Visual merchandising coordinators are the ideal position for those that have visual artistic flair and are interested within the sales industry. A visual merchandise coordinator needs to create interior designs and create the decor for the stores and their promotions.

What Is a Visual Merchandising Coordinator?

A visual merchandising coordinator is responsible for building the visual appeal of a retail store outlet. These merchandising coordinators need to be extremely knowledgeable about interior design, decorating and new trends. Retail locations need to be organized to engage customers and to promote certain products and encourage customers to come in and purchase items. Many retail locations hire visual merchandising coordinators to create their front displays and sometimes to create promotions for their store.

Visual merchandising coordinators are sometimes staff members of smaller retail locations, and this can be an excellent way to break into the industry for those that are interested in progressing on a retail career path. Visual merchandising coordinators are often educated in visual design or the visual arts, but they don’t necessarily have to be if they have the experience and the background to succeed. As noted by the International Academy of Design and Technology, visual merchandising coordinators may work in retail stores, small boutiques and large merchandisers.

What Does a Visual Merchandising Coordinator Do?

The visual merchandising coordinator will identify the products that the store wants to sell and emphasize them. A primarily creative pursuit, the merchandising coordinator may sketch out a variety of design plans and may create new and effective ways of using mannequins and other displays. Merchandising coordinators may need to work within the company’s budget to create a display that is optimal for them. Overall, the merchandising coordinator is usually allowed a certain amount of freedom in their designs.

Merchandising coordinators may work on a consulting basis for smaller boutique stores or may be on hire at retail locations. The job of a merchandising coordinator will change depending on the focus of the store and how seriously they take the visual appeal of their store. Merchandising coordinators may need to focus on many locations or they may have a single store that they often visit and focus on.

How Do You Become a Visual Merchandising Coordinator?

You can begin your path towards becoming a visual merchandising coordinator by acquiring a degree within visual arts. There are two year programs dedicated to arts and fashion. Visual merchandising coordinators are often hired at larger retail stores, and they usually do not present a significant barrier to entry. However, merchandisers will need to work hard to advance their career and prove their skill.

Merchandising coordination involves not just skill but also talent and research. Merchandising coordinators will need to be very conscientious about their design plans, need to react when the design plan does not work as desired and will need to keep up to date on all the recent fashion trends.

How Do You Advance as a Visual Merchandising Coordinator?

Merchandising coordinators can advance within their field by being hired at progressively larger or more luxurious retail stores. Merchandising coordinators can also become self-employed and start working on a contract basis, which gives them direct control over their income. To become successful a merchandising coordinator will have to become very knowledgeable within the industry, interface well and do well within their position. A successful merchandising coordinator needs to be very conscientious about their designs and needs to be able to identify design patterns that will not work. Those that take it seriously may want to pursue a major in visual merchandising.