THE EVOLUTION OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING 1
The Evolution of Visual Merchandising:
A Brief History, Present Day Opportunities, and Job Descriptions of Visual Merchandisers
Natasha Pinheiro
Sheridan College
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract...... 3
The Evolution of Visual Marketing: A Brief History, Present Day Opportunities, and Job Descriptions of Visual Merchandisers 4
Visual Merchandiser Basics...... 6
Job Title Hierarchy...... 8
Entry Level: Visual Merchandising Assistant...... 8
Experienced: Visual Merchandiser...... 10
Senior: Visual Merchandising Director...... 12
Conclusions ...... 13
References...... 16
Abstract
The following report explores the traditional visual merchandising career path. It discusses a brief history of the art of window dressing, related careers, the value of visual merchandising, and the basic outline of what tasks a traditional visual merchandising position entails. Through research, this report also discovers how a person can enter this particular field, the titles a person can achieve as they progress their career, how they can progress, and what traits are required in order to be successful. Annual salaries and the best geographical locations to work are also looked at.
It has been uncovered that visual merchandising has a long history and is a valuable sector for a company to invest in. A career in visual merchandising is for a creative, fast-paced individual who is flexible and determined. A person is able to progress from a visual merchandising assistant, to aisvualmerchandiser, and finally—if they have the appropriate educational background—a visual merchandising director. In the end, a person can make over $70,000 USD per year if they choose to work in the United Kingdom; however, working in North America is the—financially speaking—best place to be employed in this area in the earlier stages of one’s career.
THE EVOLUTION OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING 1
The Evolution of Visual Marketing: A Brief History, Present Day Opportunities, and Job Descriptions of Visual Merchandisers
The art of window displays is a relatively new area of specialization. Despite the fact that showcasing goods for sale behind windows started in the 1840s (Morgan, 2008), stores did not begin employing individuals whose sole job was to dress windows until nearly one hundred years later (Morgan, 2008). Even at that point—as the field began to grow and more and more people were exposed to these increasingly more impressive displays—it was only major retailers or department stores, such as Printemps in Paris, that hired people to focus entirely on windows (Morgan, 2008).
Nowadays, though some companies don’t always hire them for every single store—choosing instead to hireone team for a cluster of stores—every company has employed numerous people as visual merchandisers (Morgan, 2008). Whether they are store or region based, these individuals are responsible for making sure that the store emulates the brand’s image, inside and out, through the use of window displays as well as in-store merchandising racks, displays, and décor.
Despite every member of the visual merchandising team being responsible for maintaining the image of the store, different team members are responsible for different tasks. This is typically based on the job title hierarchy within that team. This hierarchy, or rank, is determined based on a combination of that individual’s education, how long they have been working for that company, and their experience in the field.
As retailers begin to see more and more value in having a visual merchandising team, career opportunities have become more plentiful. There are so many opportunities now that a handful of institutions across Canada have begun to offer college diploma programs specializing in visual merchandising (Ontario Colleges Application Service, 2011). The availability of these programs has made breaking into this career path particularly difficult for individuals without some form of post-secondary education since they now compete against graduates with formal training.
One of the institutions offering a visual merchandising program is Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. This post-secondary institution’s website advertises their program as an “award-winning Visual Merchandising Arts Program [that] has been setting the standard for industry training since 1981” (Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, 2011). The program site also details the various areas in which graduates go on to gain entry level positions. These potential areas include
- Fixture design
- Freelance design
- Home furnishing
- Home staging
- Marketing
- Merchandiser
- Merchandising coordinator
- Photo styling, fashion/apparel and/or home fashion
- Prop production
- Set design
- Small business owner
- Space planner
- Special event planner
- Store planning
- Trade show designer
- Window display artist
This suggests that there are endless possibilities in the visual merchandising field that an individual could enter into. Instead of investigating every possible area, however, this report will focus on the career path of the traditional retail visual merchandiser working for a bricks-and-mortar store.
Visual Merchandiser Basics
Visual merchandisers have opportunities in a variety of settings. They can work anywhere from large retail stores, boutiques, and even online stores. No matter where an individual chooses to work, however, similar things are required of them. Depending on the type of employer, one of the biggest tasks of this career is to generate unique and artistic concepts for displays and/or stores. The purpose of these displays and store concepts is to effectively promote the store, and any ongoing promotions, to increase store sales—and therefore profit—as a result (Visual Merchandiser: Fashion Merchandising Jobs, 2011).
On top of generating ideas, visual merchandisers are also responsible for the execution of these displays. This includes dressing mannequins, arranging props, painting, adjusting lighting, applying vinyl, hanging posters, and more. They can, however, commission third parties for help where needed, such as hiring a professional prop maker for custom props. After the life of a display has come to an end, these same visual merchandisers are also expected to uninstall these older displays before installing new ones (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011).
