Visual merchandising: how to attract and convert more?

In a world increasingly saturated with advertising and promotions, it has become very difficult to attract attention and convert customers.

This is where the power of visual merchandising comes in. By creating an unforgettable visual experience, you can captivate your customers and convince them to make a purchase. Visual merchandising is much more than simply arranging attractive products on shelves. It’s a complex discipline that combines the art of design, consumer psychology and marketing strategy. It involves using visual elements such as the layout of products, colours, lighting and graphics to tell a story and arouse emotions.

A well-designed visual experience can stimulate enthusiasm, strengthen the brand image and create an emotional bond with customers. It can also help guide customers through the shop and encourage them to make purchasing decisions.

The impact of visual merchandising on customer behaviour

Visual merchandising can have a significant impact on in-store customer behaviour. By creating a visually appealing and engaging environment, customers are more likely to spend more time in the shop, explore the different sales areas, and ultimately buy more products. Visual merchandising can also help influence customers’ purchasing decisions by strategically highlighting products, creating complementary product combinations, and using price tags and promotions to encourage impulse buying.

Example of a visual merchandising project by Strada for the Harrys brand.

Elements of effective visual merchandising

Effective visual merchandising is based on several key elements:

Know your target customer: Understanding your customers’ preferences, needs and buying habits is essential to creating a shop environment that resonates with them.
Brand consistency: Make sure your shop layout, colours, lighting and signage reflect your brand identity and create a consistent experience for your customers.
Product showcasing: Present your products in a way that highlights their unique features and benefits. Use appropriate displays and shelving to create attractive displays.
Regular rotation of displays: Change your displays regularly to keep customers interested and coming back for more.

Creating a visually appealing shop layout

To create a visually appealing shop layout, follow these tips:

Plan the space: Optimise the space in your shop by creating separate zones for different types of product and leaving enough room for customer traffic.
Use a variety of shelves and display units: Vary the heights and shapes of shelves and display units to create visual interest and showcase different products.
Play with symmetry and asymmetry: Use both symmetrical and asymmetrical layouts to create visual balance and draw attention to specific products.
Create focal points: Place products or displays strategically to attract customers’ attention and guide them through your shop.

Use colour, lighting and signage to improve visual appeal

The Gum linear shop from Pilotes. The neon sign “La pause fraîcheur” and the brand and colour scheme will attract customers.

Colour, lighting and signage are key elements of visual merchandising, as they can help to improve the visual appeal of the shop and draw customers’ attention to key products. Colours can be used to create a particular atmosphere in the shop, as well as to highlight products and complementary product combinations. Lighting can be used to highlight products and create interesting visual effects, while signage can be used to guide customers to key sales areas and provide product information.

The role of product displays in visual merchandising

Product displays are an important part of visual merchandising, as they allow you to showcase your products in a creative and attractive way. Product displays can be used to create complementary product combinations, highlight new products or products on promotion, and create themed displays for seasons or special events. It’s important to consider the size, shape and height of product displays, as well as their positioning in the shop, to maximise their visual impact.

A Barilla brand display featuring several complementary products.

Incorporating narrative and themes into visual merchandising

A corner of the Milka brand with their famous cow taking to the skies.

Storytelling and themes are powerful elements of visual merchandising that can help create an immersive and memorable experience for your customers.

Here are a few tips for integrating storytelling and themes into your visual merchandising strategy:

Develop a concept: Create a concept or theme that reflects your brand identity and resonates with your target audience.
Tell a story: Use visual elements such as images, graphics and props to tell a consistent story across your shop.
Be consistent: Make sure that all elements of your shop, including colours, lighting, signage and displays, support your theme and reinforce your story.

Visual merchandising for e-commerce and online shops

Visual merchandising is also important for online shops and e-commerce sites. Although customers cannot physically interact with products, it is important to create an attractive and engaging visual experience to encourage purchases. This can be achieved by using high-quality images, videos, detailed product descriptions and attractive website layouts.

Measuring the success of visual merchandising efforts

To assess the effectiveness of your visual merchandising efforts, it’s important to measure the results. Here are some key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor:

Sales: Track overall sales and sales by product category to assess the impact of your visual merchandising on sales performance.
In-store and aisle traffic: Measure the number of customers entering your shop and compare it with previous periods to assess the attractiveness of your sales area.
Time spent in shop and in the aisle: Analyse the time customers spend in your shop to determine whether your layout and displays encourage them to explore further.
Conversion rate: Calculate the percentage of customers who make a purchase in relation to the total number of visitors to assess the effectiveness of your visual merchandising in converting potential customers into buyers.

Conclusion: Harnessing the power of visual merchandising for business success

Visual merchandising is a key element of retail strategy, as it can help to attract and convert customers by creating an unforgettable visual experience. By using the key elements of effective visual merchandising, retailers can create an attractive and engaging sales environment that encourages purchases and strengthens customer loyalty. By measuring the success of visual merchandising efforts and adjusting strategy accordingly, retailers can harness the full power of visual merchandising for the success of their business.