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VM WORK Example - IB business
Business Communication (Canterbury Christ Church University)

BUSINESS: UNIT 16 - VISUAL
How Should We Set Out the Shop and Why?

Natasha
Barclay

Business: Unit 16 - Visual Merchandising

Contents
Introduction
...
Page 2
Display Techniques
...


Page 5

Examples of Further Display Techniques
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Page 11

How Visual Merchandising is affected by Legal and Safety Regulations
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Page 14

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Business: Unit 16 - Visual Merchandising
Introduction
As a part of my trainee manager apprenticeship at a major clothing retailer, I am to create a
report exploring visual merchandising and display techniques used in two contrasting
retailers Asda and Primark, what influences their buyer's behaviour as well as the legislation
and safety considerations of visual merchandising conducted within stores
...
The reason
for me choosing these contrasting fashion outlets is because the both aim towards different
markets
...
Their prices are competitive with other
supermarkets and so aim to those who do have some disposable income
...

Their target audiences are reflected in the way that they display their products and the way
their stores are laid out
...


Visual Merchandising
As a part of this report I have been asked to investigate the visual merchandising display
techniques that can be used within our retail outlet, I will be doing this by also comparing the
two contrasting businesses, Asda and Primark, mentioned before
...
The reason for using visual merchandising is to attract,
engage, and motivate the customer towards making a purchase
...
There
are some generic factors that every retailer would use when it comes to visual merchandising,
such as; using a story or theme with displays or products, coordination, colour or style blocks,
complimentary or contrasting colours and repetition (small product displays are repeated on
various shelves, this is effective in boutiques)
...

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Business: Unit 16 - Visual Merchandising
Places such as Harrods, in London, are known for their amazing displays especially when it
comes to Christmas, professional window dressers/ visual merchandisers are brought in from
around the world just to create their famously known displays
...
If the shop front and shop floor are unappealing and do not grab customers'
attention then it is likely they will not be motivated to want to buy from that retailer, instead
displays need to ensure that they are able to persuade the customer to buy from that store as
appose to looking elsewhere
...
Whereas, Primark solely sells clothing and so they focus all their attention
on displaying these products
...
Window, entrance, bottom of stairs/ escalators, high traffic aisles
and aisle end displays are often the most affective
...


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Business: Unit 16 - Visual Merchandising
Product Segmentation
When creating visual displays there are other things that retailers like Asda and Primark need
to take into consideration such as;
•

The theme- these could be displays around seasons
like Halloween, new school year, Valentine's Day etc or
even colour themes and events
...


•

Promotion and events- sometimes within window
displays and in store there are some displays offering
things such as half price, buy one get one half price,
January sales etc
...


When displaying products within retail, they are often separated into categories like;

Outdoor- these are things such as coats, shoes, umbrellas etc,
•

Casual- such as t-shirts, tracksuits, ‘lounge’ clothes
...


•

Maternity- in some retail outlets maternity clothes are available and are displayed,
however not all retailers stock them; it depends on their target audiences
...


Examples of Product Placement;
•

Window — Placing displays of the kind of
products sold within the shop at the shop
windows is what gives customers and potential
customers their first impression of the shop,
there are often mannequins within window
displays in order to give a visual as to what
some of the products inside the shop, look like
on, along with this and choices of colours such as the brands colour (Orange displays for
B&Q) this draws customers attention and make the shops and displays memorable
...


Primark's everyday window displays appear relatively simple and straight forward however
this basic display method is done for a reason
...
Primark's
primary customers choose to shop there due to their low prices; they feel when they enter the
store that they will find a ‘bargain’ and so a simple display reflects that idea, there is no
hassle and each product in store is a great value for money
...
During events such as New Year, they display clothing with sequins and livelier
colour choices, whereas Valentine's day they display Lingerie and eveningwear to almost
persuade customers to make a new purchase from them for the new season
...
However if they did invest in creating window
displays for their clothing range then it may increase their sales
...

