Assignment Code: BRL-12/TMA/2022-23

Course Code: BRL-012

Assignment Name: Visual Merchandising & Store Management

Year :2022-2023

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Attempt all the questions.

(A) Short Type Questions 10x7

Q1) What is meant by store ambience? Explain in detail the elements to be taken care while finalizing a store ambience.

Ans) Along with window displays and in-store merchandise presentation, the store ambience plays an equally important part in the overall appeal of the store. The ambience should have a distinct stamp of the brand identity. To create the right kind of ambience that suits the brand image, merchandise and the customer profile, a visual merchandiser has certain elements at its disposal.

Visual Communication: All forms of visual signage employed in the store are referred to as visual communication or graphics. Each poster, banner, or piece of signage used in the business represents the brand and should be carefully chosen to reflect that image.

Lighting: Lighting plays a key role in the store's interior and exterior design, giving customers a nice initial impression of the goods and surroundings. Retail display lighting is a key design feature in and of itself. Setting the right scene to promote a product is vital. Dim or yellow lighting benefits a restaurant or high-end retailer. Yellow lighting makes products look more expensive and wealthier. A cheap store is well-lit.

Colours: Colour influences movement and mood. Warm colours excite and boost activity while cool colours rest. The interior colours, fixtures, artwork, etc. can have a big influence. Pink is feminine; orange and yellow are youthful; black, white, and blue are sophisticated.

Music: Many locations play music, from the hardware store to the grocery. Soothing music or something fresh encourages people to remain around displays, boosting visibility and sales. Different folks like different songs.

Scent: Scent is a sneaky and subtle way businesses manage clients. Freshly made bread attracts most people. Unconsciously, smells affect how we feel. A pleasant smell improves our mood and perception, according to study. Vanilla or cookie smells evoke childhood. Bread smells fresh. Calming lily smell. Poor salespeople might lose deals by offending customers. It's crucial to keep the store clean and odour-free at all times, especially in the fresh foods section, where rotting food could cause an unpleasant smell. Retailers use artificial fragrance dispensers to boost sales.

Textures: Textures and materials in retail fixtures and interior design influence brand perception. A store with only wooden furnishings is elegant. Metal fixtures are stylish and inexpensive. Brick or stone walls make a store look old and sturdy. Fur is expensive-looking and-feeling. Textures and materials should be consistent from the storefront to the changing rooms.

Q2) What do you mean by mannequins? Discuss its different types in detail.

Ans) Mannequins have been used to display and sell merchandise for decades now and are still the most favoured prop of visual merchandisers. They are the silent sellers of the merchandise. They should be utilized and handled properly. Maintaining the mannequins is very important as a broken or chipped mannequin can look very shabby and ruin the entire effect and drama required for an effective display.

Types of Mannequins

There are a variety of mannequins available in the market. It is important to choose a style of mannequin that suits the image of the brand. Different types of mannequin are as follow:

Realistic Mannequin: They are made to look as close to the humans body as possible, in terms of features, proportions, colour, hair and posture. They have clearly defined facial features, eyelashes, perfectly applied make-up and can wear a wig. Realistic mannequins are like supermodels they are beautiful and a little high maintenance, but their striking presence causes people to notice them. The hair is usually a wig with soft hair with natural texture which can be groomed and stylized to suite the theme. The face has a hint of makeup with subtle colours.

Semi-Realistic Mannequin: There are more or less like realistic mannequins with some significant changes. Either the colour could be any other colour that the natural human colour, or their features could a little over embellished, or their posture could be unrealistic, etc.

Headless Mannequin: Realistic or semi realistic mannequins with arms and legs but without the head are called headless mannequins.

Abstract Mannequin: They are usually dramatized mannequins with elaborate features, makeup, or proportions. The main intension is to add dram to the space. They can be mannequins with really long arms and legs, or exaggerated features, etc

Q3) Discuss the salient features of display approach for apparels.

Ans) The salient features of display approach for apparels are as follows:

1. End User/Category: While displaying apparels, the first and foremost approach is to segregate the products as per the end user i.e., men’s, women’s, and kids. This distension is both logical and practical from the retailer and customer point of view.

2. End Use/Subcategory: Following the basic category distension, the products should need sub-categories as per their end use i.e., formal/office, western, occasion and casual. Broadly sub-categorizing the products is like creating departments within the main category.

