Do you have an eye for design? Would you like to style in-store displays and plan exhibitions? If so, visual merchandising is the ideal career for you.
The Certificate of Visual Merchandising is an online professional development course that will tap into your eye for design and provide you with the knowledge and skills to work in the exciting visual merchandising industry.
In this online visual merchandising course you will learn how to plan and manage store advertising and promotions, pricing policies and merchandising displays. You will discover how to interpret organisational visual merchandising plans and manuals and monitor in-store displays to ensure they reflect current merchandising directions.
On completion of this course you will understand the fundamental design principles of visual merchandising and will feel confident to supervise and coordinate store displays to merchandising standards.
Course Structure
Unit 1 - Plan a career in retail
- Career opportunities
- Advisory services
- Education and training requirements
- How to access information
- Evaluate levels of interest in retail
- Retail buyers
- Optimum career preferences
- Skill development requirements
- Stages of skills development
- Current personal skills and knowledge
- Taking ownership of career
- Personal learning needs
- 3 steps to gaining skills
- Professional development
- Skills development
- Career progression
- Collate skills assessment
Unit 2 - Visual merchandising displays
- Produce visual merchandise display
- Review display guidelines
- Seek clarification
- Displaying
- Research expeditions
- Determining products and themes
- Organisational requirements
- Constraints on displays
- Creative thinking
- Identify key checks
- Feedback
- Display planning
- Colour and symmetry
- Obtain merchandise materials
- Equipment for display
- Determine quantities
- Resource considerations
- Display area space
- Product labels and price tickets
- Individual tickets and shelf tickets
- Damaged or incorrect tickets
- Labelling and ticketing equipment
- Unpacking merchandise
- Manufacturer’s instructions
- Safety
- Display merchandise
- Produce the display
- Visual merchandising guidelines
- Depict information correctly
- Steps to producing a display
- Placing the merchandise
- Balance
- Focus
- Backdrop
- Lighting
- Risers and props
- Labels and tickets
- Product type
- Handling and moving stock safely
- Storing and displaying stock
- Legislative requirements
- Health and safety
- Manual handling
- Correct lifting technique
- Prompt return of excess stock
- Waste removal
- Minimising and separating waste
- Maintain display
- Review displays
- Effectiveness of display
- Reset and dismantle special displays
- Identify unsuitable displays
- Correct product and pricing information
- Maintain clear and correct pricing
- Competition and consumer legislation
- Damaged or out of date stock
- Rotate rotation
- Maintain appearance of display
- Cleaning of display
- Interactive displays
Unit 3 - Coordinate visual merchandising
- Coordinate visual merchandise requirements
- Visual merchandising guidelines
- Basic display purpose
- Organisational requirements
- Creative thinking rules
- Planning
- Symmetrical and asymmetrical designs
- Checklists
- Communication skills
- Use appropriate language
- Paralanguage pace and tone
- Body language
- Non-verbal communication
- Timing for dismantling a display
- Timeline plans
- Display requirements
- Communicate roles and responsibilities
- Promotional and special event displays
- Supervise visual merchandise activities
- Construction and maintenance of displays
- Balance and visual impact
- Health and safety requirements
- Manual handling
- Ensure display is accurately promoted
- Visual display checklist
- Label and tickets
- Minimise disruption
- Organisational standards
- Reset and dismantle special displays
- Identify unsuitable displays
- Replenishment of stock
- Stock rotation
- Impact of visual merchandise
- Evaluate promotions and special events
- Determine impact on sales
- Advantages and disadvantages of promotions
- Customer feedback
- Complaints
- Impact on sales results
- Reporting visual merchandise displays
- Graphical presentations
- Continuous improvement
- PDCA cycle
- Suggestions for improvements
Unit 4 - Visual merchandising
- Visual merchandising plan
- Window displays
- Source resources
- Presentation construction
- Promotions and special events
- Balance and visual impact
- Monitoring displays
- Maintaining displays
- Changes and additions
- Merchandise and stock rotation
- Merchandise pricing
- Elasticity of demand
- Ticketing
Unit 5 - Plan, create and maintain displays
- Identify purpose, audience and products
- Organisational requirements
- Budget and resources to create display
- Constraints that may affect creation of display
- Display ideas
- Creative thinking techniques
- Creative thinking rules
- Test ideas against display requirements
- Display options
- Modify display ideas
- Plan and build displays
- Develop simple display plans
- The key to the previous steps
- Checklists
- Source resources, materials and products
- Create display
- Seek assistance from relevant personnel
- Review display
- Make refinements
- Maintain displays
- Clean and tidy displays
- Replace products as necessary
- Make changes and alterations
Unit 6 - Merchandise products
- Merchandising displays
- Merchandise placement
- Unpacking merchandise
- Health and safety
- Stock levels
- Aesthetics
- Access and safety
- Product promotion
- Visual impact
- Balance and symmetry
- Stock rotation
- Labels and tickets
- Merchandise presentation
- Electronic ticketing
- Reset and dismantle displays
- Identify unsuitable displays
- Maintain correct pricing
- Identify optimum stock levels
- Protect merchandise
Unit 7 - Manage store presentation and pricing
- Manage store merchandising
- Visual presentation standards
- Layout and traffic flow
- Stock characteristics
- Product placement
- Space allocation
- Pricing and promotions
- Displays
- Profitability
- Merchandising and display plans
- Layout assessment checks
- Design and layout
- Stock layout
- Manage housekeeping
- Store policies and procedures
- Housekeeping schedules
- Housekeeping rosters
- Contingency planning
- Manage store pricing
- Cost plus pricing
- Competitive based pricing
- Target pricing
- Skimming
- Penetration pricing
- Prestige/Premium pricing
- Variable pricing
- Price cutting
- Psychological pricing
- Pricing trends
- Market trends
- Finance market
- Other indicators/trends
- Ethical purchasing
- Plan and manage promotions
- Market research
- Advertising and signage
- Staff training
- Negotiating with suppliers
- Returns and unsold goods
- Reporting on promotions
Study Hours
Estimated duration 100 hours
Course Delivery and Start
Start anytime, self-paced and 100% online
Assessment
Assessment will be comprised of written exercises, including short-answer questions, reflective tasks, short reports and/or projects. There are no examinations or due dates for assessment. As a result, you can complete training in your own time and at your own pace with the assistance of unlimited tutor support.
Testimonials
I really enjoyed my experience with AOC. I was able to complete all modules at my own pace with the perfect amount of content provided. It assisted me in launching my career in the Visual Merchandising department and I am now much more knowledgeable in this area.
T. Gledhill, Penrith, NSW | Certificate of Visual Merchandising
I found studying online a very simple and convenient way of gaining a new qualification.
I would highly recommend AOC to others
K. Gilley, Old Beach, TAS | Certificate of Visual Merchandising
While being a single mum, as well as working full-time, I have found this course to be easy to complete in my free time.
The lessons are easy to understand and enjoyable.
Genief, Ferntree Gully, VIC | Certificate of Visual Merchandising
Studying with Australian Online Courses was very educational, and was simple to follow and navigate through the system.
C. Diano, Deception Bay, QLD | Certificate of Visual Merchandising
Graduation
A Certificate of Attainment and Statement of Results will be issued upon successful completion of this course.
How to Enrol
Enrol Online: Click Add to Cart/View Cart on the course page.
Enrol via Live Chat (Business Hours)
Enrol via Telephone 1300 76 2221 (Business Hours)
Enrol via Purchase Order/Tax Invoice
Enrolling Multiple Staff?
To enrol multiple staff, please complete the Employer Enrolment Form. We’ll be in touch within 60 minutes during business hours!
Payment Options
Visa, Mastercard, BPAY and Direct Deposit.
Course FAQs
Why Choose Australian Online Courses?
- Professional development that is widely recognised and respected;
- Improve your employment opportunities;
- Study online, anywhere via our elearning system;
- High-quality professional development programs written by industry experts;
- All course materials provided online – no textbooks to buy;
- Unlimited tutor support via email;
- We offer twelve (12) months’ access, with extensions available upon application (fees apply);
- Course may be tax deductible; see your tax advisor.
Are there any entry requirements or pre-requisites?
There are no course or subject pre-requisites for entry into our programs. However, our professional development programs are generally intended for people over the age of 18. In some circumstances, enrolments from younger people may be considered. Please complete the AOC Parent Guardian Consent Form prior to enrolling and submit here.
When can I start this course?
You can start within 60 minutes during business hours when you enrol and pay in full with a credit card!
Credit card: Within 60 mins during business hours.
BPAY: Within 1-2 working days.
Internet Banking: Within 1-2 working days.
Cheque/Money Order: Upon receipt of mailed cheque.
How is this course delivered?
This course is delivered online via our easy-to-navigate Learning Management System (LMS), where you will discover interactive online learning/written content, resources and assessment.
Do I need to attend classes or undertake any work placements?
No. All courses are delivered online via our LMS and there are no work placement requirements in this course.
What support can I expect from Australian Online Courses?
Unlimited tutor support is available throughout your studies via email only during business hours Monday to Friday. Our Administrative team are available Monday to Friday via email, live chat and telephone.
I am an international student. Can I enrol into this course?
Yes! We accept enrolments from individuals both within Australia and internationally; location is no barrier to entry into our programs.
Career Pathways
Future growth
Strong
Unemployment
Low
- Visual Merchandiser
- Senior Visual Merchandising Coordinator
- Retail Sales Assistant
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