PROJECT REPORT

ON

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

Dr. GAURAV BISARIA

FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH INTEGRAL UNIVERSITY LUCKNOW

SUBMITTED BY- AKRAM AZAD Roll no-1100122010 (MBA-1st year, 2nd SEMESTER, Section-A)

GUIDE CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Mr Akram Azad, student of M.B.A (Marketing) 1st Year having Roll No. 1100122010 have completed his semester project on the topic VISUAL MERCHANDISING under my supervision and guidance.

The behaviour of the student during the project period was found to be highly appreciable and satisfactory. I wish him all the best for his future endeavours.

Dr Gaurav Bisaria FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH.

Integral University Lucknow

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I feel immense pleasure to give the credit of my project work not only to one individual as this work is an integrated effort of all those who are concerned with it. A teacher or a guide plays a great role to play in a field of research and discovery. No research can be done without motivation, guidance, and inspiration.

I take this opportunity to put my earnest thanks to Dr.Gaurav Bisaria Faculty of management & research , who inspired and guided me a lot while making this project.

I am thankful to Dean Dr.ZEESHAN AMIR for superb guidance, valuable inputs and encouraging attitude. Above all, thanks to almighty Allah for showing his blessing for the accomplishment of the project.

Akram Azad MBA-2nd SEM Roll.No-1100122010

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION TO TOPIC

This project has been undertaken to know about the consumer awareness About visual merchandising & also to about the role of visual merchandising In purchasing of any product. Visual merchandising, or visual presentation, is the means to communicate a store/companys fashion value and quality image to prospective customers. The purpose of visual merchandising is to educate the customer, to enhance the store/companys image, and to encourage multiple sales by showing apparel together with accessories.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Serial No.

Topic

Page Number

INTRODUCTION

Purpose/Objectives Rationale/Significance Visual Merchandising RESEARCH METHODOLOGY FINDING AND INTERPRETATION CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

14

15

27

29

38

ANNEXURES
* QUESTIONNAIRE

40

10

BIBLIOGRAPY

45

INTRODUCTION

VISUAL MERCHANDISING
Visual Merchandising is everything the customer sees, both exterior and interior, that creates a positive image of the business and results in attention, interest, desire and action on part of the customer A successful retailing business requires that a distinct and consistent image be created in the customers mind that permeates all product and service offerings. Visual Merchandising can help create that positive customer image that leads to successful sales. It not only communicates the stores image, but also reinforces the stores advertising efforts and encourages impulse buying by the customer.

Visual merchandising is a major factor often over looked in the success or failure of a retail store. It is second only to effective customer relations. A story can be told that communicates to the prospective customer what the store is all about. It includes the dramatic presentation of merchandise as well as other important subtle features that create the stores overall atmosphere. Visual Merchandising at Big Bazaar- Eighty percent of our impressions are created by sight; that is why one picture is worth a thousand words. Each customer has a mental image of a store and its merchandise. A store should have an inviting appearance that makes the customer feel comfortable and yet
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eager to buy. Some businesses maintain a minimum staff to reduce costs, which means it is even more important for the merchandise to sell itself. Greater effort must be spent on merchandise displays that make it easier for the customer to find and purchase the items they want or need. The basic objective for visual merchandising is a desire to attract customers to place of business in order to sell the merchandise. Visual merchandising is offered to the customer through exterior and interior presentation. Each should be coordinated with the other using the stores overall theme. Visual merchandising, or visual presentation, is the means to communicate a store/companys fashion value and quality image to prospective customers. The purpose of visual merchandising is to educate the customer, to enhance the store/companys image, and to encourage multiple sales by showing apparel together with accessories. Therefore, each store/company tries to build and enhance its image and concept through visual presentations, which appeal to shoppers and ultimately transform them into customers by building brand loyalty and encouraging customers buying behaviors. Visual Merchandising Evolution Every shopkeeper and merchant's primary objective is to sell merchandise.When the giant nineteenth century dry goods establishments like Marshall Field & Co. shifted their business from wholesale to retail the visual display of goods became necessary to attract the retail customer. The store windows no longer simply allowed natural light to shine in the building or act as storage space for stock; they became important venues to attractively display the store's merchandise. Gradually, the design aesthetic used in window displays moved indoors and became part of the overall interior store design, eventually displacing the importance windows altogether in suburban malls. The Victorian era made window displays popular and the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London established the prominence of display over the items while commercializing the practice. In due course visual merchandising became an inalienable part of the fashion and retail industry. As far as the term Visual Merchandising is concerned, it became widespread only in 1970 even though it was coined during the 1940s. From the late 1800s till the 1920s, visual merchandisers were known as window trimmers. By the late 1920s, the window trimmers were referred to as display men, just as
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advertising industry called its people ad men. The industry is evolving and entering new domains,

Visual Merchandising is increasingly perceived as a part of the overall brand communication process.

