Visual Merchandising - North Central Regional Center for Rural ...

Preface
In May 1986, Cooperative Extension Service directors
of the North Central region appointed a 13-member task
force to identify meaningful multistate and multidisciplinary
education programs to meet the challenges
of rural revitalization. Five critical issues were identified.
They include:
1. Economic development in small communities.
2. Innovation in the organization, financing and delivery
of community services.
3. Programs for farm and nonfarm families in transition.
4. Development of new income opportunities and rural
entrepreneurship.
5. Leadership development in small communities.
There are many ways to assist small rural communities
in addressing these interrelated issues. One strategy is to
help small town merchants compete in a highly competitive
environment. In light of the regionalization of
consumer shopping to larger urban centers, many small
town businesses are in need of effective marketing
techniques. The following materials provide information
on visual merchandising, an important part of any business’
total marketing effort.
These materials were written by: Holly E. Bastow-
Shoop, Ph.D., department of apparel, textiles and interior
design, North Dakota State University; Dale Zetocha,
small business specialist, North Dakota State University
Extension Service; and Gregory Passewitz, leader, Natural
Resources and Small Business, Cooperative Extension
Service, The Ohio State University.
Visual Merchandising
NCRCRD, 1991