Top Tools for Retail Visual Merchandising

Visual merchandising plays a key role in the success of retail stores and businesses. If you keep up with our blog here at Mannequin Mall, you're probably well aware of the importance of displaying product in the most appealing manner possible.

Consumers are influenced heavily on the appearance of a product and the manner in which it is presented. Therefore, conventional wisdom should lead you to believe that presenting your products in the most appealing manner possible will yield more sales.

In today's blog post, we're going to take a look at some of the top tools for retail visual merchandising. While you may already know some of them, chances are others will surprise you.

Planogram

What the heck is a planogram? A planogram is essentially a visual layout of a store's fixtures and its respective products. When a store owner or visual merchandiser is setting up an area within the store, he or she will likely refer to the planogram for step-by-step instructions.

It reveals key information such as pegboard layouts, shelf heights, product placement, product quantity, etc. Sure, you can set up a display without a planogram, but using one will almost certainly pay off in the long run.

Floor Map

A floor map differs from a planogram in several different ways. While planograms generally focus on a single particular area or display, a floor map is a larger, more broad visual representation of the store's layout -- and it also contains fewer details. But just because it's less detailed doesn't necessarily mean you should overlook it. On the contrary, a floor map is invaluable in determining where and how products should be presented in a retail store.

Mannequins

We can't talk about top tools for retail merchandising without mentioning mannequins. Regardless of the product you are trying to sell, chances are a mannequin can help.

Displaying shirts, pants, dresses and other garments on a mannequin will make them more relatable to shoppers, which usually results in more sales. However, mannequins can also be used to present accessories like handbags, hats and even jewelry.

But that's really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the possibilities of using a mannequin, as retail stores often use them to display sports equipment, school supplies, and even electronic devices.