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With technology , it gives retailers a wider scope in terms of visual merchandising ; in the past , everything had to be displayed in the store , on the shelf or in the window . Now , the possibilities are limitless .
as interactive product information dispensers . Beauty brands have also incorporated technologies such as augmented reality ( AR ) with their product displays to enable customers to “ try ” the makeup products before purchase .
Ng shares an example of Zara ’ s effort in rolling out an AR experience for shoppers . “ When you snap a photo of the window display using their app , it shows you models wearing the outfits , strutting their stuff right in front of you .
“ With technology , it gives us retailers a wider scope in terms of visual merchandising ; in the past , everything had to be displayed in the store , on the shelf or in the window . Now , the possibilities are limitless .”
However , he notes that some technologies are still in infancy and will take a while to be fully matured and adopted , so Pazzion is currently still not headed down this path yet . “ In terms of VM , our next big step is experimenting with large-format screens within the stores to replace posters and billboards .
“ The large-format screens also allow us to change and refresh the look of the store with different photos / videos and provides a more engaging way of interacting with our shoppers ,” Ng reveals .
Valentine adds that technology can be a fantastic tool when used appropriately . “ But the idea and the message are always the most important thing . If technology can help you deliver that message more effectively , it ’ s great .
“ If it is just there for the sake of it , it usually gets in the way . A boring message doesn ’ t become an interesting one just because you use technology to deliver it ,” he cautions . ra
Details matter
TOM NG , founder of the shoe brand Pazzion , shares with RETAIL
ASIA how the brand has leveraged visual merchandising in its retail journey .
“ For our brand , I started with the mindset of being different , being uniquely Pazzion .
“ I didn ’ t want the store to look too much like a store — I know the irony in this , but I wanted to create a shopping experience that is different . I wanted customers to feel like they ’ re stepping into a gallery of sorts when they come into our store .
“ So instead of the very traditional kind of window display , I opted for using different antiques and furniture pieces to showcase our products . That — together with our logo , look and feel and with our signature colours of black and gold — worked as shoppers do recognise our stores and it has this uniqueness to it .
“ I think for every business , they need to think of the fundamentals that they want to convey regarding their brand . For Pazzion , it was sophistication and class . And we conveyed that consistently from our brand motif , down to our store colours , which has the recurrent black and gold theme , down to our window display and visual merchandising .
“ This consistency , I think , is important for all brands , if not even more so for new brands . This will convey a consistent message to your shoppers , which over time , will allow you to build a certain brand association and affinity among your target group .
“ But , of course , once you ’ ve established your brand , there ’ s nothing wrong to be more daring to experiment with different forms of display . This also helps to add a dose of healthy fun and excitement so that shoppers can be ‘ wow-ed ’ every time they step into the store .
“ So yes , we are always experimenting with new forms of display to refresh our displays and keep the energy level high .” ra
Retail Asia May 2018 17