BRL-114 Solved Question Paper for the June 2026 term-end exam gives you complete, exam-length answers to all 9 questions IGNOU set in this Visual Merchandising and Store Management paper. Two answers are open on this page so you can judge the quality for yourself; the other seven are in the full file, shared on WhatsApp 9899436384.
BRL-114 Visual Merchandising and Store Management key facts for the June 2026 solved question paper
- Course code: BRL-114
- Course title: Visual Merchandising and Store Management
- Programme: Bachelor of Business Administration in Retailing (BBARIL), Fifth Semester, School of Management Studies
- Credits: 4 [VERIFY: not printed on the paper. BRL-101, BRL-106 and BRL-113 are all 4-credit courses in the same programme, so 4 is the likely value — confirm from the BBARIL programme guide]
- Units: flat unit list with no blocks, 13 units confirmed from eGyanKosh, running from Introduction to Visual Merchandising to Unconventional Retail Spaces
- Maximum marks: 100 (Term-End Examination)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Questions in the June 2026 paper: 9, attempt any five, 20 marks each, no sections and no compulsory question
- Assignment weightage: 30 per cent of the final result; the assignment must be submitted before you can sit the term-end exam
- Paper language: bilingual, English followed by Hindi
- Samples shown on this page: 2 (Q1 on brand imagery and signage, Q2 on harmony and design elements)
- Questions in the paid file: all 9 answered; 7 of them are not shown on this page
What the BRL-114 solved question paper June 2026 covers
BRL-114 Visual Merchandising and Store Management is a Fifth Semester course of IGNOU's Bachelor of Business Administration in Retailing (BBARIL) that teaches how stores use displays, layout, lighting, fixtures and signage to sell.
The June 2026 paper ranged widely. It asked about brand imagery and in-store signage, harmony, trends and mannequins, macro space planograms and setting up a new store, departmental stores versus speciality markets, home fashion, fine and fashion jewellery, kiosks and food courts, and ended with short notes on brown goods, gondolas, FMCG and ties.
Two things make this paper unlike any other in the BRL series, and both change how you should plan. First, it is the most finely divided paper we have seen: nine different mark values appear on one paper — 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 20 — and four questions come in three parts rather than two. Section 5 below turns those marks into word counts so you are not guessing. Second, the paper's units are very unevenly loaded: one unit offered 42 of the 100 marks you need to write, and a different set of just five units would have let you answer the whole paper. Section 4 works that out.
If you want to compare this set with earlier sessions, our IGNOU Previous Year Question Paper page has the older papers.
BRL-114 sample answers on brand imagery, signage and harmony
Question 1 on brand imagery and in-store signage, and Question 2 on harmony and the elements of design, are solved in full below. The remaining seven questions are answered only in the full file. Both answers are written to the marks printed on the paper, so you can see how a 10 + 4 + 6 question and a 5 + 7 + 8 question should be split on your answer sheet.
Question 1 Any 5 of 9 Elements of VM-I and II 10 + 4 + 6 marks three-way split Elements of VM fed three separate questions in June 2026
1. (a) Define and discuss brand imagery with the help of suitable examples. 10
(b) What do you mean by in-store signage? Differentiate between category signage and offer signage. 4 + 6
Part A: Brand imagery (10 marks)
Meaning. Brand imagery is the set of pictures, feelings and ideas that come to a shopper's mind when they think of a brand. In visual merchandising it is the way a retailer turns its brand identity into things the customer can see, touch and hear inside the store, so that the store tells the brand's story before a salesperson says a word.
It helps to separate three linked ideas. Brand identity is what the company wants to stand for. Brand image is what customers actually believe about it. Brand imagery is the visual and sensory material — logo, colours, fixtures, lighting, displays — that connects the two. When the imagery is consistent, the image customers form comes close to the identity the company planned.
Components of brand imagery in a store
- Logo and fascia. The store front, name board and logo are the first brand cue a passer-by sees.
- Colour palette. A fixed set of brand colours used on walls, signs, bags and uniforms builds instant recognition.
- Store design and materials. Wood, glass, metal or bare concrete each send a different message about price and style.
