Visual Merchandising

Visual Merchandising is

the art of displaying merchandise in a manner that is appealing to the eyes of the customer. It sets the context of the merchandise in an aesthetically pleasing fashion, presenting them in a way that would convert the window shoppers into prospects and ultimately buyers of the product. A creative and talented retailer can use this art to breathe in new life into his store products. Passion for design and creativity are essential to be a good visual merchandiser. A perfect design process and the ability to create ideas that are different are required. Awareness of happenings in fashion world is needed so as to keep up-to-date with the dynamics of the market constantly. Visual merchandising includes window displays, signs, interior displays, cosmetic promotions and any other special sales promotions taking place. Components of Visual Merchandising: There are certain things which a retailer needs to take care while proceeding with the process of displaying his products. These components when combined together in a proper proportion will make a successful outcome. Make merchandise the focal point: The main goal of display is to showcase the products within the overall display area. Customers give three to five seconds of their attention to window display. The retailers visual message should be conveyed to the customer in that short period of time. It should not be like an unsuccessful TV advertisement, where the product is forgotten altogether and only the concept of the commercial remains in the mind of the viewer. The arrangement of window display should go with the product and should not suppress them to make it discernible to the eye.

Right choice of colors is vital: Color is one of the most powerful tools in the Visual Merchandising segment. It is a visual perceptual property. Colors can be associated with emotions, special occasions and gender. It attracts attention and pulls more customers into the store. A retailer has to focus on the right choice of color that would match with the theme of display. It is not possible to satisfy everyone all the time, but it is possible to cultivate the taste of customers gradually and purposefully. A right choice of colors in the display items can turn walkers into stoppers and significantly convert them into customers. It is therefore mandatory to choose the right color for the right theme of display. A Halloween display would require black color in the display theme. Valentines theme should be ruled by red color supplemented with pink and white. A display of babys accessories should reflect light shades of pink and blue colors. A Christmas display should contain colors of red, green, gold and silver. Display themes to appropriately support the product: A theme is a display of sale items of similar categories e.g. a display of kitchen accessories. Its essential to have themes for all retail displays. They can be romantic, wild, or capricious, and capture peoples imaginations. A good theme will lure the customer with a shopping mood into the store. Themes mainly depend upon the retailers imagination and creativity. Focusing on the right theme rather than creating a display with expensive raw materials is the key to successful window display. A shoe store theme can be a group of elves buying shoes. A theme for display of casual wears can be a group of mannequins sitting casually at a get together in different poses. Related themes will tug the heartstring of the customers and will pay off.

Display should complement the retailers other strategies: The content of the display should complement the in store environment and other marketing strategies of the retailer. If the retailer has a specific logo, the colors of the display can reflect the same color of the logo. For e.g. MacDonalds display, the clown is of the same color, red and yellow as in their logo.

Cleanliness: Neat and clean arrangement is the foundation of an inviting a successful visual display. A beautiful display can be ruined by a cracked sign holder or an unclean display environment. Effective cleaning schedule of showcases and display fixtures is required. Change the display settings in frequent intervals: Changing the arrangement of the displays in regular intervals will initiate new interest about the products in the minds of the customer. By designing a plan-ogram and activating changes frequently one can thus be a proactive retailer. With globalization and the retail boom, visual merchandising is growing in leaps and bounds. It is not simply concerned about decorating a store beautifully; but must also symbolize the brand keeping the target audience in mind.

About Trent Trent is the retail arm of the Tata group. Started in 1998, Trent operates Westside, one of the many growing retail chains in India based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. In 1998 Tata sold of their 50% stake in the cosmetic products company Lakm to HLL for Rs 200 Crore (approx. 45 million US$), and created Trent from the money it made through the sale. All shareholders of Lakm were given different shares in Trent. Simone Tata, the chairperson of Lakm, went on to head Trent. The reason behind the sale was that Simone Tata saw a greater growth potential in retail, and believed that it would be much more difficult for an Indian company to release new cosmetic products in a market that had opened up to global companies. Retail stores Westside operates stores in: Mumbai, NaviMumbai, Ahmedabad,Bangalore, Delhi, Faridabad, Coimbatore, Chen nai, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat,Vadodara, Jabalpur, In dore, Noida, Gurgaon, Guwahati, Ghaziabad, Mysore, Jaipur, Lucknow, Nagpur, Ka npur, Raipur, Jammu, Mangalore and Goa. Star Bazaar Trent also operates the newly launched hypermarket, Star Bazaar which is situated in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Pune, Coimbatore and Mumbai. It is also opened Ampa Mall in Chennai. Landmark In Aug, 2005 Trent acquired a 76% controlling stake in Landmark, a Chennaibased privately owned books and music retailer and completed 100% acquisition in April 2008. Landmark currently has 16 stores.

