Investigating the Impact of Visual Merchandising on
Consumer Buying Behaviour: The Case Study of Mr.
Pretzels
DISSERTATION
By
Samuel Prior
Presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Masters of Business Administration of
University of Gloucestershire
University of Gloucestershire
July 2011
Investigating the Impact of Visual Merchandising on Consumer Buying Behaviour: The Case Study of Mr. Pretzels
Samuel Prior – University of Gloucestershire – 2011 2
ABSTRACT
The field of visual merchandising is being studied since the first
decades of the twentieth century, when local grocers used their windows to
display and advertise the variety of merchandise available. It was then called
displaying and the concept was soon adopted by big department stores
interested in advertising their merchandise in big glass windows by the
pavement. From then on, displaying evolved from the simple act of presenting
new merchandise to a communication tool not only responsible for advertising
products and services, but also for transmitting a message, bringing identity to
a brand and luring consumers by drawing their attention through the use of
very creative artistic designs.
The power of visual merchandising in attracting customers is the main
area of study concerned by this dissertation, which, using the case study of a
snack company called Mr. Pretzels, prompted to comprehend, to which extent
consumer buying behaviour can be impacted by visual merchandising
strategies. Guided by the interpretivism paradigm and based on a customer
survey performed via interviews and questionnaires, this study assessed via
thematic analysis and statistics the opinions and views of Mr. Pretzels
consumers, measuring and interpreting information in order to establish the
relationship between the key areas of interest.
The research findings, compared to academic frameworks raised from
comprehensive literature review exposed impressive results that clearly
demonstrate the importance of a well-prepared, consumer-focused visual
merchandising strategy in attracting customers and influencing buying
behaviour. Consequently, new frameworks were developed in order to
maximise the potential of the current visual merchandising strategy of Mr.
Pretzels, which will allow the company to grow even more and attract more
customers to each of its kiosks.
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Samuel Prior – University of Gloucestershire – 2011 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
None of this would have been possible, primary without my parents,
that in these twenty-seven years of life gave me all the support I needed, lots
of love and dedication, serving as example of honesty and conduct and being
by my side when I decided to come to London. I also owe my most sincere
gratefulness to my wife, first for taking me as her husband, and also for
supporting my ideas, being so comprehensive and confident at all times, good
or bad. I’m here because of her, and will be pleased to support her efforts now
that she will start her masters. We will do it together.
Furthermore, I would like to use this space to express my gratitude to
Mr. Luiz Penna, founder of Mr. Pretzels, who I was lucky to meet in December
2009 and was the first to spot my different approach to the business when
working as a sampler in one of his company’s kiosks. I would also like to
thank Ms. Marlene Makhoul, managing director of Mr. Pretzels (UK),
responsible for giving me the opportunity to learn and grow within the
company, and also for supporting this research by giving me permission to
perform the customer survey, foundation stone of this project.
At last but not least, to the lecturers and friends I had the pleasure to
meet while attending this MBA course, especially Dr. Wilson Ozuem,
supervisor of this paper and a man whose high quality standards and
requirements took our dissertation group to another level of commitment.
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Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 6 1.1 ENQUIRY OVERVIEW ........................................................................................... 6 1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 7
1.2.1 MR. PRETZELS ............................................................................................ 7 1.2.2 VISUAL MERCHANDISING ........................................................................... 10 1.2.3 CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR ............................................................................ 12
1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................... 12 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ..................................................................................... 13 1.5 RATIONALE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................ 13 1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ............................................................ 14 1.7 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 15
2. LITERATURE REVIEW ......................................................................................... 16 2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 16 2.2 CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATIONS 16 2.3 VISUAL MERCHANDISING ................................................................................... 21
2.3.1 THE ROLE OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING IN BUSINESS .................................. 23 2.3.2 VISUAL MERCHANDISING & SHOPPING ENVIRONMENT ................................ 26
2.4 CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR .................................................................................... 28 2.4.1 THE CONSUMPTION PROCESS ................................................................... 29 2.4.2 BEHAVIOURAL MODELS .............................................................................. 31
2.5 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 36
3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ............................................................................. 37 3.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 37 3.2 RESEARCH PARADIGM 37 3.3 RESEARCH APPROACH ..................................................................................... 42 3.4 RESEARCH STRATEGY ...................................................................................... 43 3.5 TRIANGULATION ................................................................................................ 44 3.6 DATA COLLECTION METHODS ............................................................................ 46
3.6.1 PRIMARY DATA – QUALITATIVE & QUANTITATIVE ........................................ 46 3.7 THE SAMPLE ..................................................................................................... 49 3.8 STRENGTHS OF THE METHODOLOGY ................................................................ 49 3.9 WEAKNESSES OF THE METHODOLOGY .............................................................. 50 3.10 SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 51
4. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS ................................................................................. 52
4.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 52 4.2 DATA ANALYTICAL APPROACH: THEMATIC ANALYSIS 52 4.3 OVERALL PRESENTATION .................................................................................. 55 4.4 PRODUCT PRESENTATION ................................................................................. 58
Investigating the Impact of Visual Merchandising on Consumer Buying Behaviour: The Case Study of Mr. Pretzels
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4.5 QUALITY ........................................................................................................... 60 4.6 SAMPLING ........................................................................................................ 62 4.7 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 65
5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................... 66 5.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 66 5.2 EVALUATION OF THE FINDINGS 66 5.3 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE FINDINGS AND THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND QUESTIONS ............................................................................................................ 70
5.3.1 VISUAL MERCHANDISING AS A TOOL TO GAIN COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE .... 71 5.3.2 CORRELATION BETWEEN VISUAL MERCHANDISING AND CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR ....................................................................................................... 72
5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................... 73 5.5 FURTHER RESEARCH ORIENTATIONS ................................................................ 75 5.6 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 76
6. REFLECTIVE LEARNING .................................................................................... 77 6.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 77 6.2 REFLECTIVE JOURNAL 77 6.3 SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 79
REFERENCES .......................................................................................................... 80 APPENDIX A – INTERVIEW QUESTIONS .............................................................. 85 APPENDIX B – QUESTIONNAIRE ........................................................................... 86
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 ENQUIRY OVERVIEW
The main objective of this research is to investigate the impact of
visual merchandising on consumer buying behaviour. Using Mr. Pretzels, a
new entrant to the UK snack market, as a single case study, the research is
guided by the interpretivism paradigm, based on the triangulation of data
collection methods, utilising both structured interviews and pre-ranked answer
questionnaires in a customer survey in order to assess statistically and
thematically opinions and views of the brand and the impact of its visual
merchandising strategies on purchase decision. The study is divided in six
chapters and exposes the main findings of the survey, allied to extensive
review of current and past literature surrounding the main fields of study.
In the first part, an introduction of the study is considered, providing
information about the background of the studied company, its business model
and merchandising strategies, highlighting the reasons behind the chosen
topic and the relationship between researcher and organisation as well as the
objectives and questions of the research, demonstrating its rationale, scope
and limitations. Following the introduction, the second chapter presents an
extensive review of the literature regarding the themes in discussion,
underlining the views of experts and authors and significant theories that
supported the main research.
The second part introduces the methodology utilised in the study,
demonstrating the existent research paradigms and justifying the choice for
an interpretivism approach, followed by the adequacy of the inductive
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approach an the strategy involved in the project, adding detailed information
on the data collection methods utilised, highlighting the importance of
triangulation as a way of obtaining better results in data analysis. Details on
the sampling methods are mentioned, and comparatively the strengths and
weaknesses of the chosen methodologies are exposed. The forth chapter
enclosures the second part of the study by bringing a comprehensive analysis
of the findings through the use of thematic analysis concerning the qualitative
data obtained from the interviews and statistic tools regarding the quantitative
data originated from the questionnaires, combining the two methods of data
collection and drawing a paradox between the information and key areas of
the themes researched.
Subsequently, the third and last part of the study is initiated in chapter
five, with the presentation of the major conclusion obtained from the results of
the data analysis, outlining recommended frameworks developed to improve
the company’s policies in order to attract more consumers through the use of
visual merchandising strategies, establishing the relationship between these
key areas and evaluating the findings, as well as suggesting topics for further
research regarding the themes. The sixth chapter reflects the personal
opinions of the researcher about the experience of developing a research
project and writing a dissertation, stressing the gains obtained during the
process and how this report will contribute to his career in business.
1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.2.1 Mr. Pretzels
Mr. Pretzels is a snack company founded in 1994 by Mr.
