Retail

Why Visual Merchandising Needs Retail Operations Tech Now More Than Ever

Published on 16 May 2025

Modified on 20 May 2025

2 min

The art of visual merchandising is as much about aesthetics as operational precision. In 2025, customers don’t just expect immersive store experiences, they expect consistency, quality and relevance across every location. That means the stakes for execution are higher than ever.

From your flagship store in London to your smaller format store in York, every window, every fixture and every display must communicate your brand story flawlessly. When they don’t, it’s not just the display that suffers, it’s conversion, loyalty and brand credibility.

The goal is guaranteeing brand compliance and flawless execution at scale, without physically having to be in every store.

New challenges for new retail

Retail recovery has moved to retail reinvention; with that comes a sharper focus on store profitability, efficiency and experience.

Today’s consumers are more discerning and experience-led. A recent industry study showed:

79% of purchases are still influenced by physical stores
63% of Gen Z and Millennial shoppers prefer to buy from brands that create ‘interesting or different’ store environments

That’s a huge opportunity, but only if your creative vision makes it from HQ to every store, intact and on time.

Unfortunately, visual merchandising is still one of the most fragile parts of retail execution. Guidelines get misinterpreted, shipments get delayed and launch-day execution can vary wildly.

The digital age is well and truly here. The retail sector saw a massive acceleration in digitisation during the pandemic as retailers were forced to do things differently. Forward thinking retailers are prioritising investment in technology to get customers into stores – whether it is virtual fitting rooms, or VR (Virtual Reality) mirrors.

But not all technology is good technology. Recently, the retail industry has begun to question the investment in “vanity IT” – technology that does not solve a problem, or directly affect the key day to day processes. VR mirrors are great, but are they really having a lasting impact on the business? Instead, retailers are looking to invest in practical solutions that improve the day to day running of stores, make life easier for stretched store teams and create a measurable improvement in sales.

From best laid plans to best executed stores

To bridge the gap between head office plans and in-store reality, leading retailers are investing in retail task management platforms that unify communication, improve visibility and ensure every store reflects the intended brand experience.

Cegid Retail Store Excellence is transforming how visual merchandising teams work with store teams.

Centralised VM guidelines are sent directly to each store’s dashboard, accessible via mobile, so no more clunky PDFs or out-of-date intranet folders.
Photo upload and feedback tools give head office instant visibility into in-store execution and allow for real-time coaching and corrections.
Task tracking and compliance monitoring ensure no detail is missed and every store meets the same high standards.
Sharing best practice turns strong store execution into a learning opportunity for the rest of the network.

This isn’t about replacing creativity with process, but about enabling creativity to scale without limitation.

Visual Merchandising Software that drives sales

As brands streamline store operations in 2025, the focus is shifting toward technology that impacts frontline execution. Not “showroom tech” or novelty gadgets, but tools that make life easier for store teams and directly contribute to sales and brand consistency.

Cegid’s visual merchandising software is a powerful solution that supports: