Great Indian Fashion Town held an exclusive discussion with one of the Ace Visual Merchandisers in India - Shammi Raghuvanshi. He shared a leadership perspective shaped by nearly 17 years of experience
across visual merchandising, retail transformation, customer
experience and large scale execution. These responses reflect a belief that strong Visual Merchandising must bring together creativity,
commercial thinking, customer understanding, technology and disciplined execution to deliver
measurable value for the brand.
GIFT : Being a seasoned Visual Merchandiser now, how did your interest in VM develop initially?
My interest in Visual Merchandising began long before I understood it as a profession. As a child, I was
naturally drawn to art, craft and three dimensional creation. I enjoyed painting, transforming the walls
of my room and giving ordinary objects, even a garden pot, a distinctive visual character. I chose
biology as my main subject because the precision and detail involved in drawing cells, mitochondria
and other biological structures genuinely fascinated me. I also trained in Bharatanatyam for four
years, which strengthened my understanding of composition, expression, rhythm and storytelling.
I initially aspired to become a fashion designer, but while completing my postgraduation in Fashion
Retail at Pearl Academy, Delhi, I discovered that Visual Merchandising brought together everything
that interested me: fashion, spatial design, consumer psychology, storytelling and business. I realised
that this was not simply a creative role; it was a leadership function capable of shaping brand
perception and influencing commercial performance.
Nearly 17 years later, that conviction remains unchanged. What continues to excite me is the
opportunity to translate a brand strategy into an experience that customers can see, feel and respond
to. The profession has allowed me to lead teams, build scalable systems and use creativity with a
clear commercial purpose.
GIFT : Did the pandemic give Visual Merchandisers an opportunity to
develop fresh ideas?
The pandemic was one of the most difficult periods the retail industry has faced. Store closures,
uncertainty, layoffs and salary reductions affected organisations and individuals alike. At the time, I
was heading Visual Merchandising at Blackberrys, and the situation required us to protect business
continuity while rethinking established ways of working.
One of our most important annual initiatives was the trade show, which drove significant seasonal
bookings. A physical event was not possible, so I led the team in converting it into a virtual experience.
With strict safety measures in place, we built actual merchandise displays, windows and store
environments at our Gurgaon office. We then translated those physical mock ups into digital
presentations, videos and virtual walkthroughs that clearly communicated product stories, garment
attributes, USPs and the intended in store experience to franchise partners and customers.
The initiative reinforced an important leadership lesson: constraints can become catalysts for
innovation when teams are given clarity, ownership and the confidence to experiment. It also
demonstrated that Visual Merchandising is not confined to a physical store. Its real purpose is to
create an engaging, consistent and commercially effective brand experience across every customer
touchpoint. This work contributed to my recognition among India’s Top 100 CX Leaders by Trescon in
2023 and remains one of the most rewarding transformations I have led.
GIFT : How has the growth of online shopping affected in store?
Visual Merchandising
Online shopping has fundamentally changed the role of the physical store. Customers now arrive
better informed because they have already explored collections, compared options and engaged with
the brand digitally. As a result, stores can no longer compete on product availability alone. They must
offer inspiration, personal interaction, discovery and a memorable experience.
For Visual Merchandising leaders, this means building a connected customer journey. Campaign
stories, product priorities, styling, colour language and brand communication must remain consistent
across websites, social media, marketplaces and stores. At the same time, the physical environment
must use its unique strengths: tactile interaction, trials, complete look styling, personal assistance
and immersive storytelling.
I see the store evolving from a transaction point into a powerful experience and conversion centre. The
role of VM leadership is to ensure that creativity is aligned with customer behaviour and business
priorities so that every display supports engagement, navigation, full price selling and conversion.
GIFT : How do you see Visual Merchandising reaching new heights in the
future?
The future of Visual Merchandising will be more strategic, measurable, personalised and responsive.
The function will increasingly be evaluated not only on how compelling a store looks, but also on how
effectively it improves product discovery, customer engagement, conversion, sell through and brand
loyalty.
Technology will make store environments more dynamic through digital content, interactive displays,
augmented reality, virtual trials and adaptable fixtures. Data will help teams understand customer
movement, regional preferences, product performance and space productivity, enabling faster and
better informed decisions. However, technology will create value only when it is anchored in a clear
brand vision and a strong understanding of the customer.
Sustainability will also become a leadership priority. Modular fixtures, reusable props, locally
adaptable concepts and responsible materials will allow brands to create impact while improving
speed, consistency and cost efficiency. The VM leaders who take the function forward will be those
who can integrate creativity, commercial thinking, technology, sustainability and operational
excellence at scale.
GIFT : In what ways will Artificial Intelligence impact modern Visual
Merchandising?
Artificial Intelligence is becoming an important part of the Visual Merchandising ecosystem. It can
accelerate the journey from strategy to execution by supporting concept development, mood boards,
window visualisation, planograms, store layouts, campaign adaptations and presentation mock ups.
For organisations with large retail networks, AI can also help teams adapt a central idea efficiently
across different store formats, sizes and regions.
Its deeper value will come from combining creative development with data. AI can help analyse sales
patterns, inventory, customer behaviour and regional preferences to recommend more relevant
product placement and faster interventions. This gives VM leaders an opportunity to move from
instinct led decisions alone towards a stronger combination of creative judgement and evidence.
I do not see AI replacing Visual Merchandisers. It will raise the expectations from them. Human
leadership remains essential for cultural understanding, emotional storytelling, brand sensitivity,
commercial judgement and practical execution. Professionals who learn to use AI responsibly will
gain more time to think strategically, test ideas and lead stronger customer experiences.
GIFT : What is your message for fashion students interested in Visual
Merchandising?
My message to students is to understand the complete responsibility of the profession. Visual
Merchandising is not limited to decorating a store or styling a mannequin. It combines creativity with
fashion knowledge, consumer psychology, spatial planning, retail mathematics, technology and
disciplined execution.
Spend time on the shop floor. Observe how customers enter, where they pause, what they touch and
how merchandise placement affects their decisions. Learn to read sales data, understand inventory
and connect visual choices with business outcomes. Build capability in styling, space planning,
materials and digital tools, but do not allow software or AI to replace your own observation and point
of view.
Most importantly, develop the mindset of a leader. Be curious, stay adaptable, respect execution
teams and take ownership from concept to completion. A strong Visual Merchandiser does more than
make a space look good; they influence how customers experience the brand and how effectively the
business performs. If students can balance imagination with accountability and commercial
understanding, this profession can offer them an exciting and deeply rewarding career.
The Great Indian Fashion Town appreciates the perspective and insights shared by Shammi Raghuvanshi during this interview. Most importantly, he underlines that AI should be used as a tool by humans to enhance their creative output instead of minimizing their own participation. Use of AI should be responsible.
Stay tuned for more such insightful interviews here.
