The Impact of Visual Merchandising on Impulsive Buying Decision

Abstract

The research investigates the impact of visual merchandising on impulse buying by Sri Lankans in modern Colombo retail environments. By using a qualitative methodology based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model and Bitner’s services cape theory, this paper addresses the impact of store interior arrangement, product display, lighting and packaging, and cleanliness on impulse purchasing. The re-search team used extensive literature research and 30 independent interview sessions with managers and consumers of the retailers in Colombo, using NVivo software for thematic analysis. The work affirms that product displays and lighting considerably affect spontaneous purchasing, the innovation set-ups, and the lighting strategies are able effectively enhance product attractiveness and arousal to shoppers. Less cluttered store design and more reminders of sources of products enhance navigability and visibility of products and help keep stores clean with trust for consumers which augments impulse buying. Factors such as collectivism and pricing activeness play into the effectiveness of promotional displays and offers. In exploring this research gap, the study provides the practice based recommendations for Sri Lankan retailers to improve their visual merchandising and increase their competitive position against online sales. The limitations of the study are cross-sectional and singular focus on Colombo and are proposing for subsequent studies that cover time and broader geographical area. The results of this research contribute to theoretical knowledge and offer concrete recommendations for practitioners in emerging retail environments.