Visual merchandising can take you places

A CARRER ON DISPLAY: Visual selling has become very important as it immidiately attracts the customer.

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New Delhi: Today everyone who is addicted to window shopping or are just plain shopaholics have — visual merchandisers who make window displays so irresistible — to blame.

A visual merchandiser's job is to turn a casual window shopper into an impulse buyer and Vikram Sharma is guilty of doing just that for the past 10 years.

"Visual selling has become very important because of the whole boom in retail, as it immediately attracts the customer," says Vikram.

The job of a visual merchandiser starts right from deciding where, which, why and how a product should be displayed, to zeroing in on the perfect colour, lighting and even props.

There's even a whole lot of homework that goes into creating a customer-friendly aura.

Vikram explains the basics of retail hypnosis as he says first and foremost the lighting, music and fragrance of the store have to be carefully decided to create a customer-friendly environment.

Also the store's theme-based setting and colour scheme are kept in mind.

Vikram says while a good sense of aesthetics will remain your USP as a visual merchandiser there's more to be a complete sellout in the field.

"One has to be a good merchandiser and a good visualiser. Also one should have an ability to sketch and an ability to source good materials for props."

There are two simple ways to start off your career, either start learning as an apprentice to one of the Visual Merchandising gurus or join professional courses.

Here is a list of institutes you can look at:

• NIFT's graduate program in Fashion Communication
• NID's graduate program in Apparel and Fashion Merchandising
• MICA's six month course on Visual Merchandising

Pay packages as a visual merchandiser may start at a measly Rs 15,000 a month for a fresher, but could swell to over a lakh depending on the brand visibility.

And with the retail sector taking a leap of 40 per cent by 2011, work opportunities will be plenty.Not only at malls but five-star hotels, boutiques, exhibitions, are all part of the work profile.

The bottom line for aspiring visual merchandisers is, the profession is upcoming offbeat, interesting and well paying to consider.