Luiz Alberto Penna, a Brazilian with marketing,
distribution and sales background, having worked for companies such as
Johnson & Johnson, Philip Morris and Pepsi Cola. With his branding
experience, Mr. Penna aimed to create a product that would be at the same
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time simple to make, adaptable to regional needs and obeying high quality
food standards, using only the finest materials in its composure (mrpretzels.com).
The original recipe follows the Dutch tradition on pretzel making but
was originated in Pennsylvania, taking years of research and development to
achieve outstanding level of quality, taste and adaptability to local needs. The
main characteristics of the product are its freshness, as it is produced on site
from scratch, according to a theatrically rolling method, its unique softness,
differing from traditional crunchy German pretzels, and a wide range of
flavours added to the plain final product, which enable consumers to have their snack according to their requests.
The main flavours include the best-seller cinnamon & sugar,
chocolate, hazelnut spread (Nutella), caramel (toffee in the UK), vanilla, and
also the savoury toppings salt, sesame seeds and Parmesan cheese. The
base dough is prepared minutes ahead of consumption and its flexibleness
enable local shops to adapt the product, creating variations of the pretzel and
its flavours, like the pretzel dog (a sausage roll originally developed by the
company but with variations like the extra large pretzel dog, created in
France) the pretzel pizza (a rolled pretzel with cheese filling, developed in
Brazil) and different toppings added to the original pretzel-shaped pastry like the guava jam, a success in Brazil.
The pretzels are hand made, according to a size and thickness
standard and are sold in units, packed in a specially made L-shaped bag,
enabling fast chain production and easy consumption. In 1994 the recipe and
business model were put to test in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the first
branch was opened, achieving huge success. In a couple of years, the
company was already expanding its operations into the United States,
opening branches in several states. The expansion continued and by the end
of the decade, Mr. Pretzels had tens of shops in Brazil only, followed by
expansion towards the rest of South and Central America (Bolivia, Peru,
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Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela, The Bahamas, Dominican Republic and St.
Lucia). In 2001, the expansion plans reached Europe, focusing firstly in the
British market. The first branch in England was opened at Bluewater
Shopping Centre, in Dartford, followed by Midsummer Place, in Milton
Keynes, and Westfield Shopping Centre, in West London. Branches were also
opened in France and the UAE. The company has now 6 branches within
England and expects to open a few more until the end of 2011. In total Mr Pretzels is present in 17 countries, with over 160 stores (mrpretzels.com).
The business model is comprised by company-owned branches and
franchising schemes, enabling individuals and companies with the interest
and financial structure to open a Mr Pretzels kiosk, based on a multi-unit
territory development. The model enables partners to build the branch in their
territory as well as leverage marketing and purchasing capability. The
company offers support on all developing stages (project, construction,
management, training, on-going research and development, marketing and merchandising).
The main merchandising strategies rely on live theatrical pretzel
rolling, where the entire production chain is visible to consumers, product
display, and sampling, where staff is allocated outside the shops to interact
directly with consumers, giving away free pieces of freshly baked pretzels,
according to local needs, ensuring the quality and freshness of the product as well as inviting consumers to experience its outstanding taste.
Coming to the UK as an MBA student, the researcher applied for a
part-time position in a recently opened Mr. Pretzels kiosk in Westfield London
in December 2009, being given the role of sampler, responsible for giving
away free bits of pretzels. In an attempt to perform a better job, in instead of
just standing outside the shop handling pieces of pretzels (which was the
expected outcome of the role), the researcher developed a much more
friendly set up for the sampling, embracing advertising and hosting, acting as
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a mix of salesman and host, representing the company and its products and inviting consumers to experience it.
The consumers’ reaction was overwhelming and sales rates rose
steadily. Consumers got to know more about the product and the friendly
approach brought the same freshness of the product into the sales pitch.
During the 2009 Christmas season, the researcher got to know Mr. Luiz
Penna, the company’s founder. Watching the new sampling method recently
developed, Mr. Penna decided that it had to become a model for the other
branches and prompted the researcher to create a training program based on
sampling techniques. His bet on this fresh approach took the project to other
shops in the United Kingdom with good results in all areas that had potential to grow.
At this point the concepts learned from the MBA course brought the
researcher’s attention to study the impact of merchandising strategies in
consumer buying behaviour, specifically regarding Mr. Pretzels, and mainly
because of the researcher’s access to all management levels, its merchandising strategies and opportunity to perform a customer survey.
1.2.2 Visual Merchandising
The theme is vastly studied by the literature and, according to Morgan
(2008: 11), reassembles to the 19th century, where shopkeepers would try to
attract potential customers into their stores by displaying their finest
merchandise and also their names in a pompous way, in their windows or on
tables on the street, intentionally demonstrating to potential customers that
they were “opened for business and proud of the merchandise offered.”
Butchers and florists use this very same technique until today, and it is one of
the first signals of visual merchandising applied as a key factor to attract and maintain costumers.
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The use of windows as a way to show outsiders the quality of a
product or service relies on the fact that good-looking merchandise or skilled
services would claim more attention from the public, being also a way of
advertising and communicate with potential customers. In a simplistic
comparison, according to Morgan (2008: 11) “a customer is attracted to buy
something or use a service by its display and placement.” The more attracted
the customer is by the qualities of a product or service, the more effectively he will respond to it.
By 1840s, the advancements of technology allowed the construction
of vast glass windows, taking display to another level. Great department
stores like the Bon Marche in Paris were among the first to assess its displays
in a way to draw the customers’ attention, not just by showing off their
merchandise but also aggregating value by linking their merchandise to the
brand’s identity and high social status (Bell & Ternus, 2006).
From these ancient times to this day, visual merchandising is being
vastly researched and play major role for small businesses or giant
department stores, reaching every sector of the retail industry, from snacks to
jewellery, not forgetting clothing & accessories and medicine & cosmetics. It is
certainly perceptive from a customer point of view that shops are all the time
trying to gather attention from the public, as a call to ‘come in and take a look at what we have to offer’.
From high street giants to small retailers in country villages, visual
merchandising is an important focus, indicating the identity of the company
and also signalling an imperceptible ‘welcome’ to customers, which will
correlate to that brand, as mentioned by Cahan & Robinson (1984: 20)
“according to the level of depth a brand or merchandise is able to
communicate, mainly by instigating one’s senses”. Visual and touch aids,
sounds and even smells are being used as merchandising strategies nowadays.
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1.2.3 Consumer Behaviour
Consumer behaviour is being studied since the early days of trade, in
order to understand why and how consumers react to products, socially,
culturally and individually. Multidisciplinary field, studies on consumer
behaviour can be found on psychology, economics, marketing and social
sciences, corroborating the view of the research, that believes consumer
behaviour is about the interaction between society, individual and economy.
According to Blythe (2008: 5), Blackwell, et al, (2001: 6) mention that
consumer behaviour is “the activities people undertake when obtaining,
consuming and disposing of products and services.” In a more scientific
approach to this field of study, Bennett (1989), as mentioned by Blythe (2008:
7), says that consumer behaviour is “the dynamic interaction of affect and
cognition, behaviour, and environmental events by which human beings
conduct the exchange aspects of their lives.”
Clearly, consumer behaviour is a much more complex field than other
marketing areas, as it can involve a range of fields of study. Based on cultural
and social values, which are encountered regionally, each case must be
analised according to a set of pre-established factors, dictated by traditions
and values passed through generations, which, by the way, are getting more
and more globalized, especially due to the advent of multinational companies
exporting not only products but ideas and conceptual cultural models.
1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The intention of this research is to analyse whether the assumption
that customers react differently to a product (in this case a pretzel) according
to different merchandising strategies is true. By analysing the relationship
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between visual merchandising and consumer buying behaviour, critically
evaluating its practical consequences in Mr Pretzels’ merchandising strategy, the aims and objectives are:
a. To review extant conceptual models and theoretical
frameworks related to visual merchandising and consumer buying behaviour.
b. To examine the impact of visual merchandising on consumer buying behaviour.
c. To recommend some practicable frameworks in which visual
merchandising could be used to improve consumer buying behaviour.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Based on the research’s aims and objectives and in order to guide the
research on the impact of visual merchandising in consumer buying
behaviour, this study is designed to answer the following questions, which will
collaborate on building frameworks towards the improvement of Mr. Pretzels’ visual merchandising strategy:
a. Is visual merchandising an important tool for
companies like Mr Pretzels in terms of increasing sales and gaining competitive advantage?
b. Does visual merchandising affects Mr Pretzels’ consumers’ buying behaviour? To which extent?
