Visual merchandising is one of the key sources to attract potential customers for any brand. OUTCOME in terms of credibility, sales and trust amongst Customers is the Core agenda. So, what patterns of Visual Merchandising is the world following now days?
Major brands have been working ever since on traditional yet monotonous schemes, i.e. Setting up mood boards and color palette for visual merchandising in accordance with their latest collection; which isn’t very cost effective and the footfall received is majorly based on the reputation of the brand with minor support from the visuals seen from the outdoors.
According to the author’s rigorous field research for three months in Paris during Christmas festive season, everyday he spent lots of time visiting different luxury brand stores throughout the Fashion Capital and analyzing windows, how effectively are windows working to get the potential customers to walk in.
Author firmly believes, windows play a key role in attracting customers to the store than any other marketing strategy, as it’s obvious that the number of customer peeping through the windows of a store is always higher than the actual walk-ins for any store. Question arises, why is there such a high gap amidst both the numbers? Ineffective displays across the windows, as per the author, we could easily catalyze the number of people passing by into potential customers, who step in and want to know what’s in there for them. Could something be done about it?
The answer undoubtedly is “Yes”. All a brand would need is, focus on their windows to bring it to the focus of potential customers.
“SENSORIAL VISUAL MERCHANDISING” is the solution. When your senses start reacting to any particular visual merchandising, your instincts lose control and you’re compelled by your senses to take a step further and check out what exactly is it, and there begins the real game.
Author conducted a survey, through the streets of Paris, asking questions related to their fashion needs ands wants. The author recorded their reactions to certain question reflecting human psychology about fashion and the science of attraction. Some bifurcated yet concrete points of brand management and intra-market psychology of how customers reach their decisions starting from the touch point where the brand comes in touch with it’s respective potential customers is summarized below for further depths of Visual Merchandising, it’s effects and outcomes.
Five Dimensions of Sensorial Visual Merchandising through Windows:
Movement:
It’s basic human instinct to react to any movement happening around, adds an extra level of awareness, and anything seen at such a level of awareness, precisely leaves a never fading imprint on the mind of the observe. Nothing less than the skills possessed by Sherlock Holmes on BBC One.
Constant movements through windows, could be used as a brilliant source of attraction, attraction of potential customers’ senses, as per some researches on human psychology, it does even more than that.
Well-known departmental stores like GalerieLafeytte and Printemps in Paris pretty impressively use this dimension of Sensorial Visual Merchandising in their stores, and the Outcomes could be seen from their brand value in today.
Fragrance:
It brings tickles down one’s spine, and if used effectively with knowledge of reactions to various fragrances, a brand could literally compel it’s potential customers to their space and open the box and serve them with their desires fulfilled by your collection. Needless to say, every fragrance says something.
Pass by Sephora stores and other luxury brands’ stores, you won’t need to go inside the stores and then calculate which experience was the best.
35% people get into Sephora store due to fragrance also because of fragrance some people get a reminder, they have to buy new fragrance.
There is no fragrance if anybody passes by any luxury brand store or window, which makes it the most neglected yet powerful dimension of Sensorial Visual Merchandising.It makes your potential customers feel luxurious if he is standing in front of the window. It’s all about Experience.
Story:
Now people are no longer interested watching windows with focus only on your new collection, they want something that is interesting to see.
So playing stories in windows to engage people from their windows is another interesting concept for some luxury brands. They look at stories budding up through your windows and invest their time with you. Isn’t time the most precious resource?
Luxury brands creating different stories in their windows of flagship stores like Hermes are earning well up their reputation.
Touch:
Setting up dummy “touchidows” (Touchable Windows) through your store could be the most outreaching method to right away get in touch with your potential customers. Touch gives them the feel, the feel they actually want to possess. Offering the same before hand could be the leading point for a brand.
Music:
Music could tell a billion of stories jostling through another billion of emotions, emotions ranging from fear to joy. Why not to use this resource a little more effectively with respect to the science of Sounds. Sounds could move the Universe shake, pulling your potential customer towards you is just one thing.
Author experienced he was passing through Mac store in champs Elysees Paris during Christmas holidays, Mac store had played loud music in their stores and everybody passing by the store can listen to that music, some people were really enjoying it, so it proves that playing music in window would be interesting for people. Brand should play music according to their brand image.
Sensorial Visual Merchandising is the need of the hour!
