How do you test and experiment with different visual merchandising elements and layouts?

1 Define your objectives

Before you start experimenting, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your visual merchandising. Do you want to increase traffic, conversions, average order value, customer loyalty, or brand awareness? Do you want to highlight a specific product, category, or promotion? Do you want to create a certain mood, theme, or story? Write down your objectives and how you will measure them, such as sales data, footfall counts, customer feedback, or social media engagement.

2 Choose your variables

Next, you need to decide which visual merchandising elements and layouts you want to test and compare. These could include window displays, signage, lighting, color, props, fixtures, mannequins, product placement, grouping, spacing, and more. You can test one variable at a time (such as different colors) or multiple variables at once (such as different themes). However, be careful not to change too many things at once, as this could make it hard to isolate the effects of each factor.

3 Design your experiment

Now, you need to design your experiment in a way that allows you to collect valid and reliable data. You can use different methods, such as A/B testing, split testing, or multivariate testing, depending on your objectives and variables. For example, you can use A/B testing to compare two different window displays by alternating them on different days or weeks and tracking the sales of the featured products. Or, you can use split testing to compare two different store layouts by dividing your store into two sections and assigning different customers to each section. Or, you can use multivariate testing to compare different combinations of variables by creating several versions of a display and showing them to different segments of your audience.

4 Implement your experiment

Once you have designed your experiment, you need to implement it in your store or online platform. Make sure you follow the instructions and guidelines of your experiment carefully and consistently. For example, if you are testing different window displays, make sure you change them at the same time and frequency. If you are testing different store layouts, make sure you assign customers to each section randomly and fairly. If you are testing different online displays, make sure you use a tool or software that can generate and show different versions to different visitors.

5 Analyze your data

After you have run your experiment for a sufficient period of time, you need to analyze your data and see what results you have obtained. You can use different tools and techniques, such as spreadsheets, charts, graphs, statistics, or software, to organize, visualize, and interpret your data. Compare the performance of each option and see which one meets your objectives better. For example, if you are testing different window displays, see which one generates more traffic, conversions, or sales. If you are testing different store layouts, see which one creates more dwell time, cross-selling, or repeat purchases. If you are testing different online displays, see which one leads to more clicks, views, or subscriptions.

6 Apply your learnings

Finally, you need to apply your learnings and insights from your experiment to improve your visual merchandising strategy. Choose the option that works best for your store, your brand, and your audience and implement it across your channels. Or, if none of the options works well, try a different experiment with different variables or objectives. Keep testing and experimenting with different visual merchandising elements and layouts until you find the optimal combination that maximizes your sales and customer satisfaction.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?