•

Front end — Front end displays are at the end of each aisle, where more likely than not
promotions and discounts would be displayed as so to highlight them and draw the
attention of customers to that aisle and those products
...

Asda on the other hand, does display clothing/ accessories and food produce in Aisles
...
It is affective as it allows for
customers to clearly view most to all of Asda's clothing products
...

•

Aisle ends (end caps) — A the end of each isle there can
be a small display that draws the attention of the
customer, by drawing the customers attention is makes
them more willing to see what is down that aisle
...
It is often available for lease to a
manufacturer in a retail environment
...


Primark again does not have aisles and so this does not particularly apply to them, instead
they use techniques such as Gondolas and Freestanding displays so Primark can manipulate
displays in line with theme or season to encourage sales
...
At the end of
their food aisles they use the space to display one brand's products for each aisle, for example
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Business: Unit 16 - Visual Merchandising
the snack aisle they would display a brand of crisps, whereas for their clothing aisles the
space is used to display the newer products they are offering for example new gym leggings,
and they are often displayed with a slight discount in order to spike the interest of customers
...
The products placed her give the
first and last impressions as to what is on that floor and
so they are used to entice customers by showing the best
products first
...
The reason being for this is that displays here often highlight
products available for special occasions and so using either contrasting or complimentary
colours draw in customer's attention
...
This is effective as it keeps a good traffic flow and
means that most customers will look at more products then what they originally came in store
for, this overall boosts Primark's sales and overall profits
...
However for
those Asda supermarkets that do have multiple floors often free standing displays and
gondolas are used in order to quickly grab customers attentions before they move onto the
next floor
...
At the front entrance
the type of products you are more likely to see is the
seasonal merchandise and smaller sized high priced
items this is because it is more likely to be seen and
bought by customers
...
The reason they would chose this type of display is to instantly
draw in the attention of their customers, it convinces them to go further into the store
...
This type of strategy will help to increase profits
...
The reason for this is that
customers that shop in Asda know what they are going in
store for, and so having a clear division between sections
makes it easier for them to decide where to go first
...
This may be due to what they feel is
more likely to sell depending on the customer that come in and what they normally buy
...

•

At high traffic aisles — These are aisles where there is
the most amount of customer activity due to activities
such as promotions
...


Similar to aisle ends, Primark does not have aisles but does
however have free standing displays and gondolas
...
These particular areas make customers feel as though
they are getting an even greater bargain and therefore they may be more likely to purchase
more products
...

This kind of display strategy ensures that customers can work their way through each aisle
and see most of Asda's George products
...

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Business: Unit 16 - Visual Merchandising
Examples of further display techniques;
•

Mannequins, Busts and Forms- These forms of displaying clothing products in
particular are used in order to give a visual as to how the clothing would/ could look in
reality
...

Mannequins are often used as a focal point for displays and draw in customer's attention
...
With this they immediately
chose to remove them to avoid any further complaints as
well as any loss of customers
...

Opposite to Primark, Asda uses a few mannequins in store and not within window displays,
as again they do not particularly use them either
...
However this too could be seen negatively as
people come in varied shapes and sizes, therefore basic mannequins may not be that effective
for those who are not ‘average’ size
...

Missguided

have

launched

diverse

mannequins with stretch marks, hijabs and
Vitiligo
...
Stick thin mannequins
and models are not what people want to see when buying clothes; they want to see what
products would look like on diverse body types
...


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Business: Unit 16 - Visual Merchandising
•

Gondolas- These are personalised displays for specific products
...
They are often above or at eye level
...


•

Garment rails, slat walls and shelves- in many clothing retailers, products that are on
sale are displayed on garment rails, clothing such as t-shirts, shoes and jeans are often
shown on shelves and accessories are sometimes displayed on slat walls
...


