In a retail business, it is essential that the merchandise is displayed and presented in a manner that is appealing and eye-catching. Only then will it draw the attention of customers and persuade them to buy the products. Hence, in the fashion retail trade, the visual display of goods can have a big impact on sales, and what can be a better option than mannequins to display one's products?
A perfect skin, ultra-thin waist, and long beautiful legs—they pop out from the windows of a shop, tempting us to give a look while passing by the store. This is the world of mannequins. There are numerous methods to promote a brand and its sales, and mannequins are used as one of these methods to showcase the merchandise. The word "mannequin" is derived from a Dutch word, 'manneken,' which means 'small man.'
It is a model of the human body used by retail store owners to display their merchandise. Retailers use various techniques to display their products to attract potential buyers, and mannequins help the retailers draw customers into their stores.
For a layman, mannequins are dolls or dummies that showcase the latest trends of the store. They are important tools of the retail business. They first communicate with customers through visual merchandising. Displaying fashion apparel of the store is the first step to entice probable customers into the store. Furthermore, it gives free publicity to the store's collection. Retailers put up the best clothes on the mannequins to allure customers to their stores.
It is a natural phenomenon that customers see the window display of the store first. The customer decides to enter the store based on the information they can gather from the window display. Mannequins add value to the merchandise. They draw attention to the collection of the shop and lure customers to buy garments, thus generating income for the store.
Displaying is not the only purpose of mannequins. Customers should also understand the usage of the product, and this is where mannequins come to the rescue. Mannequins can give a complete understanding of the utility of the product. For example, each occasion requires different clothes, like sportswear for playing games, a bridal gown for a wedding, or swimwear on a beach. Mannequins can effectively showcase which apparel to wear, when, and how.
Sincemany years mannequins have been used as a valuable tool in apparel retailbusiness. When the clothes are displayed at the store using the mannequins, thecustomer can analyze all the aspects of the garment before entering the store.If the mannequins are able to impress the customers with their beauty and theclothes they wear, it becomes very easy for the retailer to sell hismerchandise.
Whenmannequins are such important tools of retail business, there are some pointsto be considered while selecting a mannequin. Firstly, they should not beheavy. Their shape and size should gel with the clothes they will drape. Theclothes must be well fitted on the mannequin. They must look pretty and mustnot be dirty with stains. Lastly, the clothes should be changed at regularintervals and they must be relevant with the season and trends.
Moreover,mannequins are not only responsible to sell the clothes they wear but otherproducts are also sold due to them. For example along with a dress, itsaccessories will be sold as they complement the dress very well. Mannequinsdisplay what kind of collection do the stores have and what can the storedeliver to the customer. They sometimes become a guiding light to a particulararea of the store as they are the most evident thing in a store.
Nowadays,mannequins have become an important aspect of the interior design of the store.They enhance the ambience and traits of the store. Moreover, the way the mannequinsare dressed and presented tells what type of clothes and customers the storewill accommodate. The faade of the mannequins must add the zest that customerlooks for; in a store.
Mannequinsare the creation of skilled sculptors who give life to them through their work.At present various types of mannequins with different postures are available inthe market. In apparel business, mannequins in form of men, women and childrenare usually employed. Moreover, there are mannequins in form of head alone orheadless or just the upper body. It can be used depending on the need of theretail store.
Mannequinswhich can be inflated are also found in the market. Using mannequins with glasseyes, expressive faces, real hair are in fashion. Apart from using wigs,hairstyles are also carved on the mannequins when they are made. Moreover, theyare also available with different shades of skin. These effects and additionsmake the mannequins look and feel humanlike.
Furthermore,mannequins are also used to showcase jewellery, eyewear, footwear etc. In thesesituations, full mannequin is not required. For example only head can be usedto display eyewear, earrings, nose rings. To display bangles and bracelets,hands are required, and footwear or anklets can be displayed by using only thefeet.
Mannequinsare of a great help for both the retailers and the customers. When any fashiontrend or style is introduced, we can first see it on them. They are the oneswho tell the people what products have arrived in which store. Retailers makesure to change the dress of the mannequins regularly and adorn with theirlatest collection. Today most of the stores use mannequins to create aparticular atmosphere or give a certain feel to the store.
Onecan find a variety of options to select mannequins as per the need. They arestrong and not very expensive. The female mannequins present female clothingvery well and so do the male mannequins enhance the male garments.
Todaymannequins play a prominent role in the retail apparel business. They haveundoubtedly become effective and commanding tool to attract customers forretailers worldwide. They add great value to the products and growth of retailbusiness.
References:
1.Indianretailer.com
2.Streetdirectory.com
3.Managementstudyguide.com
4.Experiencefestival.com
5.Inter-disciplinary.net
