Managing the visual environment of a fashion store

Abstract

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of a fashion store's visual complexity on consumers' behaviour. Considering environmental order and individuals' sensation-seeking tendencies, the authors examine the effect of visually complex fashion stores on consumers in a more conclusive way to address the inconsistent effect found in the previous literature. Design/methodology/approach-This study features a 3 (visual complexity level: low, medium, high) × 2 (environmental order condition: low, high) between subjects design, with individual sensation-seeking tendency included as a moderator. Using this design, an online survey was administered to 188 participants in South Korea. Findings-The results indicate that there is a three-way interaction, where the interaction effect of visual complexity and environmental order is moderated by individuals' sensation-seeking tendency. The effect of visual complexity on approach behaviours had an inverted U-shape in the low-order condition, while had a positive linear shape in the high-order condition, and the interaction effect was significant only for high-sensation seekers. Practical implications-The findings assist practitioners in establishing strategies for visual merchandising and store design within fashion stores. It is suggested that retailers consider environmental order when organising a large amount of varied merchandise in a complex environment. Store managers must adjust the complexity and environmental order to meet the optimal stimulation level of their target consumers. Originality/value-This study strengthens the literature on visual complexity by applying the concept to the retail environment. The results provide a significant contribution to the literature because they show how individual-level and store-level variables interact to influence consumer behaviour.

Human crowding and store messiness: Drivers of retail shopper confusion and behavioral intentions

“…These results support the prior literature on messiness, which suggests that messy shopping ambience can negatively affect human anxiety, distract consumers' attentions, and dilute human experiences thus leading to irritation and confusion (Ducoffe, 1996;Lim, 2013). Further, prior literature suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between visual complexity and customers' approach behaviors (Gilboa & Rafaeli, 2003;Jang et al, 2018). Visual clutter in form of human crowding and store messiness does lead to visual complexity and disorderliness (Orth & Wirtz, 2014;Rosenholtz et al, 2007).…”

“…to inefficiency among the shoppers. The interaction effect of crowding and messiness on retail shopper confusion supports the prior literature, which suggests higher level of visual complexity lowers customer's approach behaviors (Berlyne, 1971;Gilboa & Rafaeli, 2003;Jang et al, 2018). The results suggest that increasing the store messiness across low and high crowded conditions increases environmental stimuli, which leads to information overload and thus makes consumers annoyed, irritated, unnerved, and inefficient (Huffman & Kahn, 1998).…”

“…In-store elements like ambience (lighting, scent), visual design (store layout, shelving, display, store organization, and storage), and social factors (employees, other customers) can all lead to retail shopper confusion (Garaus & Wagner, 2016). These elements if not used properly can lead to complexity perceptions and disorderliness, thus leading to retail shopper confusion (Jang, Baek, & Choo, 2018). Further, visual clutter in the form of retail crowding and lack of organization within the retail store also leads to complexity perceptions and disorderliness (Orth & Wirtz, 2014;Rosenholtz, Li, & Nakano, 2007).…”

Consumer Experience and Omnichannel Behavior in Various Sales Atmospheres

“…Managing the visual environment of a fashion store: effects of visual complexity and order on sensation-seeking consumers Jang et al, 2018 This interesting experiment recreates various degrees of complexity in the atmospherics of a virtual store and considers participants' approach or avoidance response with variables relating to "environmental order" and the "amount of varied merchandise. "…”

“…It is for this reason that considering the shopping reality in a virtual environment is significant, as some of these senses are to some extent restricted and this sensory deficit often needs to be offset with extra input and enhanced features so as to give the consumer a pleasant experience with hedonic purchases also in this channel ( Jang et al, 2018 ).…”