What is the difference between fashion merchandising and visual merchandising?
The visual merchandising team are the people in charge of designing the layout, floor plan, and the displays of the store in order to increase sales. The fashion merchandising team are the people who are involved in the production of fashion designs and distribution of final products to the end consumer.
Visual Merchandisers present, arrange and display items in stores and shop windows, that is, in crucial places where customers get to see, pick and buy products. The role came about back in the 19th century, but has grown only recently, becoming essential in the fashion industry.
The Role of a Merchandiser
A merchandiser works closely alongside both buyers and designers, with the ultimate goal of maximising profits for a fashion brand. They plan how many of each specific product ends up in stores, keeping to tight budgets and ensuring consistent stock flow.
Retail merchandisers may sell apparel, and a fashion merchandiser in retail would also be considered a type of retail merchandiser. However, retail merchandising is broader, and may also include selling such goods as furnishings, food, tools, electronics and pharmaceutical products.
| retail display | retail floor planning |
|---|---|
| retail merchandising | store display |
| store layout | window display |
Visual Merchandising and Its Role in Retailing:
The retailer aims to satisfy the customer as well as make profits. Visual merchandising is a means used to attract customers, keep them in-store to make planned and impulse sales.
Visual merchandising is presenting or displaying products in a way that makes them visually appealing and desirable. Things like themed window displays, dressed mannequins, the arrangement of running shoes on a wall, and fresh fruits organized by color are all examples of visual merchandising.
A thorough understanding of the fashion industry, excellent networking and communication skills, leadership, and a creative mind is needed for this role. They would work with major designers to get new information on current fashion trends, organize photoshoots, fashion shows, and magazine events.
As a fashion merchandising major, you'll learn all the ins and outs of the business with courses such as: Introduction to Fashion Marketing, The Marketing of Menswear, Introduction to Direct Marketing, Import Buying, Principles of Retailing, Financial Accounting, History of Costume, Product Development, Strategies of ...
The biggest difference between fashion marketing and merchandising is scope. Fashion marketing is primarily the advertising side of fashion, while fashion merchandising entails the entire process of fashion design to fashion sales.
How do you become a fashion merchandiser?
Required education
More than secondary education, merchandisers seek a degree in fashion merchandising from an accredited university. Programmes that teach you the skills of the industry may include a degree in fashion buying, branding, visual merchandising or a degree in merchandising, apparel and textiles.
- #1 Product Merchandising:
- #2 Visual Merchandising:
- #3 Retail Merchandising:
- #4 Omnichannel merchandising:
- #5 Digital merchandising:
Typical Work Environment for Fashion Merchandisers
Fashion merchandisers certainly don't sit at a desk all day. They use the computer and telephone to secure deals and plan displays, but more of their time is spent traveling or managing the retail environment.
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They are:
- Store exterior.
- Store layout.
- Store interior.
- Interior display.
To become a visual merchandiser, you'll typically need a bachelor's degree in art, marketing, graphic design, or a related field. However, earning a diploma in visual merchandising or experience working with Photoshop or visual design tools may also help you gain betetr job offers.
A Visual Merchandiser is responsible for planning and building displays that maximize impact on a day-to-day basis. They move equipment, create signage, arrange lighting and work with suppliers -all while maintaining close connections at wider retail levels such as negotiating prices or discussing marketing strategies.
