• 63% of shopping occasions shopping events begin online (Thinkwithgoogle, 2018)
• Learn about product merchandising and the three most common types of product merchandising.
• Gain the ability to discern the difference between the three different types of merchandising.

Have you ever heard of the term "product merchandising"? For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, product merchandising is the process and the practice of a business displaying their products either in-store or online to customers.

While this seems like an obvious step for a business, many factors contribute to successful product placement and merchandising. In fact, retailers can use specific merchandising strategies to influence a customer's purchasing habits and boost sales and revenue.

Establishing the ideal merchandising strategy for your business will vary on a number of factors that include the needs of your target audience, product sector and whether you are displaying your items in a brick and mortar store or on a retail website.

Depending on your business's industry, strategies will also vary based on the most effective means of reaching your particular target audience and customer base.

Let's have a look at a few types of merchandising that are most used in the market today.

1. Retail Merchandising

As the name suggests, retail product merchandising encompasses displaying and promoting products in a physical retail store. This can include pop up stores, booths at flea markets or festivals and brick and mortar stores.

Merchandising in a physical retail store takes some creativity as business owners need to develop attractive displays that look good, speak to the consumer, and influence their purchasing habits. This can be done in various ways ranging from innovative window displays to interactive signs and adverts that are strategically placed around the store.

However, it's important to note that while retail merchandising happens in-store, 63% of ALL shopping occasions begin online, so even if own a brick-and-mortar retail store, it's absolutely essential that your business is online.

2. Visual Merchandising

Visual merchandising is rather similar to retail merchandising but specifically refers to the display techniques to highlight the appearance of a retailer's products and services. This includes the floor plan layout, colour schemes and three-dimensional displays that boost the attractiveness of a business's products and services.

Visual merchandising isn't limited to just in-store displays and tactics but extends to digital as well. Visual merchandising online could include enhancing user interface, web design, and other visual elements to highlight the features and benefits of a product or service.

When considering how you can improve your website's visual merchandise capability consider:

• Eye-catching GIFS, photos, and videos
• The colour schemes you use on your website 
• If your website is easy to navigate and user-friendly

Improving your visual merchandising online and in-store is a sure-fire way to find and connect with more customers.

3. Digital Merchandising

Last but not least, let's have a look at digital merchandising. With the ever-increasing numbers, when it comes to online purchases it's no surprise that digital merchandising is now more important than ever.

Digital merchandising consists of all promotional activities a business engages in to promote its products and services online. This includes having a professional website to showcase items on, digital marketing, social media presence and even email marketing strategies.

Many businesses choose to focus on achieving a particular signature look on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, often utilising similar colour schemes, fonts and photography styles for all posts.

Digital merchandising is by far one of the most successful avenues of product merchandising in today's digi-centric world, which is why it is always recommended that businesses pay close attention to their online presence.

Summing Up

Most businesses use a combination of various product merchandising strategies to further propel their business into a success. When it comes to product merchandising, there is no such thing as one size fits all. Depending on your products, services and target audience, you may wish to utilise one type of merchandising over another.

A holistic style is always the best choice to be sure that product merchandising is truly one of the best ways a business can not just increase sales and revenue but also attract new customers to your business.

Editor's Note:

Thanks for reading our article by Lauren Williamson. We hope it has helped you gain a better understanding of product merchandising. If you still have questions or want to learn more, head to our Sales Strategy group where you can connect with sales experts and other businesses.