3. Brand: Following the category and sub-category space allocation within the store, displaying the products as per brands is a most strategic and convenient approach. In department stores, where floor space is rented to a large number of different brands, this display approach is given.

4. Style: Style is one of the most important criteria while displaying apparels. Most shoppers know what they want in terms of style. Hence clothes that have the same style should be displayed together side by side.

5. Age Group: Kid’s wear needs to be displayed as per age group as there garments can fall in a wide range of sizes. Apparels of toddlers especially need to be displayed as per age group as it is difficult to judge the required size for a toddler just by looking at it especially for a first-time buyer.

6. Material and Pattern: Denim, silk, cotton, polyester, etc. all should be displayed in their allocated sections. A lot of customers have a sent notion/perception or liking/disliking towards a particular material or patterns. Some may dislike wearing polka dots others may only wear cotton apparels, etc.

7. Season: The seasonal apparels should also be given a separate section or display space to promote them in-store.

8. Colour: Colours are strong deciding factor for most customers and need to use to attract the most attention and make the garments and display look more appealing. Every individual has a liking towards a particular colour and a dislike toward another. A strong colour blocking emphasizing the seasonal trend in colours can help improve the display appeal and sales. Grouping the apparels as per colour and cross merchandising based on colours can help boost the sales of a department and stores.

9. Promotion: Grouping products as per the ongoing promotion is a good way to promote the sale and reduce confusion.

Q4) What are the main categories of in-store merchandise presentation for fashion apparel? Discuss any two categories in details.

Ans) In such stores, classifications should be clear. Island displays and focus spots might alert shoppers of a category change. Some males don't like shopping near the lingerie area. Creating a visible separation between the two departments indicates a category shift. Separate them with accessories, footwear, or home fashion. Pin highlights accentuate garment accessories and features. Apparel categories are as follows:

Men’s Wear

Men's display clothing might be Western-formal and casual, Indian, sportswear, sleepwear, and undergarments. Western formals and casuals make up 65 to 75% of a menswear store's total category and should be displayed with care. Always start with western shirts and t-shirts, then pants and trousers, then suits and Indian clothing.

1. T-Shirts and Casual Shirts: These are best displayed on hangers to make the design and print more visible. Two/four-way racks or a round rack are best suited for this purpose. Alternatively, you can display the garments on a front/step/waterfall arm or side arm on a wall fixture.

2. Denims: These need not be displayed on the hangers as the usually do not have pattern or prints. A neatly stacked rack as per the design, colour and sizes should suffice.

3. Formal Shirts: Formal shirts unlike casual shirts and t-shirts may or may not be displayed on a hanger. Best way to merchandise formal shirts is to stack them on a wall or gondola fixture using strong colour blocking.

4. Formal Pants: Fabric and design are more noticeable and enticing when displayed on hangers. Side arm on a gondola or wall fixture works best. It should be exhibited with formal shirts for easier matching and cross-selling.

5. Indian Wear: Owing to the different patterns, designs, and textures Indian wear like kurtas, sherwanis etc. need to be displayed on a hanger to make visible the embroidery and style.

6. Sleepwear and Undergarments: Sleepwear like any other apparel can be displayed on the hanger or stacked on a shelf. Undergarments on the other hand come in a packed box can be displayed on pegs.

Women’s Wear

Women's dress is categorised into Western-formal, casual, Indian-formal, semi-formal, Sportswear, Sleepwear, and undergarments. Unlike menswear, Indian and western dress contribute equally to womenswear.

1. Western Wear: Western wear in women’s wear can further be divided into tops, shirts, dresses, etc. which all need to be displayed on a hanger to show the garment pattern and style.

2. Indian Wear: Indian formal and semi-formal attire can make up half of women's apparel and comes in many colours and designs. Colour blocking can be utilised to grab clients' attention. Kurtas and tops should be hung to maximise colour, pattern, and style. Salwar and churidar can be folded and layered with kurtas, making it easy to colour-coordinate.

3. Lingerie and Sleepwear: Women's underwear has a large range and should have a distinct section near the changing rooms. Lingerie styles, colours, and sizes can be exhibited.

Kids Wear

Kid clothes should be hung to show the pattern and style, as with other categories. Unlike men's and women's attire, kid's apparel comes in a wide range of sizes because kids are developing and vary in size and height. Kids wear is separated into boys, girls, western, and Indian. Sleepwear, underwear, and sportswear for kids should be displayed in their designated areas.

