Background of the Study
Visual merchandising is a critical tool used by retailers to attract, engage, and influence customers’ purchasing decisions through the strategic use of store layout, product displays, lighting, signage, and other visual elements (Gilbert & Sadeh, 2023). The primary goal of visual merchandising is to create an aesthetically pleasing and engaging store environment that enhances the shopping experience and drives consumer behavior. The impact of visual merchandising on consumer decisions is particularly significant in retail sectors such as fashion, where emotional appeal, style, and trends play a central role in purchase decisions (Chaudhary & Singh, 2024). In the context of fashion stores, effective visual merchandising can not only increase brand visibility but also stimulate impulse buying—an unplanned purchase made by a consumer based on visual attraction and emotional impulse rather than a need for the product (Sproles, 2025).
Sokoto State, located in northwestern Nigeria, is a rapidly developing region with a growing middle-class population, creating an expanding market for fashion retail. Fashion stores in Sokoto are increasingly adopting advanced visual merchandising strategies to attract customers and enhance sales performance. However, there is limited research on how these strategies specifically impact impulse buying behavior in the context of Sokoto’s fashion retail industry. Despite the competitive nature of the fashion market, many stores still lack a comprehensive understanding of how to optimize their store layouts and product displays to effectively stimulate impulse purchases. This gap in knowledge hinders their ability to fully capitalize on the potential of visual merchandising as a tool for increasing revenue.
This study aims to explore the impact of visual merchandising on impulse buying behavior in fashion stores in Sokoto State. It will examine how visual elements, such as product displays, store layout, and lighting, influence consumer behavior and spur impulse buying among customers.
Statement of the Problem
Impulse buying represents a significant portion of retail sales, particularly in the fashion industry, where consumers are often motivated by aesthetics, trends, and immediate gratification rather than necessity (Khan, 2023). However, many fashion retailers in Sokoto State lack an understanding of the specific visual merchandising strategies that can effectively trigger impulse purchases. Retailers in Sokoto often struggle to create visually compelling environments that enhance consumer engagement and drive unplanned purchases. This lack of effective visual merchandising strategies means that stores may not be maximizing their potential sales, especially given the strong competition from other local and regional fashion retailers.
Despite the growing use of visual merchandising, there is limited research on its direct impact on impulse buying in the retail context of Sokoto State. The absence of empirical studies hinders fashion stores from making informed decisions regarding the layout and display of products to stimulate consumer spending. This research aims to bridge this gap by investigating the ways in which visual merchandising influences impulse buying behavior among fashion consumers in Sokoto State.
Objectives of the Study
Research Questions
Research Hypotheses
Scope and Limitations of the Study
The study will focus on fashion retail stores in Sokoto State and will investigate how visual merchandising elements influence impulse buying behavior. Data will be gathered from both fashion store managers and consumers. A limitation of the study is that it may not fully capture all the psychological and emotional factors that influence impulse buying, as these factors can vary widely among individual consumers.
Definitions of Terms
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