Prioritization of dimensions of visual merchandising for apparel retailers using FAHP
Benchmarking: An International Journal
ISSN: 1463-5771
Article publication date: 29 July 2020
Issue publication date: 8 October 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Visual merchandising has a direct impact on shopping experience, making it pertinent for the retailers to ensure that their store environment has an effective design. This study blends fuzzy numbers and Analytical Hierarchy Process to create a fuzzy evaluation model prioritizing the relative weights of visual merchandising dimensions of online fashion apparel store. This study will help the fashion retailers in creating more engaging and informative online stores leading to subsequent increase in online retail sales.
Design/methodology/approach
Visual merchandising dimensions and sub dimensions used by retailers for online stores were identified through review of literature and discussion with experts. Twenty experts were interviewed and their responses captured. The responses were analyzed using Fuzzy AHP technique resulting in prioritizing the dimensions according to the weight. For testing the stability of the results, sensitivity analysis was conducted.
Findings
Four key dimensions and sixteen sub dimensions were extracted. Weights were calculated using FAHP. “Pictorial Presentation” has the highest weight followed closely by “Product Information” dimension. Amongst the sub-dimensions “Number of Product Images” scored highest followed by “Product Presentation mode”. “Alterable Background” scored the least weight.
Originality/value
Previous studies have identified Online Visual Merchandising dimensions and have also studied the impact of some of these dimensions on consumer buying behavior, but the relative significance has not been determined yet. This study fills the gap.
Keywords
Citation
Jakhar, R., Verma, D., Rathore, A.P.S. and Kumar, D. (2020), "Prioritization of dimensions of visual merchandising for apparel retailers using FAHP", Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 27 No. 10, pp. 2759-2784. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-11-2019-0497
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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