Visual Merchandising Workshop Autumn Fair 2025
This month I was asked to run a Visual Merchandising Workshop for the 12,000 + retailers who attended this year’s Autumn Fair 2025, held at The NEC Birmingham.
The workshop focused upon my industry insights on Visual Merchandising techniques and trends to assist retailers on creating a successful festive period for both physical and digital retail.
Key highlights from my workshop included ;
Key VM Principles – My top recommendation to my retailers and students is to obtain an understanding of how to apply the four Visual Merchandising principles, which include the presentation methods
Symmetrical, Asymmetrical, Repetition and Alternation. These principles can be applied to your window space, in store Visual Merchandising and to E-Commerce Retail.
Window Dressing – When creating your shop window display, consider your customer profile and brand style to create a strong, consistent message for the customer. The average turnaround time scale of
a store window is 4-8 weeks, this helps to create regular newness for your customer. Remember to create impactful eyeline level height within your window, the principles of
Symmetrical and Asymmetrical pyramids will help you to achieve this. The top of your pyramid should reach the eyeline of your customer whilst they are passing by your window, this location is
referred to as a “focal point.” Your focal point should feature a brand, product, or message which you would like to highlight to your customer first, this is your priority location within your window,
a location where your customer will focus upon first.
Connect your physical store window to your digital channels by applying a vinyl QR code on the window front. This will assist with connecting both physical and digital channels and
also offer the possibility of 24/7 purchases. Your E-Commerce homepage header banner should act like your digital shop window, so mirror the same campaigns and messages which you are
highlighting within your store window within your header banner and social posts.
Customer Flow – It can often be a challenge to encourage your customers to shop within the back areas of your shopfloor space! You may have noticed that many retailers position their popular product
lines towards the back areas of their store, this would include product lines that they know most of their customers always come into purchase. You will also see service areas located within the
back of the store too, these could include changing rooms, click and collect/ customer services and hospitality spaces. Therefore, consider which product lines or departments will draw your
customers to the typically quiet back spaces? Within the front areas of your shopfloor, you should feature your hot spot and new collections, these are product lines that you would like to prioritise highlighting to your customer, but they are not product lines that customers have necessarily come into store to buy.
Retail Experience – Creating a multi-sensory experience for the customer has also been seen across our retailers, where they are not just creating a shopping experience but also a sensory experience for their
customers. We have seen an introduction of an increase of hospitality experiences, craft, and mindfulness classes as well as Pop Up Shop retail concepts making their way into stores to
combine with the customer’s shopping experience.
For more information on how I can support your business and team members with bespoke Visual Merchandising training and workshops, please get in touch ;
Mobile +44 07976 575847
Email info@visualmerchandisingcourses.co.uk
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