Visual Merchandising Zara vs Pull & Bear

Use of Space & Psychology to Influence Customers to Purchase Goods Evaluation of use of psychological visual merchandising & display techniques to influence customers decision

Introduction Retailers are not just placing products in order to show customers what they have to offer them but they are investigating customer’s way of thinking and trying to create strategies that will attract the sensual parts of their body such as noose, skin and most importantly eyes. Previously the studies we undertake were accessing some of the techniques used within visual merchandising and helped us understand some psychological strategies, also we were asked to create a practical example of their use in retail. This document will be looking in higher perspective of how Pull & Bear and Zara are using these techniques in order to sale. The reason to compare those two brands is the similarity and common story they are sharing. In a way both brands are very similar, however the techniques they use are different. One of the reasons for being different is the range of products divided to male and female products, and as we know male and female have different way of thinking and accepting things, which is the reason for slightly different way of presenting goods.

Use of Space & Psychology to Influence Customers Different retailers are using different ways to organise their products, which is really depending on the range of products they have. Pull & Bear are using space for allocation of fitting rooms as they sale clothing and in order to increase sales and decrease product returns, the use of fitting rooms will be essential. Within the shop space there are places to sit and wait the partner who is testing clothing as most of the people are doing shopping in partnership and this has to be considered. Pull & Bear is focusing on male fashion and the main point is to understand how man feel, think and like when shopping also take decision on what to buy.

Certainly I would say that most of the man prefer colours to be not very shiny but also not to be too grey and boring. The picture above will show the soft flow of the clothing in terms of colours, however for man is much easier to make the choice as everyone has settled style. In terms of techniques BP is using Vertical and Horizontal placement of goods and this is not by coincidence. Most of man like to have easy to follow order without too many things that could be confusing, for example under the shirts are jeans, which are matching colours and giving the chance for making easy choices while margin sales.

Zara is also boutique with fashionable products concentrating on both male and female clothing. Both retailers are using window display to attract & welcome customers in. However the window display is usually not including or at least not focusing exactly into clothing but more into creative art which is referring indirectly to fashion. This is very important as the completion today is big and creative windows can rather welcome or get passed by customers. (What I mean by BIG competition? - This is when ten brands are offering a Bordeaux-red cocktail dress and they both are trying to present it in different way in order to sale.) Zara is allocating fitting rooms as well for the same reasons to fit the needs of the customers and increase satisfaction and comfort for customers. The shop is using a lot of lighting in order to represent the beauty of the colours in the most efficient way. When it comes to women clothing the shape and colour range is unlimited but with men fashion has it limits. For this reason women could be confused and even make disasters when shopping, because something, which still good on the mankeen might not suit certain type of body. Most of this shops has advisors, who can give suggestions but when it comes to merchandising, Zara is using very unique techniques, which are giving enough space between products and e.g. in a small section Zara offers 5 dresses instead of 50, which is something common for sole traded shops (small shops in the high street)-trying to put as much stock as possible as thinking that will bring more customers in ‘’sometimes that works too…’’ This is very helpful because as many different products are offered, as much the mind of the customers will split into ‘’shall I get that or that, or maybe that’’. When the business know their style and place three similar or completely different dresses on one side that will help customers to make easy and quicker decision without regrets afterwards. Another rule is the season sales that both retailers use, this is helping them to change collections and create promotions of old collections. Old collections are something that could be used for the e.g. ’’next summer’’ giving you the chance to have product of this brand with good value.

Techniques Used to Display & Present Goods

Before outlining some of the techniques used in VM, take a look at the manekens and the order/ the whole picture crested. It looks like they are walking down the stairs with soft colours appropriate for evening events and the softer lighting is outlining the sense of it. This is very well technique of Story Telling, which is aiming to give customers not only suggestion of what they should buy but also an idea of the most appropriate occasion they can use that. The storytelling is actually in-mind suggestion, which could make a link between the product and certain occasion the customer will be attending to. When it comes to female fashion that way of presentation is very useful for the customers because as I outlined earlier they need more support than the male customers. From one hand they can have the sales advisors, the friends, who will give them true or not very true opinion about certain product and also this technique, which is saying ‘’why not something like that’’.

