Yes, trends also exist in the magical world of visual merchandising and visual packaging. As everywhere else, fashions come and go at the pace of innovations, consumer desires or societal phenomena! Intrigued? Welcome to the latest trends of the retail world.
Personalisation in visual merchandising
In the age of big data, you can’t sell well without knowing your target. This data is perfectly integrated by visual merchandising, which gives pride of place to personalisation, or even hyper-personalisation. This is achieved by using both digital tools to collect customer data and advances in neuroscience to adapt windows, POS or visual packaging. In short? Every point of sale needs to know who its target consumer is, what he likes, what he buys, then work on the customer experience in order to meet his specific expectations: sense of direction, price display, dominant colours, music, smells… For example? A millennials clientele is sensitive to digital, an eco-friendly clientele more attracted by green.
Digital tools always trendy
It is impossible to overlook technology in the latest trends in visual merchandising! Digital tools are everywhere, including in retail, and they are indispensable if they are correctly dosed. If the trend is clearly digital, the type of tools used must depend on the type of customer. Digital POS, digital signage, augmented reality, QR code, website, 3D, application, touch screens, the digital palette is vast, pick and choose sparingly. And whatever happens, adapt the tools to your target by favouring interaction, consumers will give it back to you.
Minimalist visual merchandising
When it comes to visual merchandising trends, clarity is no longer a joke. Fashion is all about clean lines, bright atmospheres, minimalist designs and intuitive shopping paths. Under no circumstances should the consumer look for poorly displayed information, drown in the visual clutter of poorly organised piles or get lost between the shelves in search of the right product. The holy grail of visual communication is simplicity: straight to the point, whether it is the setting or the route, to avoid sensory overdose. Of course, since it only takes a few seconds for a customer to make the decision to enter a point of sale and buy a product… or not.
Dynamic lighting at the service of visual packaging
At the crossroads of trends, dynamic lighting is a must in visual merchandising… which enhances good visual packaging. The principle is simple, it is a question of using lighting wisely, not only to illuminate the point of sale, but also to create an atmosphere, highlight a product and delimit the space. Intensity, colour, movement, orientation or design of the lights, everything is good for working on the atmosphere… without overdoing it, minimalism obliges. Why not with connected or interactive lights, digital tools oblige, and according to the customer, personalisation obliges!
The vegetal trend of visual merchandising
Organic, ecological, nature or Zen trends all crystallise in the plant world, the star of visual merchandising. From vegetal shades to natural materials, with real plants or fake grass, all references to nature respond to the current trend. The icing on the cake is that they soften the use of new technologies, are in perfect harmony with the minimalist trend and the desire for simplicity, bring life to the point of sale and soothe consumers… who are more likely to wander between the shelves. A win-win situation.
Between massive digitalisation and a return to nature, the trends in visual merchandising and visual packaging may seem contradictory, but they are perfectly complementary. Dig in, get inspired and remember: in the age of personalisation, each trend must be adjusted to suit the point of sale and the customer base.