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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 7
Publication Date: July 25, 2022
DOI:10.14738/assrj.97.12584. Al-Alsaggaf, D. M. A., & Basaffar, A. A. (2022). Visual Marketing and its Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior in Clothing Stores.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(7). 18-26.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Visual Marketing and its Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior in
Clothing Stores
Dalia Mohammed Abdullah Al- Alsaggaf
King Abdulaziz University
Amaal Abdelqader Basaffar
King Abdulaziz University
ABSTRACT
Visual marketing is concerned with the way products are visually communicated to
the consumer. Nowadays, the owners of retail establishments apply visual
marketing strategies in their practices in a larger scale and in an innovative way,
where they use multiple technologies in order to present the product and make
significant investment in the store environment. The problem of the study emerged
through the researcher's review of previous studies on the subject of the study,
which indicated to the effect of visual marketing strategies in retail clothing stores
on the purchasing behavior of the consumer. The research aims to study visual
marketing and its impact on consumer purchasing behavior in the city of Jeddah
using the SOR theory to identify the degree of impact of these strategies using the
SOR theory model. The research followed the descriptive analytical approach by
conducting the study on a sample of 77 consumers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The
questionnaire was used as a tool for the study. The results showed that the
application of visual marketing strategies significantly affects the change in
purchasing behavior of consumers in the city of Jeddah, and that there was a
positive statistically significant relationship between purchasing behavior and
motivation, mental image, and feelings of happiness. The results also showed a
correlation between (stimulus, mental image, and feelings of happiness) and
purchasing behavior. The coefficient of determination indicates that the variables
(stimulus, mental image, and feelings of happiness) represent 58.3% of the variance
in purchasing behavior.
Keywords: visual marketing, buying behavior, retail stores
INTRODUCTION
Visual marketing is a purely scientific art and is the mainstay of apparel retail establishments.
Visual marketing plays an important role in apparel retail establishments. It is known as the
silent selling method, and one of its advantages is that it reduces the number of employees and
allows the use of spaces. It also helps reduce the budget, as its activity and function aim at
developing the layout of store spaces and the 3D view to maximize sales (Randawa, Saluja,
2016). With the development of retail trade from product to product, consumer shopping
environment has become very important, where retailer provides his store with modern and
consumer friendly design, consumers expect to shop in store with good experience and design.
Shopping has become a test of the brand rather than just a sale (Singh, 2009). The real purchase
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Al-Alsaggaf, D. M. A., & Basaffar, A. A. (2022). Visual Marketing and its Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior in Clothing Stores. Advances in Social
Sciences Research Journal, 9(7). 18-26.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.97.12584
takes place at the point of accounting, where the decision is made on the amount of purchase.
The future of retail stores is based on the consumer experience in the store (Lampa, 2003).
One of the main points of visual marketing is that it is strategically placed in the store to take
advantage of the advantages and benefits of marketing. The expressive display window grabs
the attention of passersby and leads researchers and shoppers through the track changing
process. Apparel retail establishments are increasingly spending on design, fittings, style,
lighting, and signage, all of which are considered attractions.
The concept of modern consumer behavior is that consumers most often buy products not
because of their function but for the attractive value that prompted them to buy, as the product
plays a role that goes beyond the function for which it was produced (Krishnakumar, 2014).
It has been proven through empirical evidence that consumer psychological and social
satisfaction plays an important role in visual marketing, as social information leads to positive
consumer satisfaction (Liu, Kim, Hong, 2018).
Research Problem
The research problem is to answer the following questions:
1. Is there a relationship between visual marketing strategy and internal response factors?
2. Is there a relationship between internal reaction factors and consumer purchasing behavior
in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia?
Research Objectives
The research aims to study visual marketing and its impact on consumer purchasing behavior
in the city of Jeddah, using the SOR theory to identify the degree of impact of these strategies,
and the objectives were formulated as follows:
1. Detecting the effect of visual marketing strategies in retail clothing stores on consumer
purchasing behavior in Jeddah.
2. Finding the relationship between the factors of the internal reaction and the purchasing
behavior of the consumer in the city of Jeddah.
Research hypothesis
1. There is a positive relationship between visual marketing strategies and internal response
factors.
2. There is a positive relationship between the internal reaction and the purchasing behavior of
the consumer.
Research terminology
Strategy (Osman, Jaafar, 2019) defines the word strategy as coming back from the Greek word
Strategos, whose meaning is associated with plans that are used in managing battles and the
arts of military confrontation.