•

Free standing displays- these are one of the most common display methods that are used
within clothing retails, they include stacks or islands that are found in the centre of shop
floors
...


•

Signage/ Branding- Branding are displays that use a variety of products from the same
brand
...
And signage clearly states the products that are available to draw
customer's attention
...
It encourages the
buyer to purchase matching items
...


Primark uses many gondolas within store; they often use them to display products such as tshirts, jeans, jumpers and shorts
...
Therefore customers could feel as
though they have more choice then what is just on the walls
...

Near Primark and Asda's tills/ Registers Dump tables, Bins and counters are used
...
What can normally be found
here are discounted products, beauty products and snacks
...

Primark and Asda use free standing displays for products like their shoes they are effective
forms of displaying products as retailers can display many at once
...

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Business: Unit 16 - Visual Merchandising
Due to Primark and Asda being ‘more affordable’ retail options, they do not sell any high end
brands
...
However they do place items that are similar
together such as gym leggings, sports bras and water bottles near each other as it encourages
their customers to purchase matching items as mentioned before
...
2 percent compared to the same period a year earlier’ this was in
particularly their clothing range ‘George’
...
As well as this, in recent years Asda have not been gaining a large amount of profits
however by the end of December 2018 Asda reports a 21
...
com,
this shows that their website may be just as effective as instore merchandising
...
Around seasons such as
Christmas and New Years the sales of party-wear increase
...


-

They display their food in contrast to how they display their clothing
...
This contrast draws customers
to either/ both sections and the market-like layout gives the impression that all the
fruit and vegetables available are organic and healthy, which is very appealing,
therefore it increases sales
...

Primark's overall displays have proven effective as they, As of 2018, were ranked as the
‘second largest clothing retailer in the UK, following Marks and Spencer, with a market share
of approximately seven percent’ as well as this success, over the last eleven years, Primark
has had an increase in overall revenue of approximately £5
...
In 2017 they generated
revenue of approximately £7
...

The key aspects that make Primark successful are that they;
-

Are often located on busy high streets
...
On the other hand, to add to this
success they have also opened a store in Bluewater Greenhithe a highly popular
shopping centre, in fact thousands of people attended their grand opening
...


-

Their window displays often display ‘on trend’ clothing and accessory items
...


-

As well as this, displays are changed regularly to grab attention
...


-

Their display techniques in-store maintains customer interest
...


Business: Unit 16 - Visual Merchandising

How Visual Merchandisin

is affected b

Le al and Safet

Regulations
Next, I have been instructed to explain how visual merchandising is affected by legal and
safety regulations as well as what Primark and Asda do, in order to gain a better
understanding as to how we use this in our store
...
This meant that employers ‘have a duty to protect the health,
safety and welfare at work of all of their employees
...

The main points to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (also known as HASAWA /
HSW) are that employers ensure that;
-

They follow the requirement for safe operations such as maintenance of the workplace
environment such as equipment and systems
...


-

There is safe usage and storage of chemicals and substance, such as cleaning products
...


-

Welfare provisions for staff
...
As
well as in consultation with employees
...
The
positioning of POS is crucial, and mistakes could result in the retailer such as Asda or
Primark as being classed as not operating legally, this also makes it easier for customers to
locate product prices, if they are unable to locate the price then they are less likely to make a
purchase
...
Product labelling is used in order to give
customers all the information they need about the
product they may wish to purchase
...
There are four main types of information that
are required to be on Product labelling, these are

