IMPACT OF AESTHETICS IN AN APPAREL STORE

Submitted by-

Murali R

Registration Number-
20111531

Bachelors in Business Administration (Business Analytics)

April 2023
 School of Business and Management
Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, Lavasa, Pune
Certificate of Analytical Based Research Project Completion

This is to certify that project report entitled “Impact of Aesthetics in an Apparel Store” has

been submitted by Mr. Murali R, student of BBA-III of School of Business and Management of this

institute in the partial fulfillment of two years full time bachelor degree in business administration

(B.B.A.) of Christ (Deemed to be University), Lavasa Pune for the academic year 2022-23.

Research Mentor HOD – BBA

Examiner -I Examiner – II

Date: …. /…../ ……. Place: Lavasa.

 Declaration

I, Murali R, hereby sincerely declare that the research report entitled “Impact of Aesthetics

in an Apparel Store” is my genuine work for the partial fulfillment of Bachelor in Business

Administration to Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, Lavasa Campus, Pune

To the best of my knowledge, any part of this context has not been submitted earlier for any

degree, or certificate examination.

(Signature)

Mr. Murali R

Date :

Place : Lavasa
 Acknowledgement
(Font Size: 14/Bold/Central Alignment)

I would like to express my thanks to various people for supporting me during this study. First and

foremost, I would like to thank my, guide Dr. Jayashree Bhattacharjee for his valuable guidance

to make this study meaningful for us.

Most importantly I would like to express my thank to respected Director Fr. Jossy P. George and

Dr.Parameshwaram S (Head of department) for guiding and steering me through the difficulties faced

by me in the preparation of my analytical based research project report.

And I am sincerely indebted to all my teachers and friends whose unending support and help was

throughout with me for making this project report.

I am truly grateful to all of them.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION

1. Background

2. Apparel retail sector in India

3. Objectives of the study

4. The role of aesthetics in apparel products

5. Significance of aesthetics in marketing and consumer behaviour

6. The interaction between the apparel product and the body

CHAPTER-2: LITERATURE REVIEW

1. Visual complexity and store environment

2. Order

3. Individual differences in sensation-seeking tendency

CHAPTER-3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1. Plot study

2. Hypothesis

CHAPTER-4: CHAPTER-4: ANALYSIS AND

INTERPRETATION OF DATA

1. Demographic information

2. Descriptive statistics

CHAPTER-5: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION

1. Factors influencing the consumer behaviour while selecting retail

outlet

2. Limitation of the study

3. Suggestions

References
 ABSTRACT

In today's world, due to renewed and changing consumer demands and the rapidly developing

technological factors, companies and managers are in search of new strategies to make a difference

in their products and services. As competition increased marketers started to focus on new

approaches and product innovations to attract consumers’ perception and attention. One of the most

effective ways of differentiating is using aesthetics. Visual aesthetics of products creates value for

consumers. Impact of aesthetics create significant value in apparel store and makes it more special.

Also, level of price sensitivity of consumer decreases when the product is more unique and

prestigious. This study aims to investigate the impact of aesthetic in an apparel store. The data of

the study is collected from a survey. The results revealed that aesthetics in apparel and also its sub-

dimensions including value, acumen, and response are negatively associated with consumers’ price

sensitivity. Explanatory power of response dimension was higher than its counterparts.

Aesthetics concept contributes to success of companies and brands (Rompay & Pruyn, 2011). In

terms of strategic pricing, it enables companies to gain higher profits by letting them determine

higher prices (Kristensen et al. 2012). In this context this study investigates the relationship

between visual product aesthetics and price sensitivity. Price sensitivity is an important concept

for marketers in the real world. Price sensitivity offers new ways for managers about how they

should approach the consumer (Goldsmith et al, 2010). The concept of price sensitivity refers to

the variations of consumer demand in case of price fluctuations (Low et al., 2013). Social and

hedonic condition.
 CHAPTER-1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

A store's situation affects the shopping encounters of the clients who pick at it. Environmental

components influence clients' feelings (Berkowitz, n.d.) which thus, impact choices to invest energy

or cash in a store (Pitts, 2012). A workable store configuration includes in excess of an alluring

showcase of product available to be purchased. Numerous different elements, including lighting,

temperature, shading, music, format, and installations ought to likewise be deliberately planned to

furnish clients with charming encounters in a store.

Aesthetics has not only received attention in connection with consumer products, but also within the

field of services (e.g., Sands, Oppewal, & Beverland, 2008; Wang, Minor, & Wei, 2010). Similar

to the conveying of symbolic meaning through the possession of products, Venkatesh and Member

(2008) suggest that consumers use aesthetic experiences in their daily consumption practices, like

shopping, for identity formation. If consumers have strong self-enhancement goals, that is, if

consumers are seeking favourable feedback and impressions from others, we expect them to put

greater emphasis on the visual aesthetics of stores they are shopping in.