Though there are numerous retailers who are interested in employing full-time visual merchandisers, not all positions—as in any field—are full time. For those who do find a full-time position, a typical work week is 37 to 40 hours. These hours, more often than not, are scheduled during unconventional times such as evenings and weekends. Since displays can only be installed when customers are not around, the store must be closed during installations (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011).
Another important aspect of this career that any potential visual merchandiser need note is that this is not a career path for individuals who prefer to be relatively stationary during their work day. Being in good physical condition is absolutely necessary (Waters, 2011). Despite being able to commission third parties to help in the preparation of a display, the visual merchandising team—which is often made up of fewer than fifteen people—installs all the mannequins, fixtures and props. Though that may seem like a large group of people, there are often manymore tasks than there are bodies to undertake them. This means a lot of standing, running around, and heavy lifting for each visual merchandiser, which requires a level of stamina and fitness (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011). If a person is not physically fit enough to accomplish the tasks set out for them during an installation, they are not needed on the team.
Job Title Hierarchy
Entry Level: Visual Merchandising Assistant. A visual merchandising assistant is named as such because—while they do contribute ideas to the retail company they work for—they are not directly looked upon to generate display concepts (Waters, 2011). Rather, they are required to have knowledge of the job of a visual merchandiser and offer suggestions where needed, but mainly to undertake the physical labour of seeing a visual merchandiser’s idea into fruition by participating in both the construction and installation of a display. Whether it is by heavy lifting or carpentry, a visual merchandising assistant is needed to contribute to the creation of the idea. They are also responsible for maintaining the integrity of currently installed displays to ensure they continue to be clean, securely installed, and that all components—such as lights, any moving components, or electronics—are fully functioning.
For an individual wishing to enter this field, there are “two main routes to becoming a visual merchandiser or display designer” (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011). The first route requires no specialized qualifications; however, this route does not guarantee an individual entrance to this particular area of retail. It also requires the greatest amount of work involved to reach the entry level. If an individual chose this route, it would involve working their way up from a lower position within a retail store. Depending on the opportunities available, as well as the employer’s willingness to allow for advancement from a person’s current position, this route could take several years to work through (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011).
The second option an individual can choose is the route of post-secondary education. A person seeking to become a visual merchandiser has the ability to choose between a cornucopia of majors that would be beneficial. Whether they decide on a Fine Arts degree, an Exhibition and Retail Design degree, an Interior Design diploma, a Display Design diploma (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011), or a more specifically tailored Visual Merchandising Arts diploma, offered by such institutions as Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, all such education is applicable to a visual merchandising career.
Depending on which program of study they take, an individual could attain their qualification in two to four years. As a result of their study, many are likely to also have opportunities for internships in the visual merchandising industry while they study, which would be beneficial. With this qualification and relevant work experience, they are able to enter directly into an entry-level position as a visual merchandising assistant (Visual Merchandiser: Fashion Merchandising Jobs, 2011).
As in any profession, annual income varies greatly “depending on [an individual’s] educational background, years of experience, expertise, and special skills” (Visual Merchandiser: Fashion Merchandising Jobs, 2011). Geographic location also plays a key role in determining annual salary. The North American average salary for a visual merchandising assistant is between $21,000 USD and $32,000 USD (Visual Merchandiser: Fashion Merchandising Jobs, 2011). In the United Kingdom, the average starting salary is significantly lower, averaging between £12,000 and £16,000 (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011). As of January 26, 2013, this average converts approximately to between $19,000 USD and $25,000 USD (XE - The World's Favorite Currency and Foreign Exchange Site, 2013).
Experienced: Visual Merchandiser.As in many other professions, there is room for advancement in visual merchandising (Visual Merchandiser: Fashion Merchandising Jobs, 2011). Moving up from a visual merchandising assistant position can be difficult, however. The reason for this is because—much like the fashion industry, which visual merchandising primarily exists to serve (though visual merchandising has now branched out to areas of retail beyond fashion)—this industry is constantly evolving.
As the trends in fashion change, so do the trends in window theatrics and display. To prove oneself as a successful window display artist, and therefore prove one is deserving of advancement, one must consistently demonstrate the ability to keep up to speed with these trends (Visual Merchandiser: Fashion Merchandising Jobs, 2011). A person must also be able to successfully demonstrate all their skills—many of which are developed on the job—that by this point should include a good sense of design, colour, and style; attention to detail; the ability to work well as part of a team; and effective lighting skills, among others, to their employer through the displays they put out (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011). If a person is able to do this, as well as put in the required time at a company, they will be able to further themselves in the visual merchandising career path and become a visual merchandiser.