Drucker also defined strategy as a continuous process of organizing and implementing current
decisions, providing the necessary information, organizing resources and efforts to implement
decisions and evaluating results through an integrated and effective information system.
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It can be defined as a path or plan that is followed to achieve the desired goal, such as a solution
to a problem, which is the art and science of planning and inventorying resources to be used in
the most possible way and with the greatest benefit.
Visual Merchandising
(Law, Wong & Yip, 2012) defines visual marketing as a tool for connecting products and buyers
through the use of different methods and methods. Visual merchandising is an art of displaying
the things in an attractive way so that it could attract the attention of the customer and
persuade them to buy the product. An effective visual merchandising will play a significant role
in the consumers’ purchase decision
Retail Stores
Retail Stores are a place that sells products directly to the final buyer for personal use and not
for the purpose of reselling them again (C. Haif, formerly Shiraz, 2005).
It can be defined as a workplace that opens and receives shoppers, through which the process
of selling to the final consumer takes place, and products are displayed there.
Consumer
A consumer is a person who performs some action on a service or product, in order to best
satisfy his needs and expectations for the normal duration of use (Harsha, 2016). It is the person
who acquires services and products that meet his needs and expectations.
Buyer decision Process
It is the stage that consumers go through during their transition from recognizing the need to
actually purchase a service or product and experiencing the feelings that go with it.
Research Methodology
This research has adopted the descriptive-analytical approach for its relevance. The study
followed the descriptive-analytical approach, "which is concerned with defining reality,
collecting facts about it and analyzing some of its aspects". The methodology of the study is
based on the fact that the phenomenon (the effect of visual shopping on shopper behavior) is a
social phenomenon that needs to study visual shopping and the factors affecting it, as well as
the effect of those factors on the behavior of individual consumers. For this reason, the
descriptive approach that monitors the phenomenon and tracks its impact on society, was
adopted.
Design of Research Methodology
The design of the methodology relied on fixed steps, represented in providing the means of
obtaining information, while saving time and cost factors, defining the sample, taking random
samples, collecting data systematically through the questionnaire, and implementing the
research project, analyzing the data in light of the hypotheses put forward, and finally
interpreting the data, monitoring the results, and making recommendations and suggestions.
Research Boundaries
Objective Boundaries: Examining the effect of visual marketing strategies in retail apparel
stores on consumer buying behavior.
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Al-Alsaggaf, D. M. A., & Basaffar, A. A. (2022). Visual Marketing and its Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior in Clothing Stores. Advances in Social
Sciences Research Journal, 9(7). 18-26.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.97.12584
Human Boundaries: a sample of 77 consumers.
Spatial Boundaries: Jeddah, Kingdome of Saudi Arabia
Time Boundaries: the second semester of the academic year (2022)
Research sample
The total research sample included (66) individuals from consumers of retail stores in the city
of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Research tool
A questionnaire consisting of 23 items distributed on three axes as follows:
First Axis: Motivations - Visual Marketing and Its Elements (Stimuli) (10) Paragraphs
The second axis: internal response factors (Organism). (8) paragraphs
The third axis: the reaction to the buying behavior (Response) (5) paragraphs
The questionnaire was distributed to the study sample consisting of (66) consumers of retail
clothing stores selling clothes in the city of Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The
researcher used a three-tiered Likert method (agree - agree to some extent - disagree).
Face Validity
The tool was subjected to face validity. The research was scored by a team of assessors after
the work has been criticized and necessary corrections effected. The tool’s stability was
verified, using the Cronbach’s alpha equation, which revealed that the overall reliability
coefficient of the study tool was (0.73 ) and, therefore, satisfies the purposes of scientific
research.
Internal consistency
Internal consistency means the degree of correlation of each of the scale expressions with the
total score of the scale to which the phrase belongs. In order to determine the validity of the
internal consistency of the study tool, Pearson’s simple correlation coefficient was used as
shown in Table (1), where the results indicate that there is a statistically significant correlation
between each phrase and the total score of the axis to which it belongs, thus indicating that the
tool has a high degree of internal consistency.
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Table 1: Simple correlation coefficient between each statement and the total score for the axis
Phrase Stimuli Mental
image
Feeling
s of
happin
ess
Purchasi
ng
behavior
Visual (presentation) marketing is an
essential source of consumer attention.
.226*
The display window gives me an
overview of the contents of the store.
.309**
Visual Marketing (Display) is a
convenient source for the latest fashion
trends.
.618**
Visual merchandising helps me
coordinate the pieces together.
.566**
The visual (display) marketing method
makes it easier for me to use the
products offered by the store.