Aesthetics has not only received attention in connection with consumer products, but also within the

field of services (e.g., Sands, Oppewal, & Beverland, 2008; Wang, Minor, & Wei, 2010). Similar to

the conveying of symbolic meaning through the possession of products, Venkatesh and Member

(2008) suggest that consumers use aesthetic experiences in their daily consumption practices, like

shopping, for identity formation. If consumers have strong self-enhancement goals, that is, if

consumers are seeking favorable feedback and impressions from others, we expect them to put

greater emphasis on the visual aesthetics of stores they are shopping in.
Cassill and Drake (1987) had already suggested in 1987 that female apparel consumers form the

largest segment of the apparel consumers’ market. In addition, Walters and Bergiel (1989:39) point

out that female clothing consumers are often not only responsible for the purchase of their own

apparel items, but also of the household and the family. The question that concerns us here is: What

is the role of aesthetics in the assessment by female apparel consumers of the quality of apparel

products? Seen from consumer science the knowledge, perception and comprehension about this

situation, could be used by apparel specialists and consumer consultants to increase consumer

satisfaction. From the area of the marketing of apparel, ChenYu et al (1999) point out that knowledge

of the consumer’s assessment about quality and factors that may influence the purchasing decision,

can be employed usefully by retailers in the selection of products that they plan to tender as well as

in promoting their sales and businesses. Unfortunately, little research worldwide has been done since

the late eighties about how apparel consumers evaluate the quality of apparel products during the

purchase decision process. No specific research, directed to the role of aesthetics in assessing quality

of apparel during this process, could be traced.

The aim of the researchers is thus to develop a conceptual framework that can be used in assessing

the role of aesthetics in consumers’ evaluation of apparel quality.

In highlighting the problem, focus is placed on the role of aesthetics in:

• Apparel behavior

• Quality assessment of apparel products.

1.2 Apparel retail sector in India

The trend of Indian market has changed a lot in the past few decades. Earlier there were a few retail

stores and the competition was not very tough amongst them, but the past couple of years were

revolutionary for the Indian retail market and now there are hundreds of names involved in retail

marketing. Many established brands and new names are trying their luck in retail marketing and

companies are trying their best to capture the attention of potential clients and increase the sales.

Retailers accept that a store's design and product introduction influence how much customers make

the most of their encounters in the store. Steady with this thought, most style retailers have forcefully

expanded the multifaceted nature of their stores, accepting that clients will support a wide

combination of things and differed encounters. To define quick design, brands fill their super

estimated stores with different items, decorations, and offices to expand the utilization of constrained

space. Be that as it may, this training has rendered some store situations to be unnecessarily

complicating.

Various analysts have shown that visual unpredictability impacts shoppers' initial purchases. Visual

involvement influences onlooker’s fascination, data preparing, and full of feeling states, which are

all connected to assessments of boosts. Analysts have researched how visual multifaceted nature

influences reactions to notices, bundle structures, and web composition. Consequences of these

investigations have uncovered that visual multifaceted nature is adversely identified with spectator

consideration, frame of mind, saw engaging quality, and acknowledgment. A few investigations,

nonetheless, have detailed that the impact of visual multifaceted nature on pertinent results isn't

constantly negative, especially when representing the impact of specific factors, similar to the

nearness of request or individual contrasts.

The significance of understanding shopper conduct has never been increasingly critical to retailers.

Though customer look into used to be an undertaking left to makers of shopper pack-matured

products, retailers have grasped this obligation, burning through a large number of dollars to

examine, comprehend, and impact purchaser conduct. As we plot, scholarly research affirms the

significance of such practices and we abridge the consequences of those endeavors. Further, this

paper builds up a progressing shopper look into plan that gives the creators' perspectives with regards

to the most significant buyer issues deserving of retailers' consideration.

 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary and specific objectives of the present research are as

follows:

Primary Objective

To study the consumer behviour due to the impact of aesthistics in an apparel store

Specific Objectives
• To identify the factors influencing the consumer behavior while selecting retail outlet. •

To study the impact of promotional strategies affecting the consumer buying behavior or

apparels.

• To analyze the buying patterns of the customers shopping the apparel retail outlets.

• To study consumer behavior of the customers purchasing apparels. • To offer

recommendations for better retail business performance

• To identify the factors influencing the consumer behavior while selecting retail outlet. • To

study the impact of promotional strategies affecting the consumer buying behavior or apparels.

• To study the demographic profile the customers visiting apparel retail outlets.

