Visual Merchandising courses concentrate on teaching students how to better design and create displays in stores. Store layouts are also optimised in order to increase footfall and in turn sales. For Visual Merchandising courses, the candidate must pass 12th from a recognized board.
In India, universities and colleges offer certificates, diplomas, bachelor, master and also doctorate level courses in Visual Merchandising. Admissions to most course levels is on a merit basis or entrance examination. Popular entrance tests include the NIFT 2024. Diploma in Visual Merchandising is one of the popular courses.
Masters courses applicants should have a bachelors degree in any stream while doctoral degree applicants must have a masters degree in the same field. The average course fee for all courses level ranges from free to INR 2,70,000.
Upon completion of the course, popular job positions are Visual Merchandiser, Franchise Manager, Store Manager, Showroom Assistant, Business Development Manager, Retail Assistant. The average salary range is between INR 1,40,000 to INR 15,00,000 per annum. You may also check How to Become a Visual Merchandiser?
1.1 Why Study Visual Merchandising Courses?
1.2 Who should Pursue Visual Merchandising Courses?
2.2 Diploma Courses
3.1 Coursera
3.2 edX
3.3 Udemy
- Visual Merchandising Courses: Specializations
- Visual Merchandising Courses: Syllabus
- Stream Comparison
- Top Visual Merchandising Colleges in India
- Skills Required to be a Visual Merchandiser
- Scope of Visual Merchandising Courses
9.1 Top Job Profiles
9.2 Top Recruiters
What are Visual Merchandising Courses?
- Visual Merchandising is chosen by brands to improve the brand image and improve sales for products that are doing poorly. A Visual Merchandiser will perform their duties with advertising and marketing principles.
- The purpose of Visual Merchandising is to influence and encourage customers to make more purchases. Visual Merchandising combines both Advertising and Marketing principles to best paint a brand image in front of all prospective buyers.
- Statistically, it has been observed that 90% of the information our brains receive is only visual while 65% are active visual learners. The same study goes on to report that people’s willingness to make a purchase increases by 80% if said visual is coloured or artistically done.
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Visual Merchandisers are much in demand by brands to improve and expand their image.
Why study Visual Merchandising Courses?
Some reasons to apply for Visual Merchandising Courses have been described below:
Storytelling
- Visual Merchandising is a way to tell a story creatively.
- Experienced individuals can make customers create an entire story in their heads and get their attention. For highly creative people, Visual Merchandising is a great outlet.
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One gets to exercise their minds while creating benefits for both the brand and themselves.
Improve sales
- The main aim of Visual Merchandising is to improve sales.
- A well-designed display attracts customers and brings them into the store.
- With regular customers, visual merchandising invokes loyalty and contributes heavily to sales.
Enhance brand image
- Each brand has a story and must be interpreted in a specific way only.
- A Visual Merchandiser will take time to take in the brand and the image it wants to portray.
- Accordingly, they will create displays, floor plans, floor displays for the brand’s products.
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Due to the work of a Visual Merchandiser, companies become well known as a brand.
Getting value from products
- For many reasons, sometimes brands struggle to make sales.
- The visual merchandiser helps in marketing the products without having to make any drastic changes to the product.
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The merchandiser will design and put them in the best spots where customers can pick them up.
Advertise
- Visual Merchandising is that aspect of advertising where one does not have to invest much money in.
- People who are interested in advertising will thrive in Visual Merchandising.
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Displaying the products in proper ways along with using signs to promote the products are all forms of advertising.
Who should pursue Visual Merchandising Courses?
- Merchandising is the perfect choice of educational degree for candidates who are already working in retail or sales.
- Applicants with a passion for design and increasing sales using creative means to influence customer minds would do well.
- In terms of skills, Visual Merchandisers have strong customer service skills and expert communication skills.
- The ideal candidate must also be able to work in teams and alone efficiently.
Types of Visual Merchandising Courses
Visual Merchandising can be learned through various modes. From short term free online certificate courses to full-time doctorate degrees.
All available modes have been described below:
Certificate Courses
- Certificate courses are short term usually lasting a few hours to a few weeks.
- They are delivered both online and offline.
- Online certification courses are often free of cost.
- At a minimum, all applicants must have completed their class 12th from a recognized educational board.
| Course Name | Top College | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Merchandising and Product Styling | NIFT Delhi | INR 75,000 |
| Certificate in Boutique Design | Graffiti Institute of Fashion Technology | - |
| Certificate in Fashion Marketing and Merchandising | YMCA Delhi | INR 40,000 |
| Certificate in Fashion Merchandising | ISFT Mumbai | - |
| Advanced Certificate in Apparel Merchandising | Xaviers Institute of Business Management Studies | INR 6,900 |
Diploma Courses
- Diploma courses in any stream are usually taught over 1 to 2 years.
