The advent of lare retail stores that sell most of the household items under one roof has changed the buying behavior of consumers. These stores, on their part, are using the tools of visual merchandising to make the shopping experience comfortable and convenient for the customers. As such, today, more and more customers are shifting to these large retail stores for their purchases.

Consumer today, is really, the king. He has sufficiently large choices available for almost all products and services. Well, we must be thankful to the government's move of opening up the economy in 1991 to initiate the process of liberalization and globalization. Today, global brands and indigenous brands are competing, which from all points of view is good for the consumers. No one can deny that there is a significant change in consumer buying habits. The markets have also undergone significant changes over the years. A new picture of the markets has emerged during recent years. A widely seen phenomenon today is the emergence of shopping malls, which definitely have an edge over the traditional round the corner kirana stores. Today, all the cities boast of large retail stores having most of the household items under one roof. These stores do not have limitations in terms of investment, store space and shelf space, number or range of products, etc. Such stores have a really attractive and comfortable ambience. The stores are brightly lit, air-conditioned and also offer various discounts and schemes to woo consumers. Another advantage is that these stores accept debit/credit cards, while the small shopkeepers sell for cash only. All goods are displayed on racks and it is easier for the buyers to get information about the products in the large retail stores. Thus, in many ways, large retail stores are better than traditional stores and convenient for the consumers to shop. Many of the stores also offer the provision of home delivery.

Visual merchandising is the name given to the display of products on the racks and shelves of the stores with the objective of making the buying experience more easier and pleasant. Visual merchandising makes the marketing of the product really convenient. However, visual merchandising has one disadvantage in that it is easier for individuals to steal small items like chocolates that can be pocketed and carried out of the store easily without attracting anyone's attention. Visual merchandising plays an important role in enhancing the sales of large retail stores.

Advertising Express Magazine, Retail Stores, Visual Merchandising, Shopping Malls, Consumer Behavior, Marketing Strategies, Customer Relationship Management, Technological Developments, Technical Evaluation Process, Departmental Stores, Decision Making Process.