Visual Merchandiser at Duma works

Job Overview

Visual merchandisers develop, deliver and communicate visual concepts and strategies to promote retail brands, products and services in-store, in catalogues or online.

It is their job to create eye-catching displays and they are sometimes known as window dressers.

Visual merchandising designers who work in head office collaborate closely with other departments to create annual visual strategies and promotional events in order to entertain, excite and maintain the interest of the target markets.

Visual Merchandiser Job Responsibilities

• Liaising with teams such as buying, design, merchandising and marketing to create design themes and plans, often months in advance, including window and in-store displays, signage and pricing concepts
• Maintaining a budget and negotiating with suppliers of visual materials;
• Working with architectural features of stores to maximise the available space;
• Using artistic skills or computer-aided design (CAD) packages, such as AutoCAD, Mockshop or Adobe Creative Suite, to create visuals and plans;
• Creating visual merchandising packs to communicate visual guidelines including layout principles, visual dressings and signage – usually applies to those based in a head office;
• Visiting branches to coach in-store visual merchandising or sales teams to interpret the guidelines and training them in the execution of the visual concept;
• Assembling or dismantling visual displays in windows or in-store;
• Carrying out ‘comp (comparison) shops’ to maintain awareness of other retailers’ visual merchandising concepts;
• Leading and motivating teams to complete displays to tight deadlines;
• Seeking feedback from colleagues and customers on the visual impact of displays and implementing changes.

Potential candidates should ensure they understand the difference between visual merchandising, retail merchandising and shop-floor merchandising. The latter two are concerned with volumes and allocation of stock and its location and functional arrangement on the shop floor, rather than the visual and creative impact it makes. There are interfaces between the roles and teams may work closely together to achieve maximum sales and profitability.

Qualifications for the Visual Merchandiser Job

• A talent for design, colour and style;
• Creative flair and imagination;
• Strong interest in current and future design trends;
• Visual/spatial awareness and manual dexterity;
• Effective communication and negotiation skills;
• Engaging and working well with a range of teams;
• Able to work with constructive criticism.
• Above 5 years experience in visual merchandising
• Creative & Design degree or qualification
• Marketing degree