1.4 THE ROLE OF AESTHETICS IN APPAREL PRODUCTS

For O’Neal (1998) aesthetics is defined as the study of human reaction to the non-instrumental
qualities of an object or occurrence. According to De Long (1998:3) there is a relationship between

aesthetics and the way that consumers clothe their bodies to be appreciated by themselves and also

by others. This supports the presumption that aesthetics may, consciously or unconsciously, play an

important role during the purchase decision process and to such an extent that it could overshadow

other factors that should also have a role in assessing the quality of the item. In addition, De Long

(1998:5) points out that the aesthetic experience does not only include an experience dimension, but

also an evaluation dimension. The latter may, depending on the consumer, form a larger or smaller

component of the quality assessment process of apparel products. However, apparel products are not

only assessed by the senses, but also with the emotions and the mind. If the views of Hogan (1994),

De Long (1998:5) and Damhorst et al (1999:135), namely that the aesthetic experience involves the

senses, emotions and mind, are accepted then the important role of aesthetics in quality assessing,

during the purchase decision process to provide enjoyment or satisfaction for the consumer, can

easily be understood. According to Fiore and De Long (1994) the aesthetic experience, which comes

from an item of apparel, addresses the internal processes, the multi-sensory properties, the

psychological aspects and the sociocultural characteristics of the creator as well as the observer of

the product or apparel appearance. Fiore and Kimle (1997:26) support this view and point out that

a total aesthetic experience includes the appreciation of the formal, expressive and symbolic qualities

of a product, appearance or environment. The authors emphasize that the aesthetic experience and

consumers’ satisfaction can therefore be directly connected with the aesthetic qualities of the apparel

product or appearance that is used, consciously or unconsciously.

Visual complexity

Visual complexity is ordinarily characterized as the degree of detail or multifaceted design contained

inside a picture. This paper assesses various proportions of complexity and the degree to which they
might be undermined by a commonality predisposition. It considers the suggestions with reference

to proportions of visual complexity dependent on clients' abstract decisions and investigates

different measurements which may give a superior premise to assessing visual complexity in

symbols and presentations. The association among concealing and complexity is considered as a

future heading for the observational investigation of visual complexity.

This concept has now been embraced to inquire about, habitually estimated with reference to the

quantity of lines inside a symbol or image. The measure of detail or unpredictability inside a symbol

impacts the rate at which a symbol is distinguished. Extremely straightforward or conceptual

symbols are distinguished quicker than those in the mid-run. A few investigations report a negative

impact on reaction inactivity have utilized unique and solid improvements - a blend of images and

symbols - yet many have put together their discoveries with respect to self-assertive boosts, for

example, images or cross sections of arbitrary highly contrasting quadrangles. Pictures that are

progressively concrete or genuine world don't deliver a similar increment accordingly dormancy.

One clarification is that discretionary upgrades are most likely more semantically ruined and are

likewise less inclined to have any anticipated example. Just little snippets of data can be prepared at

any one time and the visual framework is perhaps unfit to attract any semantic derivations to a

similar degree as can be accomplished with pictures. Accordingly, increments accordingly inactivity

and reaction mistakes are maybe bound to happen.

Order

Order alludes to the level of legitimateness administering the relations among components of a

bigger gathering. In a physical situation, order alludes to spatial course of action, and is related with
how much things are sorted out, lucid, harmonious, neat, as well as clear. Obviously, the idea of

order can be summoned in numerous specific situations. In this vein, visual order is more connected

with spatial highlights (for example non-straight edges, asymmetry) than shading highlights (for

example tint, immersion, esteem.

Given its association with spatial association, order is a wellspring of familiarity that encourages

onlooker acknowledgment or upgrade understanding.

Sensation Seeking Tendency

Past research has demonstrated that ecological consequences for customer practices can change as

an element of purchaser character contended that individual manner (for example individual

qualities) ought to be viewed as when exploring customer reaction towards nature. One individual

contrast variable, sensation-seeking tendency, has been inspected in numerous examinations on

visual upgrades and inclination. Sensation-seeking tendency is a person's craving for assorted

variety, oddity, and complex tactile encounters, just as the eagerness to embrace physical and social

dangers that go with these encounters. Sensation-seeking tendency varies from individual to

individual; a few people favor more elevated levels of incitement than others. Discovered that,

though high-sensation searchers favored complex structures, low-sensation searchers favored basic

plans.

It was likewise discovered a positive connection between a person's inclination for multifaceted

nature and their score on the sensation-seeking scale. It was discovered that inclinations for visual

multifaceted nature on sites contrasted by the degree of a person's sensation-seeking tendency; high-

sensation searchers favored complex visual structures and low-sensation searchers favored

straightforward visual plans.

1.5 Significance of aesthetics in marketing and consumer behavior

Research in the field of marketing confirms that aesthetics is ubiquitous in the area of marketing and

is a carefully considered variable of products, consumption and promotion among other facets of

marketing (Venkatesh & Meamber, 2006). Diverse aspects of aesthetics such as color (Babin et. al,

2003), scent (Chebat & Michon 2003) and music (Chebat et. al, 2001) are capable of swaying

consumer’s preference, shopping duration, arousal and acquisition in an environment of purchase.

These findings provide ample evidence that aesthetics elicit identifiable responses from consumers.