Todays fierce competition and the similarity of merchandise force each segment of the fashion industry to utilize visual merchandising to improve the desirability of products. Apparel retailers, especially, place more importance on visual merchandising to differentiate their offerings from others.

Researchers found that impulse buyers usually do not set out with the specific purpose of visiting a certain store and purchasing a certain item; the behavior occurs after experiencing an urge to buy, and such behaviors are influenced by internal states and environmental/external factors. Research findings suggest that impulse buying accounts for substantial sales across a broad range of product categories. Since impulse buying is a pervasive aspect of consumers behaviors and a focal point for strategic marketing plans, it is worthwhile for retailers to understand factors within the retail setting that trigger consumers impulsive reactions. Retailers can help customers to find the right products through focused merchandising, intelligent store design and layout, and other visual merchandising practices, such as product displays, packaging, and signage.

Purpose/Objectives:

Young consumer group have gained significant importance from marketers as they have growing purchasing power; their money attitude also has been changing with relatively easy access to credit cards. Therefore, the consumer behavior of an important sector of the young consumer group, college students, is worth to be researched. Retailers try to find variables that influence shoppers impulse buying urges and decisions and attempt to control these influencing variables through strategic marketing and merchandising activity.

Based on the literature review, it is reasonable to expect that visual merchandising, a common external factor that encourages consumers urge to buy, can affect consumers impulse buying decisions.

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between college students apparel impulse buying behaviors and common external factors that trigger impulse buying.

External factors that the research will exam are attributes likely to be encountered in many retailing contexts, such as visual merchandising. The research, therefore, will focus on effects of four types of visual merchandising on impulse buying behavior.

The types of visual merchandising used as predictors in this study are window display, in-store form/mannequin display, floor merchandising and promotional signage.

 Impulsive Buying : Impulse buying has been considered a pervasive and distinctive phenomenon and has been receiving increasing attention from consumer researchers and theorists. Despite the negative aspects of the impulse buying behavior from past research, defining impulsive behavior as an irrational behavior, resulting from a lack of behavioral control impulse purchases account for substantial sales across a broad range of product categories. A study found that impulse purchases represented between27% and 62% of all department store purchases. Other research findings support this assertion revealing almost 90% of respondents have made grocery purchases on impulse occasionally, and between 30% and 50% of all purchases can be classified by the buyers themselves as impulse purchases. Early studies on impulse buying were more concerned with the definitional issues distinguishing impulse buying from non-impulse buying and attempted to classify the types of impulse buying into one of several sub-categories, rather than to understand impulse buying as a trait of consumer buying behavior. Therefore, this approach generated a theory that ignores the behavioral motivations of impulse buying for a large variety of products and, instead, focuses on a small number of relatively inexpensive products. However, this type of approach did not provide sufficient explanations as to why so many consumers appear to act on their buying impulse so frequently. Therefore, researchers began to re-focus attention on impulse buying behavior and to investigate the behavioral motivations of impulse buying. The pervasiveness of impulse buying, even for relatively expensive products, led researchers to look at impulse buying as an inherent individual trait, rather than a response to inexpensive product offerings. Recently, researchers appear to agree that impulse buying involves a hedonic or affective component. Todays research suggests that impulse buying behavior is much more complex than previously conceptualized; that this behavior stems from the desire to satisfy multiple needs that underlie many types of buying behavior.

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 Characteristics of impulse buying behavior: Impulse buying behavior is identified with descriptors such as a spontaneous, intense, exciting, urge to buy with the purchaser often ignoring the consequences. While more recent research in this area discusses impulse buying as a trait rather than as a classification of a purchase decision, researchers agree that consumers vary in their impulse-buying tendency. Without having prior information of a new product or intention to purchase a certain item, a consumer is exposed to stimuli, suggesting that a need can be satisfied through the purchase. There are several different types of internal states and environmental/sensory stimuli that serve as cues for triggering impulse buying. Internal cues include respondents positive and negative feeling states. Environmental/sensory cues encompass atmospheric cues in retail settings, marketer-controlled cues, and marketing mix stimuli.