As a visual merchandiser, a person will have much more creative freedom. Rather than assisting in bringing the ideas of others to reality, a person at this stage in their career will be able to design their own ideas—referred to as themes—based on the scheme created by a visual merchandising director (Morgan, 2008), which will be discussed later on. After creating and sketching out possibly designs, a visual merchandiser—along with any and all visual merchandisers on that merchandising team—will then present their concepts to a visual merchandising director for approval.
The individual who is successful in selling an idea is then temporarily made lead visual merchandiser (Waters, 2011) and is responsible for delegating tasks to the other visual merchandisers and visual merchandising assistants, as well as seeking any third parties—such as the aforementioned prop makers—to assist in creating the finished display (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011). The visual merchandisers themselves will also be required to undertake, along with their peers, whatever pre-installation tasks are necessary to ensure a successful installation, as well as being present and working on the display during the installation.
It is clear that moving up to a visual merchandiser role from a visual merchandising assistant position means an increase in duties and responsibilities, but it also means an increase in salary. As a visual merchandiser, an individual in North American can expect to earn approximately $30,000 USD to $45,000 USD annually (Visual Merchandiser: Fashion Merchandising Jobs, 2011). In the United Kingdom, a person in this position with similar experience would earn approximately £20,000 GBP (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011). This converts, on January 26, 2013 to approximately $32,000 USD (XE, 2013).
Senior: Visual Merchandising Director. The highest role in the visual merchandising field is visual merchandising director (Visual Merchandiser: Fashion Merchandising Jobs, 2011). A person in this position has the ultimate authority over all the visual merchandisers and visual merchandising assistants within a company. Depending on how large the company is, there may be one visual derchandising Director per region, so as not to be overwhelmed (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011). A visual merchandising director is responsible for overseeing and approving all windows and displays before they move forward to ensure that they consistently and accurately convey the company’s brand image, sometimes even making visits to the retail locations they oversee in order to do so (Visual Merchandiser - All Information,2011).
They are also responsible for coming up with the scheme of an upcoming window display on which visual merchandisers base their ideas or themes. A scheme is a general idea, while the theme is a specific idea based on the scheme. Depending on how many windows a retail store has, they may have numerous themes—one for every window—but all of these themes are tied together by an overall scheme. An example of a scheme would be Winter Wonderland.Examples of themes for this scheme include sipping cocoa in front of an open fire, a horse-drawn sleigh ride through a snowy park, or a glamorous snow queen in her ice palace (Morgan, 2008).
Some individuals may be lucky enough to work their way up to this position from the bottom without any formal education; however, this is very rare, particularly in large retail companies (Visual Merchandiser: Fashion Merchandising Jobs, 2011). For companies larger than a stand-alone boutique, some form of relevant training is required in any of the subject areas that were mentioned earlier, especially if an individual expects a pay raise. On top of a formal qualification, many years of experience in the industry is mandatory in order to advance into this position (Visual Merchandiser: Fashion Merchandising Jobs, 2011).
If an individual has a relevant academic background and enough extensive experience to become a visual merchandising director, they will also gain an increased salary. An individual residing in North America with this position would earn between $50,000 USD and $60,000 USD or more (Visual Merchandiser: Fashion Merchandising Jobs, 2011). Unlike the other levels of this profession, an individual employed in the United Kingdom could possibly earn more annually, with the average between £25,000 GBP and £45,000 GBP (Visual Merchandiser - All Information, 2011), converting on January 26, 2013 to between $39,000 USD and $71,000 USD (XE, 2013).
Conclusions
Through the exploration of numerous job profiles and relevant texts, a variety of conclusions can be drawn. First and foremost, it is important to note that there are three main hierarchical levels in visual merchandising. The lowest of these is a visual merchandising assistant, followed by a visual merchandiser, and finally a visual merchandising director.
A visual merchandising assistant is responsible for helping during the construction and installation of a window or display in order to bring the lead visual merchandiser’s vision to life. These individuals are simultaneously responsible for the upkeep of current displays.
A visual merchandiser is given creative freedom to come up with display ideas—also known as themes—based on a given scheme. They must then present their themes to thevisual merchandising director, who conceived the scheme, for approval. The visual merchandiser whose theme is accepted is then made the lead visual merchandiser for that project, responsible for delegating work and ensuring everything goes according to plan.
A visual merchandising director is the top level in this field. An individual who holds this position is responsible for coming up with schemes, as well as approving or rejecting themes presented to them based on their scheme. Simultaneously, they are responsible for ensuring that all windows or displays maintain, and do not deviate from, the company’s brand image.
In general, there are specific traits a person should have if they wish to pursue this career because they are crucial to one’s success. These traits include creativity, a flexible schedule, and being in good physical condition.