The majority of the prior research on beauty focuses on the effect of integral beauty on consumer

judgments. This research, however, examines the incidental effects of beauty. Specifically, I

investigate how exposure to beauty cues influences consumers’ subsequent moral judgment and

decision-making. Marketers are aware of our affinity for beauty, and they focus on delivering

products that are pleasing and attractive. The aesthetics of a product are what we notice at first

glance, which influences our subsequent actions. Consumers encounter an overwhelming number of

choices as they walk down store aisles, and if aesthetic appeal engages them, they are more likely to

approach a product and explore it further. Extant research in the field of marketing demonstrates that

the aesthetics of products, services, and advertisements play a significant role in product success

(Bloch, 1995). Indeed, society often judges people by the products they own and the disparity in

products apparent by their aesthetics, which leads to assumptions about the product and its owner

(Belk et al., 1981, 1982).

Extant research demonstrates that the aesthetics of environment, where the goods or services are

rendered and consumed, has a profound influence on consumer behavior and satisfaction (Bitner

1992; Donovan et al. 1994; Morrin & Ratneshwar 2003). Taking a cue from 31 the prior literature,

which demonstrates that aesthetics is highly influential antecedent of consumer behavior and beauty
in general is considered indicative of goodness, we examine the effect of incidental beauty on moral

judgment. Research shows that exposure to high aesthetics has an effect on subsequent cognitive

and affective responses of consumers that lead to behavioral outcomes. We posit that consumers

exposed to aesthetic appeal in products would show distinctions in moral judgments. The innate

appreciation for beauty and tendency to believe “What is beautiful is good” would inspire

individuals to appreciate beauty in highly aesthetic products and result in a behavioral response

pertaining to moral judgment depending on the valence of aesthetics.

1.6 The interaction between the apparel product and the body

According to Rudd and Lennon (1994) the body is the key in establishing an aesthetic appearance.

Lynch et al (1998) and Dam horst et al (1999:135) add that the creation of an aesthetic appearance

by adorning the body is not only limited to the sensory dimension of the appearance, but is also a

deliberate emotional and cognitive self-expression of who and what the consumer is. Seen from the

angle of aesthetics, Fiore and Kimle (1997:31) emphasize that the body, just as apparel products,

contains specific formal qualities that also have expressive and symbolic value. Formal qualities of

the body such as a boyish figure or an hourglass form, could therefore evoke certain emotional

reactions from the consumer and onlooker (for example that the person appears soft and warm),

while it also conveys a specific symbolic message to the consumer and onlooker (that the person has

a specific status or is in control of the situation).

CHAPTER-2: LITERATURE REVIEW

3.1 Visual complexity and store environment

Visual complexity refers to the measure of detail or multifaceted design in visual upgrades
(Snodgrass and Vanderwart, 1980). Berlyne (1971) started observational grant on visual complexity

in an investigation in which he controlled the complexity of drawings, line pictures, and other

improvements. As indicated by Berlyne's hypothesis of stylish inclination, an expansion in the

measure of one determinant prompts a lessening in the maximally favored degree of different

determinants, bringing about a reversed U state of inclination. Research on environments later

applied this hypothesis to understanding the impact of complexity in genuine environments,

including common scenes, building outsides, and retail signs capes (Nasar, 1997). The visual

complexity of an environment is characterized as its visual lavishness, sum and assorted variety of

ornamentation, and measure of data in the environment (Nasar, 1997). In store environments, visual

complexity is described by the structures of the store's dividers, floors, roofs, furniture,

establishments, and different components, just as the assorted variety and number of items accessible

in the store (Gilboa and Rafaeli, 2003; Orth and Wirtz, 2014). One may perhaps mistake store

swarming for the store's visual complexity. Notwithstanding, swarming is an emotional encounter

that happens when various individuals or articles limit or generally upset people's practices (Eroglu

and Harrell, 1986; Machleit et al., 2000). Store swarming might be a precursor to impression of

visual complexity; however, a visually perplexing environment isn't really packed. Visual

complexity can be expanded through complex designing that doesn't occupy extra physical room.

Gilboa and Rafaeli (2003) uncovered a modified U-formed connection between visual complexity

and clients' methodology practices in a supermarket setting, utilizing different photos taken of a few

segments within stores. This discovering is reliable with Berlyne's hypothesis of tasteful inclination

(Berlyne, 1971), in which the creator set that client will show a higher inclination for a moderate

degree of visual complexity. Huffman and Kahn (1998) clarified this wonder with regards to data

hypothesis. The creators suggested that individuals look for medium-level environmental boosts to

abstain from preparing an excessive amount of data (when there are such a large number of
improvements) or understanding the vulnerabilities related with negligible data (when there are too

barely any upgrades). Be that as it may, when applied to various settings (like promoting and site

interface), discoveries on the connection between visual complexity and inclination are to a great

extent conflicting. For instance, the visual complexity of sites has been seen as conversely identified

with client delight and acknowledgment (Tuch et al., 2009). Visual complexity has additionally been

appeared to ruin publicizing viability as far as disposition towards the advertisement, frame of mind

towards the brand, and buy aim (Stevenson et al., 2000). Additionally, the visual complexity of a

shop store was likewise found to adversely influence shoppers' methodology practices and support

expectations (Orth and Wirtz, 2014).

