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- Make sure products like clothing and homeware are displayed attractively in stores
- You'll need creativity and a flair for colour and design
- Work in store, or at head office coming up with design ideas and drawing up plans
This is enjoyable, creative work, planning, designing, and creating displays in retail environments.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Design product displays and floor plans or follow plans from head office
- Draw designs and plans by hand or computer
- Use space and lighting creatively
- Source materials like models, props, signs and equipment
- Arrange displays and dressing dummies
- Teach sales staff how to display goods
- Produce brand guidelines so all stores have the same look and feel
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
Your work might sometimes include evenings or early mornings to set up displays when stores are closed. The job is physically demanding as it may involve climbing ladders and lifting goods. Working in shop windows can also be hot and cramped.
You could be based at head office or at a store and you might need to travel to different branches to set up displays.
You'll need
There are no set entry requirements, but you'll need creativity and imagination, design skills to create product displays, technical drawing skills, and attention to detail.
You could do a college course before looking for a trainee job with a retailer. Relevant courses include a Level 2 Certificate in Fashion Retail or a Level 3 Diploma in Retail Skills Visual Merchandising. Or you could do a Certificate in Display and Visual Merchandising through the British Display Society. This is a distance learning course and could help whether you're working in retail or looking for your first job.
Another way you could get into this job is through an advanced apprenticeship in retail visual merchandising.
Alternatively, you could start as a retail worker and take on more responsibility for displays and merchandising as your experience grows.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could progress to team leader, then visual merchandising manager. You could also move into retail, exhibition or interior design, or set up your own business creating one-off displays. You could become a member of the British Display Society to increase your job prospects.