1.5 RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
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With the advent of modern shopping and leisure centres, competition
between brands soared and any differential generates competitive advantage.
Visual merchandising plays a major role in companies’ strategy, helping to
bring consumers closer and also addressing problems related to product and
store presentation. The frameworks presented by the field of visual
merchandising help organisations to achieve better results by enhancing
consumers’ shopping experience from all atmospheric aspects. Presenting
the right product, quality and price will determine consumers’ relationship with
the brand, intensifying loyalty and profitability. The researcher believes,
therefore, the field of visual merchandising is of extreme importance for the
success of any retail organisation. Mr. Pretzels was chosen as object of the
research considering the researcher’s access to all management levels.
1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The scope of the study is to research the effectiveness of Mr.
Pretzels’ visual merchandising strategies in consumers’ buying behaviour,
analysing their opinions through in-depth interviews and questionnaires,
handed out in one of Mr. Pretzel’s kiosk. Assessed primary and secondary
data, practicable frameworks in which visual merchandising could be used to
improve consumers’ buying behaviour were recommended.
As an academic research, there are limitations, especially in terms of
time, costs and access to the different areas where Mr. Pretzels’ kiosks are
located. Permission was granted by senior management to perform a
customer survey in a kiosk located at Lakeside Shopping Centre, in Thurrock,
satellite area of London, between 04 and 06 June 2011. The aim was to
interview and hand out questionnaires to thirty customers, generating data
that was then compiled in analytics tools (for the questionnaires) and
examined through thematic analysis (for the interviewees’ answers), which
generated comparable information which reflects the effectiveness of Mr.
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Pretzels’ visual merchandising strategy in consumer buying behaviour. To
avoid waste of time, material and hoping to obtain more accurate answers
and opinions, a structured importance-graded questionnaire was used, as well
as open-end questions for the interviews. More details on the chosen data
collection method are described in chapter three.
1.7 SUMMARY
This first chapter was intended to give a brief explanation on the focus
of the research, the case study and the reasons why it fits the literature and
the proposed theme. The relevance of the theme in academic levels is
substantiated by concise analysis of the literature, revealing the links between
visual merchandising and Mr. Pretzels’ strategies.
An insight on the data collection method was carried out in order to
explain the motives that assemble the use of questionnaires combined with
interviews to obtain more definite answers, as well as opinions and views from
the customers. The next chapter brings a thorough and critic review of
academic literature on relevant themes, the evolution of important concepts
along history and how the retail industry and consumers adapt to it.
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CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION
The second chapter comprises the structural theoretical framework
demanded by the research topic, through extensive analysis of current and
past literature on consumer behaviour and visual merchandising, highlighting
the major aspects concerning both areas, as a way of establishing the
relationship between them.
This section of the paper commences with conceptual clarifications of
the studied areas, in order to clearly attest their meanings and importance to
the research, followed by a more extensive and detailed literature review,
responsible for conducting the next chapters and establishing the patterns
that will be followed in order to explain the phenomena behind the theoretical
approaches.
2.2 CONCEPTUAL CLARIFICATIONS
As befits, clarification on the theme is necessary in order to establish
a common understanding of the researched themes. Visual merchandising
advents from displaying, or the art of creating a window that highlights the
brand and products that are being sold inside a shop. But as displaying
evolved and transformed into (or created) visual merchandising, confusion
risen in the form of questions like: Is displaying and visual merchandising the
same activity? Is the presence of both still noticeable or visual merchandising
took over? In essence, there are different approaches to the theme until
today.
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Tucker (2003: 8) highlights the variety of approaches to the theme:
“Ask one person what visual merchandising is and they will tell you ‘store
windows’: Beautifully dressed mannequins behind huge plates of glass acting
as huge, immediate advertising billboards for the products right behind them.
(That’s one style of window dressing, but there are a million variations) Ask
another person and you will get an answer that interludes the windows, but
also takes in the entire in-store environment and may even go further into the
realms of graphics, audio-video media, point-of-purchase material, all the way
to the store as the total embodiment of the brand-the 3D brand.”
Besides the range of different opinions, in its bare essentials display
and visual merchandising is related to presenting a product and its best
features, evoking a strong response from potential customers. This approach
encompasses everything from window display, through product positioning in
a store, and, according to Tucker (2003: 8) “Elements such as how you draw
and guide a consumer through the store and the environment itself, right
down to the finishes.”
Cahan & Robinson (1984: 3) expose in their book a view similar to the
one from Tucker, where display is treated as part of visual merchandising:
“Display alone denotes the importance of the visual/artistic aspect of the
merchandise presentation. Visual merchandising encompasses the entire
merchandising concept. It includes both the artistic and the marketing
functions of the retail environment. Display is one aspect of visual
merchandising.” Mills and Paul (1972: 2) point out that “Visual Merchandising
is the presentation of a store and its merchandise to the customer through the
teamwork of advertising, display, special events, fashion coordination, and
merchandising in order to sell the goods and services offered by the store.”
In the early days though, visual merchandising was defined as
window display exclusively, since the big department stores throughout the
USA were in the early stages of properly merchandising their windows.
Kretschmer (1952: 1), refers to window display as “one of the most powerful
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media of advertising in the world today. Often referred to as point-of-sale
advertising or visual merchandising, it leads all other forms of advertising in
sales return for dollar expended” Kretschmer (1952: 1) assess window
displaying as a medium like newspapers and magazines: “So great is the
impact of its sales potential that many large companies rely solely on window
display for advertising their merchandise. It is an established fact that through
clever window display a market can be created for anything from an airplane
to a zebra imported from Africa.”
In the seventies, visual merchandising was seen as successor to
display, as mentioned by the National Retail Merchants Association (1976: 1):
“To give this book the title ‘Visual Merchandising’ signifies something fairly
new in retailing. It is the integration of Display and Visual Presentation skills
with a good understanding or merchandising and a dedication to successful
merchandising. But it remains our function to do our absolute best with the
merchandise that is or will be available. Moving this merchandise quickly and
profitably is what it’s all about. To accomplish this is to be successful.”
Consumer buying behaviour is being studied since the early days of
trade, in order to track how consumers react to products, culture and their
own needs. As a multidisciplinary field, a good amount of views on the theme
were developed, according to each area of study, but mostly focusing on
discovering the patterns that mould purchase decision.
The Committee for Research on Consumer Attitudes and Behavior
(CRCAB) was founded in the USA in 1952 with the mission to discover why
consumers buy, in instead of previous studies that would identify consumers
as mere preference-machines. The focus of their studies on consumer
behaviour relied on consumer attitudes towards products, and revealed a set
of external and internal values that shape the decision-making process, as
mentioned by George Katona (Committee for Research on Consumer
Attitudes and Behaviour, 1958: 30-31): “Numerous investigations have
supported that consumer have great latitude either to increase their
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expenditures on durable goods, and thereby reduce their rate of saving, or to
abstain from postponable purchases, and thereby increase their rate of
savings. Furthermore, it has been shown that the manner in which consumers
use their latitude depends on their attitudes regarding their own and the
country’s past and expected financial development.”
This study on consumer behaviour shaped the modern concept of
consumer and the attitudes one adopt when buying a product. The CRCAB
have found that consumer behaviour is not only affected by preference, but by
an extensive range of factors that would surcharge the preference: need,
economic condition (present and future), and reason to spend money. The
decision-making process was then classified as rational and irrational,
enabling greater comprehension of the consumer as a major player in the
economy of a country.
Lessig (1971: 16) states that “Today marketers realise that within the
mass market for a product, consumers differ not only in their response to
price, but also in responses to advertising, product design and style and other
merchandising variables.” In these terms, a consumer could be allocated into
a market segment, according to his response to advertising, product appeal
and other features that not only price. The consumer was analysed by his
beliefs and not by his social and economic conditions exclusively.
Foxall (1977: 26) Describes consumption as “a process which begins
well before a product is purchased and which extends well beyond it. Four
distinct stages can be recognised:
(i) The development and perception of a want or need;
(ii) Pre-purchase planning and decision-making;
(iii) The purchase act itself; and
(iv) Post-purchase behaviour, which may lead to repeat-buying,
repeat sales.”
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Foxall unfolds consumer’s buying behaviour as a process where
social, psychological and business factors influence the consumer’s final
choice. This process is much more truncated as it depends on a series of
personal factors that shape one’s mind to buy or not to buy a product.