The Westside Story This story began circa 1998 when the Tatas acquired Littlewoods a London based retail chain. This acquisition was followed by the establishment of Trent Ltd. (a Tata enterprise that presently operates Westside). Littlewoods was subsequently renamed Westside. In a rapidly evolving retail scenario, Westside has carved a niche for its brand of merchandise creating a loyal following. Currently, the company has 49 Westside stores measuring 15,000 to 30,000 sq. ft each across 28 cities. With a variety of designs and styles, everything at Westside is exclusively designed and the merchandise ranges from stylized clothes, footwear and accessories for men, women and children to well-co-coordinated table linens, artifacts, home accessories and furnishings. Well-designed interiors, sprawling space, prime locations and coffee shops enhance the customers shopping experience. Westside has garnered numerous accolades: Balanced scorecard Hall of Fame. India Brand Summit- Brand Leadership Retail IFA Visionary of the Year Award,2002- Mrs. Simone N. Tata Most Admired Large Format Retail Chain of the Year- Lycra Images Fashion Show Awards 2005 NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2006- Retail category

Westside @ R-City Mall R-City Mall, Ghatkopar, Mumbai Welcome to R City! The city with a fresh experience for the true shopper in you. With a blend of the best in shopping, entertainment and food, R City promises to provide you with a wholesome and unforgettable experience. The newest and most diverse shopping destination in Mumbai, this 12 lakh square feet mammoth shopping centre is one-of-its-kind with a multi-level retail galleria that balances a steady mix of the finest local brands and top-notch international brands. The sprawling multilevel parking, five-level atrium and first-of-its-kind nine-screen multiplex will provide the most vibrant experience to shopping enthusiasts from all walks of life. R City is destined to become Mumbai's leading entertainment and lifestyle destination that will raise the bar in providing an outstanding experience in Mumbai, where living, working, playing, shopping combine to form a city life of epic proportions. R City constantly strives to deliver an experience beyond imagination and promises to showcase the latest and best of fashion, entertainment and fun with a host of magnificent features and outstanding facilities. The breathtaking experience R City provides will leave everyone who visits the shopping centre asking for more.

Vision: To provide an experience that redefines shopping in Mumbai by balancing world class international brands with the best local offerings. To showcase the latest fashion, offer exhilarating entertainment, boast magnificent features, and provide outstanding facilities in a truly unique shopping environment.

Style, affordable prices, quality: these are the factors that have shaped West sides success story in the retail fashion stores business. Launched in 1998 in Bangalore, the Westside chain has, ever since, been setting the standards for other fashion retailers to follow. Westside stands out from the competition for a variety of reasons. One is that a majority of the brands the chain stocks and sells are its own, unlike retailers who store multiple labels. About 90 per cent of West sides offerings are home-grown, and they cater to different customer segments. The other 10 per cent includes toys, cosmetics and lingerie. Westside has recently expanded its range of merchandise by offering outfits from some of Indias bestknown fashion designers, among them Wendell Rodericks, Anita Dongre, K r i s h n a M e h t a a n d M o n a P a l i . Th i s i s a n i n t e r e s t i n g ma r k e t i n g s h i f t , s i n c e i t me a n s moving away from the chains only-ourown-brands concept. The age group of people visiting the store is in between 18-40. (Upper middle and middleclass) The attraction of the shopping is basically the female population. The movement of mens apparels is also mostly due to the ladies buying for the men.

 Arrangement of Departments in Store: Bath Dining Cook and Serve 2 fast 4 U Mens wear Mens footwear Women ethnic wear Jewelry & accessories Handbags Ladys footwear Customer service desk Womens western wear SRC Kids foot wear Kids wear Gifts Gia (it is the 1st provider of womens XL size t-shirts etc.) Lingeries

In case of visual merchandising all the category of clothes of all sizes and varieties are displayed and hence the consumption of space for shelves is reduced. And it s c o n v e n i e n t f o r c u s t o me r s t o c h o os e a n d f o r t h e a t t e n d a n t s t o s u p p o r t b u yi n g .

Services & Store Atmosphere in Westside Pre-purchase services include accepting telephone & mail orders, advertising, window & interior display, fitting rooms, fashion shows It provides post purchase service including shipping & delivery, gift wrapping, adjustments & returns, alteration & tailoring It also provides ancillary services including general information, check cashing, parking, restaurants, repairs, interior decorating, credit etc.

Private Brands in Westside 2F4U SRC Gia Urban angel Intima David jones Ascot Nuon

The Westside stores wear a bright, festive look and, in keep with the mood of the season, hosting a festival bright. With the sole objective of rewarding its loyal customers for their patronage, Westside has lined up a bonanza of surprise gifts. Every shopper gets a scratch-and-win card which e n t i t l e s t h e m e n t r y i n t o a c o n t e s t . The trendy household section has a complete new range of bed linen in elephant motifs, floral motifs and paisley design. The color palette for the festive collection includes flaming orange, royal blue and other vibrant colors to depict festivity. The gift section has a plethora of gifts terracotta pots, urns, knick-knacks and Diyas in beautiful colors shapes and sizes. The store has also introduced a new range of furniture and other household goods, including cabinets, butler trays and mirrors in wood with an a n t i q u e f i n i s h . An i n n o v a t i v e r a n g e i n w r o u g h t i r o n a n d r o p e h a s b e e n i n t r o d u c e d i n utility items which include magazine racks, folding stools, jam pots on trays and Ganesha in brass and terracotta.

