What are the Career Options and Scope of visual merchandising?
Answer:
Today visual merchandising plays an important role in this business of retail-industry. Visual Merchandisers are the professionals who are responsible for granting any brand a face.
Visual Merchandising (VM) is the art of presentation whereby Visual merchandiser conceptualizes designs and implements window and in-store displays for retail stores. This exercise educates the customers, creates desire and finally adds to the selling process. Merchandising is an area where the Indian textile and clothing industry, particularly, the small scale enterprises require adequate knowledge and expertise.
This inadequacy is best reflected in poor presentation/display and communication in various national and international exhibitions. Therefore there are several training programme being conducted to train professionals in this emerging option.
Visual Merchandising Eligibility Criteria
There are many Certificates, Diploma programmes being provided by different institutes. Various institutes, all over India, offer diploma courses in visual merchandising.
Many institutes conduct an aptitude test and interviews for VM courses. Even Crash courses are being offered for the working students and professionals.
A student can be from any field or any background. One can enroll after 10+2 to the different diploma programmes.
Visual Merchandising Personal Skills
Creativity is the key skill coupled with above-average ability for artistic expression. Technical and design expertise (e.g. building stet, props, setting up proper lighting, etc) are helpful besides the knowledge of fashion and art/design industry trends and forecasts and an ability to work well with others.
Visual Merchandising Job Prospects
There are many allied fields that can expand the scope for a visual merchandiser. Exhibition displays, birthdays, set design (theatrical sets included), theme parties, hotel lobbies, home and wedding decorations are some of these areas. Many big Garments brands like Provogue, Shopper’s Stop, Ebony and Liliput etc. maintain in-house teams.
The other alternative is to Work as an apprentice/assistant with an established visual merchandiser and learns the tricks of the game. Later, out of the experience earned, you can start your own business.
Opportunities abound especially during festivals like Diwali, Dusshera, Christmas and Valentine’s Day etc. these, being seasonal business opportunities, require approaching the right kind of shop at the right time. The idea should be to start small and think big.
Visual Merchandising Pay Package
Thanks to the increased expansion of retail industry backed by currents of globalization, Visual Merchandising has become a very lucrative career option. Depending on your qualification and experience, one can expect to be paid well in this hot career option.
As a trainee, one can start with a salary of Rs.1000-Rs.15000. One can command a higher salary as the experiences raises, Generally MNCs and private companies pay higher.
Visual Merchandising Institutes
Birla Institute of Management Techonolgy
Asia-Pacific Institute of Management
Indian Retail School
K J Somajya Institute of Management
Garware Institute of Career Education and Development
Pearl Academy of Fashion
ITM-CDLHP Global Leadership Centre
Retailers Association of India (RAI)
Apeejay Institute of Business Studies
International Institute of Fashion Technology