.620**
The overall composition used in the
merchandise view convinces me of the
store's features.
.736**
The use of lighting in the display and
shop window on the products highlights
them well.
.342**
The colors shown help convince me of
the features of the store.
.566**
The arrangement of the mannequin in
the display window and the store
contributes to the display of the
products in a remarkable way.
.370**
The materials used in the display
window and the store are an important
source of consumer demand.
.354**
The view in the View and Store window
gives me an impression of the store and
its contents.
.305**
The pieces shown give me ideas on how
to coordinate with my previous
purchases.
.667**
Seeing the view in the show window
and in the store I feel how well the
pieces shown will fit me when I wear
them.
.785**
The impression I got from the display
window and the store convinces me of
the importance of the offered products.
.844**
I feel relieved when looking at the view
in the display window and in the shop.
.697**
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Al-Alsaggaf, D. M. A., & Basaffar, A. A. (2022). Visual Marketing and its Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior in Clothing Stores. Advances in Social
Sciences Research Journal, 9(7). 18-26.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.97.12584
The view from the window display and
the shop makes me feel very cheerful
and happy.
.811**
The terms used in the display window
and the store show interest in me as a
consumer.
.712**
I feel confident in the quality of the
store's contents from the view of the
exhibits.
.661**
The view in the view window entices
me to discover the contents of the store,
and to get information about its
products.
.725**
The data in the display window and the
store increases my desire to enter the
stores (price - material - working
hours).
.632**
The products shown in the display
window and the store make me accept
the purchase.
.782**
The impression I got from the view in
the display window prompts me to buy
in the store, and even to visit it
frequently.
.864**
Feelings of happiness from seeing the
view in the display window and the
store led me to buy products.
.822**
*Statistically significant at the 0.05 probability level **Statistically significant at 0.01
Tool Stability
To determine the stability of the study tool, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used as in Table
(2), where the results in the table indicate that the values of the Cronbach's alpha coefficient
for the four axes are greater than or equal to 0.7, which indicates that the tool has a high degree
of stability.
Table 2: Cronbach's alpha coefficient to measure the stability of the tool
Axis Number of
phrases
Cronbach's alpha
coefficient
Stimuli 10 0.7
Mental image 4 0.7
Feelings of happiness 4 0.71
Purchasing behavior 5 0.82
Statistical methods used
The researcher used the SPSS statistical program to analyze the study data, using a set of
statistical methods that fit the nature of the data, and these methods are: frequencies,
percentages, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, simple correlation coefficient, partial
regression coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression coefficient.
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Study Findings
First: The first hypothesis states that "there is a positive relationship between visual marketing
strategies and internal response factors."
To test this hypothesis between visual marketing strategies and internal response factors, the
researcher studied the correlational relationships between purchasing behavior and each of:
motivation, mental image, and feelings of happiness by testing this hypothesis according to the
simple correlation coefficient as in Table (1).
The results indicate that the value of the simple correlation coefficient between purchasing
behavior and internal feelings amounted to 0.631, the value of the simple correlation coefficient
between purchasing behavior and mental image was 0.648, while the value between
purchasing behavior and feelings of happiness was 0.696, all of which are statistically
significant values at the probability level 0.01, which shows that there is a positive, statistically
significant relationship between purchasing behavior and motivation, mental image, and
feelings of happiness. Thus, the finding was found to be consistent with the first research
hypothesis.
Table 1: Simple correlation coefficient between purchasing behavior and motivation, mental
image, and feelings of happiness
Purchasing
behavior
Stimuli Mental image Feelings of
happiness
Purchasing
behavior
1 .631** .648** .696**
Stimuli .631** 1 .708** .573**
Mental image .648** .708** 1 .630**
Feelings of
happiness
.696** .573** .630** 1
*Statistically significant at the 0.05 probability level **Statistically significant at 0.01
Second: The second hypothesis states that “there is a positive relationship between the internal
reaction and the purchasing behavior of the consumer.” The researcher studied the regressive
relationships between purchasing behavior and motivation, mental image, and feelings of
happiness. This hypothesis was tested by analyzing simple linear regression as in the table (2),
and the results in the table showed that the multiple correlation coefficient between (stimulus,
mental image, and feelings of happiness) and purchasing behavior amounted to 0.764, and the
p value of the multiple correlation coefficient test was 34.047, which is a statistically significant
value at the probability level 0.01, which shows that there is a correlational relationship
between (stimulus, mental image, and feelings of happiness) with purchasing behavior. The
coefficient of determination shows that the three variables together explain 58.3% of the
variance in purchasing behavior.
