Why don’t we go to the market and look at the shops! These women can’t live without looking at the clothes and jewelery shop, in the same way men’s eyes are fixed on the bike or car show-room. There is an art in the way things are arranged in shops, at different outlets or in malls. This is known as Visual Merchandising. Visual Merchandising is the act of decorating an object in any way that pleases the eye.
The visual merchandiser has to decorate the items in the show beautifully. So that people are attracted to the outlet and motivated to shop. As you walk along the road you will notice that some of the shops are very nicely decorated. The display is changing daily. While in some shops one of the displays is seen daily. This display has a very good effect on the customers.
If it is nicely displayed, then the idea of how good or good it is is definitely clicking in our mind. Visual Merchandiser arranges these displays in most malls and large shops. In a way, Visual Merchandiser plays a very important role in the sale of an item. The visual merchandiser has to try to perform their operations well using the product, environment and available space. This is not the end of the story. It is the job of Visual Merchandiser to provide information to consumers only through displays, to create a desire to buy in consumers and to display in a way that ultimately leads the customer to buy the item.
The person involved in this work is known as VM (Visual Merchandiser). For the display he has to synchronize the color graphic, light, space, product information, scent, touch, sound etc. with the continuity of technology. He has to play the role of supervisor who makes the shop beautiful. He also has to coordinate with the sales team.
In the same way that specialization can be done in different subjects in the medical faculty, in this course also one can study in any one subject.
About seven different topics are available here:
- Retail Store Layout
- Store Decoration
- Window Display
- Photo – Styling
- Interior Decoration
- Exhibition Design
In all these subjects certain courses are common, which are taught in each Specialized subject.
- Fundamentals of Retail
- Consumer Behavior
- Fashion and Styling
- Digital Modeling
Educational Qualifications
Students can join this course after passing 12th standard. Students who have studied Diploma after 10th can also do Visual Merchandiser course. The subject of Visual Merchandiser is also taught in the courses of Fashion Technology and Fashion Designing.
In addition to graduate and post graduate, diploma and certificate courses are also available in this course. The duration of diploma and graduate courses is one to three years. While post graduation is mostly two years. The duration of the certificate course ranges from six months to one year. Students must have completed graduation in Fashion Technology and Fashion Designing to participate in workshops organized at institutes like National Institute of Fashion Technology. Some institutes offer certificates in this course. However, for that the student needs to have knowledge of fashion and interior designing. There is no age limit for joining this course. Anyone who has passed 12th standard can join this course.
Employment Opportunities
There was a time when there was no special awareness about Visual Merchandising in India but from time to time India’s entry into the global market increased the understanding about VM. Different industries started investing in India, which also had a significant impact in the field of Visual Merchandising. International companies resorted to VM to attract customers. Due to which there is a lot of opportunity in this field now. Different educational institutions also provide Campus Placement along with the syllabus.
With the mall culture and company outlets, the field of VM has boomed. After this study the student can join different company outlets. Visual Merchandiser is stopped at Hotel Lounge, Boutique, Designer Shop, Digital Stores, Electronic Shop, Jewelry Shop etc. Students can engage in this business personally. Contract Base can work and sometimes VMs are hired by private companies and assigned to different locations.
Job Profile
- Visual Merchandiser Assistant
- Visual Merchandiser Director
- Visual Merchandiser Co-ordinator Consultant
- Lecturer
- Visual Merchandiser Manager
- Team Leader
- Category Manager
- Market Researcher
Where can you Work?
- Retail Stores
- Exhibitions
- Fashion Houses
- Museums
- Boutiques
- Shopping Malls
- Five Star Hotels
- Event Organizing Company
Salary
In this business a person can earn around fifteen thousand initially. Salary then increases as the profile increases. If you have a personal contract based job then you can earn good money even after experience.
Educational Institutions
- National Institute of Fashion Technology New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad
- National Institute of Fashion Designing, Chandigarh
- J.D. Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi
- Wigan & Leaf College, New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune
- Arch Academy of Fashion Art Design, Jaipur
- Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad
- National Institute of Retail Management, Ahmedabad
- Indian Retail School, Bangalore