Normative evaluations for impulse buying behavior: Past research shows that planned buying behavior results in accurate decisions, but impulsive behavior results in decision errors, increasing possibilities of negative consequences. These negative evaluations of impulse buying behavior possibly stem from psychological studies of impulsiveness that characterize impulsive behavior as a sign of immaturity resulting in a lack of behavioral control or as an irrational, risky, and wasteful behavior. However, some research on impulse buying behavior indicates that impulse buyers do not consider their impulsive purchases as wrong and report even favorable evaluations of their behaviors. In the study of Trait and normative aspects of impulsive buying behavior, a relatively small number of respondents (only 20%) reported feeling bad about their impulse buying, but a large number of respondents (4 1%)
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reported that they actually felt good about their impulse purchases. One explanation for this phenomenon is that consumers buy products for a variety of non-economic reasons, such as fun, fantasy, and social or emotional pleasure. Some consumers even see shopping as retail therapy, as a way of getting over the stresses of a working day or simply a fun day out supporting the hedonic modification for impulse buying.

Factors/Cues influencing impulse buying: Few recent studies investigated the factors that affect impulse buying. Researchers have suggested that internal states and environmental/external factors can serve as cues to trigger consumers impulse behavior to purchase. Research shows that situational factors have practical and theoretical significance in that many decisions are made at the point-of-purchase as a reflection of low involvement decision-making strategies. The research on situational influence can be described as examining the relationship among shopper characteristics and the features of retailing or point-ofpurchase situations. Shopper characteristics might include involvement, attitude, and ethnicity, while the retailing features could include outlet size, retail format, and store personality.

Internal factors: Affect or mood has been identified as a variable that influences impulse purchasing. According to a survey 85% of respondents indicated a positive mood would be more constructive to impulse buying than a negative mood. Respondents stated that, in a positive mood, they had an unconstrained feeling, the desire to reward themselves, and higher energy levels. Thus, the impulse buyers exhibited greater feelings of delight, enthusiasm, and joy.

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Individual consumers' impulse buying behavior is correlated with their desires to fulfill hedonic needs, such as fun, novelty and surprise. In addition, emotional support needs may also be satisfied by the social interaction inherent in the shopping experience. For instance, research findings indicate that consumers report feeling uplifted or energized after a shopping experience supporting the recent concept of impulse buying behavior as a trait motivated by hedonic desire. The hedonic value of shopping reflects potential entertainment and emotional worth of shopping. It has been suggested that shopping without specific intent, may be more significant than acquisition of products and can provide a highly pleasurable shopping experience. Since the goal of the shopping experience is to provide satisfaction of hedonic needs, the products purchased during these excursions appear to be chosen without prior planning and represent an impulse buying event.

External factors: Specific situations and retail settings influence both in-store responses and future store choice decisions because of the changing and adoptive nature of expectations, preferences, and behavior. For instance, the findings of the study showed that consumers beliefs about the physical attractiveness of a store had a higher correlation with a choice of a store than did merchandise quality, general price level, and selection. This supports the notion that consumers choice of a store is influenced by the store environment, of which visual merchandising plays a vital role. This observation that people approach, avoid, and create situations in accordance with their desires. Customers avoid or leave retail settings that are stressful or obstructive. The expectation/experience of positive feelings generally leads to approach responses, while avoidance is associated with expectations/experience of negative outcomes. Researchers have suggested that various aspects of retailing environments can influence consumer behavior. The significant role of various retailing atmospherics, For instance, music and color have been related to consumer behavior, suggesting visual merchandising within the retail settings may influence consumer behavior as well.

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Rationale/significance of the study: With increasing competition, retailers strive to ensure that their stores are appealing to their target markets. As retailers are finding it increasingly difficult to create a differential advantage on the basis of merchandise alone, the store itself plays an important role for market differentiation. The correlation between consumers belief about the physical attractiveness of a store and patronage intentions suggests that the visual aspect of the store may be significant in relation to the consumers choice of a store and buying behavior. Since many retailers use visual presentation of the store/companys offering in order to encourage customers buying behaviors, this fact was expected to be found in the consumer and marketing literature. However, the literature does not include a coherent approach or provide significant coverage for this subject. If first impressions and appearance are important indicators of store image, then store window displays must play an important role in a consumers decision whether or not to enter the store. However, classifications of store image components in the literature are almost entirely related to the in-store merchandise placement. Display communications, which frequently happen to influence consumers buying behavior, are not considered. Buttle (1988) referred to visual merchandising as a neglected area in fashion marketing research. This neglect does not signify that this area is unworthy of academic research, but may indicate that since visual merchandising concerns perceptions of creativity, an area which is difficult to test; researchers may have difficulty in analyzing it meaningfully. Therefore, this study will provide information as to why visual merchandising should be considered an important component of a strategic marketing plan in support of sales increase and positive store/company image. This study will also provide insights to retailers about types of visual merchandising that can influence consumers impulse buying behaviors. The way in which merchandise will eventually be displayed and promoted at the store level is an important consideration in the buying function as well as in the strategic marketing/merchandising plan.

