Visual merchandising in retailing: Influencing consumer buying behavior towards apparels with special reference to Pune city in India

Virtual merchandizing is the art of creating visual displays and arranging merchandize assortments within a store to improve the layout and presentation and to increase growth, sales and hence in turn the profitability. VM helps to attract the customers, towards the displayed products and also improves the shopping experience for customer by sending the right message about the merchandize and presenting it in a unique manner with effective creative quotient. Hence passion for design and creativity are essential to be a good visual merchandiser. The study was focused to determine the important factors of visual merchandising which influence consumer's perceptual process, buying behavior and in-store promotion activities. Various visual merchandising techniques like graphics and signage, fixtures, props, lighting and space management were considered and study there impact on the buying of the customers. The study also tried to understand and explain the relationship between impulse buying and visual merchandising. Through research we will be able to see that whether visual merchandising can attract more customers, increase the traffic in the store, which ultimately would, increases the sales figures that will pamper the bottom line.

This research paper is focusing on perceptions of consumers regarding visual merchandising and influence of visual merchandising on consumer buying behavior towards apparels. Primary data was collected from 100 respondents from Pune city who were visitors of garments stores, branded showrooms and malls in various areas of Pune city. Some statistical methods like paired sample t test and Chi square tests are use to check influence of visual merchandising on buying behavior of customers.