Howard (1989: 15-17) draws a parallel between consumer buying
behaviour and product life cycle (PLC), distinguishing the patterns of
behaviour consumers adopt according to the product life. The whole process
shows that the consumer develops a relationship with a product and work his
mind up to decide whether to buy it or not: “Products tend to go through these
three stages: introduction, growth and maturity. In adapting to these three
stages of the PLC, consumers acquire a pattern of behaviour that is different
for each stage. Each of the three stages of product life cycle reflects an
specific pattern of problem solving or decision making on the part of the
buyer: Initially Extensive Problem Solving (EPS), then, Limited Problem
Solving (LPS), and finally Routine Problem Solving (RPS). Each consumer’s
behaviour then can be classified into one of the three stages of the cycle,
according to two
characteristics: Amount of information available and speed of decision.”
Characteristics of Stages of Decision
Stage of PLC
Stage of Decision
Amount of Information
Used
Speed in Making Decision
Introduction EPS Large Slow
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Figure 1: Consumer behaviour and the PLC
Source: John A. Howard: Consumer Behavior in Marketing Strategy
1989 – p. 17
2.3 VISUAL MERCHANDISING
The concept of visual merchandising is being studied for long and the
primary signs of its usage reassemble to the 19th century, where, according to
Morgan (2008: 11), local shops (fishmongers, butchers, florists) would display
their merchandise outside their shops, in an act to proudly present their
products and also highlight their quality and variety. It was then called
‘displaying’.
With the advent of glass technology, department stores started to take
seriously the art of window displaying, using their large windows as actual
stages with a mix of art and merchandise, creating a sense of provocative
eye-catching styles that would attract the attention of the people passing by
on the street. Harvey Nichols in London are amongst the first department
stores to partner up with well-known designers in the creation of window
displays (Morgan, 2008).
Some authors refer to the history of display as older as people’s first
inclination to decorate their bodies in a way to call for attention and signify
their importance in the early days of social living (Mills & Paul, 1974).
Growth LPS Medium Medium
Maturity RPS Small Fast
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Nonetheless, display as we know nowadays was almost non-existent during
the first decades of the twentieth century. According to Mills & Paul (1974:
22), prior to this era “purchasing options were rare and there was no rush
from shopkeepers to urge for attention, as variety of goods wasn’t great.”
Spending was most related to daily consumption products like milk, bread and
essential clothing. The few who had the opportunity to spend a bit more were
more likely to be carried away by emotional excitement of a display.
With the emergence of the middle class and realising people were
willing to spend more in different kinds of merchandise, shopkeepers started
showing their merchandise in bunches in front of their shops and windows in
order to show the range of products available. Morgan (2008: 13) points out”
“By 1922, every merchant that could afford it had background of mahogany or
walnut, setting in the windows, but still with no sign of the glamorization seen
nowadays. There was no sales appeal, but only a desire to display as many
products as possible to attract more consumers as possible.”
Historically, Mills & Paul (1974: 24) mention that “the first signs of the
use of manpower strictly to manage displays reassembles to early 1900s, and
their functions were related to keep the displays clean from debris and place
as many items as possible in a window.” So-called window trimmers, the
display people were not fussed about artistic impressions, merchandising and
profit goals, but strictly to present the items sold in that given shop.
Mannequins were then presented to the public as one of the first window
props, but made of wax and weighting more than 300 pounds, they were
difficult to move and would melt in the sun like a candle, making it almost
impossible to use during the summer (Mills & Paul, 1974).
According to Diamond & Diamond (2007), art and display blended for
the first time right after the end of World War I in Europe, specially in
Germany, where there was interest by the artists of that time to prove art’s
functionality, specially in terms of commercially useful designs. The field of
displaying matured to this level especially after the 1926 Exposition of
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Decorative Arts, held in Paris, where a variety of art objects, mainly made of
plaster of Paris were used in display windows, shifting the focus of the
consumer from the merchandise to an art proposition still in its early stages.
In the thirties, the advent of the surrealism and dream interpretation
methods created a whole new level of displaying, a wrong level though.
According to Mills & Paul (1974: 25): “Only a few display people were capable
of extracting success of this formula, creating a new breed of display people:
Professional Display Artists.” Their mission was to develop the concept that a
window could be used as an artistic frame that would invite the people walking
by the window to stop and take a closer look at it, not only to decode the
artistic message but also to realise the kind of merchandise being offered.
World War II interrupted the development of displaying, and by the
time it ended, retailers were gradually keen on hiring artists to elaborate
window displays. The focus this time was to set up display departments
staffed by artists, designers and interior decoration professionals, with a slight
understanding of merchandising. With the empowerment of the display
department came audacious and innovative ideas for window displays,
making use of modern forms of art and mannequins in natural set-ups,
bringing a good dose of the realism forgotten in the thirties (Peter, Olson, &
Grunert, 1999).
Visual Merchandising was known as window displaying until the late
fifties and early sixties, when it matured to a level of relevant importance to
the retail industry, By the seventies, it was accepted as a vital part of the retail
operation, aggregating to its theatrical settings, business-minded and budget
conscious concepts. Nowadays, as raised by Tucker (2003: 19): “visual
merchandising has evolved to a ‘propaganda machine’, geared by the
assumption of mega brands like Prada and Gucci, gaining special attention
from the public and media. The concepts behind a simple glass window
display are enormous and the budgets are gigantic.”
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2.3.1 The Role of Visual Merchandising in Business
As retailers discovered the powerful attractive tool that displays are in
terms of bringing people to a shop or selling the image of a brand or life style,
visual merchandising progressed to a broader industry, with specific rules and
visions on budget, profit and sales targets and communication. The displays
or windows try to demonstrate how your personal or home images can be
enhanced, translating into merchandise the trends and desires of the current
society (Tucker, 2003). Large or small, every shop appeals to display in order
to attract more consumers, catch their attention and subsequently sell more
merchandise. Nowadays, visual merchandising is focused in appealing to
personal emotions, persuading potential customers to buy (Bell & Ternus,
2006).
The visual merchandising sector is now linked to the promotion and
sales departments, and a lots of imaginative men and women are responsible
to catch consumers’ attention not only to the merchandise but to a whole new
level of understanding of the brand and life style that is transmited. According
to Bell & Ternus (2006: 36) “they combine artistic understanding with profit
motive and pragmatism of the merchandiser, maintaining a high level of
excellence. Display is nowadays a competitive, calculating, psychoanalytic
profession of visual persuasion and selling.” The development of the sector
created an important niche of commercial art, adding pleasure, stimuli and
constructive understanding of better living promoted by the products of a
heavily industrial economy. A comparison between methods and concepts of
nowadays’ visual merchandising and ancient displaying is the best way to
identify the major changes that created this meticulous sector of the retail
industry:
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Figure 2: Display evolution
Source: Cahan & Robinson, A Practical Guide to Visual Merchandising
1984 – p. 15
Where once the display people were responsible for “making pretty”,
the visual merchandising department is charged of “making sales” as well as
“making pretty” in a communicative unique way.
Intelligently analysed by Bell & Ternus (2006: 19), a working definition
of visual merchandising can be obtained by a simple glance at the dictionary:
“The adjective ‘visual’ relates to images that are transmitted into the brain by
the eye, while ‘merchandising’, as a verb, reflects the act of ‘promoting the
sale of certain commodities’.” In other words, visual merchandising can be
classified as the act of presenting merchandise through the use of visual aids,
creating mental images that urge consumers to make purchases. It is
primarily a silent selling process.
Supporting sales is not the only reason for visual merchandising
existence. It also helps supporting retail strategies. Retailers have their
mission statements describing how they will serve the target markets and also
what goals they want to achieve, based on a mix of promotional methods that
enable the company to let its targeted customer know who they are, what they
stand for and what they plan to do (Bell & Ternus, 2006).
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The promotional mix is a set of communication tools used by
companies to get to their targeted consumers easily: Advertising, in-store
marketing, personal selling and special events are some of this tools and are
used to report the kind of merchandise is being sold in the stores. Advertising
describes why the merchandise offered is different, better, less expensive or
more glamorous than that offered by other retailers. When potential
customers arrive at the store after reading or viewing the advertising
campaigns, their only expectation is to see if whatever was promised in those
ads is matching the real thing, or the store merchandise. That’s where the role
of visual merchandising becomes more evident. The final goal is to
correspond to the promises echoed by the advertising. Making a pleasant and
productive shopping experience come true (Bell & Ternus, 2006).
