Visual merchandising aims to encourage customers to visit stores, remind them of planned purchases, generate impulse sales, maximize product exposure, and stimulate interest in products. It uses store designs like grid layouts and racetrack designs, atmospheric elements like lighting and color, signs and graphics coordinated with the store's image to inform customers, and feature areas like end caps, promotional spaces, freestanding fixtures, and windows to draw attention. Effective visual merchandising is key to the future success of retailers.