A Day in the Life of a Merchandiser..
Not too long ago I accepted the role as Visual Merchandiser here at Winky Designs. “Piece of cake”, right? It is not as easy as everyone thinks! One really needs to have an eye for these type of things because it isn’t just about stacking one thing over another or slightly tilting it and calling it a display. It’s about knowing your products, knowing what sells, and knowing how to showcase it in a way that well grab people’s attention.
If you have been to one of our stores either at Container Park in Downtown Las Vegas or at the Grand Bazaar Shops in front of Bally’s on the strip of Las Vegas (yes we are local to Vegas!) then you know our stores aren’t your typical fashion store like H&M. We are an accessory store that specializes in designing watches. Some may think there is only so much we can do with showcasing small accessories in a small store. Well…our cozy square-footage forces us to think creatively about the space we have, and I, personally, love a good challenge.
So as the merchandiser I will clear my space, whether it’s the top of a table or the top of some cubbies, I like to start just as if I was an artist staring at a blank canvas. Then, the process begins. I’ll start taking whatever comes to mind. It can be anything from certain colored belts to certain watch faces and colored slap watch bands and I’ll start putting things together. Then halfway through, I might change my mind and try something different. It can take me almost my whole shift at times to put up a display that may just be a tiny bit different. (Side note: my indecisiveness may also be a contributing factor… but that is a story for another day). In the end however, a display that may appear to be something very simple will be up and ready for people to view and want to poke at. With our fun Iconic Slap Watches however, who wouldn’t want to pick them up and start messing with them as they once did with the ever so memorable and colorful Slap Bands.
One little thing I have also learned is that wrapping paper can also be of help when you’re trying to make a display seem more festive and there is definitely more than one use to everything. I never try to limit myself when working on a display which is another reason why I might have to change things at times because I can go a little overboard with the way I do things. For instance our slap bands from the watches can actually form a heart when bend the right way. Best thing ever when putting up a Valentines display. Then there’s the lid’s to our watch cases, turn them around and they hold our 5 layer bracelets very nicely. Finally our colorful Recyclable Plastic Belts are the perfect thing to help set the mood of the display. Overall, I have to say that being a Visual Merchandiser has given me a chance to be creative in a way I never thought I’d love.