Generally, visual merchandising is about supporting sales, retail
strategies, but most importantly, communicating with consumers. In this case,
the retailer is the message sender; the message itself is represented by the
store and its atmospherics (interior design, selling floor layout, merchandise
presentation, selling services, etc.), and the receiver is the potential consumer
that the message was sent to. If the consumer is open to receiving the
message and responds by coming to the shop and buying goods, the
communication process can be classified as successful. Every tangible aspect
of a store (see-able, hear-able, smell-able, touch-able) is capable of sending
messages to consumers and is wisely used by visual merchandisers (Mills &
Paul, 1974).
2.3.2 Visual Merchandising & Shopping Environment
Originality and differentiation are some of the cardinal rules of the
profession of visual merchandiser and the mix of art and handcrafting turned
to a commercial perspective makes the activity trick by nature. It’s not just
about art and expression, but also adapting artistic concepts in conceivable
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and understandable commercial paradigms. As expressed by Mills & Paul
(1974: 46) “sales are always the final product and a good dose of persuasion
is used in order to catch passer-by’s attention. The creative process behind a
display serves as ignition to advertising, a spark that ultimately transforms the
potential consumer’s semiconscious interest in to desire for possession,
breaking down purchase barriers and facilitating the final decision-making by
the consumer.”
With the emphasis in the whole store environment and not just the
windows, visual merchandising is now responsible for the entire visual
appearance of the store. From colours on the wall to themes that are followed
worldwide, it is not about displaying merchandise but to communicate ideas
and enhance shopping experience. Diamond & Diamond (2007: 39) mention
the Disney stores as example: “When entering the store, the total environment
or theme concept immediately captivates everyone’s attention, especially
children’s, their targeted consumer, who are quickly taken by atmosphere and
persuaded to buy almost everything. Animated figures circulating the store,
big screens showing Disney movies for sale, walls covered in stuffed animals,
it all gets together to bring a unique shopping experience, a magical moment
where consumer’s behaviour is taken to a level of ease, enabling more sales.”
Diamond & Diamond (2007: 40) continue: “The theme concept or total
environment was initially developed by Banana Republic in their original
stores, where merchandise was focused on safari-styled clothing and apparel.
Until the brand changed its approach, all stores were covered in bamboo,
jeeps, palm trees, and anything that would bring the idea of a trip to the wild.”
Today, following the trend established by Banana Republic, merchandisers
like Nike in its Nike-towns, Adidas in their outlets and Warner Bros.
subscribed to this thematic approach to visual presentation and ambience.
Another break-through was achieved by Ralph Lauren’s approach to
their flagship store in New York City (USA). Antique and reproduction fixtures
were placed on the shop floor, recreating a classic-posh home atmosphere.
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Merchandise is cautiously displayed on top of tables and in armoires that you
would find in elegantly designed houses, objects of fine art and beautiful
home accessories set the scene for an inviting and cosy scenario, where
consumers feel ‘at home’ (Diamond & Diamond, 2007).
Chains of restaurants soon spotted the fruit of success harvested by
retailers like Ralph Lauren. The themed approach was fully adopted by Planet
Hollywood, Hard Rock Café, and may others, creating an environment
reminiscent to an exciting setting. In places like this it is possible to have
dinner admiring an authentic Jimi Hendrix’s guitar, or the jacket used by
Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator”. Restaurants like these are full of
memorabilia and designs that take the consumer by surprise and highlight a
close relation to mega stars of the movies or music (Pegler, 2006). And that’s
not only related to food and drink consumption, as every restaurant feature
boutiques where all kinds of branded merchandise is sold, a marketing
technique that adds to the bottom line. The main element behind these visual
set-ups is a sense of uniqueness and differentiation, which can also be used
not exclusively to enhance the brand but also to captivate consumers in
particular seasons of the year, like Christmas.
2.4 CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Consumer behaviour is classified as the behaviour consumers
demonstrate when searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing
of products and services. This behaviour is intrinsically related to satisfaction,
so when looking for or buying a certain product, he consumer is in reality
seeking personal satisfaction. The subject focuses on how individuals make
decisions to spend their available resources (time, money, effort) on
consumption-related items. That includes how often they buy it, when they
buy it, why they buy it, how often they use it, how they evaluate it after the
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purchase, the impact of this evaluation on future purchases and how they
dispose of it (Schiffman, Kanuk, & Wisenbit, 2010).
According to Solomon et al (2009), the field of consumer behaviour
can be classified as “the study of the processes involved when individuals or
groups of individuals choose, buy, use or dispose of products, services, ideas
and experiences to satisfy their needs and desires.” By ‘individuals’, agreeing
with Salomon, this study understands a wide range of people that go from a 6
year-old boy screaming at his mum for a new toy to a executive of a major
company deciding which sports car to buy with the bonus he just received.
Solomon et al (2009: 4) also mentions that “externalizing desires and
needs are in the root of consumer behaviour. It directs consumer to a brand or
product according to what he/she wants but it is also subject to society views
and opinions on determined subjects. It is a game of personal and public
desire, a human race that balances the inside and outside factors of life.”
There is also much of interest in the study of consumer behaviour by
social sciences in general, as a result of the awareness about the importance
of consuming in our daily lives, at work, at home, or in any other situation
involving social relationships. Consuming reflects not only our likes and
dislikes but patterns moulded by society and especially by brands and
effective communication skills of marketing strategies. Consumer behaviour
has its roots linked to our lives in its essence of the capitalist world we live in
(Tuck, 1976).
Schiffman et al (2010: 12) highlight that “consuming has important
outcomes to the economy, environmental and health policies, culture and
psychology. It is almost like a footprint of the human evolution in which
traditions and culture are always the pattern but not forgetting the relatively
new global culture of living, a mix of cultures and trends that mould our lives in
patterns that can be followed almost anywhere in the world.” It is the case of
giant fast food chains that change very little from country to country in respect
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to traditionalisms and culture but in its essence is available throughout the
world.
2.4.1 The Consumption Process
In its early stages though, consumer behaviour was classified,
according to Lessig (1971:16) as “buyer behaviour and reflected the
importance of the interaction between consumers and producers at the time of
purchase.” The study of this fragment of human behaviour proved to be
wrong, as marketers understood that the simple act of buying is a mere
outcome of a complex decision-making process, where the decision to buy
something reflects deep insights of one’s life and culture, as well as external
factors like economy and politics that affect our lives everyday.
This expanded view of consumer behaviour emphasizes not only the
moment where the cash is handed over on the supermarket counter, but also
the whole consumption process, including the issues that really influence the
consumer before, during and after the purchase. Some of these issues can be
assessed in both ways: on a consumer’s perspective and also on a marketer’s
perspective, as shown below:
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Figure 3: Some issues that arise during stages in the consumption process
Source: Solomon et al, Consumer Behaviour – A European Perspective
2010 – p. 7
As highlighted on the table above, many are the factors to which
consumer buying behaviour is subject during the three levels of the purchase
process. Consumer generally is the person who identifies the need or desire
to buy something, make use of it and then disposes the item. In many cases,
however, the costumer is not the consumer. The purchaser and user might
differ, like when parents buy their children the food they imagine appropriate
for them. In other cases, that might be the presence of an influencer, a person
who experienced the product before you and might give you his/her word on
it, approving or disapproving its features, or even based on his/her on
opinions and beliefs without having used the product, commenting for or
against the purchase. In other cases, a person might be the customer
responsible for the purchase of products that are used by many others (e.g.
Professional buyers in charge of purchasing office supplies), or, in reverse, a
group of people might be responsible for the purchase decisions:
Accountants, designers, sales people, each of them exerting their opinions in
all purchase stages. Organisationally speaking, companies and families are
almost on the same level, the later being of extreme importance for marketing
strategies (Solomon M. R., Bamossy, Askegaard, & Hogg, 2010).
2.4.2 Behavioural Models
Consumer behaviour has a interdisciplinary characteristic that reflects
its multi-faced impact in many other fields than marketing or psychology.
Universities, manufacturers, museums, advertising agencies and even
government bodies now employ consumer behaviour researchers. The
perspective of these areas is different from one another and depends on what
each area seeks to research (Blythe, 2008).
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The various disciplines studying consumer buying behaviour are able
to describe, not exactly but abstractly, patterns that mould our behaviour
towards products and services. The description is translated into models,
guidelines that attempt to give a simplified version of the relationship between
factors that affect behaviour in general. Doing so they attempt to demonstrate
the variable relationship between models, like the impact of price raise of a
product in the other variables and the final outcome: to buy or not to buy?
