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37The Role of Visual Merchandising in Apparel Purchase Decision© 2014 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

The Role of Visual Merchandisingin Apparel Purchase Decision

* Associate Professor, Department of Fashion Management Studies, National Instituteof Fashion Technology, Dharmasala, Mangaattuparamba, Kannur 670 562, Kerala,India. E-mail: [email protected]

M Krishnakumar

IntroductionAs the retail business moves from the product to the space—the store—where all

the things happen, the shopping ambience has become important now, with the

retailer giving their stores a contemporary and consumer-friendly design, and

consumers expecting to shop in a store with good ambience. Shopping has become

a brand experience rather than merely a transaction (Singh, 2009). The moment of

real purchase takes place at the point of purchase where the decision on how

much to buy is made. The store’s future depends on what the consumer sees and

experiences at the store (Lamba, 2003). Retail design and visual merchandising

play a crucial role in creating this difference. Visual merchandising, also regarded

as a ‘silent salesman’, is the science and art of suggestive selling by display and

presentation. Visual merchandising focal points are placed strategically in the store

and communicate the features and benefits of the merchandise. An effective window

As retail business is moving towards new phases, the emphasis is slowly changingfrom the product to the space—the store—where all the things happen. Theshopping ambience becomes so important now, with retailers being interestedin giving their stores a contemporary and consumer-friendly design. Consumerbehavior, which was earlier termed as ‘overt behavior’, is a continuousconsumption process related to pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchaseissues. A store has to display the product in a way that it attracts the customer.Visual merchandising is an art of displaying the things in an attractive way sothat it could attract the attention of the customer and persuade them to buy theproduct. An effective visual merchandising will play a significant role in theconsumers’ purchase decision. This paper investigates the attitude of consumerstowards visual merchandising in apparel purchase decision.

The IUP Journal of Management Research, Vol. XIII, No. 1, 201438

display will attract the passerby and convert them into browsers and spendersthrough the process of ‘conversion’. Retail companies are increasingly spending onboth the environment and the fixtures and stylish fittings, emphatic lighting anddigital signage, and are in for an international appeal and inviting feel (Nupur,2009; and Arti, 2010).

Review of Literature

Consumer BehaviorConsumer behavior which was earlier termed as ‘overt behavior’ is a continuousconsumption process related to pre-purchase, purchase and post-purchase issues.This refers to the physical action of consumers that can be directly observed andmeasured by others. According to Solomon and Rabolt (2004), consumer behavior isthe study of the processes involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, useor dispose products, services, ideas or experiences, to satisfy their needs and desires.According to Kardes (2002), consumer behavior is the study of human or consumerresponses to products and services; and the marketing of products and services.

The concept of modern consumer behavior is that people mostly buy productsnot for what they do but for what they stand for. This concept implies that theproduct plays a role beyond their functional purposes for which they are actuallymeant. For example, among the products having similar or equal qualities orfeatures, a consumer may select the product which has an image. Consumerstend to establish a relationship with the product they like (Paromita, 2007; Pauland Olson, 2007; and Saumya et al., 2010).

Visual MerchandisingEvery customer wants to see the product before they purchase. The store has todisplay its products in a manner that attracts the customer. Visual merchandisingis an art of displaying the things in an attractive way so that it could attract theattention of the customer and persuade them to buy the product. It is the use ofvisual effects to stimulate the customers to buy. It is the means to communicate astore’s fashion message to a prospective customer. Visual statements made in thestore windows or displays are the customer’s first view with the store. And sincemany similar fashions are available, creating a unique impression on the customeris the basis for the survival of a retail store. So the display must effectively conveythe store’s image and fashion focus. It is also termed as the ‘silent salesperson’(Gopal, 2006; Martin, 2007; and Pooja, 2010).