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Conceptual Definitions:

Conceptual definitions were adopted from the literature or created by the researcher specifically for this study. External cues: In-store and faade level display correlated with situational environment that influences a customers buying decision. Floor merchandising: The arrangement of merchandise according to plano-gram/zone-o-gram, in which merchandise is made available for sale to customers

Form/mannequin display: The presentation of merchandise using forms or mannequins in order to provoke customers interest and create the desire to buy. In-store display: A creative way of presenting merchandise with the purpose of providing consumers with information about new products, fashion trends, or coordination tips in order to encourage customers urge to buy. For the purpose of this study, the following types of in-store display were investigated: form/mannequin display, floor merchandising, and promotional signage.

Internal cues: Emotional feelings and desires that influence customers buying decisions. Impulse buying: Impulse buying is a sudden and immediate purchase with no pre-shopping intentions either to buy the specific product category or to fulfill a specific buying task.

Signage: Wording used either alone or in conjunction with in-store display to convey product or promotional information to customers with the purpose of informing and creating demand for the merchandise.
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 Visual merchandising: A way of presenting merchandise effectively to improve the desirability of a product and to influence a customers buying behavior.

Window display: Any kind of visual presentation of merchandise in the faade level in order to attract attention and ultimately to enter the store.

Conceptual Framework: Impulse buying has been defined as a spontaneous, immediate purchase without pre-shopping intentions either to buy a specific product category or to fulfill a specific buying task. The impulse buying behavior occurs after experiencing an urge to buy and tends to be spontaneous without a lot of reflection. Since impulse buyers are not actively looking for a certain product and dont have prior plans or intention to make a purchase, internal states and environmental/external factors can serve as cues to trigger their impulse behavior.

Model : Following is the model of the consumer buying process including five steps: 1. Need recognition, 2. Information search, 3. Alternative evaluation, 4. Purchase decision, and 5. Post-purchase evaluation.

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The buying process begins with a recognized need. This need recognition may come from an internal feeling or it may come from external stimuli generating motivation to purchase. When consumers are motivated by identifying needs, they start looking for information. Based on the information, consumers evaluate ways to fulfill the need. After evaluating options, consumers may make a purchase. Finally, consumers formally or informally evaluate the outcome of the purchase after buying a product. This step involves consequences and satisfaction for the purchase; a consumer who has positive experience may develop loyalty to the store where she/he purchased. The process is repeated as consumers feel needs for products. This consumer buying process is influenced by social, marketing, and situational Factors. Social influences reflect geographic and sociologic factors. Those can be culture, subculture, social class, and family that influence persons behavior by providing direct and indirect messages and feedback. Consumers are also influenced by their reference groups, the groups that influence the consumers thoughts, feelings, and actions. Marketing influences on the consumer buying process include the affect of the marketing mix, known as product, price, placement, and promotion, which influence the consumer buying process at various stages. Consumers, in general, are influenced by characteristics of the situation, circumstances surrounding their shopping trip. Major situational influences include the physical surroundings, social surroundings, time, task, monetary conditions, and momentary moods. The physical surroundings that influence buying behavior are observable features that include location of the store, merchandise display, store interior/exterior design, and noise level of the store. The social surroundings of a situation are other people, their characteristics and roles, and the way they interact. The moods and condition as well as the time, task, and monetary condition of a consumer at the time of purchase influence their buying decision. Although useful in explaining planned purchase situations, the

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model does not lend itself to explaining the process of impulse buying. The buying behavior is classified as planned or unplanned. According to this classification, planned buying behavior involves a timeconsuming; where as unplanned buying refers to all purchases made without such advanced planning including impulse buying, which is distinguished by the relatively speedy decision-making encouraged by stimuli. Impulse purchases are not the result of a specific search to satisfy a particular requirement since the satisfaction may come from the act of shopping itself. Purchases are incidental to this speedy process although they may provide some kind of enjoyment. Therefore, several pre-purchase steps are entirely skipped in the impulse buying process. Considering the nature of impulse buying, which occurs in a short period of time without prior plans, has been modified for the purpose of this study to describe the impulse buying process by omitting several steps, such as need recognition, information search, and alternative evaluation, and reclassifying influencing factors.

