Display principles are basically general guidelines on which merchandise can be displayed.

The same is true for Apparel and Non Apparel categories. It can also be classified as Either Art or a Science (not in literal terms but logic). Today in Retail each and every parameter of business has been very critically evaluated. The evolution of Retail in India and other Developing countries has ensured that. Visual Merchandising can be very effective and showcase the merchandise very effectively to consumers. The general formula which is applied in Apparel retail is to display: Left to Right Top to Bottom Light to Dark colours We could do a sample study of certain fixtures turn by turn and evaluate the various methods which could be applied. For study purpose we could take a Value retailer. We would study a five meter wall panel display. Wall Panel Display: Left to Right Top to Bottom Light to Dark colours Mannequins:Have minimum 2 mannequins in the middle ( 3rd meter wall panel) Mannequins to showcase merchandise which is available in that five meter Mannequins to showcase latest trends and lot of attitude Also mannequins should have right type of accessories to compliment the dress and mood Hanging or Folding:Tops ( Tee Shirts, Shirts ) should be on top panels Below panels should carry the matching bottoms Avoid all hanging on all the five meter wall panels Have decent mix of Hanging and Folding, avoid overdoing either of them Colours should flow in sequence of, left to right and light to dark

Complementary items or Accessories: If possible try to have certain categories merchandised together 1. Belts, which can complement the overall combination 2. Shoes, which could be worn with the combination 3. Other accessories, like Caps, bags etc etc could be displayed together

4. Accessories should be done subtly, avoid overdoing it. on display:Qty Depends on Qty purchased by Buyer for each style & also allocation as per store grade. Depends on rate of sale of the particular store Also depends on trading pattern of certain categories in certain catchments areas Also depends on the size of the metal arm Ideal qty could be two size ratio for each style So for S,M,L,XL and XXL size, we could display 4,4,6,6 and 4 And for bottoms it could be 2,3,4,4,3 and 2 for trouser size starting from 30 to 40 The size ratio would differ at each market place, and should be in line with the trading patterns

Visual Presentation: Each item must be neatly steamed Each hanged item must have correct size cubes Correct hangers to be used for each category No Price point tag should be visible:- Consumer must buy the item on its merit, not because of price If a garment has a Print or embellishment, that should be highlighted Top and bottoms should be hanged or folded with some new techniques. Avoid using the basic hanging styles. New technique also to be used selectively for maximum impact Make sure that exclusive feature of the garment is also highlighted through signage on acrylic or shelf talkers Overall Flow of Colours / Styles and Patterns: Prime colour displayed on wall panel must be also available in fixtures which are adjacent to wall panels or some other colour which complement each other And similar family of colour should flow till the front walking isle We can not have multiple colours flowing at one particular area There should be one Primary Colour and around that colour complete story should be built Bright colours should be displayed at wall panels to create maximum impact The above will also depend on how Buying has been done for particular season Once the wall panels are dressed, the adjacent gondolas must have category/ Style common to have continuity while shopping. Display on Gondolas:Gondola display must also follow the general guidelines which are applicable to wall panels Avoid all either hanging of folding Must have fine balance of both in each Gondola Avoid placing Gondolas which stretches to four meters or more. If first gondola first meter has D or U bar the same should not be repeated in following gondola

Avoid having repeat of similar type of arms or bars in same gondola Have Signage selectively on Gondolas to highlight the Product Each gondola must be treated as separate entity and must exhibit a unique method of display Generally Gondolas are ignored and wall panels are given more importance The Gondola fixtures and their display must lead a consumer to wall panel displays The amount of detailing a wall panel requires, retail team must ensure that they do justice to each gondolas

Department could be lead by either set of step tables or some four way stands. In case of Step Table, few important areas to focus: Have heavy amount of stocks 18 to 20 pieces per pile Showcase basic range of Tees Must have price point signage to make more impact Also must have a Torso to display the step table items Step Tables play a very important role in Value Retail Format and needs to be taken equally seriously as any other fixtures Returns from Step Tables are always encouraging and hence requires high maintenance and frequent replenishments Even four way stands also could lead to a department. The important points which retail team must attend while displaying merchandise on these fixtures: Colours or category to be common which ideally should lead to the Gondola and than to Wall panels The above means, there has to be logical flow of colour, styles and garments from four way stands to Gondolas and than to Wall panels, to complete the full visual display sequence Avoid displaying all tops and all bottoms on all four arms Either display two tops along with two bottoms Or it could be, one common bottom with three matching tops The height of four way stand should not obstruct the view of Gondolas and Wall panels The signage should be used selectively to highlight the merchandise quality It is very important to understand the basic guidelines for displaying merchandise on Wall panels, Gondolas, Step Tables and Four Way Stands. Retail is detail and as market turns more competitive with each passing day, it becomes more critical for each retailer & STORES to go back and evaluate each and every parameter of business.