- Students who have completed their class 12th can study in a diploma course.
- Admissions are on a merit basis and there is no need to submit an entrance test score.
- Diploma holders can immediately start working after graduation.
| Course Name | Top College | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Apparel Production & Merchandising | NIFT Mumbai | INR 2,06,500 |
| Diploma in Visual Merchandising | JD Institute of Fashion Technology | - |
| Diploma in Visual Merchandising | Institute of Apparel Management | - |
| Diploma in Visual Merchandising | Indian Institute of Textile Training | INR 20,000 |
| Diploma in Visual Merchandising | Neewara Academy of Design | INR 75,000 |
| Foundation Diploma in Visual Merchandising | Academy of Applied Arts | - |
| Diploma in Apparel Merchandising | Aesthetic Institute of Design | - |
| Diploma in Fashion and visual merchandising | Simran Institute | - |
Undergraduate Courses
- Bachelor's degree in Visual Merchandising is taught over a duration of 3 to 4 years.
- The courses are taught majorly in Fashion institutes.
- Admissions are on a merit basis while some institutes conduct their own entrance tests.
- A compulsory internship is required to be completed before graduating.
| Course Name | Top College | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| BBA Apparel Merchandising | International Institute of Fashion Technology | - |
| Bachelor In Design And Luxury Business Management | Vedatya Institute | INR 2,70,000 |
| B.Sc. Fashion Design and Merchandising | Polytechnic for Women | INR 18,000 |
| B.Sc. Fashion Merchandise and Retail Management | Mewar University | INR 43,000 |
| BBA Retail Marketing | Modern Group of Colleges | INR 1,28,000 |
Postgraduate Courses
- Masters in Design or Masters of Arts and also Masters of Science degree offer Visual Merchandising specialisations with a duration of 2 years.
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Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in a related field to be able to be admitted to the course.
| Course Name | Top College | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| PG Diploma in Apparel Production & Merchandising | NIFT Chennai | INR 2,06,500 |
| M.Des. Fashion Merchandising | Parul University | INR 90,000 |
| M.A. Fashion & Textile Merchandising | Amity University Noida | INR 65,000 |
| PG Diploma in Fashion Retailing & Merchandising | Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda | INR 46,700 |
| M.Sc. Fashion Designing and Merchandising | BBK DAV College of Women | 25,800 |
| M.Sc. Fashion Designing and Merchandising | Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya | INR 60,000 |
| M.Sc. Fashion Designing and Merchandising | Banarsi Dass Arya College | - |
| MBA Apparel Marketing and Merchandising | Mewar University | INR 78,000 |
Doctoral Courses
- Doctoral courses are research based degrees.
- They are the highest degrees in India.
- All applicants must have a masters degree and/or work experience.
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The admission process involves a written test and a personal interview where a research proposal is to be submitted.
| Course Name | Top College | Duration | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhD in Fashion, Design and Merchandising | Mody University | 3 years | INR 1,40,000 |
Top Online Visual Merchandising Courses
Online courses have become popular during the pandemic. They are often free of cost and are self paced. This makes them the perfect choice for working individuals.
Listed below are the top courses in Visual Merchandising in Coursera, edX and Udemy.
Coursera
| Course Name | Duration |
|---|---|
| Fashion Retail Transformation | 10 hours |
| Retail Marketing Strategy | 7 hours |
| Management of Fashion and Luxury Companies | 12 hours |
| Transforming the Fashion Business Specialization | 3 months |
| Brand and Product Management | 14 hours |
edX
| Course Name | Duration | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Fundamentals | 4 weeks | Free |
| Introduction to Retail Management | 6 weeks | Free |
| Professional Certificate in Retail and Omnichannel Management | 2 months | INR 29,587 |
Udemy
| Course Name | Duration | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Merchandising Course For Retailers and Students | 3 hours | INR 2,560 |
| Retail Merchandising | 3 hours | INR 4,800 |
| Fast Track Retail Buying and Merchandising | 4 hours | INR 4,800 |
| Open To buy- Retail Merchandising Planning | 2 hours | INR 2,240 |
| Master the Shopper Experience to build your retail business | 4 hours | INR 4,480 |
| Coaching Skills For Retail Managers | 2 hours | INR 1,280 |
| Retail Maths for Merchandisers and Buyers | 2 hours | INR 1,280 |
| Store Design & Merchandising: maximize the retail space | 2 hours | INR 2,240 |
| Basics of Visual Merchandising & Store Design | 45 mins | INR 1,280 |
| Visual Merchandising and Display | 2 hours | INR 2,880 |
Visual Merchandising Courses: Specializations
Merchandising is an umbrella term that involves various concentrations including visual merchandising. Other concentrations include apparel merchandising, technology merchandising, retail merchandising, design etc.