- Displays and windows. Themes, props and mannequin styling show the lifestyle the brand is selling.
- Lighting, music and scent. Together they create the ambience customers remember.
- People and packaging. Staff uniforms, service style and carry bags take the brand out of the store.
Why brand imagery matters. It makes a store recognisable in a crowded mall or high street; it signals price position, premium or value, before the customer reads a price tag; it keeps every branch consistent, so a customer gets the same experience in Delhi or Pune; and it builds an emotional link that turns first-time buyers into loyal customers.
Examples
- Fabindia. Handloom textiles, wooden fixtures, earthy colours and craft-based displays present the brand as a home of Indian craft.
- Apple stores. Long wooden tables, open space, bright even lighting and products placed out to try create an image of simple, premium technology.
- Tanishq. Warm lighting, polished glass counters and seating for customers give an image of trust and celebration that suits wedding and festive jewellery.
- DMart. Plain metal racking, goods stacked in bulk and simple price boards tell shoppers the store is about everyday low prices, not luxury.
Conclusion. Brand imagery is not decoration added at the end. It is planned visual merchandising that makes the customer's picture of the brand match what the company wants it to be. Weak or mixed imagery confuses shoppers, while consistent imagery sells the brand along with the product.
Part B: In-store signage, and category signage versus offer signage (4 + 6 marks)
Meaning of in-store signage (4 marks). In-store signage is any printed, painted or digital message placed inside a store to inform, guide or persuade shoppers. Signs work as silent salespeople: they tell customers where things are, what a product offers and why they should buy it now. Good signage cuts the time a shopper spends searching and the number of questions staff must answer.
Common types of in-store signage are directional signage (arrows and boards guiding shoppers to sections, trial rooms, lifts and billing counters), category signage (boards naming a department or aisle), offer or promotional signage (temporary messages about discounts and new arrivals), informational and lifestyle signage (product details, care instructions, mood-setting brand images) and shelf-edge signage (price labels, shelf talkers and wobblers at the point of sale).
Difference between category signage and offer signage (6 marks)
| Basis | Category signage | Offer signage |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Helps shoppers find a department, aisle or product group | Persuades shoppers to buy now by announcing a deal |
| Message | Name of the category, such as Kids Wear, Snacks or Home Linen | A price benefit, such as Flat 40% Off, Buy 1 Get 1 or a combo pack |
| Life span | Semi-permanent; changes only when the layout changes | Temporary; changes with each sale, season or festival |
| Placement | Hung above aisles or fixed at the head of each section | At eye level, on gondola ends, shelf edges, entrances and windows |
| Design | Calm, uniform style in brand colours and fonts | Bold colours, large numbers and strong contrast to grab attention |
| Effect on shopper | Saves search time and makes the store easy to navigate | Creates urgency and lifts impulse buying |
| Example | A Dairy board above the milk chiller in a supermarket | A red End of Season Sale dangler in a fashion store |
Conclusion. A store needs both. Category signage keeps the store organised and easy to shop, while offer signage drives quick sales. Overused offer signs clutter the floor and hide the category signs, so retailers keep a clear hierarchy: category signs high and consistent, offer signs few, bold and close to the product.
How the marks shape this answer: part (b) is 4 + 6, so the definition gets about 80 words and the comparison about 120. The question says "differentiate", which is an instruction to tabulate — a seven-row table costs you fewer words than seven paragraphs and reads as a complete answer. Build the table first, then add the definition above it.
Question 2 Any 5 of 9 Principles of Design 5 + 7 + 8 marks three different lengths Design principles set in all 3 earlier papers — never skipped
2. What is harmony? Explain its different forms. Describe the elements of design one should keep in mind while creating harmony. 5 + 7 + 8
Part A: Meaning of harmony (5 marks)
Harmony in visual merchandising is the pleasing agreement among all the parts of a display — colour, line, shape, texture, size and props — so that the shopper sees one unified picture with one clear message. When a display is in harmony, nothing looks out of place and the eye moves easily from the focal point to the products around it.
Harmony comes from repeating related elements and controlling differences. It does not mean everything must be identical; a little contrast adds interest. But if items, colours and props pull in different directions, the display looks cluttered. A summer window in white, sky blue and sand tones, with light cotton outfits, straw hats and seashell props, reads as one beach story.
Part B: Forms of harmony (7 marks)
Visual merchandising texts commonly describe three forms:
- Functional harmony. The items belong together because of their use. A dining-table display with plates, glasses, cutlery, napkins and a table runner is in functional harmony, and it also nudges the customer to buy the whole set. Cross-merchandising, such as shirts shown with matching ties and cufflinks, works on the same idea.
- Structural harmony. The display is unified by similar shapes, sizes, lines or construction. A pyramid of identical tins, a row of torsos at the same height, or shelves of evenly folded denims show structural harmony. The repetition creates order and rhythm.
- Decorative harmony. Colours, props, textures and backdrops are chosen to support one theme. A Diwali display with gold and maroon fabric, diyas, lanterns and festive gift packs is in decorative harmony because every decorative element repeats the festival theme.
The strongest displays combine all three: products that belong together, arranged in an orderly structure and dressed to one theme. A merchandiser should still avoid total sameness, because a display with no contrast at all becomes monotonous and is easy to walk past.
Part C: Elements of design to keep in mind while creating harmony (8 marks)
- Line. Lines guide the eye. Vertical lines suggest height and dignity, horizontal lines calm and stability, diagonal lines movement, and curved lines softness. One dominant line direction keeps the display unified.
- Colour. The quickest way to create or break harmony. Merchandisers pick schemes from the colour wheel — monochromatic (shades of one colour), analogous (neighbouring colours) or complementary (opposite colours used carefully for contrast).
- Shape and form. Repeating similar shapes, such as round baskets holding round fruit, links the items. An odd shape should appear only as a deliberate focal point.
- Texture. Rough jute, smooth silk, glossy ceramic or matt wood should suit the product and the theme. Silk sarees look richer against velvet than against plastic sheeting.
- Size, scale and proportion. Props and fixtures must be in proportion to the merchandise. A huge prop swamps small jewellery, while tiny props get lost beside furniture.
- Space. Empty or negative space lets each item breathe. An overfilled window loses harmony even when the colours match.
- Light. The colour and direction of light should support the palette and texture. Warm light suits wood and gold; cooler light suits white goods and electronics.
Conclusion. Harmony is the result of choosing line, colour, shape, texture, scale, space and light so that they all support the same story. When these elements agree, the display looks professional, the focal product stands out and the customer understands the message in seconds, which is the whole aim of visual merchandising.
This is the question that catches students out, because 5 + 7 + 8 means three parts of three different lengths — roughly 100, 140 and 160 words. Writing three equal paragraphs wastes words on the definition and starves the eight-mark part. The elements of design carry the most marks on this question, so seven named elements with one line each is the right shape; the meaning of harmony needs two short paragraphs and no more.
Questions answered only in the full file
The following seven questions are printed as they appear in the June 2026 paper. Their answers are not shared on this page.
3. (a) Explain the trends in visual merchandising. 10
(b) What do you mean by mannequins? Discuss their different types in detail. 4 + 64. Explain the macro space planogram. Discuss the steps involved in setting up a new store. 7 + 13
5. What is [the] difference between a Departmental store and speciality market? Discuss the display approach for fashion accessories. 8 + 12
6. Explain the concept of in-store merchandise presentation for home fashion and its main categories. 20
7. Describe in detail about the display of fine and fashion jewellery in a store with suitable examples. 20
8. (a) Define a kiosk. Describe the guidelines to be followed while designing a kiosk. 4 + 6
(b) Explain the display approach and merchandise presentation for food courts. 109. Write short notes on any two of the following: 10 + 10
(a) Brown Goods
(b) Gondola
(c) FMCG
(d) Ties
BRL-114 Visual Merchandising and Store Management unit-wise syllabus
The BRL-114 study material on eGyanKosh moves from the basics of visual merchandising and the principles of design to merchandise presentation and retail formats, and then to visual merchandising for specific categories such as apparel, home fashion, electronics, food and unconventional retail spaces. Like the rest of the BRL series it is a flat unit list with no block headings.
