In our current, consumer-oriented culture, people do not shop merely to obtain items theyneed, but also to satisfy their wants. Frequently, shopping does not even involve making a purchase. For consumers, window-shopping has become a popular pastime. Visual merchandisers create "miniature worlds" for merchandise in an effort to attract the attention of consumers, draw theminto the store and keep them coming back in the future. Despite the advanced techniques seen invisual displays, visual merchandising is not a new concept or art. As early as the 18th century,merchandise was staged in interesting and unique arrangements to attract consumers.Prior to the late 18th century, when the contemporary methods of visual merchandising began to evolve, store owners and managers cared little for the appearance of their stores and thepresentation of merchandise. Very little merchandise was displayed within the store.