION CATEGORY BOOKS CATEGORY HOME CATEGORY TOYS BRAND AGE COLOUR THEME

MERCHANDISING TECHNIQUES Nov-17 MERCHANDISING TECHNIQUES LIKE WITH LIKE PYRAMIDE PRINCIPAL THE RULE OF 3 5 SENSES NOT 1

MERCHANDISING TECHNIQUES Nov-17 MERCHANDISING TECHNIQUES Group Like with Like Give the customers additional reasons to buy more. (BOGOF/ 3 for £1 offers) Saving them time from looking around and trying to mix and match things. You can also think of it as creating categories and groupings. PRODUCT BLOCKING COLOUR STORY PRODUCT STORY Credit: Polly Redman Credit: Van Gogh Museum Credit: Polly Redman

MERCHANDISING TECHNIQUES Nov-17 MERCHANDISING TECHNIQUES The Rule of Three Credit: Polly Redman 1 2 1 2 3 3 2 1 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 Credit: Polly Redman

MERCHANDISING TECHNIQUES Nov-17 MERCHANDISING TECHNIQUES Pyramid Principle Photo credit: Polly Redman

MERCHANDISING TECHNIQUES Nov-17 MERCHANDISING TECHNIQUES People Have 5 Senses, Not 1 SIGHT Using colour as a psychological trigger Leveraging lighting, symmetry, balance, contrast, and focus to direct and control where a customer looks and for how long. THOUCH  Give customers the ability to touch, feel, and try out whatever it is you are selling.   Sound: The music you play in your store has such a profound yet subtle effect on how your customers behave in store. You can slow people down by playing more mellow music and causing them to browse, or playing Top 40 to communicate that you want teenagers in your store and so on.  Smell: Believe it or not, there's an entire science to what's referred to as “scent marketing”. The reason being that smell is considered to be a fast track to the system in your brain that controls both emotion and memory, two very prominent factors behind why we choose one brand over another.  Taste: This can work magic if you happen to be in the business of selling consumables, giving people the ability to taste and sample before they buy is the equivalent of letting people try on clothes, a general and effective best practice. Photo credit: Polly Redman

STONG MERCHANDISING Nov-17 Credit: Polly Redman Credit: Polly Redman Credit: Design Museum NL Credit: International Spy Museum Credit: Polly Redman Credit: IWM

BAD MERCHANDISING Nov-17 Credit: Polly Redman Credit: Polly Redman

LAST BUT NOT LEAST Don't Forget to Change It Up Nov-17 LAST BUT NOT LEAST Don't Forget to Change It Up Try out new ideas (but also stick with things what work). Give new ideas a go and see if/how it increases sales. Change things around frequently to keep stock looking “fresh”. Enjoy playing around with displays Find Inspiration When you have a creative block don’t fret. Thanks to many different resources you no longer have to wait around for that brilliant idea to hit you when you're thinking about putting together your next merchandising display; Blogs Pinterest/ Flickr Magazines Visit other shops and museums – there is no harm in “being inspired”!