The unit titles below follow IGNOU's BRL-114 course material on eGyanKosh. The topics and the papers each unit was examined in are our own mapping from the four official BRL-114 papers, so match them against the contents page of your printed blocks.
| Unit (eGyanKosh title) | Topics specific to this unit | Asked in (official papers) | Marks it offered in June 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Visual Merchandising | Meaning, objectives, essential features, prerequisites for planning, trends | Dec 2024 Q1, Jun 2025 Q1, Dec 2025 Q1, Jun 2026 Q3(a) | 10 |
| Elements of VM-I and Elements of VM-II | Lighting sources, window displays, mannequins, fixtures, brand imagery and signage | Dec 2024 Q2 and Q3, Jun 2025 Q2, Q3 and Q5, Dec 2025 Q2 to Q4, Jun 2026 Q1, Q3(b) and Q9(b) | 40 |
| Principles of Design | Harmony, balance, colour wheel and colour schemes | Dec 2024 Q4, Jun 2025 Q4, Dec 2025 Q3(a), Jun 2026 Q2 | 20 |
| Merchandise Presentation | Types of merchandise presentation, macro and micro space planograms, setting up a new store | Dec 2024 Q5, Dec 2025 Q9(a), Jun 2026 Q4 | 20 |
| Retail Forms and VM Approach | Departmental store, speciality market, EBO, VM approach for formats | Dec 2024 Q6, Jun 2025 Q6 and Q7(a)(b), Dec 2025 Q5, Jun 2026 Q5 | 8 |
| Online Visual Merchandising | Online VM, digital media | Dec 2025 Q9(b) only — and set in the 2025-26 assignment | 0 |
| VM for Fashion Apparel | Display approaches for apparel, menswear and womenswear sections | Dec 2024 Q7(a) only | 0 |
| Home Fashion | Main categories of home fashion, in-store presentation, display approach | Dec 2024 Q7(b), Jun 2025 Q7(c), Jun 2026 Q6 | 20 |
| Fashion Accessories | Accessory display, fine and fashion jewellery, ties, hair accessories | Jun 2025 Q7(d), Dec 2025 Q9(d), Jun 2026 Q5, Q7 and Q9(d) | 42 |
| Food and Groceries | Retail outlets for food and groceries, fixtures for food and groceries, FMCG | Dec 2024 Q8, Jun 2025 Q8, Dec 2025 Q6, Jun 2026 Q9(c) | 10 |
| Electronics | White goods, brown goods, cell phone and multibrand electronic stores | Dec 2024 Q9, Dec 2025 Q7, Jun 2026 Q9(a) | 10 |
| Food and Beverages | Cafes, food courts, restaurants and bars | Jun 2025 Q9, Dec 2025 Q8, Jun 2026 Q8(b) | 10 |
| Unconventional Retail Spaces | Kiosk design guidelines, special events | Dec 2025 Q9(c), Jun 2026 Q8(a) | 10 |
June 2026 drew questions from 11 of the 13 units — the widest unit coverage of any paper we have analysed · only Online Visual Merchandising and VM for Fashion Apparel fed nothing · but the load was far from even: Fashion Accessories offered 42 marks and Elements of VM 40, while Retail Forms offered 8
Fashion Accessories is the heaviest unit in the batch. It fed the 12-mark half of Q5, the whole of Q7, and the 10-mark note on ties in Q9 — 42 marks from one unit, on a paper where you write 100. Elements of VM is close behind at 40, feeding Q1 in full plus the mannequins part of Q3 and the gondola note in Q9. Nothing else comes near.
Now the more useful calculation: how few units could have answered this paper? You attempt five whole questions, so what matters is which questions sit inside a single unit. Five of them do:
- Q1 — brand imagery and signage, both Elements of VM
- Q2 — harmony, forms and design elements, all Principles of Design
- Q4 — planogram and setting up a store, both Merchandise Presentation
- Q6 — home fashion presentation, Home Fashion
- Q7 — fine and fashion jewellery, Fashion Accessories
That is exactly the five answers you need, each drawn from one unit, with no cross-unit knowledge required. Five of the thirteen units — Elements of VM, Principles of Design, Merchandise Presentation, Home Fashion and Fashion Accessories — would have cleared the whole paper. The other four questions each need two units: Q3 wants Introduction plus Elements, Q5 wants Retail Forms plus Accessories, Q8 wants Unconventional Spaces plus Food and Beverages, and Q9's four notes come from four different units.