A description of all specialisations is as below:
| Specialization | Description |
|---|---|
| Merchandising | Their duty is to arrange and create displays in digital or retail stores to bring in the most sales. There are several types of merchandising including, product, retail, visual, digital and omnichannel. |
| Design | The Design element of merchandising deals with researching what customers want and transforming them into attractive store displays. After a bachelor's degree, students can start working and follow it up with a master and a doctorate degree post that. |
| Retail | Retail Merchandising is the act of performing merchandising in retail spaces. Their goal is to bring in most customers and make the space visually appealing to increase sales. |
| Technology Merchandising | Technology Merchandising is merchandising but for technologies. They simplify the words and bring into reality the image the brand wants to show. |
| Apparel Merchandising | Apparel Merchandising involves merchandising in the clothing industry. Quality and quantity are stressed for apparel. The process also involves sampling clothes, testing, making the garments before the final order is placed. |
Visual Merchandising Courses: Syllabus
The syllabus for Visual Merchandising is different depending on the course. That is if the course is a certificate, diploma or a full-time degree programme.
The table lists the important subjects taught across all course levels:
| Fundamentals of Visual Merchandising | Symmetric and asymmetric display principles |
| Consumer Behaviour | Use of lighting and color |
| Window display trends | Merchandise of tables and products |
| Floor layouts, cash desks and customer flow | Lifestyle displays |
| Kids and home accessories displays | Fashion and mannequin displays |
Visual Merchandising Courses: Stream Comparisons
Visual Merchandising is oftentimes confused with Fashion Design. Both streams are vastly different and involve different responsibilities. The table below mentions the top differences between both concentrations.
| Parameters | Fashion Design | Visual Merchandising |
|---|---|---|
| Main objective | The objective is to learn about the basics to advance apparel and fashion creation. | The objective is to teach about optimally design display windows of stores to bring in most sales. |
| Average course fee | INR 12,000 to INR 1,50,000 | INR 10,000 to INR 2,00,000 |
| Future Scope | Higher education and job | Higher education and job |
| Average salary | INR 3,00,000 to INR 4,00,000 PA | INR 2,00,000 to INR 5,00,000 PA |
| Education levels | Certificate, diploma, bachelors, masters | Certificate, diploma, bachelors, masters |
| Eligibility criteria | Class 12th in any stream | Class 12th in any stream |
| Top colleges | Vogue Institute of Art and Design, IIFA Multimedia, JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Madras Institute of Fashion Technology | NIFT Mumbai, JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Institute of Apparel Management, Indian Institute of Textile Training, Neewara Academy of Design |
| Skills required | Style sense, artistic and creative, teamwork and ability to work alone, sewing | Creative and understanding of brands, up to date with trends, commercial awareness |
Top Visual Merchandising Courses Colleges in India
Visual Merchandising courses are taught in Fashion institutes across India. In terms of popularity, institutes in the tier 1 cities attract the most students annually.
Mentioned below are the top colleges for Visual Merchandising in India:
| College Name | Average Course Fee |
|---|---|
| Pearl Academy, Delhi | INR 9,00,000 |
| YMCA Delhi | INR 40,000 |
| NIFT Delhi | INR 75,000 |
| NIFT Mumbai | INR 2,06,000 |
| NIFT Bangalore | INR 2,06,000 |
| NIFT Kolkata | INR 35,000 |
| NIFT Chennai | INR 2,25,000 |
| JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi | INR 45,000 |
| Parul University, Vadodara | INR 90,000 |
| Pearl Academy, Mumbai | INR 11,00,000 |
| Xavier's Institute of Business Management Studies, Bangalore | INR 6,900 |
| FIDA The Design School, Pune | - |
Skills Required to be a Visual Merchandiser
Visual Merchandisers need to possess certain specific skills to be able to work in the field. These skills range from personality skills to technical skills.
The table below lists the top skills for a Visual Merchandiser to have.
| Written and spoken communication skills | Creativity |
| Up to date with trends | Knowledge of the brands |
| Organized work style | Leadership and supervision |
| Design skills | Interpersonal and customer care skills |
Scope of Visual Merchandising Courses
The scope of Visual Merchandising graduates is increasing and on the rise in India. There are plenty of job roles available in the retail space in Apparel, Technology, Grocery stores.
- The average salary range for the same ranges from INR 1,50,000 to INR 15,00,000 LPA.
- For students who wish to continue their studies, there are opportunities too.
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Several institutes offer masters degrees, PG diplomas and doctorate degrees in Visual Merchandising.
