Why Do We Display:1. Visual Merch- is showing merch and concepts at their very best, with the end purpose of making a sale.2. The merchandiser reinforces the store’s image with the type of mannequins shown, the merch displayed, and the manner in which the mannequins are dressed, positioned, and lit.3. Educate consumers on the new “hot” item, how to wear it, and what it is made of.4. Must ensure the shopper that the interior presentation keeps with the display shown on the exterior.Visual Merchandising:1. Process of promoting the sale of products by producing mental images that urge potential customers to make purchases.2. Total promotional mix is a combo of communication tools that tells targeted customers about a store and its merchandise. (Advertising, in-store marketing, special events, personal selling, visual merchandising).3. 3 Basic elements of communication: the sender, the message, and the receiver.Brand Image:1. Combo of tangible and intangible factors that describe what a shopper thinks about his or her relationship with a store. Includes store environment, reputation, and service.2. Driven by retailers mission statement- summarizes what the company and its products or services are all about, whom it hopes to serve, and how it hopes to do it.3. Location of store is very important4. Breaking the “cookie cutter” mold and stretching brand image by making everything unique.5. Stages in Consumer info procession: Exposure, Attention, Comprehension, Agreement, Retention, Retrieval, Consumer decision making, and action taken.Merchandising Techniques:1. Visual Appeal- involves arranging merch in a manner that will make fashion sense to the shopper and help them buy quickly, efficiently, and comfortably.Makes it easier for shopper to locate desired merch, self-select, coordinate and accessorize on her own, provide info on sizes, colors, prices, takes the stress out of shopping, saves time, etc.2. Customer Oriented- Merch shown in ways that relate to shoppers needs, preferences, and aspirations.3. Dominance by Color- Folding, stakcing, and hanging by color. Use color blocking or arranging by the color wheel.4. Dominance by Coordination- Shoppers see how pieces can be mixed and matched. Patterns or prints together, soft and hard lines.5. Dominance by Brand Name6. Dominance by Size- Determining factor for purchase, use sold garment as a separator between patterned merch.7. Dominance by Price8. Dominance by End Use9. Front to back merch- best to show; from the main aisle to the rear wall of the space.Few items should be featured upfront facing the main aisle. Dominance factor is most important.Atmospherics:1. Design strategy: A plan of action to achieve a particular retail goal.2. Atmospherics: A strategic tool that, used effectively, gives the retail operation personality and brand image that help reach it’s financial goals.Ensures that selling floors will be organized, easy-to-shop, and filled with eye-catching merchandise-centered displays that will attract shoppers and encourage multiple sales.Store Layouts:1. Grid Layouts: Linear design with fixtures arranged on parallel aisles.Fixtures are positioned in a checkerboard pattern, with vertical and horizontal isles that run throughout the store.May be one primary isle with several secondary aisles.Efficient in terms of space and helps shoppers see and reach merchandise, simple to navigate and easy to maintain.Example: Grocery stores2. Free-Flow Layout: Selling fixture arranged in loosely grouped, informal, nonlinear formations to encourage browsing.Critical to provide enough room between fixtures so traffic can flow.Encourages shoppers to move easily from one department to another.Example: Boutiques3. Racetrack Layout: Features a traffic aisle that loops around the store’s perimeter.Exposes shoppers to a great deal of merchandise.Example: Target4. Soft Aisle Layout: Fixtures are arranged into groups, sometimes with a 5-ft aisle along merch wall sections.Encourages customers to shop walls and move easily around the entire store.Example: Men’s stores or Sporting Goods store5. Minimal Layout: Merchandise is presented on the walls with minimum use of selling fixtures on the floor.Allows for wide-open spaces in the center of the store where customers can stand and survey the entire collection of merch.Example: High-end retail stores with designer merchandise.6. Combination Floor Layout: Employs the best features of standard layouts in one overall plan that suits the retailer’s specific strategy.Two Principles of Universal Design:1. Principle One: “Equitable use,” and says that a design should be “useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.”2. Principle Two: Design building elements and furnishings of an appropriate size and space for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of the user’s body size, posture, or mobility.3. Regulations spelled out in the Americans with Disabilities Act.Layouts within Selling Departments:1. Permanent Layouts: Predictable or comfortable for repeat shoppers. Seldom Change.2. Non-Permanent Layouts: Flexible and can changeWhen a fresh trend emergesSeasons changeWhich Layouts to Use:1. Every sq ft of a store must be profitable and often when retail space is leased, rent is based on sales per sq ft.2. When total sales ($) are divided by leased sq footage (store length x store width), the merchant is able to determine productivity or sales per sq ft.3. This number will determine where not only departments are placed with a store, but also where the merch within a department is placed.4. If a department shows poor numbers and has prime selling space, a floor move may be considered.Design Elements and Principles of Design:1. Elements: “Tools”ColorTextureProportionDirectionLineShapeSizeSequenceTension2. Principles: “Rules”UnityHarmonyBalanceRepetitionRhythmEmphasisContrastSurpriseColor1. People buy color before they buy size, fit, or priceNot everyone reacts the same way to a colorColor preferences change2. Color psychology: Very important in visual merch. Many theories have been formed concerning the effects of colors on people and their moods while shopping.3. Color Schemes:Monochromatic- One color in different vales and intensitiesAnalogous- 2 or more adjacent colors that reinforce each other and create a close harmony (Yellow with yellow-green)Complementary- 2 colors that are found opposite each other on the color wheel. They do not create close