Visual Merchandising in today’s hostile retail environment
Tim Radley, speaking at London’s Retail Design Expo
Olympia, London: Wednesday March 11th – 2pm
Every retailer today is working in a hostile retail world, and every visual merchandiser in hostile environments.
The challenges that face both today are unprecedented in their complexity and the speed with which they need to respond effectively.
Working with an unpredictable product means VM needs to be flexible and reactive as never before. The multi-channel retail world can only work efficiently with complex grading and segmenting of the assortment not only by channel, but then by store performance and finally customer demographic, taste and buying patterns. The one VM solution fits all is a thing of the past.
Selling to unpredictable customers who are selecting, buying and collecting their purchases across channels and geographies and time periods creates a new flow of physical product between stores both operationally and aesthetically challenging. Factor in the problems of accountability and reward for stores that work hard without the direct sale, or indeed the receipt of unwanted purchases reflecting badly on their bottom line and store appearance and you realise that the hostile environment begins at home.
With so many different situations in which to create exciting and attractive displays the current dilemma for retailers and specifically visual merchandising is how to create consistent stores, if indeed they should be.
To educate or to demand compliance?
That is the burning question.
Come and listen to me speak about how Visual Merchandising has grown and evolved to face the challenges of today’s retail world, the VM toolbox that is required and whether technology is a help or a hindrance.
I am Tim Radley, founder of VM-Unleashed! and I will be speaking at the Retail Design Expo event at Olympia, London on Wednesday 11th March at 2pm.
I look forwards to meeting you there and answering your particular retail and VM questions. Many thanks and see you there.