Visual Merchandiser Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the visual merchandiser job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements that you may be expected to fulfil to be hired for the visual merchandiser role by most recruiters/employers.

What Does a Visual Merchandiser Do?

Visual merchandisers are the creative brains behind the aesthetics of retail spaces.

They plan and develop displays to be majorly eye-catching but inherently sales-driven.

According to the International University of Monaco, the visual merchandiser’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the layout and presentation of products are effectively optimized. 

However, their role goes beyond making things look pretty.

The visual merchandiser job description entails designing and implementing store layouts and strategies for visual campaigns in tandem with other departments.

In addition, they must work collaboratively with other departments and analyze sales data to see that products are displayed to best advantage and be up-to-date on the latest trends of the industry.

It is also worth mentioning the fact that visual merchandisers train sales staff, photograph displays, participate in promotional events, control display budgeting, and travel to ensure consistency in chains of stores.

A visual merchandiser mainly does the job of creating attractive and effective product displays, store layouts, and designing a visual marketing strategy.

They engage in creating a better shopping experience and finally increase sales through strategic product placement and presentation.

In most cases, visual merchandisers would take their immediate directions from the store manager or head of marketing, or whomever the organization structure dictates.

In larger companies, they would report to a senior visual merchandiser or a visual merchandising manager.

Although the primary employers of the visual merchandisers are retail stores, one can expect to find such professionals working in department stores, fashion boutiques, home decor shops, and even museums.

They will also be available within trade show companies, event planning firms, and even in the hospitality industry for making impressive spaces within hotels and restaurants.

Most visual merchandisers will have a Bachelor’s in either Visual Merchandising or Fashion Merchandising; some will have studied interior design or even marketing.

This really is not a requirement, per se.

Many successful visual merchandisers will be individuals who launch their careers based on practical experience combined with a good eye for design instinctively.

However, specialized training in visual display techniques would go a long way, alongside color theory and retail psychology.

Some professionals also get certifications, like the Certified Visual Merchandiser offered by the Association for Retail Environments, to add to their credentials.

Though visual merchandisers are the key people, they have a different role in different countries.

In Paris, Milan, or New York – the fashion-forward cities – it is the task of the visual merchandisers to come up with the global trends.

They work to establish international brands in emerging markets and get involved in countries with strong e-commerce markets to create visually effective product presentation online.

Most employers would look for a visual merchandiser who combines the creative with commercial awareness and practical skills in equal measure. 

Those capable of managing artistic vision with business acumen are valuable, knowing that in the end, it is all about delivering sales.

Great importance is placed on good communication skills, adaptability, and the ability to work well under pressure.

Although there is no single national body that regulates the visual merchandisers in the United States, several organizations provide guidelines and best practices.

The National Retail Federation offers materials and training programs on visual merchandising.

Also, there are professional associations, the Association for Retail Environments (ARE), and International Visual Merchandising Association (IVMA), both offering industry standards and networking.

This is a very dynamic field requiring creativity and strategy in visual merchandising.

Professionals within this realm need to stay ahead in three major areas: retail trends, consumer behaviors, and design innovation.

This is a career that allows one the satisfaction of seeing one’s ideas come alive in a concrete and consequential manner.

Visual Merchandiser Job Description Sample/Example/Template

The visual merchandiser job description consists of the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:

• Design visually attractive store layouts and window displays
• Develop planograms
• Work  with marketing teams to ensure that the visual displays correspond with current promotions and campaigns
• Analyze sales data to know what display tactics to use to optimize the product placement for maximum sales potential
• Use proper lighting in stores to ensure that products are highlighted effectively
• Develop and maintain a visual brand identity across multiple store locations by selecting and ordering props, signs, and display materials while staying within a budget
• Train sales staff on visual and displays standards and how to maintain them 
• Rotate and update displays regularly to refresh the look of the store and keep it current
• Work with buyers to successfully feature new products
• Keep current on trends in retail design, fashion, and consumer behavior
• Design decorations and seasonal displays for special events and holidays
• Ensure that all display set ups are in line with safety measures
• Capture images of displays for company records as well as social media content
• Provide in-store walk-throughs to ensure visual merchandising standards are upheld within the stores
• Attend visual merchandising strategy meetings and proffer creative suggestions
• Keep and maintain records of all props and display materials
• Adapt global visual merchandising directives into the taste and preferences of the local market
• Collaborate with other location visual merchandising teams for brand consistency
• Establish electronic mood boards and renderings of proposed displays
• Assist in planning and executing in-store events and product launches
• Keep up with the competition through competitor displays and retail trends to remain competitive
• Work with e-commerce teams on consistent brand presentation across online and in-store
• Report on the effectiveness of visual display merchandising strategies
• Mentor junior visual merchandisers and interns.