Facing the challenge The greatest challenge for Westside in its quest for a place in the retail sun is not the competition from similar organized players, but from the unorganized sector. T h e o t h e r c h a l l e n g e f o r We s t s i d e i s t h a t t h e r e t a i l f a s h i o n b u s i n e s s i n t h e c o u n t r y i s becoming increasingly crowded with new players, Indian and foreign. Among the new entrants have been WillsSport, Lifestyle, Raymonds (Be), Globus, Nike, Crocodile, Mango and Marks & Spencer.

Promotions 1. Club west card program An assured return-and-exchange policy reinforces customer confidence in the chain. Another winning Westside idea is Club West, a customer loyalty program launched in M a y 2 0 0 1 . Th e me mb e r s o f t h i s c l u b g e t r e b a t e s a t r e s t a u r a n t s a n d o n holiday packages from the Taj Group of Hotels, home delivery of alterations, and best of all, special shopping hours on the first day of any discount sales event organized by the chain.

Important benefits of club west card Most attractive rewards shopping Instant use of the card Easy to operate Extra convenience Validity at all stores, Westside does its regular brand building through advertisements in the media with brand ambassador

M o r e i mp o r t a n t a r e i t s i n - h o u s e p r o mo t i o n s , wh i c h p e a k d u r i n g t h e t h r e e ma i n f e s t i v e s e a s o n s : s u mme r , Di wa l i a n d Christmas. The promotions are mostly theme based, with decorations to match, live bandstand other attractions.

2. Fashion logy

Westside had launched an ad campaign titled 'Fashion logy'. The campaign was designed to provide the buyer with not just clothing, but also guide and aid on dressing smart, s t yl i n g a n d a c c e s s o r i z i n g . T h e c a mp a i g n s e e s o n - g r o u n d a c t i v i t i e s a n d p r o mo t i o n s designed to interact with the consumer about their style. It included womens corporate wear, girls wear, and glam denim.

The Three Cs Corporate clothing is a major component of Westside merchandise. The emphasis here is on the three Cs: comfort, crispness and coordination, and the goal is to provide the complete corporate look, where color, clothes and accessories are mixed and matched in a manner that creates harmony between the person and the clothes he or she wears. West sides employees are given regular training for better interaction. Some things may take longer. The wish list, a tool for customers to let Westside know their preferences, cannot be realized immediately. Only if there is an optimum demand can the store look at fulfilling it. Gia, West sides brand for larger-sized requirements, was the outcome of one such need. The company identifies star employees in each store and designates them as coaches responsible for the training of their own store staff. Today, each store has three kinds of coaches a customer service coach, IT skills coach and a product knowledge coach. The success of this program has made it a benchmark for all Tata Group companies.

Westside provides four levels of service Self service- Self service is the corner stone of all discount operations. Many customer are willing to carry out their own locate compare select process to save money Self selection- Customers find their own goods, although they can ask for assistance Limited Service- Westside also offers services like credit, merchandizing etc. Full Service- S a l e s p e o p l e a r e r e a d y t o a s s i s t t o a ny p h a s e o f t h e l o c a t e compare select process. Customers who like to be waited own prefer these types of stores.

Marketing Strategies adopted by Westside Attract shoppers & keep them in stores- the amount of time shoppers spend in a store is perhaps the single most important factor in determining how much they will buy. Honor the transition zone- on entering a store, people need to slow down & sort out the stimuli which means customer will likely be moving too fast to respond positively. Dont make them hunt- put the most popular products up front to reward busy customer & encourage them to look more. Womens need more space- A customer especially a woman is far less likely to buy an item if her derriere is brushed by any other customer.

Some More Observations about Westside, R-City Mall, Ghatkopar: Store entrance is well lit, giving a bright and flashy impression to customers attracting them to get in the store. Creative window display showcasing the youthful brand Nuon was set up to attract more youngsters. Usage of props and interiors in a different way, by creating designs suitable to brand which they promote. Use of eye-catchy colors and structures which catch attention of prospective customers. Effective pillar branding with high quality photographs of models with which the customers can relate themselves. Also mostly international faces are used to give customers very rich and stylish feel of the collection. Lights are used strategically depending on highlighting specific brands and collections. Round, square and focus lights are used to point at various apparels. Creative callouts like, Hey Ma! Check out junior/senior/infants shorts/t-shirts are displayed.