A Study of In-Store Factors Affecting Impulse Buying of Apparels amongst College Students and Young Professionals in Bangalore

Abstract

The aim is to understand if the construct of buying impulsiveness is significantly predicted by independent, predefined and handpicked factors such as visual merchandising, price, mode of payment, in-store ambience, perceived crowding and listening quality and persuasiveness of store personnel as well as if the same construct varies across gender, occupation, income/allowance and frequency of visit. Further, the visual merchandising construct is sub-divided into six sub-variables and their individual effect on the Buying Impulsiveness is tested. Research findings suggest that visual merchandising and mode of payment significantly affects impulse buying among young professionals and college students in Bangalore. It also finds that, among the sub-variables of visual merchandising, Scarcity Messages, In-store form/mannequin Display, Promotional Signage and Assortment/colour/design significantly affected Buying Impulsiveness. Beyond these, it was also found that the buying impulsiveness varied across occupation with professionals tending to buy more on impulse than students. Also, tested it was found that the Buying Impulsiveness varies significantly with the Frequency of Visit and the monthly Income/Allowance of the respondent. The sample was geographically limited and the age range was narrow and the study is purely quantitative in nature and hence could have been inadequate in intercepting the sub-conscious personal bias of respondents. In the managerial context, the study points out how some of the powerful in-store factors such as visual merchandising and its significant sub-variables can be subtly and suitably tweaked and accentuated to optimally stimulate the consumer mindset to indulge in impulsiveness.