3.2 Order

Order refers to the level of legality administering the relations among components of a bigger

gathering (Arnheim, 1966). In a physical situation, order alludes to spatial game plan, and is related

with how much things are sorted out, rational, harmonious, intelligible, or potentially clear (Nasar,

1997). Obviously, the idea of order can be adjured in numerous unique situations. In this vein, visual

order is more connected with spatial highlights (for example non-straight edges, asymmetry) than

shading highlights (for example shade, immersion, esteem; Kotabe et al., 2016).

Given its association with spatial association, order is a wellspring of familiarity that encourages

onlooker acknowledgment or upgrade translation (Reber et al., 2004). A few examinations on

ecological order have uncovered its positive effect on onlooker inclination or enjoyableness in an

assortment of settings, including urban road scenes (Nasar, 1990), lodging scenes (Devlin and Nasar,

1989), and building and design outsides (Nasar, 1994; Oostendorp, 1978; Oostendorp and Berlyne,

1978). Notwithstanding exhibiting the general valence (for example positive or negative) of

reactions that an ordered situation can incite, a few examinations have uncovered explicit impacts

of visual order. For instance, Fennis and Wiebenga (2015) found that objective interest reactions,
provoked by the need to reassert view of order, were activated by a disordered domain. In a different

line of research, Chae and Zhu (2014) found that muddled conditions undermine people's feeling of

individual control, which bring about self-administrative disappointment. Natural order can likewise

impact a person's show practices; Kotabe et al. (2016) showed that a disordered (versus ordered)

condition can initiate numerous sorts of rule-breaking social practices, such as cheating.

Additionally, Bossuyt et al. (2016) indicated that disordered situations can likewise create

untrustworthy purchaser practices.

3.3 Individual differences in sensation-seeking tendency

As a function of consumer personality, researchers witness the fact that environmental effects on

consumer behavior fluctuates (e.g. Dijkstra et al., 2008; Kwallek et al., 2007;Rosenbaum et al.,

2016).Van Rompay et al. (2012) inferred that individual personal characteristics must be evaluated

while investigating consumers response towards the environmental cause. One individual distinction

variable, sensation-seeking tendency, has been analyzed in numerous investigations on visual boosts

and inclination (Martin et al., 2005; Zuckerman et al., 1993). Sensation-seeking tendency is a

person's longing for decent variety, oddity, and complex tangible encounters, just as the eagerness

to attempt physical and social dangers that go with these encounters (Zuckerman, 1994). Sensation-

seeking tendency contrasts from individual to individual; a few people lean toward more significant

levels of incitement than others (Raju, 1980; Zuckerman, 1994). Zuckerman et al. (1972) found that,

though high-sensation searchers favored complex plans, low-sensation searchers favored basic

structures.

Zuckerman (1994) likewise found a positive connection between a person's inclination for

unpredictability and their score on the sensation-seeking scale. Martin et al. (2005) found that

inclinations for visual multifaceted nature on sites contrasted by the degree of a person's sensation-
seeking tendency; high-sensation searchers favored complex visual plans and low sensation

searchers favored basic visual structures.

While a few investigations tended to high-sensation seekers' inclination for outwardly complex

improvements (for example Zuckerman, 1994), little consideration was paid to understanding this

association as for request condition. As we speculated the intelligent impact of visual multifaceted

nature and request of a domain in the past area, we will address the limit states of such

communications with the job of people's sensation-chasing propensity. That is, the anticipated

communication example of visual intricacy and request on approach practices may show up in an

alternate manner for high-sensation seekers versus low-sensation seekers. As requested, (non

requested) intricacy encourages higher intrigue and better understanding (Arnheim, 1966; Berlyne,

1971), we expect that approach practices of both high-and low-sensation seekers will be influenced

by the arranged condition yet to an alternate degree. At the point when improvements are requested,

it is normal that high-sensation seekers will show the highest methodology practices to the store with

a high degree of visual multifaceted nature. To a lesser degree, however, low-sensation seekers, who

are known to support less incitement, will likewise be influenced by the request condition; they will

show no less approach practices to an outwardly unpredictable (high-level) store when it is

requested.

CHAPTER-3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2.1 PILOT STUDY

A pilot test was conducted with 120 consumers to check the appropriateness of the wording and
meaning of items of the questionnaire. However, these pilot test samples were excluded from the

final survey. The results of pilot test led to the conclusion that the questionnaire is reliable and valid.

Each construct of the model went through a test of Internal consistency reliability. Reliability is said

to be enough if the value of CR exceeds 0.70. in order to test the scale reliability, Cronbach’s alpha

was conducted. Cronbach’s alpha value between 0.70 and 0.98 can be considered as high reliability

(Robert and Wortzel, 1979).

The data is collected through offline Questionnaire method in the store on weekends. This survey

we started doing from July to October 2019. Offline questionnaire survey was conducted on visitors

of shopping complex in the past 15 months. This was done on every 10th customer who made a

purchase in the store, this was done totally on Saturdays and Sundays.