Black box models
As explained by Bareham (1995: 3), “black box or economic models
are responsible for analytically or rationally understand the basic structure of
consumer buying behaviour, using simplistic assumptions” (e.g. If the price of
product A goes up, less customers will buy it):
Figure 4: The black box model
Source: Bareham, Consumer Behaviour in the Food Industry
1995 – p. 3
Decision-making models
Decision-making models are responsible for evaluating each of the
stages consumers go through in reaching a decision. The emphasis is on
internal cognitive processes, or the intrinsic steps that will end on a purchase
of this or that product, the selection of this or that brand or a refusal to by a
certain kind of merchandise (Bareham, 1995).
Consider a person buying a new home appliance, like a television set.
It is very unlikely that one simply pop in a shop and buy a new television set
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straight away, not even considering the factors that might change his/her
impression about the product. In reality what happens is that the potential
customer will first balance if there is a need or desire for the television set,
then he/she will look around to check what is available, bearing in mind
factors like standards needed and economic situation (lack of funds is a major
aspect in the buying behaviour of the majority of society). Opinions from
friends and relatives are gathered about their experiences with similar
products, as close attention is paid to advertising campaigns promoting
television sets. Nowadays, electronic shopping tools enable consumers to
visualise in detail features of each offered product before they go to the
physical shop (as an option as the purchase process can be carried out
online) to live-try the equipment.
This chain of events and the time it takes for one deciding on buying a
product or not is critically related to its price and importance. After deciding for
the purchase and having it installed, another process starts, one of repeated
evaluation of the product throughout time. In the case of daily used products,
the process is much faster and repeated in a bigger scale, as an unconscious
decision:
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Figure 5: An outline decision-making model
Source: Bareham, Consumer Behaviour in the Food Industry
1995 – p. 4
Food preference and choice models
Hence the object of this study, it is of great significance to analyse
consumer behaviour models towards food choice. According to Bareham
(1995: 8) Yudikin (in Sheperd, 1989) “was amongst the first to list a range of
factors that can influence food choice in three categories:”
1. Physical Geography, season, economics, food
technology
2. Social Religion, social custom, social class,
advertising, nutritional education
3. Psychological Heredity, allergy, therapeutic diet,
acceptability, nutritional need
Since that time many more models were created, nonetheless,
Sheperd (1989), according to Bareham (1995:8) pioneered in terms of
“identifying two major sets of influences based on individual differences and
the food itself that can change one’s acceptance or rejection for a determined
kind of food:”
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Figure 6: Generalised models of food choice
Source: Bareham, Consumer Behaviour in the Food Industry
1995 – p. 9
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A number of these models have the same features, being irrelevant to
demonstrate in this study differences mainly related to diagram design
properties. All food choice models take into account cultural and socio-
economic factors, personal characteristics such as age, gender, mood and
personal circumstances, using as paradigm factors intrinsic to the food itself:
method of preparation, taste, appearance and promotion tools (Khan, 2010).
In terms of food choice, there are four main fields of factors, which
play major role in guiding society and its consuming behaviour:
Political, economic and technical influences: Most governments have
food policies to avoid health problems or protect the economy of their
countries. The European Union for example, have changed the supply of food
throughout member-countries, ensuring that common patterns should be
respected when importing or commercialising food products in European
countries. Economically, the relationship between income, price, quantity and
quality play major role in the decision-making process. Recent natural
disasters elevated food prices that are negotiated as commodities and the
impact on the prices certainly had a good impact in buying behaviour
(Bareham, 1995).
Cultural and social influences: Long-term trends of what is acceptable
remain a major influential aspect in terms of purchase behaviour, specially
regarding food absorbed by religious and historical background (Bareham,
1995). Cultural, religious and historical aspects shape society’s view of what
will become part of an individual’s diet. Structure of family and workforce, as
well as household size are important factors to be considered, as well as the
individual consumer and his/her influence over a group of people.
Psychological influences: Ultimately, behaviour of consumers is
related to their attitude. A range of personal characteristics rises as the
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decision-making process begins, partially related to their lifestyle (Bareham,
1995).
Marketing influences: Location of food outlets, retail strategies,
pricing, advertising, promotion, point-of-sale influences, and all marketing
tools are deeply structured to target a certain group of consumers, shaping via
communication processes their attitude towards products, especially when it
comes to food. A well-elaborated food ad certainly makes a great impact on
one’s mind (Bareham, 1995).
2.5 SUMMARY
Reviewing the literature corroborated the assumption that visual
merchandising and consumer buying behaviour are totally different areas of
study, nonetheless connected through an intrinsic relationship in terms of the
earlier being the ignition for the later. The consumption process is fuelled by
one’s desire or need, and this, by its turn, is developed through the
persuasion process developed by visual merchandising.
In terms of need and desire, especially in the food industry, visual
merchandising works to attract consumers using a great range of skills.
Stimulating their senses and impressions is the best if not unique way of
attraction in the snack industry, and each company spend loads of time and
money in preparing an environment that will bring a new experience to the
customer, and at the same time transmit a message that will be retained in
the customer’s mind, easing the decision-making process, while leading to
word of mouth publicity and loyalty.
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CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 INTRODUCTION
In this third chapter, the methodology used to guide the main
principles of this research is comprehensively analysed, as a way of justifying
the reasons why the chosen philosophical models are the most suitable to the
study. Following a logic order, the chosen philosophical paradigm leads to the
utilisation of specific research approaches, shaping its strategy and also the
selected data collection method.
The latter being of great importance to the practical side of the study,
as the responsible tool that, if correctly applied, is able to answer the research
questions and fulfil its objectives, especially in terms of obtaining the correct
amount of data, from a reasonable sample, which certainly allow the
researcher to perform a genuine data analysis, reflecting the proposed
problem and leading to recommendations towards the company’s practices.
At last, a brief clarification on the research strengths and weaknesses is
proposed by the researcher as a way of highlighting the most effective as well
the weakest points of the chosen methods, justifying the utilisation of such
tools in the research.
3.2 RESEARCH PARADIGM
Paradigm is a term used in science to reflect progress of a
determined practice based on people’s philosophies and assumptions of the
world and the social relations comprised in it, especially in terms of
knowledge. Paradigms are the guidance shaping the progress of the
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research, creating scientific models that provide problems and solutions
based on a set of theories and methods of defining data.
Research paradigms or research philosophies as pointed by some
authors - as Saunders et al (2009: 108) - can be used in different levels and
loosely interpretation of the word might lead to confusion. Therefore, hence
clarify that paradigms can be classified on Philosophical level, reflecting
essential beliefs about the world, Social level, providing guidelines on the
conduction of the researcher’s work, and Technical level, specifying methods
and methodologies which should be observed when designing and planning a
research (Wilson, 2010).
The foundation stone of any research is the paradigm: From the way
it is written, passing through methods of data collection and analysis of
findings, to the desirable result and presentation of the research. As wisely
mentioned by Saunders et al (2009: 107), “personal views and opinions on
the world we live in shape our own paradigms” and the correlation between
personal views, area studied and applied methodology is the key to deliver a
well written paper, based on consistent data collection, explanation of findings
and creation of knowledge.
Social sciences and business researchers, especially Saunders et al
(2009: 108 figure 4.1) consider the existence of four major research
paradigms: Pragmatism, Positivism, Realism and Interpretivism. General
understanding of the different paradigms defines what is best for the research
and the desired result, depending on what its aims and objectives.
Pragmatism argues that the main function of a research is to answer
its questions and attend to its objectives as accurately as possible, erasing
the idea of an ideal paradigm for a certain research. In practice, to follow one
or another paradigm such as Interpretivism or Positivism is in some cases
unrealistic and the need for a broader analysis leads the researcher to work
on variables of epistemology, axiology and ontology. For some authors like
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Guba and Lincoln (1994), as mentioned by Saunders et al (2009: 106) “the
choice between one of the paradigms is secondary to the ones of
epistemology, axiology and ontology”. This leads to an understanding that
mixed methods are possible and maybe the application of quantitative or
qualitative methods alone would be a mistake in some cases. The view is that
paradigms are not opposite to each other and can work in unison in order to
widen the range of methods utilised in a research.
Positivism is based on the work of natural sciences and its birth
recalls to the end of the nineteenth century, where social sciences researches
started to utilise practices restricted to natural scientists that had been highly
successful. The focal point is to understand the world around and the events
happening in it, without interfering in the process, or in other words, extensive
observation of a pre-existent reality, remaining distant from the subject and
not allowing personal views or bias to distort the conclusions (Fisher, 2010:
19).