Visual Merchandiser Job Description for Resume

If you have worked as a visual merchandiser before or are presently working in that role and are making a new resume or CV, then you can craft the Professional Experience of your resume by applying the sample visual merchandiser job description provided above.

You can highlight the key duties and responsibilities that you performed or are currently carrying out as a visual merchandiser in your resume’s Professional Experience by utilizing the ones provided in the visual merchandiser job description example above.

This will show that you have been successful performing the duties and responsibilities of a visual merchandiser, which can boost your chances of being hired for the new job that you are seeking, especially if it requires someone with some visual merchandiser work experience.

Visual Merchandiser Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities For Career Success

A professional in the field of visual merchandising requires both creative and technical skills, as well as interpersonal skills.

Here are important requirements you might be expected to meet to be qualified for hiring as a visual merchandiser by most recruiters/employers:

• Creativity and artistic vision
• Sense of color, texture, and spatial relationships
• Knowledge of current trends in fashion and design
• Retail psychology and knowledge of consumer behavior
• Visual merchandising software
• Basic retail operations and selling principles
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both oral and written
• Ability to work in group setting
• Team player
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Time management; deadlines to meet
• Physical stamina to stand, arrange displays, and move products
• Attention to detail and aesthetic appeal of displays
• Flexibility with trend changes, customer taste, and seasons
• Basic math for budgeting and analyzing sales data
• Lighting techniques and their effects on products on display
• Brand identity and its visual translation
• Health and safety legislation
• Project management principles
• Customer service-orientation
• Basic photography skills for capturing record of displays.

Visual Merchandiser Employment

There are currently over 64,404 visual merchandisers employed in the United States, according to data from Zippia.

Employment by Industry

The top industries that employ visual merchandisers  in the U.S. include:

• Retail: 39,286
• Manufacturing: 7,084
• Fortune 500: 6,440
• Professional: 3,220
• Media : 1,932

Employment by State

Visual merchandiser job openings vary in different parts of the country.

The best States for visual merchandiser employment according to data on Zippia include California and Texas with 5,233 and 2,899 employments respectively.

Visual Merchandiser Salary

Visual merchandisers make average salary of  $38,037 per year in the United States, which is usually in the range of $27,000 and $53,000.

Salary by Industry

Here are the top 5 companies for visual merchandisers ranked by average salary, along with their relevant industries:

• RH (Restoration Hardware) /Industry: Home Furnishings

Average Salary: $71,994

• Tiffany & Co./ Industry: Luxury Goods (Jewelry)

Average Salary: $56,977

• Forever 21/Industry: Fast Fashion Retail

Average Salary: $54,867

• Value City Furniture/ Industry: Retail

Average Salary: $49,970

• The Donna Karan Company LLC/ Industry: Retail

Average Salary: $47,696

Salary by States

The States with the highest salaries for visual merchandisers include New York and Pennsylvania, with average salary of $50,859 and $49,662 per year.

Visual Merchandiser Satisfaction 

While specific surveys targeting visual merchandisers in the USA are scarce, data from broader job satisfaction studies may contextualize it.

According to a PayScale survey done in Canada, the rating on job satisfaction for visual merchandisers is 3.62 out of 5, based on 24 responses.

The score shows some satisfaction among those holding the position but again, not from the U.S.

Conclusion

Visual merchandising is an energetic field at the crossroads of art and business.

Visual merchandising represents a career for people who like design and know how to function in the commercial world.

Herein is an overview comprising tasks entailed by this role, required skills, related industries, and possible career paths.

You would need creativity, analysis capabilities, and adaptability to keep up with new retail trends.

This guide is also excellent for giving employers an overview of the role of a visual merchandiser to enable them to construct job descriptions.

As the retail landscape continues to evolve, successful visual merchandisers will become even more crucial in developing engaging shopping experiences.