This activity has its origin in the process of arranging merchandise in stores, hence the origin of the word, which comes from the English merchandise. Merchandising has become particularly important as retail has expanded and diversified the quantity of items and brand options for each item sold. Merchandising promotes the product at the point of sale.

Merchandising can also be understood as the action of promoting that uses marketing communication at the point of sale and editorial spaces on television, media, press and electronics in films, soap operas and others, to reinforce advertising messages made previously, or even in replacement to advertising, in some cases. In the past, rural producers took their goods to be sold in warehouses, where all beans were in the same packaging (sale in bulk). Some producers decided to highlight their beans from others by inserting an inscription on the packaging, thus differentiating its products. From then on, this differentiation evolved until it was separated from the product itself, starting to act in isolation.