Visual merchandising is a team effort involving management, merchandisingmanager, visual merchandiser, sales associates and so on. Visual merchandisingis done based on ‘merchandising themes’. Merchandising themes are plannedmany months in advance in conjunction with the seasons, store promotion andarrival of new merchandise. Visual merchandising is related to retail merchandising.

39The Role of Visual Merchandising in Apparel Purchase Decision

The difference is that visual merchandising is the process of using appealingvisual effects to stimulate sales (Sharmila and Anjali, 2008), whereas retailmerchandising is the process of actually making those sales. The factors to beconsidered while designing a store are:

• Designing the sections keeping the various categories in mind;

• Designing a merchandise plan for the store. The architect should be ableto maintain and reveal the merchandise plan as it is the initial point forany retail store design;

• The layout should be designed in such a manner that the flow of trafficwithin the store is regulated; and

• Front elevation is a crucial factor while designing/planning the store(Ernest, 1987; Ellen, 2007; and Michael et al., 2008).

Visual merchandising uses fundamental design principles while working withvarious materials and colors. A successful visual display is made in a variety offorms like: themes, colors, mannequins, forms, fixtures, hangings, poles or stands,platforms, paintings and wall-decoration, fabrics, table cloths and banners, tablesand furniture, lighting effect, accessories and props and music (Gini, 2005; Kisholo,2008; and Vedamani, 2010).

Visual Merchandising TechniquesVisual merchandising techniques are mainly of two types: 1. Interior Display; and2. Exterior or Window Display.

Interior DisplayAs a customer walks inside the store, the interior display should guide and persuadethe customer to purchase (Icfai University, 2003; and Retail Customer ExperienceMagazine, 2008). The interior display of the store includes the following:

• Store Layout: The plan that allocates a specific location or space to eachof the merchandise departments as well as each of the non-selling areas;e.g., Men’s wear, women’s wear, etc.

• Store Design: The decorative style or décor used by the store to conveythe image it wants to project to the customer. This includes a selection ofwall-coverings, carpets, furnishings, shelves, dividers, pictures andplanters.

• Display Space: Free spaces which are used for display, e.g., columns,ledges (built in shelves), platforms, islands, fascia (shelves used to hiderecessed lighting), walls, shadow boxes and hangings.

• Vignettes: A product or group of products shown in use in a special smallspace is a vignette.

• Item Display: A single garment or accessory may be featured in an itemdisplay; different colors and sizes of one product.


• Assortment Display: A display that shows, identities and prices of each ofthe style currently in a section of stock.

• Other Types: The other types of interior display include:

– Counter card: A hanging card which describes the good qualities

– Signage: This refers to all the printed wordings that carry the store’smessage to the customers and embodied in all manner of shapes and

forms, simple and elaborate (Newman and Peter, 2008).

Exterior DisplayAn exterior display attracts the prospective customers who pass by or who are at

a distance. The exterior display includes: window display and store front.

• Window Display: A store window is useful for selling merchandise,

promoting an idea or publicizing the store. The primary function of a

window display is ‘to make the passerby purchase’. They are designed in

such a way that they convey one of the several different kinds of messages

to the customer, to show seasonal trends in fashion colors or looks, to

show how to wear a specific merchandise to achieve a particular look, or

to show what the store has available at various price lines (Business

Standard, 2006; and Sandhya, 2008). There are different types of window

displays used: (a) Closed-back window; (b) Corner window; (c) Elevated

window; (d) Island window; (e) Lobby window; (f) Masked window;

(g) Mock window; (h) Open-backed window; (i) Ramped or racked window;

and (j) Shadow-box window.

• Store Front: The store front is the area that is surrounding the entrance

way. There are four different types of store fronts: (1) Straight front;

(2) Angled front; (3) Arcade front; and (4) Corner front.

