The synergy between HQ executives, visual merchandisers, and store operations is essential. Visual merchandisers are the center of this retail ecosystem and have to bridge the gap between strategy and execution.
However, they face the daunting challenge of balancing the demands of HQ, crafting the in-store experience that drives sales, effectively communicating plans, and monitoring compliance and feedback.
This balancing act often results in visual merchandisers doing repetitive manual work while struggling to gain insights into the stores.
However, the right retail technology solution helps foster a successful ecosystem without feeling overwhelmed.
Accurate Data
A single source of truth for data is key. This means consolidating all relevant information, including store data, promotions, and visual merchandising guidelines, into a centralized platform accessible to all stakeholders.
Oftentimes, retail data is siloed and static with minimal room to be flexible.
However, when everyone operates from the same data source, decisions become more data-driven and less reliant on guesswork.
Additionally, teams that execute plans can understand exactly what is expected of them, allowing displays to be set up correctly every time.
Adaptability
In the dynamic retail landscape, change is constant, so teams may find it difficult to correctly execute their merchandising updates. Visual merchandisers and store teams should be able to rely on a platform that allows for ease of adaptability at any time.
This means the ability to quickly adapt and streamline communication efforts for new strategies, promotions, or store layouts without disrupting the workflow or adding additional work for anyone involved in the retail ecosystem.
This adaptability ensures that the in-store experience remains aligned with the overarching company strategy. Executives, visual merchandisers, and store teams should be aligned to reach goals faster and more effectively.
Visual merchandisers spend a significant amount of time manually managing their inboxes, leading to communication delays and potential misinterpretations.
Communication
To keep motivation and alignment high, it’s crucial to automate the communication process in real time. Utilizing dedicated communication channels within a technology solution can:
- Facilitate instant updates, notifications, and feedback
- Reduce the reliance on separate, one-off emails and irrelevant information
- Communicate additional instructions and guidelines to various teams, including store staff and third-party vendors
- Deliver consolidated analytics to HQ executives
Store-specific messages, clear visuals, and contextual information ensure that everyone understands their role and responsibilities, reducing the chances of errors and increasing future success.
Compliance Monitoring
Reducing the chance of errors comes with a software platform that allows for feedback and compliance monitoring in the same instance plans were provided.
(Learn more about automating compliance and improving sales with One Door.)
Guided Workflows
Creating a solid foundation for collaborative relations for all retail teams involved is a key driver here. Visual merchandisers need to eliminate confusion and ensure consistency with guided workflows to empower retail teams to correctly set up displays the first time.
This involves providing visual references and examples of successful in-store setups.
After the execution of plans, the entire ecosystem must share their successes as well as the blockers. Integrated AI solutions, like One Door’s Image IQ, are powerful tools that immediately point out compliance issues.
It provides centralized feedback for visual merchandisers and store teams alike.
Bonus: Store teams gain confidence in their work when they can tackle executing plans themselves and see results in real time.
Visual merchandising software should foster a collaborative environment for all teams involved in the process. To do that, the solution should have:
- A unified source of truth
- Adaptability
- Real-time communication enablement
- Compliance monitoring
- Guided workflows
One Door’s visual merchandising solution combines all of these necessary components to create a collaborative relationship between every retail team.
One Door provides retailers with the cloud-based software they need to consolidate their efforts into a single platform, eliminating any data silos and allowing for transparency across all teams.
Through easy-to-use planogram editors, automated direct-to-store communication, and reporting analytics, collaborative relationships can thrive without being bogged down with extra manual work and broken communication.
By creating a transparent and seamless environment, One Door’s single-source retail solution helps motivate teams to reach revenue goals as a cohesive, collaborative organization.
Start to create collaborative relationships between your retail teams by reaching out to One Door today.