A-Z of Visual Merchandising

OH&S stands for Occupational Health and Safety, and applies to all policies & practices that protect the safety of the individual in their place of work. These days, employers and employees have a responsibility and legal obligation to keep workplaces safe and reduce the risks of injury.

In retail visual merchandising, presenting the merchandise in order to sell outfits rather than items is the holy grail. Outfits are a number of complementary garments that can be worn together, such as the top with the pants, the jacket, shoes and accessories.

As for most things, failing to plan, is planning to fail.

POS is an acronym for Point of Sale - the printed materials used to promote activity or product in a retail environment, not to be confused with the store’s POS system (cash register). 

Position is very important in any display. All the hard work in establishing focal point, balance, rhythm and proportion is wasted if no-one can see it! 

The price of goods is how much the retailer expects the customer to pay in order to take the goods from the store to their home. 

Product categories help the customer to quickly identify the types of different products for sale in your store. This doesn’t mean that you need category signs all over the place, it just means that you need to present your range in sensible categories.

The proportion of a display refers to the display size in relation to the space it occupies.

Quality refers to the inferiority or superiority of a product. Quality is a somewhat subjective attribute and may be understood differently by different people. A good rule is to provide choice to the customer in three different pricepoints and quality levels - good, better and best. 

The amount of stock on the floor has a few effects on the business such as brand positioning, stock management and ease of shopping. 

The types of racks you choose for your retail store form part of the personality of the store. For instance, the racks you choose for a discount store are different to those you would choose for a premium fashion store.

Recovery is a retail discipline that ensures that the store is tidied and cleaned after a busy day, ready for refilling and trading the next day.

Without relevance, the retail store can become a melting pot of mixed messages that confuses the customer.

Risers are an essential element to highlight product to its best advantage in many types of displays.

What makes a Sale stand out? During sale your store should look noticeably different to how it looks every other day and there should be a compelling reason for the customer to enter the store.