Visual Merchandising in IndiaWhen compared to the western countries, visual merchandising in India is still atits nascent stage. In western countries, it is very much organized and given

significant consideration in the corporate planning activities. But in India, it is in

the initial stage and is coming up very actively. Indian retailers have realized the

importance of visual merchandising in attracting the customers, increasing the

footfalls, providing unique shopping experience, and creating the actual purchase

(Images Retail, 2008; and Retail Biz, 2009). Retail companies are increasingly

spending on both the environment and the fixtures and stylish fittings; emphatic

lighting and digital signage for an international appeal and inviting feel. According

to the industry estimates, an average of 25-40 lakhs is being spent per store.

For example, ‘Arrow’ spent about 2 crore on what it claims to be its largest store

in the world at Bangalore (4000 sq.ft). ‘Wrangler’ had done up its most recent


store based on the cowboy theme to reflect its brand image. It spent about 1.5

crore on its 3000 sq.ft store in Bangalore. While most brands and retailers outsource

work to design houses both local and international, ‘Future’ group has its own in-

house design company, Idiom, which employs close to 200 people who are

constantly working on design ideas. Globally, the store design concepts are changed

once in two to three years. In India, most of them do it in once in five years.

The store concept is changed once the market reaches saturation level (Srinivasan,

2006; The Economic Times, 2006; and Kishore, 2007).

Objectives of the StudyThe study aims to achieve the following objectives:

• To understand the attitude of consumers towards visual merchandisingin apparel purchase decision;

• To create awareness among the retailers about visual merchandising;and

• To determine the visual merchandising factors that influence apparel

purchase decision.

Research MethodologyThis study is exploratory in nature. The area selected for the study is Coimbatore,

Tamil Nadu, and is done during 2011. Coimbatore is a cosmopolitan city inhabited

by people belonging to different categories. The cost of living is medium and the

people give much importance to shopping experience. Non-probability-

convenience sampling method was selected for the study. The respondents are

individuals of household. A sample size of 100 respondents was selected for the

study. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey (refer Appendix). The

questionnaire was given to the respondents with a request to return after

completing the same. The respondents were asked to rate their answers on a 5-

point Likert type scale ranging from 1 – Highly Agree to 5 – Highly Disagree.

Before applying this method, a pilot study for testing the questionnaire was

conducted. This reveals the weaknesses of the questionnaire, if any. Open-ended

questions were designed to get free responses from the respondents who give

actual facts. The data was analyzed and interpreted using simple percentage

analysis, ranking, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and t-test.

Results and Analysis

Descriptive Statistics

The demographic details showing the age, gender, occupation and qualification of

the sample are presented in Table 1.


Agreeability of Visual Merchandising StatementsIt is observed from Table 2 that the overall weighted average is 1.807, which means thata majority of the customers have responded between Highly Agree and Agree. Thisshows that visual merchandising plays a significant role in the apparel purchase decision.

Table 2: Agreeability of Visual Merchandising Statements

1. Visual merchandising is helpful in 48 44 8 0 0

making apparel purchase decision

2. I prefer to shop in the store, where visual 38 56 6 0 0

merchandising is done attractively

3. Store front plays important role in 43 50 4 3 0

attracting the customer

HighlyAgree

Dis-agreeNeutralAgree

StatementsS. No.

HighlyDis-

agree

Table 1: Descriptive Statistics

Age (Years) No. of Respondents Percentage

< 18 6 6

18-25 27 27

25-32 29 29

> 32 38 38

Total 100 100

Gender

Male 58 58

Female 42 42

Total 100 100

Occupation

Business 18 18

Professional 31 31

Employee 23 23

Other 28 28

Total 100 100

Qualification

School 8 8

Diploma 8 8

Undergraduate (UG) 45 45

Postgraduate (PG) 39 39

Total 100 100


Table 2 (Cont.)

