Visual merchandising & sales performance: what’s the correlation?
Visual merchandising & sales performance: what’s the correlation?
As a product manager, visual merchandiser, or both, your job is to create an idealistic visual experience for the customer to view and shop your product. A visual merchandiser is always thinking ahead to the next idea or issue that might come from the customer. A product manager or merchandiser should ask this question: is there a sales pattern resulting from a change in the visual merchandising arrangement of a product? Is it a positive pattern or a negative pattern?
Maybe you’re experimenting with a new fixture or adding new products to existing spaces. So, what do you do if a negative sales pattern results from a visual merchandising change? Here are a few tips:
- Analyze your sales again. Which products sold and which didn’t? Keep note of these numbers.
- Envision the customer’s experience. Walk in your store and pretend you are shopping. Why is this product grabbing your attention or why is it not?
- Is there a reason why this display is in a certain place? Could it perform better in another location?
- Find out a customer’s real opinion. Ask them what they are looking for and how you can help them find it.
- Try changing the signage around. Visual Merchandising often helps the customer see the product first before looking at the price. If you think the signage needs updating, change the color of it to make it stand out from the product or display, but make sure it goes with the look of the display.
- Don’t over crowd the display with product. Remember, product can always be added into the display and taken away. Don’t let your entire stock pile sit on the floor yet have a good selection of merchandise. If the customer see there is not many left, it also creates a sense of urgency to buy it.
- Communicate with your distributors and vendors often. Know when new product is arriving and what it will be so you can plan for display room and possible promotions and sales on older product.
- And last, update your displays and product as often as possible. Always be prepared for the next season and look out for consumer trends within your store.