VS STORES LAYOUT AND VISUAL MERCHANDISING

After vising the VS store in Meadowhall ( shopping centre in Sheffield )  and the one recently opened at the Henri Coanda airport (Bucharest, Ro), as well as analysing photos from other stores across the UK that my colleagues managed to take themselves, I can start making a few comparisons between the shops in terms of layout, products and advertisement.


First of all, the store layout is always constant from one shop to another. I find this to be really good as VS customers can easily recognise the brand's stores anywhere and have a sense of familiarity during their shopping experience, building a trust bond between the brand and the customer.

Henri Coanda airport impressions

 -main colours used: Black(Sexy, Mystery, association with the “Secret”) and Pink(Girly, Cheeky)
-the brand logo is used everywhere (almost overused)



















-Main Advertisement: Photographs with their "Angels" and the VS Fashion Show (on a TV screen)

-use of reflective black wood/plastic --> sophistication and nicely reflecting the surrounding(e.g. : the floor)

-how the panties/underwear were arranged gave me the sensation of cheap merchandise (all piled up), even though the prices were high

 -in the shop there were also places where items were mixed up: underwear, bodycare/beauty products and accessories
 - the colours were always matching

 POS MARKETING


-place cheaper/lower-priced items(small body mists/keychains) near the counter in order to grab the attention of the customer while the employee is finishing the transaction
-items that could be purchased as gifts (perfect as a last-minute gift)

 -customers may want to try a perfume while their items are being wrapped, maybe they’ll want to buy it

-nice transparent bowl in order to see all the products and keep the sophistication touch





















BEAUTY PRODUCTS


-VS logo everywhere (psychological impact on the consumer minds, making sure consumers remember the logo and the shop's name )
-products tend to be arranged by colour and collection

I think that they use lights on the shelves to give the lotions/perfumes and other items a “fantasy” glow

Meadowhall Shop impressions VICTORIA'S SECRET(Sheffield, UK)

-the storefront displays were different from other shops as they had no "outfits" exhibited in order to keep "Victoria's Secret"  hidden and unveiling it only when entering the store. In addition, the pink storefront was eye-popping and immediately caught my attention.
-they also had the available sizes displayed for the customers right before you entered Victoria's world

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As I already knew from my previous visit to a VS shop, their advertisement relies strongly on the use of images showing the VS angels. Their overall reputation and image is what the brand relies on in order to sell their products. If these supermodels that managed to build a huge fanbase over the years represent and love VS, aspiring fans will definitely become avid customers. Thus one could notice images and video-based materials all over the store.
The brand also gained its popularity thanks to their famous runway show, therefore visual merchandising teams are using screens in every VS store to play it.

One thing I found particularly interesting were the store sections, organised as chambers by colour, pink or black.

Recently they started to advertise more relaxed and comfortable bra styles, trying to be in touch with consumer demand. Therefore items like T-shirt bras had their own stand.

The back of the store was also the main beauty section of the store, with products also arranged by colour and collection. 

 -near the tills there were a few stands with all kind of beauty products and accessories

-from my customer interviews, casual discussions and secondary research their best selling items belong to the beauty and cosmetics section instead of apparel or lingerie.






PINK

The visual communication used for the pink store was different from VS. Instead of pink stripes, they used pink polka dots, a more playful and young approach. Another difference is the main colour being white instead of black, brightening up the whole atmosphere.
-storefront display also had only "sale banners"



























The bright and youthful colours used all over the shop suggest a younger consumer demographic, between 15 and 18 y/o, but I have also seen younger girls shopping at the PINK stores (13 y/o)

As these products are aimed at a younger customer, they had all kind of advertisement like 10% off or "2 for £20, 3 for £24".

The styles displayed were also more casual and had a relaxed-fit (e.g. sports bra)