There’s an old adage that says, “Presentation is everything.” It’s often used in reference to food. After all, no matter how incredibly tasty a meal might be, if it looks pitiful or disgusting, people likely to turn up their noses at it without even giving it a chance. At the very least, they might hesitate to taste it and make unfair judgments on its flavours based on appearance alone.
That concept actually rings true in many aspects of life. Quite a few people judge others based on their appearances. No matter how wonderful a person is, people just don’t see him or her an accurate light if ragged clothing, mussed hair, and a generally unclean appearance are in play. They won’t even try to see the person’s true personality before making snap decisions about his or her character. All this can apply to products in stores as well. If an item and its surroundings aren’t attractive, people probably aren’t going to purchase it.
Boosting Sales through Merchandising
Many companies find that their products just don’t sell no matter how they change or improve upon them. Their products may be better than those the competition has to offer. Perhaps their prices are better than all the rest. Maybe their customer service and support even surpass other companies in their niche. Still, their products just don’t move.
Most of those companies fail to realize their lacklustre sales may be due to shabby merchandising efforts. They’re focusing solely on their products with the hope that their quality and other attributes will make sales for them. That’s just not the way the retail world works. Consumers look for an entire experience as opposed to products alone. In light of that, visual merchandising can make all the difference.
What Is Visual Merchandising?
Visual merchandising revolves around designing displays that make products more interesting and dynamic. This practice aims to create displays that highlight products’ features and appearances while showcasing their strong suits, uses, and other elements. It ensures products catch consumers’ eyes and encourage them to make purchases. This can boost consumer interest, engagement, and sales. Visual merchandising can even be connected to branding, making the concept apply to an entire brand as opposed to its individual products.
Beyond the Physical Store
Not very long ago, merchandising revolved solely around in-store displays. These days, though, sales extend beyond in-person venues. That means merchandising has to branch out as well to be truly effective. As such, modern visual merchandising applies to online outlets, too. While you can’t technically build displays around products being sold online, there are numerous ways to make products more attractive and exciting on companies’ websites and other channels.
Giving Products the Upper Hand
It’s no secret that selling products in a sea of similar items means making them stand out in a crowd. Product packaging can go a long way in this regard. It’s often not enough to truly influence consumers’ purchasing decisions, though. Visual merchandising picks up the slack by giving consumers the purchasing experiences they’re looking for. From signage and interactive displays to showcasing products online, today’s merchandising tactics can help draw prospects away from competitors’ products and convert them into paying customers.