4. Store design is also important in

purchasing criteria 33 54 10 3 0

5. Visual merchandising done in accordance

with the merchandise themeincreases the chance of buying decision 23 60 17 0 0

6. Good lighting will enhance apparel

buying decision 55 38 7 0 0

7. Good mild music will create mood and

induce the purchase decision 41 44 15 0 0

8. Like to see catalogues to make purchase

decision 33 46 17 4 0

9. Tend to buy on impulse 21 41 27 11 0

10. Visual merchandising with relatedaccessories will increase chances 33 50 12 5 0of purchase decision

Total 368 483 123 26 0

Average 36.8 48.3 12.3 2.6 0

Percentage (%) 36.8 48.3 12.3 2.6 0

Weighted Sum 368* 483* 123* 26* 01=368 2=966 3=369 4=104

Weighted Average 1807/1000 = 1.807

HighlyAgree

Dis-agreeNeutralAgree

StatementsS. No.

HighlyDis-

agree

Ranking Analysis

Ranking of Visual Merchandising Factors

It is observed from Tables 3 and 4 that the total weighted average shows that‘Quality’ gets Rank 1, ‘Color’ gets Rank 2, ‘Style/Design’ gets Rank 3, ‘Size’ getsRank 4, ‘Price’ gets Rank 5 and ‘How to Dress’ gets Rank 6.

Table 3: Ranking of Visual Merchandising Factors

Factors Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5 Rank 6 Total

Style/Design 20 17 18 25 8 12 100

Color 12 22 27 24 9 6 100

Price 8 16 14 13 25 24 100

Quality 31 22 17 10 11 9 100

How to Dress 11 15 9 11 15 39 100

Size 20 10 10 22 32 6 100


Average Rank: Age of the Respondents vs. Visual Merchandising

It is observed from Table 5 that consumers below 18 years of age gave ‘Color’Rank 1, whereas other age group consumers gave ‘Quality’ Rank 1, for visualmerchandising.

H0:There is no significant difference between the opinions about visual

merchandising among the age groups.

It is observed from Table 6 that the F-value is less than the table value, so the

null hypothesis is accepted. It means that there is no significant difference between

the opinions about visual merchandising among the age groups.

Table 4: Weighted Average Ranking of Visual Merchandising Factors

Factors Rank Rank Rank Rank Rank Rank Total Weighted Rank1 2 3 4 5 6 Avg.

Style/Design 120 85 72 75 16 12 380 63.33 3

Color 72 110 108 72 18 6 386 64.33 2

Price 48 80 56 39 50 24 297 49.50 5

Quality 186 110 68 30 22 9 425 70.83 1

How to Dress 66 75 36 33 30 39 279 46.50 6

Size 120 50 40 66 64 6 346 57.67 4

Table 5: Average Rank – Age of the Respondents vs. Visual Merchandising

Style/Design 4.33 5 2.96 2 3.28 2 3.13 3

Color 2.17 1 3.48 4 3.28 2 2.95 2

Price 5.17 6 3.81 5 3.72 5 4.24 6

Quality 3.50 4 2.52 1 2.86 1 2.71 1

How to Dress 3.00 2 4.63 6 4.41 6 3.95 5

Size 3.17 3 3.44 3 3.48 4 3.71 4

VisualMerchandising

Age(Years)

<18 18-25 25-32 > 32

Mean Rank Mean Rank Mean Rank Mean Rank


Average Rank: Gender of the Respondents vs. Visual Merchandising

It is observed from Table 7 that male consumers gave ‘Quality’ Rank 1 and ‘How toDress’ Rank 6, for what they see as visual merchandising, whereas femaleconsumers gave ‘Quality’ Rank 1 and ‘Price’ Rank 6.

H0:There is no significant difference in the opinions about visual merchandisingbetween male and female consumers.

It is observed from Table 8 that the F-value is less than the table value, so thenull hypothesis is accepted. It means that there is no significant difference in theopinions about visual merchandising between male and female consumers.

Table 8: ANOVA Single Factor – Opinion About VisualMerchandising Between Genders

Source of Variation SS df MS F-Value p-Value F-Crit

Between Groups 0.0030080 1 0.003008 0.009636 0.923741 4.964591

Within Groups 3.1218830 10 0.312188

Total 3.124892 11

Note: SS – Sum of Squares; MS – Mean Square; df – Degrees of freedom.