Visual Merchandising in Relation to Impulse Buying Behavior: In-store browsing may be a link between internal and external factors, as an important component in the impulse buying process as well as a link between consumers impulse buying behavior and retail settings including exterior and interior display. In-store browsing is the in-store examination of a retailers merchandise for recreational and informational purposes without an immediate intent to buy. Customers who browsed in a store made more unplanned purchases than non-browsers in a regional mall setting. As a customer browses longer, she/he will tend to encounter more stimuli, which would tend to increase the like hood of experiencing impulse urges. This supports conceptualization of impulse buying as a response to the consumers exposure to in-store stimuli. Shoppers may actually use a form of in-store planning to finalize their intentions. The store stimuli serves as a type of information aid for those who go to the store without any predetermination of

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what they need or buy, and once they get into the store, they are reminded or get an idea of what they may need after looking around the store.

In other words, consumers impulse buying behavior is a response made by being confronted with stimuli that provoke a desire that ultimately motivate a consumer to make an unplanned purchase decision upon entering the store. The more the store stimuli, such as visual merchandising, serves as a shopping aid, the more likely the possibility of a desire or need arising and finally creating an impulse purchase.

The importance of window display in relation to consumers buying behavior has received minimal attention in the literature. However, since a consumers choice of a store is influenced by the physical attractiveness of a store, and the first impressions of the store image is normally created at the faade level, it can be suggested that window display may influence, at least to some degree, consumers choice of a store when they do not set out with a specific purpose of visiting a certain store and purchasing a certain item. The initial step to getting customers to purchase is getting them in the door.

COMPONENTS OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING : STORE IMAGE Image can be described as the overall look of a store and the series of mental pictures and feelings it evokes within the beholder. For the retailer, developing a powerful image provides the opportunity to embody a single message, stand out from the competition and be remembered. As a rule, image is the foundation of all retailing efforts. While store layout, presentation, signing, displays and events can all change to reflect newness and excitement from week to week, season to season, they must always remain true to the underlying store image. The following elements combine to form a distinctive image that not only reaches out and grabs the customer's attention, but also makes a positive Visual Merchandising at mostly retail outlets.impression within those precious few seconds. Image forms the solid foundation for the remaining components of Maximizing Store Impact.
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 STORE DESIGNStore design plays a crucial role in branding: it reflects and reinforces the corporate image. The sights, sounds, smells and other any other aspect should therefore reflect what the retailer brand is about and what its attributes are. Different types of store design are: Grid: It contains long gondolas (a free standing block of shelves used to display goods in a supermarket) of merchandise and aisles in repetative pattern. Racetrack: also known as loop. It provides a major aisle to facilitate customer traffic that has access to the stores multiple entrances. Free Form: also known as boutique; arranges fixtures and aisles asymmetrically. Visual merchandising creates a connection between the companys image and the look of the store.

EXTERIOR DESIGN:

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STORE NAME : An effective store name sets the tone and provides a store's identification by conjuring up an image in the customer's mind. An effective name is consistent with both the product mix and the store atmosphere.

VISUAL TRADEMARK : An identifiable trademark adds a visual image to the memory recall of a store name, by combining words and pictures, colour, shape, typeface, texture and/or style to make it stand out.

STORE FRONT : Storefront is also an important element, which adds to the store image like the exterior architecture, signing and window displays.

EXTERIOR ARCHITECTURE : A store's exterior look is often referred to as the architecture, and comprises aspects such as building materials, architectural style and detail, colours and textures. These elements give a lasting first impression to the consumer. It is important that the exterior look and feel right to the shopper.

STORE SIGN: The store sign is a vital element of the storefront and also an important component of Visual Merchandising it helps in identifying the store In realizing the value of a strong storefront sign, many retailers are employing new design techniques which include projecting or cantilevering the store sign beyond the lease line, adding motion, or using three-dimensional lettering and unique lighting applications to add depth to the sign.

