Visual Merchandising -Concepts & Concerns-
Visual Merchandising -Concepts & Concerns-
by
Ramya Raamanathan
Visual Merchandising -Concepts and ConcernsVisual Merchandising, Handloom & Home Textiles-A Historical PerspectiveVisual Merchandising has been always one of the weakest aspects of Handloom and Home Textile marketing. For much of the time, Availability and opening of newer outlets was the prime objective rather than effective visual merchandising. Reach rather than visual quality of point of purchase was the consideration. Government ownership of many of the points of purchase did not help the matters either. Contemporary visual treatment of the store and the merchandise was seldom an acute concern for the government, eager to preserve its down to earth (read crude and rustic) image. Lately however thinking seems to have undergone a change and KVIC and other government retail shops are tuning into times. In the area of Handlooms and Home textiles, too the scene is not very different. Beginning with “bare” points of purchase and moving onto showrooms where display meant nothing more than visual exposure, now lately better retailers are considering effective visual merchandising a necessary must. Historically too, India has always had a rich tradition of visual merchandising. Visual merchandising as seen in Melas, Haats, Peths and festival specific shops, shows a rich and diverse context of visual merchandising. Tradition and Mythology have been creatively re-interpreted across generations for a fresh visual merchandising. Hopefully the flame of creativity founded on indigenous foundations and richness should get translated into modern hi-technology aided visual merchandising, as a continuing inspiration. Changing ScenarioWay back to several decades the handloom business was operated in “safe” ways could hold the market due to many reasons, one of major reasons was the people belonging to the generation of those times who saw Indian independence and their nostalgia towards it could hold back
by
Ramya Raamanathan
Visual Merchandising -Concepts and ConcernsVisual Merchandising, Handloom & Home Textiles-A Historical PerspectiveVisual Merchandising has been always one of the weakest aspects of Handloom and Home Textile marketing. For much of the time, Availability and opening of newer outlets was the prime objective rather than effective visual merchandising. Reach rather than visual quality of point of purchase was the consideration. Government ownership of many of the points of purchase did not help the matters either. Contemporary visual treatment of the store and the merchandise was seldom an acute concern for the government, eager to preserve its down to earth (read crude and rustic) image. Lately however thinking seems to have undergone a change and KVIC and other government retail shops are tuning into times. In the area of Handlooms and Home textiles, too the scene is not very different. Beginning with “bare” points of purchase and moving onto showrooms where display meant nothing more than visual exposure, now lately better retailers are considering effective visual merchandising a necessary must. Historically too, India has always had a rich tradition of visual merchandising. Visual merchandising as seen in Melas, Haats, Peths and festival specific shops, shows a rich and diverse context of visual merchandising. Tradition and Mythology have been creatively re-interpreted across generations for a fresh visual merchandising. Hopefully the flame of creativity founded on indigenous foundations and richness should get translated into modern hi-technology aided visual merchandising, as a continuing inspiration. Changing ScenarioWay back to several decades the handloom business was operated in “safe” ways could hold the market due to many reasons, one of major reasons was the people belonging to the generation of those times who saw Indian independence and their nostalgia towards it could hold back