Table 6: ANOVA: Single Factor – Opinion About Visual MerchandisingAmong the Age Groups


Between Groups 0.039283 3 0.013094 0.022901 0.99515 3.098393

Within Groups 11.435900 20 0.571795

Total 11.47518 23


Table 7: Average Rank – Gender of the Respondentsvs. Visual Merchandising

Style/Design 3.24 3 3.14 2

Color 3.03 2 3.29 3

Price 4.02 5 4.05 6

Quality 2.62 1 2.93 1

How to Dress 4.36 6 4.00 5

Size 3.52 4 3.57 4

Visual Merchandising

Gender Male Female

Mean Rank Mean Rank


Average Rank: Occupation of the Respondents vs. VisualMerchandising

It is observed from Table 9 that business group consumers gave ‘Quality’ Rank 1and ‘Price’ Rank 6, professional and other group consumers gave ‘Quality’ Rank 1and ‘How to Dress’ Rank 6, employee group consumers gave ‘Style/Design’ Rank 1and ‘How to Dress’ and ‘Price’ both Rank 5, for what they see as visualmerchandising.

H0:There is no significant difference in the opinions about visual merchandisingamong occupation groups.

It is observed from Table 10 that the F-value is less than the table, value so thenull hypothesis is accepted. It means that there is no significant difference in theopinions about visual merchandising among the occupation groups.

Average Rank: Qualification of the Respondents vs. VisualMerchandising

It is observed from Table 11 that school group consumers gave ‘Quality’ Rank 1and ‘Style/Design’ and ‘How to Dress’ equally Rank 5, diploma group consumersgave ‘Quality’ Rank 1 and ‘How to Dress’ Rank 6, UG group consumers gave ‘Quality’

Table 10: Anova: Single Factor – OpinionVisual Merchandising Among the Occupation Groups


Between Groups 0.00435 3 0.00145 0.003617 0.999689 3.098393

Within Groups 8.0173 20 0.400865

Total 8.02165 23


Style/design 3.50 4 3.29 4 2.83 1 3.21 2

Color 3.06 2 3.00 2 3.13 3 3.36 3

Price 4.56 6 4.06 5 4.09 5 3.61 4

Quality 2.67 1 2.94 1 2.96 2 2.43 1

How to dress 3.44 3 4.55 6 4.09 5 4.43 6

Size 3.61 5 3.13 3 3.65 4 3.86 5

VisualMerchandising Mean Rank Mean Rank Mean Rank Mean Rank

Table 9: Average Rank – Occupation of the Respondentsvs. Visual Merchandising

Occupation Business Professional Employee Other


Rank 1 and ‘Price’ Rank 6, PG group consumers gave ‘Style/Design’ Rank 1 and ‘Howto Dress’ Rank 6, for what they see as visual merchandising.

H0:There is no significant difference in the opinions about visual merchandisingamong qualification groups.

It is observed from Table 12 that the F-value is less than the table value, sothe null hypothesis is accepted. It means that there is no significant differencebetween the opinions about visual merchandising among the qualificationgroups.

ANOVA

Total Agreeability Factors vs. Age of the Respondents

H0:The age of the respondents has no significant influence on agreeability factorsconsidered in the study.

It is observed from Table 13 that F-value is greater than the table value, so thenull hypothesis is rejected. It means that the age of the respondents has significantinfluence on agreeability factors considered in the study.