This is not advice to read five units and stop — the mix changes every session, and a student who had read only those five in December 2025 would have fared differently. But it does tell you where to start, and it explains why the two sample answers on this page are Q1 and Q2: both are single-unit, full-mark questions from the two units that have never been skipped.
BRL-114 June 2026 paper pattern and marks split
The June 2026 paper printed 9 questions of 20 marks each, and you attempt any five in three hours for a maximum of 100 marks.
| Feature | June 2026 BRL-114 paper |
|---|---|
| Maximum marks and time | 100 marks, 3 hours |
| Questions printed and to attempt | 9 printed, attempt any 5 |
| Marks per question | 20, all questions carrying equal marks |
| Three-part questions | Q1 (10 + 4 + 6), Q2 (5 + 7 + 8), Q3 (10 + 4 + 6), Q8 (4 + 6 + 10) |
| Two-part questions | Q4 (7 + 13), Q5 (8 + 12), Q9 (10 + 10 short notes) |
| Single 20-mark essays | Q6 home fashion presentation, Q7 fine and fashion jewellery display |
| Short notes | Q9: any two of brown goods, gondola, FMCG and ties |
| Language of paper | Bilingual, English followed by Hindi |
9 questions · 20 marks each · 180 marks printed, 100 attempted · 180 minutes ÷ 5 = 36 minutes an answer · every one of the nine questions sums to exactly 20, and nine different mark values appear across the paper: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 20
Seven of the nine questions are split, and four of them split three ways — the first paper in our collection to use three-part questions at all. Only Q6 and Q7 are undivided essays. That makes the marks split the single most important thing to read before you write, because a part worth 4 marks and a part worth 13 marks sit on the same page.
The paper prints no word limit, as is standard across the BRL series. On IGNOU's usual scale of about 20 words a mark — the figure its own sociology papers print for a 20-mark question — the lengths work out as follows.
| Marks | Roughly how many words | Roughly how many minutes | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 80 | 7 | Q1(b) signage definition, Q3(b) mannequins definition, Q8(a) kiosk definition |
| 5 | 100 | 9 | Q2 meaning of harmony |
| 6 | 120 | 11 | Q1(b) signage comparison, Q3(b) types of mannequins, Q8(a) kiosk guidelines |
| 7 | 140 | 13 | Q2 forms of harmony, Q4 macro space planogram |
| 8 | 160 | 14 | Q2 elements of design, Q5 store comparison |
| 10 | 200 | 18 | Q1(a) brand imagery, Q3(a) trends, Q8(b) food courts, each Q9 note |
| 12 | 240 | 22 | Q5 display approach for fashion accessories |
| 13 | 260 | 23 | Q4 steps in setting up a new store |
| 20 | 400 | 36 | Q6 home fashion, Q7 jewellery display |
Read down that table and the planning follows itself. In Question 4, the 13-mark part on setting up a new store needs nearly twice the space of the 7-mark planogram part. In Question 5, the display approach for fashion accessories outweighs the store comparison by half again. In Question 2, three parts need three different lengths. The commonest mistake on a paper like this is to give every part the same page and a half.
Every BBARIL question paper for this course that we checked, from December 2024 to June 2026, uses the same any-five-of-nine format with 20-mark questions, so practising on one full solved set prepares you well for the next session.
