Our Solutions
Put more science behind the art of Visual Merchandising
VM Analytics
In today’s challenging retail environment, it is no longer sufficient for the VM Executive and VM
Team to limit their contribution to the creative production of store visual merchandising
presentations. Assisting to reconcile assortment, allocation and replenishment plans with the
realities of space, new store openings and remodels, monitoring the success of VM
presentations, store layouts and promotional materials etc. are all important to support
successful operations. However, this requires that the VM Team have access to significant
volumes of data, with the ability to provide invaluable data driven insights; putting more
“science” behind the art of visual merchandising and leveraging advanced analytics tools
powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Planogram Productions
The execution of carefully crafted store assortments and their visual presentation is crucial for
delivering and maintaining customer satisfaction and driving financial performance. Even the
most thoughtfully planned assortment and visual presentation can fall short if not executed
effectively at the store level. To ensure successful execution, it's essential to provide store
associates with easy-to-interpret and easy-to-execute instructions for the visual presentation of
products and signage. Clear and concise directives empower store teams to bring the brand's
vision to life in a consistent and impactful manner across all locations.
Product Image Capture
VM EXEC needs to ensure that all necessary visual assets are readily available for assortment
planning, visual merchandising, and other retail operations. Partnering with Orbitvu, the leading provider of automated product photography devices, is a strategic move for VM EXEC, ensuring that Retailers have access to high-quality product images when needed. While vendor-provided product images are readily available in today's eCommerce environment, there are instances where Retailers, especially those who are vertically integrated, may need to capture images themselves.
Orbitvu's automated product photography devices offer Retailers a streamlined and efficient solution for capturing product images in-house. These devices are designed to automate the image capture process, reducing the time and effort required to photograph products.
Collaboration
No amount of inspirational visual merchandising planning and execution can work effectively
when the volume of products/options (style/colors) and units is not controlled, planned for, and
delivered. Too many options for the space available cause confusion for both the customer and store personnel; too few options, with too high unit depth, leads to monotony and
unproductive repetition. Frequently a significant cause of this challenge is the lack of integration
and collaboration between the assortment planning business process and the space planning
business process.
Store Comms / Compliance Feedback
Effective communication and feedback mechanisms are essential components of the visual
merchandising process. Simply producing clear VM guidelines is not sufficient; Retailers must
also ensure that these directives are effectively communicated to stores and that there is a
mechanism in place to receive feedback and confirmation (or proof) of compliance.
Space Planning & Optimization
Most Retailers face the challenge of an array of store variations, each tailored to specific
demographics, featuring diverse fixture programs, and spanning various sizes. Working through
their integrated processes to operate these stores solely relying on square footage information
to plan and optimize the space neglects the invaluable insight provided by linear feet data.
Linear feet, after all, are what the customers encounter, interact with and on what they base
their purchasing decisions.
Visual Assortment Planning
While numerical planning is crucial for ensuring accuracy and efficiency in assortment planning,
visual enhancements can make the output of the process more customer-focused and easier to
understand for all stakeholders involved, facilitating easier collaboration and communication
among cross-functional teams.
3D Virtual VM
For brick-and-mortar Retailers, the physical store serves as the primary embodiment of the brand
and is crucial for establishing and nurturing long-term customer relationships. It's not just a
place to sell products but an opportunity to immerse customers in the brand experience. Visual
Merchandising therefore plays a pivotal role in delivering on this experience and interactive 3D
digital support for the VM Team is critical to ensure success.