Pull & Bear are a bit different in terms of storytelling. The picture is actually remaining me of typical male room. There are the carelessly thrown jeans but still open to be seen the whole style and colour of each. In terms of technique this is horizontal aligning of these products. The male mind is not very organised in terms of order but in this occasion that is helpful as the eye can catch and easy make difference and chose. As I said the most preferred colours by male representatives are not very screaming in terms of colours and this is the reason to have them in very front of the picture. However there are different range of customers and this is why PB is also offering range of different colours such as the one places on the wall, supported with optional clothing that can go with e.g. certain type of jeans (Cross Merchandising/Margin Sales).

In terms of lighting it is very soft and focused directly on the items. This is just to help the male eye to focus, usually human eye is attracted to light, and it is one more way of saying to customers ‘’look here’’. The boxes created on the wall are not simply there for no reason, they are creating a board between every two/three products. This is helping customer to get focused on one place and decide between 2 but not 20 products. Male customers are usually with the idea what they need and they get in the shop, try to find the section e.g. shirts, with the idea of e.g. sky blue shirt and when they see the similar options PB have to offer them, they simply take it and go to the till. In closing the most appropriate techniques for PB to use (and they already use) are horizontal and vertical alignment of products. – Making easy focus, easy decisions, creating suggestions between two different type of products e.g. shirt and trousers but similar in terms of colour and style so they can go together.

This is another picture of PB shop so to back up all facts mentioned above. This time we have t-shirts in very front thrown in the table remaining a boy’s bed or sofa. This could be linked with creating more familiar/comfortable atmosphere to this range of customers and use that to get their interest. My personal experience with PB are all shared above but I will stick to the EASY CHOICE. For some of you that might be a strange way of attracting customers but when it comes to male fashion this is like Ace. The vertical and horizontal alignment, along with the rest of the factors; light, colours and way of presentation are just strongly making EASY CGOICE strong fact! The pictures used in the middle of the wall is again story-telling, which is very common for fashion shops but it is not much used by PB. It can be seen the picture is not very big and the main subject is Jeansie-blue colour. This brings nice mood into the shop and finalise the whole picture PB created.

ZARA, consider the sense of order. It is so strong, it is so clean and it is so natural, it is like walking into ladies big wardrobe. Opposite BP in where the chaotically atmosphere were created in Zara this is something unbelievable to happen. In case the Zara use chaotic atmosphere in their shops, will lead to lack of customers as most of the women will be not going in, except some as we can see TKMax enjoy the company of some customers. In terms of colours we can see that this retailer is using technique of the soft flow colours, it is like all the colours overflow into each other. As already mentioned this is helping customers not to concentrate and make easy decisions. The psychologists suggest their shopaholic patients to think analytical when they get certain product ‘’shall I get that, will I really need it, don’t I have something similar at home?’’ and those self-asked questions are helping the patient to split their mind, which leads to not to buy. This is working in similar way, when in a shop they have rainbow range of colours within the products. It can split the customers mind, at least reduce the Quick Choice and most likely will make the customer to walk away without anything in their hands. All the techniques will not worth if those factors and phycology way of thing are not included in VM. In terms of picture we there is something that photographers use called frames. Centred, in the front middle we have one frame with little table showing gods and we have the back frame (after you walk out from this corridor) and it considered both pictures are showing their potential without overlapping each other.

Zara is using also horizontal and vertical alignments of their products, but also they have pyramid alignments (see the little table in the front – two lower sides and one higher in the middle). It is helping customers see certain product in the top platform and then the two lower platforms are showing optional suggestions with different products. This is something not very often seen in most PB shops, they often use the small tables in different way as you seen at the pictures above. When it comes to manekens, I wouldn’t say PB are not using any but in Zara this is more essential because most of the women prefer to see how something looks like when wear it. From the other hand male are more into ‘’I just need the size, and as long I like thee colour and style then I can go with it’’. Cross Merchandising technique could be seen on the picture above, showing a range of different white dresses and under each, there is a pair of shoes that can go with certain dress. This is common for both Zara and PB as on both pictures could be seen that they are using same technique in similar way.

Overall Look

Both Zara and Pull & Bear are similar in clothing style, or at least I find it so. This is the main reason I chose to investigate in this topic. The similarities and differences are more in psychological matter not that in use of techniques in direct way. Showing different prospective of what we see in both retailers and giving us the chance look deep at the strategies and factors that are so depending for effectiveness of Visual Merchandising. Notice: I am considering that Pull & Bear is more recognised and preferred brand by male representatives and Zara is well known and popular for both male and female customers. On this report I tried to focus at each gender via different brand to give accurate explanation of Psychology in terms of Visual Merchandising.