Q5) Describe the types of retail outlets catering for food and groceries category.

Ans) The types of retail outlets catering for food and groceries category are as follows:

Supermarkets: Self-service grocery stores that offer all varieties of food products from fresh fruits and vegetables to packed and processed foods along with household supplies and cleaners and other FMCG good are referred to as supermarkets. Other categories that this store may offer include personal care products and small range stationary product, etc. The average square feet size of these stores is around 1000sq. ft. to 2500 sq. ft. They are usually the chain of small and medium grocery stores that cater to the need of a fairly smaller local catchment area.

Hypermarkets: Larger forms of supermarkets are not only offer the standard food, personal care, and household product, but also caters to furniture, clothing, and other consumer needs. They are larger in size compered to supermarkets and offer a wide assortment of products and brands within a category. The average size of a hypermarket can range from 3500 sq. ft. to 5000 sq. ft. and larger. Owing to the fact that they offer a huge option in all the categories they have a wider audience and a wider catchment area.

Neighbourhood/Kirana Stores: Also known as convenience stores, these are the traditional grocery stores that offer food and non-food product for sale. With the robust growth of the organized retail sector and the spread of supermarket and hypermarket chains, these traditional outlets are slowly reducing in number and size especially in large cities.

FMCG: The term Fast Moving Consumer Goods refers to those retail goods that can/or have to be use and finished within a short period of time say within days, weeks, or months. This is either due to their short shelf life or because they have a high consumer demand. FMCG companies are the companies that product these fast-moving products and sell their manufactures goods through the retailers to the direct consumers. FMCG form a large part of the overall products offered to the customers in any food and grocery store or supermarket.

Q6) Discuss the essential features for effectiveness of Food and Beverages.

Ans) The essential features for effectiveness of Food and Beverages are as follows:

Cleanliness: It is the most crucial of them all. At the front of the store table tops, chairs, the windows and doors, floor, walls need to be spic and span as this is the part where the customer will be spending his time. If he finds this area dirty and unhygienic, the customer will start questioning the hygiene in kitchen and will lose confidence in it. This might result in a loss of a potential patron. Similarly, behind the service counter and or kitchen the hygiene needs to be maintained to the fullest. A food retailer cannot afford to make its customers sick and expect to run a profitable business.

Timely Service: Today’s irritated customer is a future patron lost. There is no point keeping a customer hungry and waiting. If delay does happen the customer need to be informed why and apologized to, for a better customer service. Apart from providing customer satisfaction, timely service can help in increase turnovers as well. Prompt and speedy service will make sure that the customers get what they want and are satisfied and ready to leave the outlet making room for new customers. This in no way means that the customer should be rushed which can again put off the customer from returning to the outlet.

Friendly Service: A welcoming and friendly service is a given in any service industry. The customers should be greeted and made to feel welcomed and comfortable.

Signage: The service signs like washrooms, toilets, fire escape and directions should be clear and easily understandable. There is no point to have fancy icon that nobody can understand. They should be placed at a height that is visible to the customers.

Q7) Discuss the essential features of visual merchandising. Also explain the pre-requisites while planning for visual merchandising.

Ans) While going through the process of displaying his wares, a retailer must be mindful of a few things. When these elements are blended in the right proportions, the result will be successful. The following are the key components of visual merchandising:

Make Merchandise the Focal Point: Displays emphasise merchandise in available space. Three to five seconds are spent on the window display. The buyer should see the retailer's visual message in that time. It shouldn't be like a terrible TV commercial, where the audience forgets the product. The window display should complement the product, not obscure it.

Appropriate Colours: Colour is a powerful merchandising tool. Visual perception characteristic. Colours can represent emotions, events, and gender. It brings in new customers. A shop should choose colours that match the display's theme. It's difficult to please everyone, but you may gradually and carefully mould clients' tastes. Colour choices can boost the amount of walkers turned into buyers.

Supportive Theme: A theme is a group of linked products, like kitchen supplies. Store displays need themes. Irrational, romantic, or wild. A captivating topic attracts shoppers. Shopkeepers' ingenuity and creativity determine themes. Great window displays focus on a concept rather than expensive raw materials. Elves buying shoes might be a shoe store's theme. A cluster of mannequins sitting leisurely can be used to display casual apparel. Emotional themes sell.

