A Research Proposal: The Effect of Visual Merchandising on Female Consumer Shopping Behavior

The purpose of this qualitative research proposal is to investigate the effect visual merchandising has on female consumer shopping behavior. The retail industry is continually changing. Unless stores can differentiate themselves from their competitors, they will not survive in the retail sector. To give stores a competitive advantage, they need to have the newest and most unique; storefronts, merchandise mix, and overall store environment. Keywords below, will help define visual merchandising within the retail industry. The literature review section examines previous studies conducted with visual merchandising and female consumer shopping behavior, in addition to reviewing the intimate retail sector in the Asian markets. While techniques in visual merchandising and consumer shopping behavior differ culturally (and within different apparel sectors), the finding of this paper emphasizes the importance of merchandising and promoting the proper brand imaging to the customer. Two methods will be used to obtain data to understand the effects of visual merchandising on consumer shopping behavior. First, pre-tested questionnaires will be administered to two hundred and fifty women. Second, three focus groups will be conducted of eight participants each. The results of the questionnaires and focus groups will help managers, merchandise planners and retail industry specialists to better understand the female consumer’s perception of visual merchandising and its impact on buying behavior