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Visual merchandisers weigh in on the state of their business
What’s the state of mind of today’s visual merchandiser? VM+SD sought the answer with its first annual visual merchandising survey.
Is this creative profession being used, appreciated, underwritten, valued, honored? Or is it an afterthought, a lot of work with very little reward?
One respondent told us: “Visual merchandising in no longer the icing on the cake – it’s the whole cake! Retailers who fail to recognize this are losing as we speak.”
Some survey respondents agreed that it’s the whole cake. But others said it’s the crumbs. “It’s all about the budget – cut, cut, cut!” wrote a respondent.
“There is no creativity left in most organizations,” said another. “They are looking for a cookie-cutter image throughout all of the stores.”
Cake, crumbs or cookies, visual merchandisers have long complained about the status of the business: budgets slashed, staffs trimmed, propping replaced by graphics.
Or have today’s competitive pressures of retailing convinced executives – even the ones counting the beans – of the need to create environments, support brands, carve out distinct individual personalities in the marketplace, make shopping more fun and rewarding?
“Visual merchandising is like medicine for the stores and the visual merchandiser is a health consultant to the store,” said a respondent.
So which is it? Shrinking budgets and influence? Or front and center in the strategic campaign?
Our survey attempted to take the pulse of retail’s oldest profession:
Is retail, as a whole, devoting more energy and emphasis to visual merchandising than in recent years?
A solid 69.5 percent of the respondents said “Yes.”
Are the budgets for visual merchandising increasing?
Another solid 58.5 percent said “Yes.”
Are there more jobs available?
More than half said “Yes.”
What are you earning?
More than 60 percent of those at the corporate level said they were earning more than $50,000 a year. Of those, 44 percent earn between $75,000 and $100,000 a year; 25 percent earn more than $100,000.
Does all of this add up to good news? It does if you’re with the right company. For the retailer that still values branding and environment, it’s as one respondent said: “Increasing competition and decreasing sway of traditional media cause both brands and retailers to spend more and attempt more elaborate in-store projects.”
But then there are still the others, reflecting the notion of one respondent who told us: “It’s ‘store in a box’ – no more creating a theme of season or holiday.”
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