A logical approach is needed, as the individuals in the society are not
analysed in subjective terms, but in a precise, objective and rigorous way,
leaving experience and intuition behind. Positivists point out that laws provide
the base for any explanation, based on the assumption that “social realty is an
independent body”, existing regardless of our awareness (Adams, Khan,
Raeside, & White, 2007). Through laws it is possible to anticipate and control
the phenomena in a cause and effect base. These causes and effects are
explained by linking casual laws and variables to theory, deductive or
integrated. The world is interpreted through law boundaries and the
interrelated variables help explain the reasons for that phenomena to happen.
The hypotheses are tested and confirmed, leading to development of
knowledge (Collis & Hussey, 2003). The positivist research is highly likely to
use very structured methodology, facilitating replication and repetition of the
methods used.
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As pointed by White (2002: 43), realism also depends on scientific
enquiry, based on the assumption that our senses bring us a reality that is
true. The existence of objects and reality is independent of the human mind,
contrary to what is portrayed by idealism, which assumes that only the mind
and what is inside it that counts as reality. Like positivism, realism is keen on
analysing the world assuming a scientific approach, and it can de classified,
according to Saunders et al (2009: 114/115) and Fisher (2007: 20/21) in two
sources: Direct realism, which pictures reality as what we experience through
our senses, and Critical realism, branch which assumes that we experience
through our senses are images, or general aspects of objects, but not the
objects itself. What we se is a representation of what is real. Contrary to direct
realists, researches performed by critical realists take into account a multi-
layered approach to the world, as a constant changing environment that
enable comprehensive understanding of reality.
At last, Interpretivism, or phenomenological paradigm as suggested
by Collis & Hussey (2003), is the “study of social phenomena, or the
understanding of human behaviour in society, considering subjective aspects
of the individual, which is relegated by the positivists.” The focus is shifted
from numbers and large-scale variable comparison to a qualitative sphere of
understanding, as phenomenologists believe that “social reality is product of
the mind.” It is important from an interpretative point of view that personal
values and opinions are taken into consideration in order to enable a more
comprehensive and qualitative analysis of the subject. The importance is on
deciphering differences between humans as social actors, as each situation in
the world is unique and depends on the role played by humans in the theatre
of life. According to interpretivism we are in a continuous understanding of the
world surrounding us and adjust our own role according to the conclusions
gathered from this endless comprehension process.
It is argued by Ghauri & Gronhaug (2010) that interpretivism is the
most accurate method for business research, especially if the studied field is
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related to human behaviour. Therefore, as the scope of this research is to
investigate the effects of visual merchandising on consumer buying
behaviour, naturally the chosen paradigm is interpretative, specially
considering that the essence of the study is to deeply analyse views and
opinions of customers of a product and extract useful information of their
acceptance (or not) of visual merchandising strategies and how it affects the
role played by individuals when faced by this scenario.
Contrary to positivistic, pragmatic and realistic positions, the focus of
this study doesn’t depend on variable analysis and extensive number of
patterns to be followed, neither would be valuable to this research the
examination of the reality involved in the retail market nor any adaptation of
concepts in order to better clarify the subject. It is notorious that the study of
human behaviour implies a deeply orientated insight into different forms of
understanding of a determined situation, this in order to verify possible parallel
or distinctive ideas/values on the same theme, as critically pointed by Fisher
(2007: 23). It is important for a company as Mr. Pretzels to fully understand
customers’ views of the products and the brand, generating margin for change
and improvement.
Research paradigms are accompanied by assumptions that guide the
progress of the study and balance the final conclusions in terms of
methodology. There are three main assumptions: Ontology, Axiology and
Epistemology (Sekaran & Bougie, 2010).
Ontology refers to the understanding of reality either objectively or
subjectively. The first refers to interpretation of reality independently of the
researcher and the social actors concerned, whereas the later portraits reality
as a consequence of actions performed by social actors, where there can only
be comprehension of the theme by profoundly studying the perceptions of the
creators of this reality, or, the social actors themselves.
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Axiology is mainly the philosophical study of judgements and values,
and, as mentioned by Saunders et al (2009: 116), it argues that “our values
play a major role in the decision on how to manage and write a research”, for
example. In positivistic terms, values are not worth and unbiased methods of
data collection are the way to describe the correlation between variables,
whereas interpretivism argues that a deep insight into these values is needed
in order to form a complete judgement of the studied field. For this study the
axiological assumption relies on the value bond of the research,
comprehending the researcher as a part of the reality, in a subjective way.
Epistemology, as introduced by Wilson (2010: 79), is related to what
is adequate knowledge in a particular area of study. That varies according to
the paradigm chosen by the researcher. For positivists, knowledge comes
from researched objects that have an independent reality from the researcher,
whereas in interpretivism knowledge will rise from feeling and attitudes of the
social phenomena, included in this reality the researcher. Epistemologically,
this research comprises the understanding of social phenomena, focusing on
the details of the reality in place.
3.3 RESEARCH APPROACH
Research approaches are mechanisms used to build conceptual and
theoretical models, or in other words, the method used by the researcher in
order to develop knowledge/theory (White, 2002).
In the deductive approach, conceptual and theoretical models are
built and developed in the first part of the study, generating assumptions or
hypotheses. According to Saunders et al (2009: 125), these hypotheses are
then “rigorously tested on the field researched in order to prove or validate the
theory.” That is what is called ‘testing theory’, where commonly very
structured models and controls are put in place in order to establish the
correlation between variables. The aim is to operationalise the theory, in a
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way to enable facts to be measured and theory proved (or not) as a
conclusion.
The inductive approach, on the other hand, works in direct opposition
to the deductive approach, as stated by Adams et al (2007), moving “from
specific to general.” Theory is developed from observation of reality,
concerned the actors and the context in which such events are happening.
Qualitative methods are used in a flexible way, in order to enable the
researcher to understand the layers forming opinions and values that shape
reality. Gathered data is the base for theory development and the findings are
wider and deeper in terms of personalisation. The span of the study is to fully
understand the meanings humans attach to events (Cameron & Price, 2009).
As might be expected, the focus of this research depend on the use of
the inductive approach in detriment of the inductive thesis, as the main point
is to deeply analyse opinions and views in order to fully comprehend the
modus operandi of the researched object, or the customers and their
judgements on visual merchandising. The analysis of behaviour requires wide
investigation of a certain phenomena and its social impact, and in business,
there is nothing more important than intrinsically research customers’ feelings
and opinions, avoiding rigid methodologies, which can limit conclusions.
3.4 RESEARCH STRATEGY
Under the interpretivism umbrella, the main purpose of this study is to
qualitatively analyse the correlation between visual merchandising and
consumer buying behaviour. However, this qualitative analysis will be carried
out on a specific environment, an organization named Mr. Pretzels. For that
reason, in order to carry on the study of this phenomenon within a company,
necessity arise for broader analysis not only of the company and its
background but also of the customers and consumers that participate daily in
the activities of the company.
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Therefore, this research was based in a single case study, which is,
according to Yin (2009:46) the “methodology used to explore a single
phenomenon”, in this case an organization, “using different methods to obtain
in-depth knowledge”. The study moves then to the application of a
questionnaire survey, which is a method of collecting primary data from a
certain amount of people, or sample, and interviews, which is the qualitative
background of any interpretivism research, enabling the accumulation of
opinions and views that will support the research objectives.
The background and history of the company was analysed, as well as
its merchandising strategy, providing a comprehensive understanding on its
growth throughout the years and also its objectives. Secondly, attempting to
answer the research questions, a customer survey in the form of a structured
ranked-answer questionnaire was carried out in order to identify the
correlation between the company’s merchandising strategy, highlighted in the
case study, and consumer buying behaviour, followed by interviews
performed with the questionnaire respondents as a way of gathering more
specific data regarding their personal views on the above-mentioned themes.
The purpose was to extract a mix of data, including opinions and values, as
well as general statistics from Mr. Pretzels’ customers about the impact of
visual merchandising in their purchase decision and views on the brand. Case
studies are characterised by allowing the researcher to perform various
research methods in conjunction, as mentioned by Yin (1994:13) and
highlighted by Fisher (2010: 69): “A case study uses a variety of research
methods and can happily accommodate quantitative data and qualitative
material.”
3.5 TRIANGULATION
As mentioned before, this research follows the interpretivism
approach, relying on qualitative data (interviews) in order to build theory,
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however, the requirement of the study to comprehend consumers’ buying
behaviour took the researcher to apply a customer survey based on a ranked-
answer questionnaire. In literature, this mix of research methods is called
triangulation, which is, according to Saunders et al (1009: 146) “the
application of two or more different research methods in order to achieve the
research objectives completely.” The aim is to reduce the bias and enable a
wider understand of the researched subject, leading to a greater validity and
reliability.
