Visual merchandiser - what does it do and how to become one?

Visual merchandising is currently one of the most popular techniques for influencing a customer's purchasing decision. It involves a series of activities aimed at the proper presentation of the products that are most important from the perspective of the sales strategy, as well as highlighting their advantages and hiding any disadvantages. A skilled visual merchandiser is able to arrange products in the store in such a way that the customer not only chooses the one with the highest margin, but also enlarges the shopping cart with other, related products or those that together will form a whole, functional set. A good visual merchandiser is a treasure, with a measurable impact on improving sales performance. However, who exactly is such a person? What is visual merchandising? Answers in the following text.

Who is a visual merchandiser?

The job of a visual merchandiser is not only to arrange things according to precise guidelines based on, among other things, the amount of margin or the strategic importance of a given product, but also to appeal to as many of the customer's senses as possible. The idea is to involve them as much as possible in the buying process. A person hired forthe position of visual merchandiser must hit the customer's needs precisely in his work. Based on this knowledge and at the same time applying the precise principles of visual merchandising the employee guides the customer through the entire sales process starting even before he crosses the threshold of the store. Already the storefront must be arranged in such a way as to entice the undecided to enter. Then visual merchandiser works like a decorator - arranges products in the store area from the very entrance, takes care of the presence of POS materials, arrangesmerchandiseon the shelves according to basic principles - the most important (with the highest margin) at eye level, products from one group next to each other, and finally, even organizes a tasting. He can also influence the selected music in the store, and even aromamarketing, if there is such at the point of sale.

Responsibilities of a visual merchandiser

The visual merchandiser's responsibilities are most often specified in his contract, but aside from cosmetic changes, there are certain duties that remain constant regardless of the terms and nature of his employment. One of them is certainly to take care of the overall appearance of the store's display. A regional visual merchandiser most often has to take care of the proper display of several stores located in his region. Such a person's duties also include working closely with the store's employees and reporting any deficiencies in the display. One of the tasks is the so-called "feathering" of shelves. This is an activity that must be carried out as soon as all products stocked in the store are placed on the shelves. Next, the merchandiser's task is to implement the display strategy, i.e. a precise plan for stocking the store and ensuring the presence of advertising materials on the shelves. Visual merchandiser has the final say on the appearance of the storefront, as well as the display and placement of racks of POS materials.

How to become a visual merchandiser?

To start a job as a visual merchandiser you don't need a major degree, although retail and service experience is useful. Interestingly, however, there are private postgraduate schools that provide education in the field of Creating Commercial Space, which is what visual merchandising can generally be described as. But as we mentioned, such education is not necessary. What counts more than book knowledge are the so-called soft skills, i.e. ease in establishing contacts, accuracy, honesty and spatial imagination. The ability to work under time pressure also comes in handy, as often the implementation of a plan, however, involves specific time frames. Important especially from the perspective of regional or mobile visual merchandiser may be the possession of a minimum cat B driver's license. The point is that such an employee often has to move around several stores in his jurisdiction. A visual merchandising specialist, as this is also how such people are referred to, should have a minimum of a high school education. Sales experience may be welcome. Such a person, showing initiative related to the proper arrangement of goods on the store floor, can quickly be noticed as having the right skills. There are constantly job offers on the market for merchandisers or visual merchandisers, which means that honest and reliable people who can take care of the proper display of goods are still needed.

How much does a visual merchandiser earn?

The earnings of a visual merchandiser are a very flexible matter. It all depends on whether the merchandise display specialist is in charge of one store or has the duty to take care of the appearance of the shelves throughout the region. The salary of visual merchandiser position depends on many factors such as experience, area and scope of work.