s£y¥xaTt\•
§$p COTTON Iss Y}SC05E
$S ELA5fIN£
taa\s
...
With these types
of products retailers need to insure that they display the number of items within them, for
example the number of socks within the packaging
...
Asda would need to do this not
only with their clothing range, George, but also with each of their other products
...
It is extremely
important for retailers to ensure they clearly label the size of their products as well as
dimension of furniture (applying more to Asda then Primark) this is so that customers
know exactly what they are purchasing and whether or not it fits their personal
requirements, which will shape whether or not they choose to buy the product
...
Or for animal
rights activists, vegetarians/ vegans or anyone else, they would never purchase anything
made from animal fur or skin
...
Any missinformation would go against consumer rights
...
For example, many of Asda's fruits during the winter are imported from
warmer countries such as Spain and Italy
...
However many people do not like the idea of purchasing products made in
third world countries due to the minimum wages they are paid and so refuse to buy them
...
Customers
have a right to fully know what they are purchasing, where is has come from, its size, its
materials and its quantity
...
Ensuring that both customers and
staff are safe is imperative especially in regards to visual merchandising displays
...
In
addition if customers wish to pick up the items and take a closer look at them, retailers
need to make sure that they will still be safe if customers decide to put them back
...
They need to minimise the chance of
accidents when creating their displays
...
An example of this would
be mannequins used by both Asda and Primark, Asda uses mannequins in store and not in
window displays and so needs to prompt that mannequins are safely secured in case they
are touched or moved by customers and staff
...


-

The space surrounding displays needs to be taken into consideration, there needs to be
enough room that there cannot be injury of those putting up displays or those customers
looking at them
...
Since they are relatively low some may
not see them if the shop floor is busy and cramped, therefore there is they chance that
they could trip and cause injury
...


-

For Supermarkets that sell food as well as clothing, or clothing retailers that may also sell
snacks such as lolly's or chewing gum, you must take into consideration that anything
that can be consumed is at the correct storing temperature and meets all hygiene
requirements
...


-

When creating visual merchandising displays it is imperative that staff do not create any
tripping hazards or further safety concerns
...


Two Legislation acts that our store as well as Primark and Asda need to take into
consideration are the Price Marking Order (2004) whereby there is ‘an obligation to indicate
the selling price of all products in pounds (Sterling) and it must be easy for the customer to
see
...
The next is the Trade Descriptions Acts (1968)
and (1972)
...
All information given on a product must be accurate and up to date’
...

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Business: Unit 16 - Visual Merchandising
Consumer rights, as I mentioned previously customers have what is called Consumer rights,
according to [ CITATION Citl9 \1 2057 ] ‘The Consumer Rights Act came into force on 1
October 2015
...
On the rare occasions when problems
arise, disputes can now be sorted out more quickly and cheaply’
...
The news report is titled ‘Marks and Spencer
Mirror Fall Injures Swansea Boy, 4’ the story was posted on February 14' h 2011
...
The young boy's
mother said that he son had ‘a lucky escape’ after the mirror shattered and left the boy
covered in splinters
...
2m x 3m), the young boy simply touched the mirror on
the wall and it ‘came off the wall on top of him’ as a result, as mentioned before, the young
boy had ‘this oozing wound on his face and splinters of glass in his fingers and hands’ at the
hospital surgeons kept him ‘under general anaesthetic and he was kept overnight’
[ CITATION BBC11 \1 2057 ]
The example of poor Health and Safety checks conducted by Marks and Spencer's of their
displays goes to show the importance of ensuring all displays, including mirrors, are secure,
so that as best as possible nothing like this happens as it means serious repercussions for
businesses such as Asda, Primark and our clothing store
...
If there are any issues, such as anything resulting in injury,
it may result in prosecution
...
Some examples as to how this should be followed are;
Employers-

Ensuring the correct training is administered,
If it is required the correct PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) must be supplied
the workplace environment must be maintained to ensure that it is a safe place to work in

Employees-

If it is required the correct PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) must be worn correctly,

-

The workplace environment must be kept clean and compliant to the Health and Safety
regulations of the workplace by employees to ensure the safety of both them and their
colleagues
...

Careless staff
Inappropriate working surfaces
Obstructions over exits
Items being incorrectly stores
Staff messing around/ acting carelessly when doing their work
Untrained staff
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Business: Unit 16 - Visual Merchandising

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