Retail Resolutions: Are You Integrating the Vital VM Cycle in Your Business?
Happy “New Year, New Me” season!
With the holiday frenzy over, this time around comes with promises of resolutions and becoming the best version of ourselves. But what about resolutions for your retail business?
January brings calm to the retail storm, offering the best moment for a creative visual merchandising revamp! Our clients have found success by reevaluating their retail visual merchandising plans, starting with these fundamental questions:
“Are my ‘VM Cycles’ on target throughout the year?”
“How can we amplify our Visual Merchandising engine from the ground up, beyond seasonal and monthly tweaks?”
Before diving into your strategies, we want to share an important reminder that visual merchandising is never done - it has only just begun!
To prevent staleness and irrelevance in your space, follow this VM Cycle:
Seasonal Flips: Trends are set months in advance, so don’t be late to the seasonal party! Take a look at your neighbours and take note of how far in advance they are prepping your audience for the upcoming season. You'll likely notice your retail neighbourhood is about 1-2 months earlier than the actual start of the season. This means all of your key zones and focal areas should be reflecting the new season or the transition at this time.
For seasonal flips, you need to be equipped with a team that has been trained in executing seasonal flips, or is led by a knowledgeable, trained Visual Merchandiser.
Monthly Re-Sets: Contrary to the word “monthly,” these resets can be anything from 3 weeks to 2 months apart. The most common timelines are 6 weeks, in line with window display changeovers.
The goal is to re-work the areas that are now shopped over, as well as keep showcasing new arrivals and maintaining a fresh appeal for shoppers.
Weekly Refreshes: Keep your customers engaged and eager to explore by updating configurations and product features within your existing zones, creating an impression of ongoing freshness.
For maximum impact, entrust this task to someone who understands the store’s business requirements and guidelines, like a skilled visual merchandiser!
Daily Maintenance: Wouldn’t it be terrible to see hours of visual merchandising and set-ups disappear due to a lack of maintenance? The reason that some stores are not properly maintained by staff is due to a lack of knowledge of the importance and steps to do so.
Remember, educating your staff about brand standards is crucial for ensuring consistent and impressive display presentations!
Not familiar with the VM cycle? It’s time for a Visual Merchandiser to revamp your store, followed by a management schedule. At VM ID, we diagnose and optimize your visual merchandising to elevate your retail game with ongoing touch-ups and staff training.
Get in touch with us to learn more about our services for new stores and experienced retailers!