Display should Complement other Strategies of the Retailer: The display's content ought to go well with the retailer's other marketing initiatives as well as the atmosphere inside the store. The colours of the display may match the retailer's distinctive logo colour if it has one.

Cleanliness: Successful visual displays are built on a foundation of orderly and tidy layout. A damaged sign holder or an untidy display area might destroy a lovely display. It is necessary to maintain a thorough cleaning routine for display fixtures and exhibits.

Change the Display Settings in Frequent Intervals: The customer's interest in the products will be piqued again by changing the display layout on a frequent basis. Being a proactive retailer involves creating a planogram and frequently implementing modifications. Visual merchandising is booming thanks to globalisation and the retail boom. Not only must a store be tastefully decorated, but it must also represent the brand while keeping the target market in mind.

(B) Essay Type Questions. (15x2)

Q8) What do you mean by Exhibition space? Discuss the points to be taken care while planning for exhibition space.

Ans) Over the past few years, nearly all industries in India have seen a considerable increase in the number of trade shows and exhibits held. Every year, these industries interior, furniture and art, architecture and construction, cars, jewellery, and more come together to host a sizable trade show. Additionally, other parties outside retailers take involved. These events draw suppliers, manufacturers, and merchants from all around, making them a large event and a fruitful market for booth design. When making plans for an exhibition space, the following considerations must be made.

Stall Design: You must review the designs as a visual merchandiser to ensure that the integrity of the visual brand identity is upheld. The usage of all materials, design forms and patterns, brand logo positioning, and visual aesthetics should all adhere to the company's policies and image. It is not only about designing a striking stall and employing special materials. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend the company's business model and the goods and services it offers. One of the most important requirements for a booth is to give the sales employees a safe place to keep their belongings as well as a place to store brochures and other distribution materials. Once the show starts, there shouldn't be any extraneous items on the booth floor. The chance for covert storage space is provided by the information desk.

Floor Plan: The type of business the company runs or the product category on exhibit will determine the floor plan of this area. A real estate booth needs lots of seating so that visitors can be entertained and informed about the construction projects. On the other side, a manufacturer or provider of interior décor will need a large amount of display space for their goods, such as wall coverings, textures, and any novel items or methods they offer. A more effective approach to use the hired space might be to set up a mimic arrangement where customers can walk through several showcase rooms or areas. The hired display space should be utilised to the fullest extent possible, with no space being lost pointlessly.

Information: The fundamental goal of trade shows and exhibits is to raise consumer awareness of a company's offerings in terms of goods and services. This goal should be furthered by the graphics and visuals utilised at the booth by providing details about the business, its products, or just the brand identity. In order to raise awareness during these events, informational brochures, booklets, and leaflets are essential. The arrangement and design should be carefully considered.

Q9) What do you mean by balance? Explain the different types of balance while planning to display the merchandise in a store.

Ans) Balance refers to the weight and balance of components on two sides of a display. Balance is based on the equals principle. The distribution of the design elements inside a space is referred to as the design's sense of balance. The goal is for the area to have a harmonious aesthetic quality. Imagine a line running through the centre of the design; this will give you two planes on which you can assess if the design elements are balanced. This is the greatest way to understand balance.

Two primary types of balance are as follows:

Formal Balance or Symmetry: Formal equilibrium is achieved when the same object is positioned on both sides of the area. Because it employed the same fundamental component on both sides, it is simpler to understand. It's crucial to realise that while the two sides share some fundamental characteristics, they don't exactly mirror one another.

Informal Balance/Asymmetry: It produces exhilaration and a sense of flow or rhythm. The display's two sides appear to be equally important, but they are not exact copies of one another. An expanse of empty space, a brilliant colour, or a burst of lights can all serve to counterbalance a huge object. One bright colour can counteract several soft colours in a broad space since the bright colour’s intensity will make up for its tiny size. Different items are used in informal balancing, but the optical weight is preserved on both sides. The basic shapes of the elements utilised don't have to match, but by arranging various parts effectively, an optical balance in the weight of both sides of the space can be established.

While planning a display, you should consider the following points concerning balance:

1. Pastel colours will be overpowered by very vivid colours.

2. The large item will be overpowered if multiple small objects are more intriguing than it.

3. A vast vacant area will draw attention to a single object if it is placed there.

4. The area on either side of a component becomes crucial if it is positioned off-centre or at an angle.

5. Because an object's shape is predictable when it is centred, the empty space loses significance because it is less recognised as a separate piece.