Visual merchandising is the art of using visualtechniques to increase sales. We say that it is an art because of theimagination and creativity you can use to boost interest in your store. Visualmerchandising can involve lighting, the use of space, signage, sales andpromotional events, branding and much more. While possibilities are reallyendless, we will give you some ideas on how you can use visual merchandising toincrease your sales.
Perhaps the most striking and effective methodof visual merchandising is the use of mannequins. Mannequins personalize itemsfor consumers. It gives them a much better environment of how an article ofclothing or an accessory will look when they put it on. For example, baby dolldresses are really popular right now. These dresses hanging on a hanger mightlook a lot like a sack. Some women are also under the impression that you haveto be sixteen to wear one, or you might look immature or silly. Your dilemma isthat you want to sell these dresses to everyone. Mannequins can be very usefulin this situation.
By putting the dress on a mannequin, you canshow how it looks on an actual body. This is a huge improvement over how itlooked hanging on the hanger. But, the benefits do not end there. You can givea mannequin whatever personality you want it to have. In a city scene, you canmake the dress look sophisticated. In a country scene, you can make it lookwhimsical and light. If you are targeting a teenage audience, you mightconsider having your mannequin in a school setting. What ever you come up with,use your imagination. Play around with it until you make that dress look good.
Shoppers want to feel a certain way when theywear new clothes. There is a lot more to buying clothes than just buying whatfits. We can boost our egos with what we wear, express individuality, project astyle or an attitude, establish our social standing, the list goes on and on.Determining exactly how your customers want to feel can be difficult and youcan not please every single person. If you target a certain group then it canget easier.
Consider the lighting. Do you want it dark andgothic, sophisticated and interesting, or bright and active? The colors,lighting and store displays need to work together to produce the feel that youare after. People have more positive reactions to items that are behind glass,under a spotlight or on a mannequin. You can really boost your sales byimplementing just these three techniques.
One last benefit of mannequins in visualmerchandising is the sheer number of items that you can display at one time.You are not only forwardly promoting a certain dress or outfit, butsubliminally promoting all of the accessories that go with it. Scarves,jewelry, shoes, tights, purses and hats are just the start of the list. Ifsomeone wants the look that they saw in your display window, then they are muchmore likely to buy the accessories that go along with your main item.
In short, mannequins can boost your sales andhelp communicate the theme and attitude of your store to your customers. Usingmannequins for visual merchandising is simple and effective.
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