Top Job Profiles
In the field of Visual Merchandising, the following are the top job profiles along with a brief description of what their descriptions:
| Job Profile | Job Description |
|---|---|
| Visual Merchandiser | Visual Merchandisers are design experts who use their skills to create displays and layouts for stores. They have in-depth knowledge of brands in order to create the best displays to represent them. Most Visual Merchandisers work with a diploma degree. |
| Franchise Manager | The Franchise Manager signs a contract with a brand or a company to set up a store and sell their products. An initial fee and a part of the sales revenue is to be given to the franchise owner. The franchise manager has full control on how to design the store display and floor plan. |
| Store Manager | The Store Manager is responsible for hiring and firing, preparing reports, increasing footfall and sales. They are the person on top but they are not the franchise owner or franchise manager. |
| Showroom Assistant | Showroom Assistants are hired in retail spaces and stores to assist customers. They help address queries and questions customers might have about the products and services. They will demonstrate the product, hear out complaints and more. |
| Business Development Manager | The duties of a Business Development Manager include looking for ways to expand the business. They look for ways to diversify so as to increase income. They talk with potential clients and vendors in order to do so. |
| Retail Assistant | The work responsibilities of a Retail Assistant is similar to that of a Showroom Assistant. They greet customers, arrange the displays, mannequins etc. |
Top Recruiters
Visual Merchandisers are hired in retail stores and other large scale stores. They develop the visual displays in the stores. The top recruiters for Visual Merchandisers are as below:
| H&M | Future Group |
| First Cry | Shoppers Stop |
| IKEA | Souled Store |
| Marks and Spencer | Lifestyle |
| Lenskart | Aditya Birla Group |
Salary post completing Visual Merchandising Courses
The salary for a Visual Merchandiser depends on several factors like gender, city, organization and also the experience level. The average salary range across all factors is INR 1,40,000 to INR 15,00,000 LPA.
Details of all different salaries are as below:
Company wise
| Job Profile | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| H&M | INR 4,70,000 |
| Future Group | INR 4,49,198 |
| Reliance Industries | INR 4,27,104 |
| Shoppers Stop | INR 3,50,000 |
| Landmark Group | INR 4,85,520 |
| Pantaloons | INR 4,63,251 |
Gender wise
| Job Profile | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Male | INR 2,67,627 |
| Female | INR 1,40,964 |
City wise
| Job Profile | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Mumbai | INR 3,80,000 |
| Bengaluru | INR 6,08,000 |
| Delhi | INR 3,68,922 |
| Chennai | INR 3,25,000 |
| Kolkata | INR 4,99,712 |
| Hyderabad | INR 2,53,920 |
Experience wise
| Job Profile | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level | INR 3,80,000 |
| Early Career | INR 3,88,156 |
| Mid Career | INR 5,93,373 |
| Experienced | INR 15,00,000 |
Visual Merchandising Courses: FAQs
Ques. How to become a Visual Merchandiser?
Ans. Visual Merchandisers usually have a diploma or a bachelor’s degree in the said specialisation before they start working. Certain organizations could also accept students with work experience in retail or Advertising and Marketing but no degree in Visual Merchandising.
Ques. Is it possible to become a Visual Merchandiser without work experience?
Ans. Yes. It is possible to work as a Visual Merchandise without prior work experience. One must have a relevant educational degree.
Ques. What is the scope of a Visual Merchandising course?
Ans. There are plenty of jobs for graduates in brick and mortar retail space as well as in the digital space. If one wishes there are higher education options too. Several institutes offer masters as well as doctorate degrees.
Ques. What is the difference between Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising?
Ans. Fashion Merchandising is the art of performing merchandising for fashion brands and stores. On the other hand, Fashion Design is the designing and creating of clothes as per the latest trends.
Ques. How does Visual Merchandising affect stores?
Ans. Effective Visual Merchandising brings in more customers and footfall to the stores. This in turn means more sales and profit. Additionally the brand name is expanded.
Ques. What does a Visual Merchandiser do in stores?
Ans. The Visual Merchandiser will take time to understand brands and their stories. Accordingly, they will come up with product storefront displays and floor plans to attract customers and get more sales.
Ques. What are some entrance examinations to study Visual Merchandising?
Ans. At the undergraduate level, NIFT courses require candidates to take a written test. At the postgraduate level, CAT, MAT, and SNAP test scores are accepted. Doctorate courses require UGC NET or GATE scores.
Ques. What is the difference between Visual Merchandising and Technology Merchandising?
Ans. Visual Merchandising is designing artful store displays to promote sales. Technology Merchandising is the same as Visual Merchandising but only for technological products like smartphones, laptops, cameras etc.
Ques. Can Store Assistants become Visual Merchandisers?
Ans. Yes. The duties of a Store Assistant do count as relevant work experience. Organizations with open job positions will accept this for a Visual Merchandiser role.
Ques. Do online certificate courses issue completion certificates?
Ans. Yes. Some online course providers issue certificates for all courses while some require a small fee to do so.
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