The Indian gem and jewelry industry is a vibrant and rapidly growing industry. With the increasing competition, it has become crucial for jewelers to find innovative ways to attract customers’ attention and to aid in “storytelling.” One such strategy that has gained significant attention is visual merchandising.
Visual merchandising is the practice of developing floor plans and three-dimensional displays to thematically bring into focus a jewellery piece, a collection or a product-line for grabbing customers’ attention. Jewelry is displayed for highlighting its features and prepare a ground for communicating its benefits during sales presentations that may follow. The purpose of such visual merchandising is to attract, engage, and motivate the customer towards making a purchase. In the context of the gem and jewelry sector, visual merchandising can play a transformative role in strategic sales. Here’s how:
Enhancing product appeal
Jewelry is a product that relies heavily on its visual appeal, apart from its intrinsic value. A well-merchandised display can enhance the perceived value of the jewellery, making it more desirable to the customer. Learning the art of visual merchandising can help businesses understand how to position their jewelry pieces or an entire jewelry collection to catch the customer’s eye effectively.
Creating memorable shopping experience
Visual merchandising is not just about product placement; it’s about creating an immersive shopping experience. By learning visual merchandising techniques, businesses can create a store environment that tells a story. This not only attracts customers but also makes their shopping experience memorable, encouraging repeat visits and loyalty.
Influencing Buying Decisions
A significant part of a customer’s buying decision is influenced by their in-store experience. Effective visual merchandising can guide the customer’s journey within the store, subtly leading them to the high-margin products. It can also help to cross-sell and up-sell products, helping to boostthe store’s sales figures.
Standing out in market
In a saturated market, where striking product distinction is challenging to achieve, standing out is key to attracting customers. Unique and creative visual merchandising can help a store differentiate itself from others. This is particularly important in the gem and jewelry sector, where customers often perceive the products to be similar across stores.
As the retail landscape in India continues to evolve, jewelry retailersought toleverage visual merchandising to stay competitive and drive sales. After all, it is often what catches the eye that catches the sale!
(The author, Apoorva Deshingkar, is the Sr. Director at Education and Market Development, GIA India.)