The technique of Systematic Sampling (every 10th customer) was used as there was a probability of

everyone getting chosen equally. A total of 645 samples were collected for research out of which

239 responses were removed as they were incomplete and irrational. Hence, the study was conducted

considering 406 responses.

.
out of 406 respondents, 59.9% of respondents are male and 40.1% of respondents are female. From

the respondents, maximum responses are from the age group between 18-24 with a percentage of

67.7%. The second highest response is from the age group of between 24-30 years with a percentage

of 28.3%. From the respondents, 57.1% are students and 6.7% are managers then 29.1% are

employees. From the respondents, most of them are PG with 56.7% and then UG 33%.

it can be inferred that that visual complexity and Order quantity is affecting store environment and

that is significant with Sensation Seeking Behavior. Furthermore, it can also be observed that

maximum degree of correlation is witnessed between sensation seeking behavior and Order Quantity

45.8% followed by Sensation Seeking Tendency with Visual complexity of 40% is observed.

2.2 HYPOTHESES

H1: The stronger a consumer’s self-enhancement goal, the higher his/her centrality of visual

product aesthetics.

H2: The higher a consumer’s centrality of visual product aesthetics, the higher his/her willingness

to pay a price premium for a superiorly designed product.

 H3a: The stronger a consumer’s self-enhancement goal, the higher his/her centrality of visual

store aesthetics.

H3b: The more important the design attributes of a store are for a consumer, the higher his/her

centrality of visual store aesthetics.

CHAPTER-4: ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This paper uses Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) utilizing AMOS-18 to test the hypothesis

framed in the past segments. SEM is selected for this research because of two reasons: First, the

present investigation manages various dependent and independent factors which can be all the while

estimated by SEM (Kline, and Klammer, 2001). Second, SEM gives the flexibility to test the

theoretical and measurement assumption against empirical data (Chin, 1998).

4.1 Demographic information
Sl. No. Classification Categories Frequency Percent

1 Age 18 to 24 years 275 67.7

24 to 30 years 115 28.3

30 to 40 years 6 1.5

above 40 years 10 2.5

2 qualification up to 12 28 6.9

UG 134 33

PG 230 56.7

other 14 3.4

3 Gender Female 163 4.1

Male 243 59.9

4 employment Students 232 57.1

Managers 27 6.7

Employees 118 29.1

own business 26 6.4

retirees 3 0.7
 Total 406 100

The above table I reveals that out of 406 respondents, 59.9% of respondents are male and 40.1% of

respondents are female. From the respondents, maximum responses are from the age group between

18-24 with a percentage of 67.7%. The second highest response is from the age group of between

24-30 years with a percentage of 28.3%. From the respondents, 57.1% are students and 6.7% are

managers then 29.1% are employees. From the respondents, most of them are PG with 56.7% and

then UG 33%.

4.2 Descriptive statistics

Mean Std. Deviation

Visual Complexity 3.4548 0.70779

Order Quantity 3.734 0.79045

Sensation Seeking 3.6278 0.78032

Behaviour
From the above table, it can be understood that Order Quantity has got the highest mean i.e. 3.734

but with the second highest standard deviation i.e. 0.79045. Visual Complexity got the second least

mean i.e. 3.4548 with highest standard deviation i.e. 070779. The least standard deviation is

observed in Sensation Seeking Behaviors with 0.78032.

Correlations

Visual Order Sensation

Complexity Quantity Seeking

Behavior

Visual Complexity Pearson 1 .606** .400**

Correlation
 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000

N 406 406 406

Order Quantity Pearson .606** 1 .458**

Correlation

Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000

N 406 406 406

Sensation Seeking Pearson .400** .458** 1

Behavior Correlation

Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000

N 406 406 406

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Here From the above correlation table, it can be inferred that that visual complexity and Order

quantity is affecting store environment and that is significant with Sensation Seeking Behavior.

Furthermore, it can also be observed that maximum degree of correlation is witnessed between

sensation seeking behavior and Order Quantity 45.8% followed by Sensation Seeking Tendency

with Visual complexity of 40% is observed.

 s.no Variables Cronbach’s Alpha

Percentage

1 Visual complexity 825

2 Order quantity 793

3 Sensation seeking behaviour 893

From the above table, it can be understood that Cronbach’s alpha of perception of Visual Complexity

is 0.818, Order Quantity is 0.726, Sensation Seeking Behaviour is 0.809, purchase intention is 0.821,

hence it can be noted that all the variables have a good degree of internal consistency.
 30 | P a g e
Assessing the quality of apparel products

Seen from the apparel marketing angle Yoon and Kijewski (1997) point out that the quality of

apparel products is associated with the degree to which it fills the needs of the consumer. Brown

and Rice (1998:38-39) add that the quality of apparel has two dimensions, namely the physical

dimension that embraces what the item of clothing is, and a performance dimension indicating

what the item of clothing can do. Since the physical properties influence the performance

characteristics, consumers select apparel products because of the physical properties that they

believe will then bring about the desired performance. Physical properties include the intrinsic

properties of the product such as design, textiles used, construction and finishing and cannot be

changed without changing the product itself. This also implies the formal aesthetic qualities of an

apparel product such as the colour, line, form, texture and proportions. Intrinsic characteristics,

according.
 CHAPTER-5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This examination explored the impact of a store's visual multifaceted nature on purchaser conduct.

