The position was created in the 19th century, but it has only lately expanded and become crucial in the fashion sector.
Visual merchandising (VM) is all about maintaining a store's image and understanding how to give clothing and other items a neat, organized finish while respecting the brand's identity through a careful balancing of elements, including visual communication, aesthetics, sales analysis, and the planning of sales and promotional activities.
Shopping just got easier (and way more fun), and emphasizing the overall benefit of innovative technology elevates the fashion retail experience.
This research dives into how Gen Y shops currently, given that cutting-edge tech is revolutionizing fashion retail by taking a storm, leading to redefining Gen Y's fundamental buying preferences and habits.
It is a revelation that there is a connection between customer engagement, buying habits, and the power of visuals in today's retail world, driving the fashion sector in the fast-forward lane.
The study outlines the scope of personalization, as in a case for demonstrability, and how interactive technologies create engaging experiences and linkages that touch all senses: sight, touch, emotion, and action in the brand-building journey.
As base-case real-world examples, a bevy of global brands and retailers across the fashion and apparel industries showcase leveraging these technologies to enhance customer purchase journeys and build stronger brand connections and stickiness.
Let us delve into specific use cases of VM, which are real now, such as AI-powered virtual fitting rooms and interactive RFID displays that suggest complementary pieces and offer granular product details, creating a shopping experience that tailors or focuses on personalizing outfits just for you for customer delight.
A case in point is how these advancements have transformed brands like Levi's shopping experience, giving customers more time to try on clothes and less time to search for the right size or style.
Notably, data from the interactive displays also valuably helps Levi's insightfully understand customer preferences, leading to a more calibrated and measured approach to value product offerings and both brand & sales promotions.
The good bit is that this tech-infused strategy and embracing and adopting it religiously have revitalized the brand, attracted a new generation of shoppers, added customer bandwidth, and revived fortunes.
Looking ahead
Advancements in technology are transforming how we experience and consume fashion, as digitization is the buzzword and AI's of the world are at the doorstep.
Although we are still in the early days of optimally exploiting the technological advancements in the fashion sector, industry studies are insightfully predicting that this is the bucket where VR and AR adoption will radically shift consumer behavior.
Remarkable features inspire confidence, like virtual dressing rooms, giving a fillip to online businesses and thus building trust and loyalty.
Visual merchandising (VM) is a key part of fashion retail. Considering customers' buy-and-sell clothes practices are changing and switching smartly within multiple buying platforms (off-line and omnichannel), consumer research and trade insights categorically stress the need for guidance on navigating fast fashion, sustainability, and vibrant prudent value-seeking strategies in this ever-evolving dynamic market.
The future holds even more possibilities, with emerging technologies set to revolutionize how we shop.