Table 12 : Anova: Single factor – Qualification of the Respondentsvs. Visual Merchandising


Between Groups 0.056567 3 0.018856 0.037897 0.989832 3.098393

Within Groups 9.950833 20 0.497542

Total 10.0074 23


Style/Design 4.13 5 3.88 4 3.38 3 2.67 1

Color 2.88 2 2.75 2 2.87 2 3.59 4

Price 3.50 3 4.00 5 4.60 6 3.49 3

Quality 2.25 1 2.50 1 2.76 1 2.90 2

How to Dress 4.13 5 4.00 6 3.91 5 4.62 6

Size 4.00 4 3.13 3 3.38 3 3.72 5

VisualMerchandising Mean Rank Mean Rank Mean Rank Mean Rank

Table 11: Average Rank – Qualification of the Respondentsvs. Visual Merchandising

Qualification School Diploma Undergraduate(UG)

Postgraduate(PG)


Table 13: ANOVA - Total Agreeability Factors vs. Age of the Respondents

Sum Sum of Squares df Mean Square F-Value Sig.

Between Groups 45.724 3 15.241 1.243 0.298

Within Groups 1176.786 96 12.258

Total 1222.510 99

Total Agreeability Factors vs. Occupation of the Respondents

H0: The occupation of the respondents has no significant influence on agreeabilityfactors considered in the study.

It is observed from Table 14 that F-value is greater than the table value, so thenull hypothesis is rejected. It means that occupation of the respondents hassignificant influence on agreeability factors considered in the study.

Table 14: ANOVA – Total Agreeability Factorsvs. Occupation of the Respondents


Between Groups 307.729 3 102.576 10.765 0.000

Within Groups 914.781 96 9.529

Total 1222.510 99

Total Agreeability Factors vs. Qualification of the Respondents

H0: The qualification of the respondents has no significant influence on agreeabilityfactors considered in the study.

It is observed from Table 15 that F-value is greater than the table value, so thenull hypothesis is rejected. It means that qualification of the respondents hassignificant influence on agreeability factors considered in the study.

Table 15 : ANOVA – Total Agreeability Factorsvs. Qualification of the Respondents


Between Groups 204.668 3 68.223 6.435 0.001

Within Groups 1017.842 96 10.603

Total 1222.510 99

t-TEST

t-Test: Total Agreeability Factors vs. Gender of the Respondents

It is inferred from Table 16 that the t-test analysis is performed between agreeabilityfactors in the study and gender of the respondents. The mean value of malerespondents is 18.33 and standard deviation is 3.26; the mean value of female


respondents is 17.71 and standard deviation is 3.85. According to the t-test analysis,t-value is 0.860 and p-value is 0.392, which is greater than the level of significance.It is not significant and hence it is concluded that the gender of the respondentshas no significant influence on agreeability factors.

Findings of the StudyThe major findings of this study are as follows:

• 48% of the respondents agreed that visual merchandising is helpful in

making apparel purchase decision.

• 56% of the respondents agreed to be preferring to shop in the store

where visual merchandising is attractive.

• 50% of the respondents agreed that the store front plays an important

role in attracting the customers.

• 54% of the respondents agreed that store design is also an important

criterion for making a purchase.

• 60% of the respondents agreed that visual merchandising should be done

in accordance with the merchandise theme.

• 55% of the respondents highly agreed that good lighting will enhance

apparel buying decision.

• 44% of the respondents agreed that mild music creates good mood and

induces the purchase decision.

• 46% of the respondents like to see catalogs to make purchase decision.

• 41% of the respondents tend to buy on impulse.

• 54% of the respondents agreed that visual merchandising related to

accessories will change the purchase decision.

• A majority of the respondents prefer quality and color.

Average Rank• Quality and style design are mostly preferred by respondents in the age

group of above 32 years.

• Male respondents prefer more factors then female respondents.

Gender N Mean SD t-Value p-Value S/NS

Male 58 18.33 3.26 0.860 0.392 Not Significant

Female 42 17.71 3.85

Table 16: t-test – Total Agreeability Factors vs. Gender of the Respondents


• Quality and style design are mostly preferred by employees and diploma holders.

ANOVA• Age of the respondents has no significant influence on agreeability factors

considered in the study.

• Occupation of the respondents has a significant influence on the

agreeability factors considered in the study.