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WINDOWS DISPLAY AND FLOORING : A store's exterior windows or glass storefront provide an additional opportunity to reach out and grab the passing customer. Windows are integral in creating a positive impression since they offer an opportunity to begin telling the store's unique merchandise story. The flooring and the number of floors a retail outlet has, also make an important impact on the consumers.

INTERIOR DESIGN ELEMENTS : The elements of interior design can be used to create an image that matches the desired customer profile.

FIXTURES : A major consideration in developing an appropriate store design involves the use of fixtures. They are used to display merchandise, to help sell, to guard it and to provide a storage space for it. They should be attractive and focus customers. Attention and interest on the merchandise.

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DISPLAYS : Displays play an important role in a retail store. An attractive and informative display can help sell goods. There are several principles that help ensure this effectiveness. They are achieving balance, provide dominant point, create eye movement etc.

MERCHANDISE PRESENTATION TECHNIQUE :

Merchandise Presentation technique is one of the most important component of Visual Merchandising. The following are the different presentation techniques:

1. Idea-Oriented Presentation:
a method of presenting merchandise based on a specific idea or image of the store.

2. Style/Item Presentation:
organizing stock by style or item

3. Colour Presentation:
A major role in a display is that of the colour and lighting. Aesthetic and innovative use of them can lure customers to visit more aisles than they usually do and spend more time there.

4. Price- lining:
is the technique when retailers offer a limited number of predetermined price points within a classification.

5. Vertical Merchandising:
merchandise is presented vertically suing walls and high gondolas.

6. Tonnage Merchandising:
here large quantities of merchandise are displayed together to enhance and reinforce a stores price image.
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7. Frontal Presentation:
here the retailer exposes its much of the product as possible to catch the customers eye.

8. Fixtures:
the primary purposes of fixtures are to efficiently hold and display merchandise.

COLOUR :
The psychological effect of colour continues to be important to retailers. Colour probably more than any other factor except price, is the .stopper. that catches the consumers attention. Intelligent use of colour is important in store design.

LIGHTING :
Proper lighting is one of the most important considerations in retail outlet. Today lighting has become a display medium. It is an integral part of the stores interior and exterior design. Lighting is used to highlight merchandise, sculpt space and capture a mood or feeling that enhances the stores image.

CEILINGS :
Ceiling represents a potentially important element of interior design. Ceiling heights colour and material used will influence the store look.

FLOORING :
Flooring choices are important because the coverings can be used to separate departments; muffs noise in high-traffic areas and strengthen the store image.

SHELVING :
The material used for shelving as well as its design must be compatible with the merchandising strategy and the overall image desired. Music and scent in the retail outlet can influence consumer behaviour to a large extent.

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Visual Merchandising supports Retail Strategy:

VM physically carries out a store's promotional selling strategies by designing and executing window and interior displays that supports ad goals. Installing promotional signing for in-store selling Producing workable departmental layouts and interior dcor Devising merchandise fixture layouts for day to day operations Placing and presenting merchandise on walls and fixtures Working as team members with the store's promotional staff

Visual Merchandising supports selling:

Communicate the latest trends in fashion and colors Assists customers in making a buying decision Create an exciting environment within the store Visual Merchandising transforms a shopper into a buyer Visual Merchandising supports gift shopping Visual Merchandising stimulates customers' appetites for artfully presented merchandise in the same way that the gourmet cook stimulates diners' appetites for the artfully presented meal Visual

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Visual Merchandising supports retailing trends:

A trend is a direction in which fashion seems to be moving. Visual Merchandising is the invisible force that doing a lot of the pushing behind the trend. Trends put 'fun' in fundamental merchandising. Some of the prominent trends include:

Consumerism is the trend: Consumers like an opportunity to thoroughly inspect the product before making a purchase

The barriers to 'showcase selling' had to come down. Stores began to move in the direction of self service

Assortment which the consumers like is another trend

Visual Merchandisers should become experts in anticipating and responding to lifestyle trends. The crux is how to target the customers live their lives.

Stand along stores in shopping villages is a trend where customers are able to park their vehicles in front of retail stores

Non-store retailing will affect Visual Merchandising

Visual Merchandising also supports international retailing

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Research Methodology:

TYPE OF RESEARCH

The study can well be described as descriptive. As a descriptive research, the study will deal with the variables affecting the customer preference process via Visual Merchandising. It finds facts.

AREA OF ENQUIRY
It is proposed to conduct research in Lucknow City.

Secondary Data :
The secondary data of the study will be based on the available literature in Journals in the retailing sector.