Most repeated BRL-114 topics
We counted topics from the four BRL-114 papers IGNOU has published on ignou.ac.in: December 2024, June 2025, December 2025 and June 2026. We found no earlier BRL-114 paper, so this is a short window — the course is new. A topic is counted once per session even when it appears in two parts of the same paper. The count column covers the three earlier papers, with June 2026 shown separately.
| Topic | Sessions asked earlier | Papers (of 3) | In June 2026? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail formats and store types (departmental, speciality, EBO, experience stores) | Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 3 | Yes — Q5 |
| Design principles: harmony, balance, colour schemes | Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 3 | Yes — Q2 |
| Concept, features and objectives of visual merchandising | Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 3 | No |
| Food and grocery merchandising and fixtures | Dec 2024, Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 3 | Partly — only as the Q9(c) note on FMCG |
| Home fashion display and presentation | Dec 2024, Jun 2025 | 2 | Yes — Q6 |
| White goods and brown goods | Dec 2024, Dec 2025 | 2 | Partly — only as the Q9(a) note |
| Types of fixtures, including gondolas | Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 2 | Partly — only as the Q9(b) note |
| Food courts, cafes, restaurants and bars | Jun 2025, Dec 2025 | 2 | Yes — Q8(b) |
| Sources of lighting | Dec 2024, Dec 2025 | 2 | No |
| Mannequins and their types | Jun 2025 | 1 | Yes — Q3(b) |
| Trends in visual merchandising | Jun 2025 | 1 | Yes — Q3(a) |
| Macro space planogram | Dec 2024 | 1 | Yes — Q4 |
12 recurring topics tracked · 10 of the 12 appeared again in June 2026 · a reuse rate of 83 per cent · but three of those ten returned only as a 10-mark short note in Q9 rather than as a full question, so the depth of reuse is lower than the count suggests
The clearest finding on this page is a position break. The Introduction to Visual Merchandising unit was Question 1 in all three earlier papers — December 2024, June 2025 and December 2025 — always on the concept, features and objectives of visual merchandising. In June 2026 it moved to Q3(a) and changed its subject to trends, while brand imagery took the Q1 slot. So the paper's most stable question, both in position and in content, broke in two ways at once.
That makes concept, features and objectives of VM the top candidate for December 2026: a topic with a perfect three-of-three record that was skipped, from a unit whose other half was examined instead. Sources of lighting is second — two of three earlier papers, and skipped entirely.
And then there is Online Visual Merchandising. It has been examined once ever, as a 10-mark short note in December 2025, and it sits in the 2025-26 assignment. On other IGNOU courses we have found the assignment to be a reliable pointer to what the paper asks next. A unit with almost no exam history, named in the current TMA, is exactly the kind of gap that closes suddenly.
One honest limit on all of this: BRL-114 has only four readable papers in total, and they fall as two December sessions and two June ones once you count June 2026. That is too small and too even a sample to say anything about December-versus-June preferences, which is an analysis we can run on older courses with eight papers behind them but not on this one. Treat the rankings above as based on counts and position, not on session patterns.
For a wider revision list across courses, see our IGNOU Solved Guess Paper page.
How our BRL-114 answers are written and checked
Every answer in our file follows the marks split printed on the paper, so a 5 + 7 + 8 question gets three clearly headed parts sized to those marks. The answers are written by the team led by Prateek Talwar, Academic Head of Unnati Educations, and reviewed by Sheetal Kirola for accuracy, length and fit with the question.
Our subject team wrote each answer after reading the June 2026 paper alongside the December 2024, June 2025 and December 2025 BRL-114 papers. Each answer opens with a short definition, moves through headed points, uses a comparison table where the question says "differentiate", and closes with a conclusion an examiner can tick.
Examples come from stores Indian students can picture — supermarket aisles, mall fashion stores, jewellery showrooms — rather than foreign case studies. Where a topic such as a planogram or a store layout needs a step-by-step sequence, the answer lays the steps out in order so you can reproduce them in the exam hall.
The answers are written to be read with your BRL-114 study material, not instead of it.