• Qualification of the respondents has a significant influence on the

agreeability factors considered in the study.

t-Test• Gender of the respondents has no significant influence on the agreeability

factors.

ConclusionThe study shows that visual merchandising plays a significant role in apparel

purchase decision of the consumers. Customers’ expectations change periodically

and retailers must realize the significance of these expectations and offer them a

congenial environment to attract and retain them. The customers now demand

the state-of-the-art service, global standard of the product, and a shopping

experience on a par with international level (Thirulogochander and Jarang, 2006).

In the retailer’s strategy, visual merchandising facilitates creating an innovative

platform to present merchandise in 3D environment, thereby making it possible

to have a long-lasting impact on the customer and recall value. Apparel retailers

must consider various factors like store design, layout, store front, display themes,

lighting, music, etc. while making visual presentation. Visual merchandising

requires innovative, creative and presentation expertise, and also requires good

planning. Retailers should allocate certain percentage of their sales for visual

merchandising. It gives a competitive advantage and facilitates in creating an

overall image of the store. As organized retailing gains momentum, there is no

doubt that visual merchandising will play a significant and crucial role in apparel

retailing in the future.

Limitations of the Study: The survey is mostly restricted to small, local population

sets. The sample size is limited, therefore, the data does not represent the actual

facts. Time constraint and bias on the part of the respondent while answering the

questions are also some other limitations of the study.

Suggestions: The study includes the following suggestions:

• Much consideration and emphasis should be given to store design and

store front so that they are very attractive to the customers.


• The display should be done using themes mainly in accordance with the

merchandise being sold.

• Playing mild music will influence the consumer’s buying behavior. The music

played depends on the merchandise being sold and the target audience,

and also it depends on the time and occasion. Devotional music may be

played during the morning hours and other mild music during other hours

(Kisholo, 2008).

• Proper and effective lighting should be done to enhance the display effects.

The factors to be considered in lighting decisions are type, color, location,

intensity of the light, etc.

• Attractive and detailed catalogue may be prepared and kept in the store

for customers’ reference to help them make effective and efficient decisions.

• Apparel retailers should include a significant proportion of related

accessories and impulse items in their Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) to enable

more and additional sales.

Scope for Future Study: The present study focuses on the respondents in

Coimbatore city only. The same study could be conducted in different cities to

understand the similarity of consumer behavior towards visual merchandising in

apparel purchase decision. Further, the study can focus on the rural and urban

population to find out if there is any difference in opinion between them. More

number of factors contemporary to the study period may be included.@

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Questionnaire: Implications of Visual Merchandising in Apparel PurchaseDecision in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Appendix

S.No. Statements 5432

1. Visual merchandising is helpful in making apparelpurchase decision.

2. You prefer to shop in the store where visualmerchandising is done attractively.

3. Store front plays an important role in attracting thecustomer to the store (or) you will be attracted bygood store front.

4. Store design is also an important purchasingcriterion.

5. Visual merchandising done in accordance with themerchandise theme increases buying decision.

6. Good lighting will enhance apparel buying decision.

7. A good mild music will create mood and induce thepurchase decision.

1

Please ) in the correct box


Reference # 02J-2014-01-04-01

Appendix (Cont.)

S.No. Statements 54321

8. You like to see catalogs to make your purchasedecision.

9. You tend to buy on impulse, as seeing the PoP (pointof Purchase) display near the cash counter.

10. Visual merchandising with related accessories willincrease chances of purchase.

11. You see visual merchandising to know about

Style / Design

Color

Price

Quality

How to Dress

Size

12. Respondent’s Detail

1. Name : ---------------------------------------------------------

2. Age (Years) : --------------------------------------------------------

3. Gender : Male Female

4. Occupation : Business Professional

Employee Other

5. Qualification : School Diploma

Undergraduate Postgraduate

Note: 1 – Highly Agree; 2 – Agree; 3 – Neutral; 4 – Disagree; 5 – Highly Disagree.

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