A Study on the Concepts and its Vision for Visual Merchandising in Korean Retail Shops

Purpose - The current distribution enterprises have realized the necessity for integrated and specialized images in their stores. From those reasons, visual merchandising has been considered as a powerful means towards brand value judgement as well as maximizing both brand and corporate identity. This research intends to study and discuss the current situations in Korean visual merchandising and its future concept setting. Based on the research findings, this paper tries to propose the basic concept for development strategies of visual merchandising in Korean distribution market. Although the studies on visual merchandising in Korean traditional markets have been continued, visual merchandisers have been distorted by display control centers in real situations. Therefore, this study tries to set both current and future concepts in visual merchandising for further discussions and a new complement formulation. Research design, data, and methodology - This study has investigated previous studies with the way of normative study by comparing, organizing concepts and relating terms on visual merchandising. In order to be an exact research, it seems to be more appropriate to analyze this study with a deductive analysis way rather than inductive as for getting the core of visual merchandising. Besides, this study changed the term ‘visual merchandising’ into ‘VMD’, and used it as an unified one. Results - Visual merchandising has an important key in retail planning. With focusing on organizing visual merchandising concepts, it should be adequate for domestic circumstances because there are various visual merchandising concepts with different perspectives. Thus, it is necessary to establish a concept including modern and Korean features through previous studies and data. Visual merchandising can be defined as followings. It enhances the value of shop images from visual aspects and conveys brand concepts effectively. Its task is to plan and manage products sales by combin