Primary Data :
Primary Data was collected using the structured questionnaire. A sample size of 100 respondents was chosen through random sampling technique. Construction of questionnaire: Visual Merchandising at various retail outlets. The questionnaire was used as the respondents had to give a specific answer to the questions. This also made it easier for the respondents to give their opinion without too much time. Personal interaction with the consumers at the store and observation technique was also used.

Sample Size :
Total 100 respondents were selected as the sample size.

Sampling technique: Random Sampling Sampling profile : Sampling unit:

general consumers individual consumers

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FINDINGS & INTERPRETATION

Q1: Are you aware of the term visual merchandising?

A: YES B: NO

73% 27%

27%

YES 73% NO

INTERPRETATION: From the above analysis it is clear that most of the consumer are aware about the term visual merchandising.

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Q2: Does visual merchandising plays important role in purchasing a particular product?

A: YES B: NO

78% 22%

22%

YES NO

78%

INTERPRETATION:

From the above analysis it is clear that most of the consumer are agree with the role of visual merchandising in purchasing any particular product.

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Q3: Tick mark the statement which you feel plays important role in purchasing? Strongly agree, agree, cant say, disagree, strongly disagree

a)- placement of the product plays important role in purchasing.? A: B: C: STRONGLY AGREE AGREE DISAGREE 56% 18% 26%

26% STRONGLY AGREE 56% 18% AGREE DISAGREE

INTERPRETATION: From the above analysis most of the 56% consumer are strongly agree, 18% are agree, & 26% consumer are disagree with the above given statement.

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b)- colours of the package of product influences consumer ?

A: STRONGLY AGREE B: AGREE C: DISAGREE

88% 10% 2%

2% 10% STRONGLY AGREE AGREE 88% DISAGREE

INTERPRETATION: Form the above analysis mostly 88% consumer were strongly agree with the statement that colours & packaging influences in buying,10% are agree & only 2% consumer are disagree with the above given statement.

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c)- visual appearance of the information related with product is important ?

A: B: C:

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE DISAGREE

58% 12% 30%

30% STRONGLY AGREE 58% 12% AGREE DISAGREE

INTERPRETATION: From the above analysis 58% consumer are strongly agree with appearance of product information is helpful 12% agree & 30% consumer are disagree with this statement.

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d)- price of the product should be clearly visible ?

A: B: C:

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE DISAGREE

81% 18% 1%

1%

18%
STRONGLY AGREE AGREE 81% DISAGREE

INTERPRETATION:
From the above analysis 81% of consumer are strongly agree with the clear visibility of product price on the product 18% were agree & 1% consumer were disagree with the statement.

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e) - lighting plays important role in purchasing?

A: B: C:

STRONGLY AGREE AGREE DISAGREE

34% 36% 30%

30%

34% STRONGLY AGREE AGREE 36% DISAGREE

INTERPRETATION:

From the above analysis 34% consumers were strongly agree with the statement that lightening plays important role in purchasing & 36% only agree, 30% were disagree with the statement.

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f)- cleanness is an important element of visual merchandising ?

A: STRONGLY AGREE B: AGREE C: DISAGREE

38% 32% 30%

30%

38% STRONGLY AGREE AGREE 32%

DISAGREE

INTERPRETATION:
From the above analysis 38% consumer says that cleanness is important for visual merchandising while 32% were only agree & 30% disagree with the given statement.

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Q4: Does visual merchandising is important for unorganised retailers?

A: B:

YES NO

68% 32%

32%

YES 68% NO

INTERPRETATION: From the above analysis 68% consumer were respond with yes on the above given statement & only 32% were said no, so it is clear that visual merchandising is also very important for unorganised retail segment.

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Q5: Choose any one among the following alternatives ?

A: B:

visual merchandising is important non-visual merchandising is important.

69% 31%

31% visual merchandising is important 69% non visual merchandising is important

INTERPRETATION: From the above analysis 69% consumer were agree with the statement that visual merchandising is important & 31% were said no to non visual merchandising.

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Conclusion 1) During my survey it was been found that most of the consumers were
aware of the term visual merchandising. The rest limited sections of the consumer were not knowing the technical terms of visual merchandising. But somewhere in common languages they were knowing the activity.

2) During my survey it was been found that most of the consumers were of
the view that visual merchandising plays an important role in purchasing of the product. Again limited section of the consumer were of the view that visual merchandising is not important because it is the product & its satisfaction which plays important role in purchasing.

