Ani Nersessian (VM-ID): Visual Merchandising Significance

Retail Insider’s Craig Patterson and Ani Nersessian, Founder at VM ID Inc., discuss the role of visual merchandising in the retail sector. Nersessian emphasizes the importance of visual merchandising in creating inviting retail environments and enhancing customer engagement. She highlights the challenges small businesses face in visual merchandising, noting that it often gets neglected due to various operational demands. She advocates for the strategic use of visual elements to optimize retail presentation and elevate customer experiences.

Nersessian points out how larger companies set trends, and she discusses the importance of adapting these trends to fit the needs of smaller businesses. She shares her approach to consulting and package design, offering tailored visual merchandising solutions. Nersessian also touches on the psychological aspects of merchandising, such as customer navigation, product grouping, and creating an inviting space layout, which all contribute to the overall shopping experience and potentially increase sales.

Nersessian then goes on to talk about the practical aspects of visual merchandising, including the use of planograms, software tools, and the importance of experience over formal education in this field. She addresses the challenges of meeting tight client deadlines, especially during peak retail seasons, and the importance of adaptability in visual merchandising. The conversation concludes with a discussion on measuring the success of visual merchandising efforts, focusing on metrics like unit per transaction, average sales, and customer conversion rates. Ani emphasizes that visual merchandising is not just about aesthetics but is a critical component of the retail engine, driving sales and enhancing brand value.

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Background Music Credit: Hard Boiled Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/