BRL-114 solved file index for all 9 questions
The full file answers all 9 questions; 2 are on this page and 7 are in the full file only.
| Question | Topic | Marks | Unit | Where to read it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Brand imagery; category versus offer signage | 10 + 4 + 6 | Elements of VM-I and II | On this page |
| Q2 | Harmony, its forms, elements of design | 5 + 7 + 8 | Principles of Design | On this page |
| Q3 | Trends in visual merchandising; mannequins | 10 + 4 + 6 | Introduction to VM; Elements of VM | Full file only |
| Q4 | Macro space planogram; setting up a new store | 7 + 13 | Merchandise Presentation | Full file only |
| Q5 | Departmental store versus speciality market; fashion accessories | 8 + 12 | Retail Forms and VM Approach; Fashion Accessories | Full file only |
| Q6 | In-store presentation for home fashion | 20 | Home Fashion | Full file only |
| Q7 | Display of fine and fashion jewellery | 20 | Fashion Accessories | Full file only |
| Q8 | Kiosk design guidelines; food courts | 4 + 6 + 10 | Unconventional Retail Spaces; Food and Beverages | Full file only |
| Q9 | Short notes: brown goods, gondola, FMCG, ties | 10 + 10 | Electronics; Elements of VM; Food and Groceries; Fashion Accessories | Full file only |
9 questions · counted as separately written pieces: four questions in three parts, three in two parts, two as single essays, and all four Q9 notes rather than the two you must attempt · 26 written pieces in the complete file, of which 5 (all three parts of Q1 and all three of Q2) are open on this page
Question 9 is worth a second look before you choose it. Its four options come from four different units — brown goods from Electronics, gondola from Elements of VM, FMCG from Food and Groceries, and ties from Fashion Accessories — so you only need two of those four units to take the question. If you have read Elements of VM and Fashion Accessories, which are the two heaviest units on this paper anyway, gondola and ties are already covered and Q9 becomes a cheap 20 marks.
Programmes that include BRL-114 Visual Merchandising and Store Management
BRL-114 is a course of IGNOU's Bachelor of Business Administration in Retailing (BBARIL), listed in the Fifth Semester of the 2025-26 assignment booklet issued by the School of Management Studies.
In the IGNOU Bachelor of Business Administration (Retailing), BRL-114 sits alongside BRL-111, BRL-112, BRL-113 and BCOS-185 in the same semester. The assignment for each of these courses carries 30 per cent weightage, and you must submit it before you can sit the term-end exam.
Two code points to watch. First, the June 2026 paper prints the programme as B.B.A. in Retailing (BBARL), while other sessions print BBARIL. It is the same programme, and the variation runs across both courses and sessions rather than following any pattern, so ignore it — an old paper under either label is the right one to practise from.
Second, and more important: do not confuse BRL-114 with BRL-012, a separate course with the same title. BRL-012 papers carry 50 marks for two hours with 10-mark questions; BRL-114 papers carry 100 marks for three hours with 20-mark questions. This is the same old-scheme and new-scheme pairing found elsewhere in the series — BRL-112 with BRL-010, and BRL-106 with BRL-008 — where the three-digit code is the current course. Many topics overlap, so BRL-012 papers make useful extra practice, but always write to the BRL-114 pattern, length and marks split in your exam.
How to get the full BRL-114 Solved Question Paper on WhatsApp
Send one WhatsApp message to 9899436384 and we will share the full solved paper with answers to all 9 June 2026 questions.
- Tap the button below, or save 9899436384 and open WhatsApp.
- Send the message: Hi, I want the full BRL 114 Solved Question Paper June 2026.
- Our team replies with the details and shares the file with all 9 answers — the 2 you read here plus the 7 kept for the full file.
If you are unsure whether the file suits you, ask about any question first. Students who are short on time usually start with the single-unit questions listed in section 4, then add the highest-repeat topics from section 6.
BRL-114 FAQs
What does the BRL-114 Solved Question Paper June 2026 include?
It includes complete answers to all 9 questions printed in the June 2026 paper, from brand imagery and harmony to planograms, kiosks, food courts and the short notes on brown goods, gondola, FMCG and ties — 26 separately written pieces once you count every part and all four short notes. Every answer follows the printed marks split, so split questions get clearly separated parts sized to their marks. Two answers are shown on this page and seven are in the full file.
How can I get the full BRL-114 solved file on WhatsApp?
Send a WhatsApp message to 9899436384 saying you want the BRL 114 June 2026 solved question paper. Our team replies with the details and shares the full file, which contains answers to all 9 questions: the 2 shown on this page plus the 7 answered only in the file. You can ask about any question before you take it.