3) During my survey it was been found :

a) Most of the consumers were strongly agree related with the fact that placement of the product plays important role in purchasing. The next section of the people were not agreeing with the above fact.

b) Most of the consumer were strongly agree that colours of the

package of the product influences consumers. The next section which was very limited were not agreeing with the above fact.

c) Most of the consumers were strongly agree that visual appearance

of the information related with the product is important & the next section were disagree with the above fact.

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d) Most of the consumers were agreeing with the fact that price of the product should be clearly visible over the product. The next very limited section of consumer were not agreeing with the fact.

e) Nearly equal section of consumers were strongly agree as well as

disagree related with the fact that lightening plays important role in visual merchandising .

f) Nearly equal section of the consumers were strongly agree as well

as disagree related with the fact that cleanness is an important element of visual merchandising.

4) During my survey it was been found that most of the consumers were
agreeing that visual merchandising is important for unorganised retailers as it is important for organised retailers. The limited section of the consumers were not agreeing with the above fact.

5) During my survey it was been found that 69% of the consumer were
agreeing that visual merchandising is important. Rest 31% were agreeing that non-visual merchandising is important.

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Suggestion

Suggestions to organised retailers as well as un-organised retailers

The sales man of the organised retailers / un-organised retailers should

speak in very easy going language with the consumer this is because that most of the consumers are from middle class of the society & are more interested in knowing the meaning of then only just speak the technical terms.

The organised retailers / un- organised retailers check the placing of the
product over the shelves so that it can be clearly seen by the passers. By the seeing of the product over the shelves influences the customers related with the quick purchasing of the product.

The organised / un-organised retailers as well as manufacturers should

give more emphasis to the colours of the package of the product. This is because the colour develops influential impact over the consumers related with the instant purchasing of the product.

The organised / un-organised retailers should keep the product over the
shelves in such a way that the consumers can read the informations related to the product , without actual touching the product.

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 The organised / un-organised retailers should keep the products over the
shelves in such a way that price of the product can be seen easily without the pace. This is because of the facts that most of the indian consumers are more price conscious.

The organised as well as un- organised retailers should give importance

to the products appearance & display then to the lightening & cleanness of the stores. But this doesnt mean that these two factors are not important because there was positive sign of consumers related with the light & cleanness of the store.

The last suggestion of mine is giving importance to visual merchandising

then non-visual merchandising. This is because limited section of the consumers are moving towards internet-marketing while still majority of consumer are purchasing through organised or un-organised retailers.

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RESEARCH LIMITATIONS :

Our research investigation is beset with the following constraints: Time and resource constraints. At the micro level, the scope of our research investigation is restricted to only one retail unit in Lucknow City. Bias/prejudice creeping into the responses of the respondents. However we will exercise due care to obviate it through meticulous cross checking of data;(Delphi Method) & pie charts.

Limited sample size, but, in our opinion, it is adequate enough to make valid projections. Visual Merchandising at retail outlets.

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APPENDIXES Sample of survey

Questionnaire: i. Are you aware of the term visual merchandising? a)- YES b)- NO

ii.

Does visual merchandising plays important role in purchasing a particular product? a)- YES b)- NO

iii.

Tick mark the statement which you feel plays important role in purchasing?

Strongly agree, agree, cant say, disagree,

strongly disagree

a)- placement of the product plays important role in purchasing. b)- colours of the package of product influences consumer. c)- visual appearance of the information related with product is important. d)- price of the product should be clearly visible. e)- lighting plays important role in purchasing. f)- cleanness is an important element of visual merchandising.

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iv.

Does visual merchandising is important for unorganised retailers? a)- YES b)- NO

v.

Choose any one among the following alternatives. a)-visual merchandising is important. b)- non-visual merchandising is important.

vi. vii.

Give your suggestions to the organised as well as un-organised retailers related with visual merchandising.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY :

BOOKS:
Retail Management by Ron Hasty & James Reardon, Pearson Publication Retailing in India, ICFAI Publications, Marketing Management by Philip Kotler (Chapter on Retailing) Holly Bastow Shoop, Dale Zetocha North Dakota University, Gregory Passewtiz, Visual Merchandising for Retailers, d.o.p May 2001

JOURNALS & MAGZINES :

Business Today Marketing Mastermind Journal of Marketing Back numbers of A & M International Journal of Management Sciences

WEBSITES:
www.mbaindia.com www.slideshare.com www.wikipedia.org www.timesofindia.com

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