Aftereffects of the investigations exhibit that shoppers' practices varied as an element of natural

request and individual sensation-seeking inclination. Steady with past examinations that have

explored how visual multifaceted nature influences tasteful inclinations (Berlyne, 1971; Vitz, 1966),

the impact of visual intricacy of a store domain on approach practices was curvilinear fit as a fiddle,

however just in the low-request condition. With the cooperation impact of visual intricacy and

ecological request, we found that when the upgrade condition was profoundly requested, visual
multifaceted nature of a domain influenced approach practices in an alternate manner because of the

directing impact of individual sensation seeking.

Among low-sensation searchers, there was no measurable hugeness of the collaboration between

visual multifaceted nature and ecological request condition. In any case, there was a noteworthy

distinction in approach practices at each degree of visual unpredictability under the low-request

condition, uncovering an altered U-molded example. That is, approach practices of low-sensation

searchers were seen as the most noteworthy at a moderate degree of a store's visual intricacy under

the low-request condition, which is predictable with the past discoveries of Berlyne (1971).

Curiously, low-sensation searchers were not influenced by the degree of visual unpredictability

under the high-request condition. This may infer that if a domain is efficient such that the position

of items and furniture is reasonable, with the end goal that comparable items are masterminded

together, low-sensation searchers would not be altogether influenced by the measure of product,

furniture, etc, which structure the degree of visual multifaceted nature. These outcomes clarify the

autonomous impact of request and visual multifaceted nature on individuals' recognitions despite

the fact that request is exceptionally related to visual intricacy.

Among high-sensation searchers, there was a connection between visual unpredictability and

ecological request condition. True to form, there was a positive direct connection between visual

unpredictability and approach practices among them, yet just when nature was profoundly requested.

Additionally, expanding approach practices from low to medium degree of visual intricacy were

found to drop at a significant level of visual multifaceted nature under the low-request condition,

while arriving at the most elevated level under the high-request condition. Subsequently, it is

accepted that in spite of one's high-sensation seeking, a moderate degree of visual multifaceted

nature is most favored except if there is a request as far as intelligent association, rationality, or
clearness.

By and large, this discovering is steady with that of past investigations that uncovered the rearranged

U-state of the inclination for visual incitement whereby a moderate degree of visual multifaceted

nature is generally liked (Berlyne, 1971). Extra discoveries on this impact, with the thought of

ecological request and people's sensation-seeking inclination, are likewise based upon the results of

past investigations of high-sensation searchers' inclination for more prominent incitement (Martin et

al., 2005). While inquire about on visual unpredictability has commonly been constrained to plan of

items or level materials, for example, promotions, this exploration researches visual multifaceted

nature in connection to spatial condition structure. These discoveries are significant, given the

utilization of hypotheses from numerous fields (for example psychological brain research, Berlyne,

1971), to the investigation of retail location situations, and have numerous down to earth suggestions.

The discoveries of the flow research can be reached out to on the web/portable trade, and to the use

of virtual/enlarged reality innovations that require spatial structure. Since there is little direction for

such rising retailers to deal with their store surroundings, this investigation is accepted to give an

achievement to advertisers and brands to successfully plan and separate their stores from their

adversaries' contributions.

The present examination is additionally significant methodologically, as it contrasts from past

investigations on how retail situations are displayed to members. Though past analysts gave

respondents pictures or requested that respondents review past visits to stores, this investigation

included uniquely structured stores to encapsulate explicit factors of premium. This enabled

members to encounter a practical (yet at the same time controlled) shopping occasion with variable

trademark components (for example visual multifaceted nature). In that capacity, this investigation

speaks to a headway in technique for the writing on retail situations.

As chiefs extend and broaden strategies to streamline clients' in-store encounters, those clients have
come to be presented to progressively complex retail conditions. This examination has a few down

to earth suggestions for dealing with a store situation's visual unpredictability to actuate positive

reactions with respect to shoppers. The discoveries introduced here may help professionals in

building up procedures for visual marketing and store configuration inside style stores. To start

with, the examination's discoveries propose that retailers must consider ecological request while

arranging a lot of differed stock in an unpredictable domain. Albeit retail directors can't decrease

the amount or assortment of components in a store domain, they should look to keep up request

among the product and components of inside plan (for example gathering comparative items and

putting furniture in a sorted out and organized way).

Second, the size of a store that is too small hinders customer behavior. Especially when the store

as a limited variety and small volume of merchandise, store managers need to adjust the

complexity and environmental order to meet their target consumers ' optimal stimulation level.