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Al-Alsaggaf, D. M. A., & Basaffar, A. A. (2022). Visual Marketing and its Impact on Consumer Buying Behavior in Clothing Stores. Advances in Social
Sciences Research Journal, 9(7). 18-26.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.97.12584
Table 2: Results of simple linear regression
Partial Regression
coefficient
Standard Partial
regression coefficient
t
value
Relevanc
e level
1 Constant -1.473- -.705- .483
Stimuli .228 .235 2.140 .036
Mental
image
.302 .212 1.823 .072
Feelings of
happiness
.513 .428 4.274 .000
Multiple correlation coefficient = 0.764, coefficient of determination = 0.583 p-value
= 34.047** *D at the 0.05 level **Dal at 0.01
In order to clarify the percentage of the contribution of each variable (stimulus, mental image,
and feelings of happiness) in explaining the variation in purchasing behavior, the researcher
performed a test of correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression. The results showed
a regression equation that includes two variables as in Table (3), namely: feelings of happiness
and stimuli, as they represent 56.4% of the variance in purchasing behavior, and feelings of
happiness alone represent 48.4%, while the stimuli variable represents 8% in explaining the
variance in purchasing behavior.
Table 3: Results of the ascending gradient multiple correlation and regression analysis
The
coefficient
of
determinati
on
Change in
coefficient of
determination
Standard Partial
regression coefficient
t
value
Significa
nce level
Feelings
of
happines
s
.484 .484 .498 5.319 .000
Stimuli .564 .0.80 .345 3.683 .000
Multiple correlation coefficient = 0.751 Coefficient of determination = 0.564 p-value
= 47.905** *D at the 0.05 level **Dal at 0.01
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
1. The application of visual marketing strategies significantly affects the changing
purchasing behavior of consumers in the city of Jeddah.
2. The approval rate on the effect of stimulus strategies in visual marketing on changing
the purchasing behavior of consumers of the sample members in the city of Jeddah
reached a high level of 58% to 93%, and the arithmetic mean values ranged between
2.53 degrees to 2.93 degrees
3. The approval rate on the effect of mental image strategies in visual marketing on
changing the purchasing behavior of consumers among the sample members in the city
of Jeddah reached a high level of 57.1% to 85.7%, and the arithmetic mean values ranged
between 2.50 degrees to 2.86 degrees.
4. The approval rate on the effect of feelings of happiness on changing the purchasing
behavior of consumers of the sample members in the city of Jeddah reached a high level
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of 55.8% to 66.2%, and the arithmetic mean values ranged between 2.59 and 2.53
degrees.
5. There is a positive statistically significant relationship between purchasing behavior and
motivation, mental image, and feelings of happiness, and this result supports the first
hypothesis.
6. There is a correlation between each of the internal feelings (stimulus, mental image, and
feelings of happiness) and buying behavior, and the coefficient of determination
indicates that the three variables explain 58.3% of the variance in buying behavior.
7. Feelings of happiness and stimuli represent 56.4% of the causes of variation in
purchasing behavior, and the happiness variable alone represents 48.8%, while the
stimuli variable represents 8%.
Study Recommendations
In light of the previous results, the researcher suggests a number of recommendations that can
be summarized as follows:
1. Raising awareness on the importance of visual marketing in influencing the buying
behavior of different groups of consumers.
2. Increasing the interest of store owners to design them in modern and modern ways that
attract customers and help increase the demand for the store.
3. Paying attention to displaying clothes in stores in an attractive and tidy manner because
of its impact on the purchasing behavior of consumers
4. Store owners' interest in stimulating consumers' buying behavior through discounts
and offers that increase feelings of happiness in consumers, which helps to increase the
purchase rate.
References
Lamba A J (2003): The Art of Retailing Retail Operations, Tata Mc Graw Hill, p. 387
Liu, Kim, Hong, (2018). An fNIRS-based investigation of visual merchandising displays for fashion stores – plos
one journal, United Kingdom
Randhawa,Saluja, (2016): Dose Visual Merchandising have an Effect on Consumer Impulse Buying Behavior,
symbiosis center for management studies, journal of general management research, volume 4 , issue2, July 2017,
pp. 58-71
Singh H (2009): Presenting Merchandise, Retail Management: A Global Perspective, 1st Edition, S Chand and Co,
p. 315
Krishnakumar, (2016): The Role of Visual Merchandising in Apparel Purchase Decision, national institute of
fashion technology, India