This document discusses visual merchandising and retail store layout. It describes the different areas of a store and fixtures used to display merchandise. Various techniques for merchandise presentation and interior/window displays are covered, including the use of lighting, props, and signage. Store fixtures include carousels, dump tables, four-way racks and waterfalls. The goal of displays is to stimulate interest, provide information and direct traffic flow.

1. ADVANCED FASHION:
STANDARD 9
VISUAL MERCHANDISING

2. VISUAL MERCHANDISING
 Visual Merchandising: The physical
display of goods in the most attractive
and appealing ways.
 Store Layout: the interior arrangement of
retail facilities.
 Selling areas: where merchandise is
displayed and customers interact with sales
personnel. (75-80% of the total space)
 Sales support areas: devoted to customer
services, merchandise receiving and
distribution, management offices and staff
activities.

3. VISUAL MERCHANDISING
 Floor Plan: A drawing showing arrangement
of physical space, such as showing the
positioning of merchandise groups and
customer services for a retail store.
 Grid Layout: A retail floor plan that has one
of ore primary (main) aisles running through
the store, with secondary (smaller) aisles
intersecting with them at right angles.
 Maze Layout: A free-flowing retail floor plan
arrangement with informal balance.
 Fixtures: Shelves, tables, rods, counters,
stands, easels, forms, and platforms on
which merchandise is stocked and displayed
for sale.

4. MERCHANDISE
PRESENTATION
 Merchandise presentation includes the ways that
goods are hung, placed on shelves, or otherwise
made available for sale in retail stores.
 Shoulder-out presentation: The way most
garments are hung in home closets with only one
side showing from shoulder to bottom.
 Face-forward presentation (face-out
presentation): Hanging of clothing with the front
fully facing the viewer. This should always be
done at entrances and aisles.

5. RETAIL FIXTURES
 Carousels: Circular racks that turn.

6. RETAIL FIXTURES
 Dump tables/bins: A rimmed table or bin used to
hold sale or special merchandise on the sales
floor, especially in discount operations; it has no
formal arrangement.

7. RETAIL FIXTURES
 Four-way rack: A fixture with four extended
arms, that permits accessibility to hanging
merchandise all the way around

8. RETAIL FIXTURES
 Rounders: Circular racks on which garments are
hung around the entire circumference

9. RETAIL FIXTURES
 T-stand: Freestanding, two-way stand in the
shape of a T, that holds clothes on hangers,
sometimes with one straight arm and one
waterfall.

10. RETAIL FIXTURES
 Waterfall: A fixtures with an arm that slants
downward, that contains knobs to hole face-
forward hangers with clothing at various levels.

11. DISPLAYS
 Displays: individual and notable physical presentation
of merchandise.
 Displays are intended to:
 Stimulate product interest
 Provide information
 Suggest merchandise coordination
 Generate traffic flow
 Remind customers of planned purchases
 Create additional sales of impulse items
 Enhance the store’s visual image

12. INTERIOR DISPLAYS
 Locations for interior displays:
 Just in the entrance
 Entrance to department
 Near cash/wrap
 Next to related items
 Across from elevators and escalators
 Ends of aisles

13. COMPONENTS OF DISPLAYS
 Merchandise
 Lighting
 Props
 Signage

14. MERCHANDISE
 More interesting if in odd numbers
 Groups:
 One-category, or line-of-goods
 Related groupings: go together or reinforce each
other
 Theme groupings: event, holiday, etc.
 Variety or assortment groupings: collection of
unrelated items all sold at the same store.

15. LIGHTING
 Used to direct customer’s attention to the
display
 Use more light for dark colors, less light for light
colors
 Beamspread; the diameter of the circle of light
 Beamspread techniques:
 Floodlighting: recessed ceiling lights to direct light
over an entire wide display area
 Spotlighting: focuses attention on specific areas or
targeted items of merchandise
 Pinpointing: focuses a narrow beam of light on a
specific item

17. PROPS
 Objects added that support the theme of the
display.
 Functional Props: used to physically support the
merchandise. (mannequins, stands, panels,
screens, etc)
 Decorative Props: used to establish a mood or an
attractive setting for the merchandise being
featured (ex: mirrors, flowers, seashells,
surfboards, etc)
 Structural Props: used to support functional and
decorative props and change the physical
makeup of displays. (boxes, rods, stands,
stairways, etc)

19. SIGNAGE
 Includes individual letters and complete
signs. Often on some kind of holder.
 Can tell a story about the goods.
 Should try to answer customers
questions.
 Should be informative and concise.
 Can include prices, sizes, department
location.

20. WINDOW DISPLAYS
 Seen from outside of the store.
 First contact with the customer.
 Can have a series of windows.
 Advantages of Window Displays:
 Establish and maintain an image
 Arouse curiosity
 Disadvantages of Window Displays:
 Expensive to design and maintain
 Requires space
 Merchandise can get ruined (sun ,etc)
 Glare

21. TYPES OF WINDOW DISPLAYS
 Enclosed windows: have a full
background and sides that completely
separate the interior of the store from
the display window.
 Ramped windows: floor is higher in back
than in front
 Elevated windows: from 1 to 3 feet higher
than sidewalk
 Shadowbox windows: small, boxlike display
windows

23. TYPES OF WINDOW DISPLAYS
 Semi-closed windows: have a partial
background that shuts out some of the
store interior from those viewing the
window
 Open Windows: have no background
panel and the entire store is visible to
people walking by
 Island windows: four-sided display
windows that stand alone, often in
lobbies.