Visual merchandisers play a dynamic role in bridging the gap between brands and retail partners. By leveraging technology and data, they enhance in-store experiences, align brand messaging, and drive sales across physical locations.
Let’s explore how digital tools empower merchandisers to create engaging, customer-centric retail environments that benefit both brands and retailers.
The evolving role of visual merchandisers
In an era where 73% of purchasing decisions are made in-store but 82% of shoppers consult their phones while shopping, visual merchandisers have the opportunity to create a critical bridge between digital and physical retail experiences.
Visual merchandisers are strategic partners, leveraging technology to gather insights, adapt to trends, and ensure consistent brand representation across stores. They craft immersive in-store experiences that reflect the brand's identity, engaging customers and encouraging exploration. Research shows that 90% of the information that reaches our brain is visual, emphasizing the importance of creating engaging visual experiences in the retail environment. From Adidas's AR-powered product displays to Burberry's virtual try-ons, innovative visual merchandising with tech transforms how brands connect with customers and drives sales.
By analyzing data, visual merchandisers optimize product placement and display effectiveness to maximize impact. Studies have found that effective visual presentation can increase sales by up to 30%.
Collaborating closely with store teams, Brand Reps execute promotions, maintain brand standards, and ensure a cohesive customer experience. Keeping up with the latest retail trends and what customers want helps visual merchandisers create displays that are both eye-catching and relevant, which ultimately leads to more sales.
Harnessing technology for enhanced collaboration
Effective communication between brands and retailers is essential for success. Visual merchandisers use technology to streamline this collaboration, ensuring that in-store execution aligns with brand strategies and customer needs.
Visualizing concepts with AR
Augmented reality tools allow merchandisers to visualize and test display concepts, saving time and resources while optimizing layouts. For example, it can enable teams to adapt quickly to changes in foot traffic and consumer behavior, testing new designs without disrupting traffic, and empowering real-time adjustments to merchandising strategies.
Real-time feedback and approvals
Digital platforms enable merchandisers to receive instant feedback and approvals from brand teams, ensuring consistent execution across locations. Real-time compliance apps like ThirdChannel's mobile platform allow merchandisers to capture store conditions, track inventory, and receive instant feedback from brand teams.
Maintaining brand consistency
With easy access to digital brand guidelines and checklists, merchandisers can easily maintain brand standards and address any discrepancies.
Streamlining team communication
Technology facilitates seamless communication between merchandisers and store teams, allowing for efficient implementation of changes and updates.
Leveraging data for customer-centric merchandising
To create engaging in-store experiences, visual merchandisers rely on data to understand local customer preferences and behaviors. By analyzing insights from various sources, they can tailor product selections and displays to resonate with specific shoppers. A study found that customers tend to perceive products displayed on well-lit, technologically enhanced displays as 20% more valuable.
As retail evolves toward true omnichannel integration, visual merchandisers must adapt their strategies across different retail segments:
- Luxury: Focus on creating premium, tech-enabled experiences that maintain brand exclusivity
- Mass Market: Optimize for scale and efficiency across large store networks
- Specialty: Create authentic brand moments through targeted technology deployment
To ensure presentations are effective, the truth is in the data. Key metrics to dig into include:
- Sales performance by location and product category
- Customer demographics and lifestyle preferences
- Regional trends and seasonal patterns
- In-store foot traffic and engagement metrics
With access to real-time data, visual merchandisers can adapt quickly to emerging trends, ensuring displays remain relevant and appealing. This customer-centric approach builds loyalty and drives sales.
Empowering visual merchandisers with mobile tools
Mobile technology has transformed the way visual merchandisers work, enabling them to stay connected and responsive even when managing multiple store locations. With instant access to critical data through mobile tools, merchandisers can monitor inventory levels, track product performance, and make informed decisions on the go. These devices also allow them to document in-store conditions by capturing photos and generating reports, providing real-time visibility into store compliance and display effectiveness.
Mobile apps facilitate seamless communication between merchandisers and brand teams, enabling real-time guidance and approvals. Digital task lists and compliance tracking features streamline task management, helping merchandisers stay organized and ensure all store locations meet brand standards. By empowering visual merchandisers with mobile tools, brands and retailers can optimize in-store execution, adapt quickly to changes, and maintain a consistent brand experience across locations.
Driving measurable results through data-driven merchandising
The ultimate goal of technology-enabled visual merchandising is to deliver tangible business outcomes.
Increased sales and conversions
By optimizing displays based on data insights, merchandisers can drive higher sales and conversion rates. Implementing omnichannel visual merchandising strategies, which often incorporate digital elements, can lead to a 15% increase in online sales.
Enhanced customer engagement
Data-driven merchandising helps create experiences that resonate with customers, fostering brand loyalty and repeat visits.
Improved inventory management
Real-time data enables merchandisers to monitor stock levels and optimize product assortments, reducing waste and increasing efficiency.
Brands that embrace data-driven merchandising are better equipped to stay ahead of trends, maximize the impact of in-store displays, and achieve a strong return on investment.
The ThirdChannel approach: Empowering merchandisers through technology
At ThirdChannel, we're passionate about maximizing the potential of visual merchandisers (also known as Brand Reps) to deliver results through innovative technology and deep brand alignment. Our unique approach combines data-driven insights with a hands-on touch, empowering merchandisers to go beyond aesthetics and drive real impact. For example, when working with Bose, ThirdChannel's technology-enabled merchandising strategy resulted in:
- 146% sales increase at locations optimized by Brand Reps
- Over 15,000 store associates trained on new products
- $330,876 in additional sales directly attributed to the impact of Brand Rep visits
By equipping merchandisers with tools to monitor stock levels, analyze display effectiveness, and relay feedback directly to brands, we enable them to make informed decisions that improve product visibility, streamline inventory management, and drive consistent brand messaging. Our brand representatives serve as a powerful bridge between online strategies and in-store realities, ensuring that brands' visions come to life in ways that resonate with shoppers.
Moving forward
Technology is revolutionizing the way brands and retailers work together, empowering visual merchandisers to bring brand strategies to life more efficiently than ever before. As retailers continue to blur the lines between digital and physical shopping experiences, visual merchandisers will play an increasingly crucial role in creating seamless brand experiences. By leveraging the right mix of technology and human creativity, they can help brands stay competitive in an evolving retail landscape while driving measurable business results. With the right technology merchandisers are streamlining communication, enhancing transparency, and providing real-time insights, driving better outcomes for both brands and retailers.
This synergy creates a winning formula that drives stronger partnerships, enriched customer engagement, and sales growth. As technology continues to advance, visual merchandisers will play an increasingly pivotal role in shaping the future of retail, delivering immersive, data-driven experiences that captivate customers and elevate brand performance.