Visual Merchandising on Tommy Hilfiger

Abstract

        The key purpose of this research was to know about the strategies and criteria of visual merchandising for small retail stores and this topic has been touched by very few researchers but is one of the key element now a days for the success of retail outlets so this topic has been opted. This concept has made retailers to look upon their visual merchandising side, as it has become an important element for the operation of retailers. This study has stated the sympathetic and supporting gesture that has been provided by the respondents on the four variables of visual merchandising which are- color, lighting, music and window displays and how embracing these will help the retailers in their success. The study discovered that these instruments are the major players in increasing the sales, loyalty and customer satisfaction of towards the victory of the apparel industry. The findings are in standard with the previous studies, which involved the welfares of visual merchandising on large businesses. This study will also provide assistance to the retailers who are willing to expand their familiarity on the visual merchandising theory and strategies.

Keywords: variables, store layout, design, color, lighting, music, fixtures, window displays, mean, survey, ABC analysis, observation, Qualtrics.

Introduction

        Visual merchandising can be best described as each and everything that a customer sees inside or outside the store and creates a optimistic effect on their minds, which attracts them and cheers them to visit the store. Visual merchandising is a wider concept that covers all the aspects ranging from window displays to the floorings, type of music, lighting, the hoardings, etc. the way of exhibiting the products plays a crucial role in the decision making of the customers. Visual merchandising is purely a marketing concept that helps in collaborating the details of the products through hoardings, pamphlets, shop boards, shelf makers, banners, posters, etc. which the customers can scrutinize during their visit to the market. Visual merchandising is not only narrowed to this but the styling pattern of the store, the way the shelves are sequence, the layout division of the store, the available brands in the store. It is a concept of creating a relationship between the customer and the product to effect the buying decision of the customer. There are various other strategies for marketing but the most effective and closest one is visual merchandising as it involves direct communication and the customer can sense and feel the product. Past findings have shown that impulse buying has lead to extensive sales of broader range of categories. Visual merchandising affects the impulse buying decision of the customers and is an important tool of strategic marketing plan. Instinct buying is described as buying of goods without planning to do so in advance as a result of sudden prompting aspect of the store. All the variables of visual merchandising leads to spontaneous buying by the customers. In simpler words, it is described as unexpected or sudden buying. To attract the customers and persuade them to buy the products, the retailers use these variables of visual merchandising and generate profits. This concept of visual merchandising is playing important role since last decade as the relationship of customers towards the retail outlets is getting more influenced by this concept. The marketers and retailers are working more towards this phenomenon to attract customers and for this the companies are increasing more knowledge about visual merchandising and also they have started forming a separate tem to work on the visual merchandising of the store. The main purpose of this research is to examine the stimulus of impulse buying due to window display, color, lighting and music by the customers in the store.