Based on previous studies of fashion behavior and the sensation-seeking propensity of customers,

high- Sensation seekers are likely to be style pioneers, whereas low-sensation seekers are likely to

be followers of fashion (Kwon and Workman, 1996; Stanforth, 1995).

Fashion leaders tend to look for new items of fashion that provide innovation and individuality,

whereas fashion followers tend to embrace more traditional and widely available fashion styles

(Workman and Kidd, 2000).

Therefore, organizing items in an orderly manner can be beneficial to enhance customer approach

habits for stores that primarily sell simple and low-trend fashion goods. Nonetheless, improving

only the environmental order will reduce the desire of buyers in stores that deal with high-trend

fashion items. In that case, it would benefit retail managers to produce complexity that It achieves

the optimum level of stimulation of consumers through the diversification of interior products.
This research has some drawbacks that can be discussed, given its practical and theoretical

contributions. The first drawback is that the means to exploit this study's complexity were

somewhat small. For this, there are two explanations. First, we avoided using an extreme level of

visual complexity when designing the experiment because the stimuli we used to give visual

complexity were in This is based on the notion that retail stores typically avoid extreme levels of

complexity so as not to drive away their potential customers (Orth and Wirtz, 2014). Second, we

believe that this is also due to the static stimulus format provided to the participants. In the current

study, we used still images that may not fully convey the perception of visual complexity.

Therefore, scholars will benefit from using three-dimensional simulations to model storage

environments for future research and provide more reality-consistent stereoscopic views. This can

enhance the understanding of participants ' presence in the store by encouraging gestures (with a

joystick) that would normally occur in a real store setting, like walking and looking around (See

Yoon and Hwang, 2009). Using these experimental methods would allow a more accurate

measurement of the level of awareness of complexity of customers.

The second drawback is that we used the quantity and variety of elements in store environments to

manipulate visual complexity. There may be other ways to manipulate shop environments ' visual

sophistication, such as using Patterns, shades, or lighting. The level of visual complexity can be

managed from a practical perspective, particularly when space is limited, by changing the pattern

of walls without altering the assortment of physical objects. Future research should take into

account the relationship between these environmental factors and a store's visual complexity

With regard to the third limitation, this study focused on the tendency to search for sensation, which

is related to stimuli sensory experience. Nonetheless, there are still several individual variables

relevant to visual processing to be examined, such as imagination, type of information processing,

gender, and age. Future research can further explain the preference and behavior by considering
 these characteristics Formed by visual ambiguity and potential effects on some people.

Finally, this study demonstrated the timeliness and usefulness of digital technologies to explore

visual complexity in a retail environment. A recent study on dynamic presentation found that the

use of a dynamic visual format (i.e. video or slideshow) to introduce products to consumers

increased the participation of those consumers in brand decisions and their willingness to pay

(Roggeveen et al. It's 2015). With regard to the study of visual complexity and storage

environments, it may be useful to explore how the dynamism of a presented environment moderates

the effects of visual complexity on outstanding results.

Factors Influencing the Consumer Behavior while Selecting Retail Outlet

Influence of store attributes: The study identified the most significant store attribute factors which

affects the purchase behaviors of consumers are ambience and branded quality stock availability,

store design, buying motivators (price and convenient location). This means that the apparel store

should brand their product or should sell branded apparels more than that of unbranded apparel and

also retailers need to pay attention towards ambience and variety of stock availability. The interior

décor has significant impact on consumer buying behaviors. Therefore, we can say that physical

surroundings are important to attract consumers towards retail apparels. Buying motivator factor

affects the buying behaviors towards a particular brand or any non-branded apparel. Pricing of the

product should be set as per the consumer profile within the territory of operation of the branded or
unbranded apparel.

Influence of Visual Merchandising: This study revealed that in the Visual Merchandise factor

analysis, the apparel consumer’s buying behaviors was mostly influenced by the elements like

advertisement theme, impulse buying, attractive offer and ambience. The retailers need to give more

attention to these factors in order to attract and retain their customers. So it is recommended that

retail apparel companies need to focus on good advertising for customer consciousness and

awareness. The retail apparel companies should invest heavily on sales promotion techniques,

especially with the attractive offers with gifts and visual merchandising.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The research outcome of the present study has some interesting and meaningful findings with useful

insights into the impact of aesthetics in an apparel store. However, there are some limitations in this

study.

• The proposed study covered only about consumer behavior which impacts the sales and the

conclusions may not be generalized for all areas.

• The study findings are strictly based on the responses given by respondents.

• The possibility of respondent bias is more and accuracy of the study is based on the

information given by the respondents.

• The sample size of 406 is small and may not be representing the whole universe.

SUGGESTIONS

• Most of the customers are coming to know about the offers in the apparel outlets are through

in-store communication.

• The apparel retail marketers should practice their STP strategy more towards the customers

with demographic profile of 23-27 years’ age group, male, salaried employees and graduates

as it were identified in the study that most of the customers are having the same profile.

• There are less people who come to buy the lifestyle products to the apparel outlets.
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