Which BRL-114 questions are answered in full on this page?
Question 1 and Question 2. Question 1 covers brand imagery and the difference between category signage and offer signage; Question 2 covers harmony, its forms and the elements of design. Both are single-unit questions from the two units this paper never skips, which is why we chose them. Questions 3 to 9 are listed above as printed in the paper, but their answers are kept for the full file.
How many questions do I have to attempt in the BRL-114 exam?
You attempt any five of the nine questions. Each question carries 20 marks, so the paper is worth 100 marks and lasts three hours — about 36 minutes an answer. The same any-five-of-nine pattern appears in the December 2024, June 2025, December 2025 and June 2026 papers.
How long should each part of a BRL-114 answer be?
The paper prints no word limit, so work from the marks on IGNOU's usual scale of about 20 words a mark. That gives roughly 80 words for a 4-mark part, 100 for 5, 120 for 6, 140 for 7, 160 for 8, 200 for 10, 240 for 12, 260 for 13 and 400 for a full 20-mark essay. This paper uses all nine of those values, and four questions come in three parts, so reading the split before you write matters more here than on most IGNOU papers.
Which BRL-114 topics are asked most often?
Retail formats, design principles such as harmony and colour, the concept of visual merchandising, and food and grocery merchandising each appeared in all three earlier papers from December 2024 to December 2025. Home fashion, white and brown goods, fixtures including gondolas, food service outlets and sources of lighting each appeared in two of the three. Ten of the twelve topics we track came back in June 2026.
Which BRL-114 topics did June 2026 leave out?
Two from the repeat table. The concept, features and objectives of visual merchandising had been set in all three earlier papers — always as Question 1 — and June 2026 took trends from the same unit instead, moving it to Q3(a). Sources of lighting, set in two of the three, was skipped entirely. Two units fed nothing at all: Online Visual Merchandising, which is in the 2025-26 assignment, and VM for Fashion Apparel, examined once in December 2024 and not since.
Is BRL-114 the same course as BRL-012 Visual Merchandising and Store Management?
No. They share a title but are separate IGNOU course codes from different schemes. BRL-012 papers carry 50 marks for two hours with 10-mark questions, while BRL-114 papers carry 100 marks for three hours with 20-mark questions. The same pairing exists elsewhere in the series, such as BRL-112 with BRL-010 and BRL-106 with BRL-008. Many topics overlap, so BRL-012 papers make useful extra practice, but always write to the BRL-114 pattern and marks split in your exam.
In which semester of BBARIL is BRL-114 studied?
IGNOU's 2025-26 assignment booklet for the Bachelor of Business Administration in Retailing lists BRL-114 in the Fifth Semester, together with BRL-111, BRL-112, BRL-113 and BCOS-185. You must submit the BRL-114 assignment before the term-end exam, and it carries 30 per cent weightage in the final result, so the solved paper works best alongside your assignment preparation.
How should I revise with the BRL-114 solved answers?
Read the two sample answers first to see the structure: a short definition, headed parts matching the marks split, practical store examples and a conclusion. Then use the unit table to pick the questions that sit inside a single unit, since those cost you the least reading for the most marks. Practise writing five answers at 36 minutes each, and use the full file to check your attempts against complete model answers before the exam.
About the authors
This page was prepared by the academic team at Unnati Educations, which has been helping IGNOU, NIOS, MDU Rohtak and GGSIPU students with solved papers and assignment support for over a decade.
Prateek Talwar, Academic Head, wrote the BRL-114 answers and built the unit mapping and repeat analysis on this page, including the marks-to-words table and the finding that five of the thirteen units would have answered the whole paper. He has worked across IGNOU's retailing courses in the BBARIL programme and reads every official paper in a series before a single answer is drafted.
Sheetal Kirola reviewed this page and the solved file, checking each answer against the printed question wording and its marks split, verifying that all nine questions sum to 20, and confirming the retail examples used — Fabindia's craft-based displays, Apple's open-table layout, Tanishq's warm lighting and counter seating, and DMart's bulk racking and everyday-low-price signage.