If someone says “fashion career,” most people picture design studios, photo shoots, or a buying team flipping through fabric swatches. Visual merchandising doesn’t usually come to mind first.
Every time you walk into a store and something about it just feels right, that’s visual merchandising. The way the window display pulls you in, the way outfits are styled on mannequins, the colour story running across the wall, the way you move through the space without thinking about it. At The Sussan Group, there’s a whole team behind all of that.
What the job looks like
No two days are the same, which is a big part of the appeal.
Most days start with a walkthrough of the store alongside the Store Manager, getting across the layout, stock levels and customer flow before deciding what needs attention. From there it could be updating window displays, restyling mannequins to reflect a new collection, repositioning racks and tables, or refreshing promotional signage for a campaign.
There’s a strong training element too. Because the VM team can’t be in every store all the time, a big part of the role is helping store teams understand visual merchandising standards well enough to maintain and update displays between visits. By the end of a store visit, the team will usually complete reports, take photos of updated areas, and leave feedback to carry the work forward.
Creative, physical, collaborative. Often all on the same day.
The creative side
Colour, trend and styling are the tools of the trade, and visual merchandisers at The Sussan Group use all three to shape how a store looks and feels.
Displays tell a story. Outfits are styled together to show customers how pieces can work in their own wardrobe. Colours are chosen to create energy and set the mood of the space. Layouts are designed to guide customers naturally toward key products and new arrivals.
Visual merchandisers work within the brand’s overall style guidelines but bring their own eye to every store. The buying team provides direction on how products should be grouped and styled for each collection, and the VM team brings that vision to life on the floor. It’s creative work with a commercial purpose, and the two don’t always feel separate.
The skills that matter
Good communication might not be the first thing that comes to mind for a creative role, but it’s essential here.
Visual merchandisers work across a lot of different people: store managers, team members, buyers, and head office. Store teams are often deeply invested in their stores and customers, which means building trust and working through different opinions professionally is a real part of the job. Being able to listen, explain your thinking, and bring people along with you matters.
Beyond that, creativity, organisation and adaptability. Displays change with new collections, promotions, and sales data. Timelines shift. Every store is different. Creativity and practicality both matter here, and the role needs both.
How to get started
A formal qualification helps but isn’t required. Courses like a Bachelor of Fashion Enterprise or a Diploma of Visual Merchandising give a solid grounding in styling, colour theory, store layouts, and customer behaviour. Increasingly, programs like Adobe InDesign and Photoshop are useful too, as more planning and presentation work moves into digital formats.
Starting on the shop floor is the most common way in. Retail experience builds an understanding of customers, store operations, and the day-to-day rhythm of a fashion environment, all of which shapes how you think about a store.
At The Sussan Group, team members often get exposure to the VM team during store visits and major floor updates. Putting your hand up to help with mannequin styling, seasonal changes, or new store openings is a practical way to build experience and show what you’re capable of.
Stay curious, ask questions, and get involved wherever you can. Visual merchandising rewards people who are interested in both the creative and the commercial side of fashion retail, and the best way to show that is to start before you have the title.
Explore careers with The Sussan Group here.