Collis (2009: 85) highlights that there are four main types of
triangulation, developed by Denzin (1979):
Triangulation of theories – Theory taken from one discipline to
another in order to explain a certain phenomenon.
Data triangulation – Data collection at different times or from different
sources in the study of a phenomenon.
Investigator triangulation – Different researchers independently
collecting data of the same phenomenon in order to compare the results.
Methodological triangulation – Two or more research methods used to
collect and analyse the data.
The academic characteristic of this research could not fall into the first
three types of triangulation, since time and budget constraints are relevant.
Consequently, the triangulation process in this study involved the collection of
data based on a methodological mixture of case study, questionnaire and
interview.
Besides the fact that surveys are considered a data collection method
belonging to the positivistic school, the use of its features is perfectly
adaptable to this research. Stressing this view is Fisher (2007: 61/62): “It is
tempting but wrong to, to make and easy connection between research
methodology and particular methods. First because it is possible to use any of
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the research methods to produce either quantitative material (numbers) or
qualitative material (words) and, second, because you can use qualitative
material to as part of a realist project and you can certainly use numbers to
illuminate interpretive research. In practice you can use any of the research
methods in any of the approaches.”
3.6 DATA COLLECTION METHODS
Data collection methods can be described as the techniques utilised
in order to gather all information needed to achieve a desired level of
comprehension of the researched subject (Ghauri & Gronhaug, 2010). The
data collection will depend on factors such what kind of material is desired,
what kind of phenomenon is studied and what type of information will be
extracted from the data. There is primary and secondary data, being the first
result of research into the unknown, or the act of gathering new information,
whereas the second relies on researching on known fields of information such
as literature. The greatest example of secondary data analysis in the literature
review performed by business students in order to acquire knowledge on a
specific theme, as verified in chapter two.
3.6.1 Primary Data – Qualitative & Quantitative
The main fields of exploration in primary data are qualitative and
quantitative, and each of these fields has a different set of methods that
should be used in order to satisfy the research objectives. As highlighted
above, this study is focused on obtaining both qualitative and quantitative data
in terms of understanding the views of customers using statistical and
analytical tools, as well as thematic analysis.
Qualitative data is the information gathered through interpretive
approach, and as mentioned by Ghauri & Gronhaugh (2010: 105) “normally
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transient and understood only within a certain context, resulting in findings
with a high degree of validity.” The main methods of data collection using
qualitative data are interviews, observation and focus groups.
Interviews are a method of data collection that comprises selected
participants, where questions are placed in terms to find out what are their
personal views. The questions can be prepared before hand, as indicated by
Ghauri & Gronhaugh (2010: 126), “following a standardised system”
(structured), like a questionnaire survey, or not, as so the interview flow
according to the participant’s answers, “widening the range for information
gathering in personal opinions (unstructured).” Interviews can be performed
personally, via telephone or videophone (internet), and roughly the results will
be the same.
Through observation the researcher analyses a laboratorial or natural
setting without interfering in the phenomena or performing any kind of
questioning or appraisal. In business research that is called non-participant
observation, where the researcher is responsible to record people’s actions
without being involved. The second type of observation is called participant
observation, where the researcher becomes part of the phenomenon studied,
fully involving himself with the participants. (Saunders et al, 2009)
Focus groups are normally used in order to obtain data that is related
to feelings and values of a group of people, who are put on the same situation
or gathered to discuss a common problem. This method successfully combine
interviewing and observation, allowing fresh data to arise from group
interaction. (Wilson, 2010)
Quantitative data is related to the figures gathered by structured
approaches with the objective of describing and translating the studied
phenomenon statistically. Mainly used by positivists, quantitative data
collection is performed via self-completion questionnaires or structured
interviews (Cameron & Price, 2009).
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Questionnaire is a list of very well structured questions that are
applied to a number of people as means to gather information that will help
answering the research questions. The questions are the same to every
researched object and depending on the type of questionnaire the same set of
answers is designed, in order to allow statistical analysis. (Adams, Khan,
Raeside, & White, 2007)
Questionnaires can be presented in a variety of forms. According to
Ghauri & Gronhaugh (2010: 121), there are self-administered questionnaires,
which are completed by the respondents and performed using the Internet,
post, or delivered by hand to each respondent, telephone questionnaires, and
structured interviews, which are the questionnaires where the interviewer
physically meets the respondent to personally address the questions.
Differently from the semi-structured or unstructured interviews, the structured
interview follows a defined set of questions.
This research, making use of triangulation of methods, as previously
mentioned, was based on the administration of self-completion ranked-answer
questionnaires composed of ten questions in which the respondents rated
assumptions according to personal preferences, choosing from the options:
Agree, Tend to Agree, Not Sure, Tend to Disagree, Disagree.
Additionally, as required by the philosophical approach of
interpretivism and in order to allow further thematic analysis, a five question
structured interview about impressions and personal opinions on critical
themes was administrated, using the same respondents of the questionnaire,
facilitating multiple analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, balancing
general and statistical information and personal opinions, as can be verified in
chapter five. The researcher, using a sample of thirty customers of the Mr.
Pretzels kiosk at lakeside Shopping Centre, in Thurrock, London, performed
both interviews and questionnaires.
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3.7 THE SAMPLE
Regarding the approach used in order to select the participants of the
customer survey and interview, or the sample used to gather the primary data,
it is crucial to mention how the development of the criteria generated the best
possible group of respondents for this study. Mainly, sampling can be
classified as probability or representative, and non-probability or judgemental.
Saunders et al (2009: 213/233) describe the earlier as “most commonly
associated with survey-based research strategies, where you need to make
inferences from your sample about a population”, while the latter as “based on
subjective judgement” enabling “in-depth study that focuses on a small case
selected for a particular purpose.”
The research method utilised in this study followed the second option,
mainly because of the lack of time and funds to perform a bigger survey
involving the whole population, also known as the consumers from all Mr.
Pretzels kiosks. Therefore, following the non-probability sample, the
researcher adopted the convenience approach, where the participants were
chosen haphazardly from Mr. Pretzels consumers of a kiosk located at
Lakeside shopping centre, in Thurrock, London, a location chosen by its
proximity to London and also for having a sitting area which could be used to
perform the survey with the minimum level of comfort for the respondents.
3.8 STRENGHTS OF THE METHODOLOGY
The main strength of the methodology is related to the fact that the
researcher works for the company and had authorisation from senior
management to perform any kind of data collection at any of Mr. Pretzels’
kiosks, at any given date, adding a lot of flexibility to the researcher’s work.
Additionally, a very strong point rises from the use of the triangulation of
methods, which allowed the research to be more comprehensively analysed,
especially towards the comparison between qualitative and quantitative data,
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widening the findings and conclusion, enlarging the possibilities in terms of
recommending new frameworks.
Furthermore, all participants were approached while consuming
pretzels in the kiosk environment, allowing for a more adequate judgement of
the assumptions mentioned in the questionnaire, as well as deeper insight
when responding the interview. Another plus advent from the fact that the
kiosk used in the research was opened few months ago (February 2011),
allowing the researcher to collect fresh impressions from the respondents,
most of them being new to the brand and product.
3.9 WEAKNESSES OF THE METHODOLOGY
The weaknesses of this study are mainly related to its academic
nature. Therefore low funding and time constrain were the major obstacles
trespassed by the researcher. The possibility of performing the customer
survey and interview in only one kiosk also affected the reliability and validity
of the whole research, since a bigger picture could be painted by the
assessment of the whole population of Mr. Pretzels’ consumers and
customers, or in other words, could the survey be performed in all Mr.
Pretzels’ kiosks, the result would give us a clearer picture on consumer
buying behaviour in contrast to the implemented visual merchandising
strategies, which are applied simultaneously and uniformly in every kiosk.
Sample selection, therefore, was also affected, as the available universe of
research was constrained to a limited number of customers, while a study
comprehending a more extensive time frame could be used to gather more
views and opinions.
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3.10 SUMMARY
This chapter highlighted the approaches and strategies applied by the
researcher when performing the data collection, defending the utilisation of a
single case study, followed by triangulation of methods concerning the
collection of qualitative and quantitative data in a interpretivism paradigm, as
well as the benefits risen from the use of inductive approach.
Nonetheless, the methods utilised in order to select the sample were
clarified as to determine the reasons the research was performed in a certain
shop and with a certain number of respondents, culminating in the analysis of
the strengths and weaknesses of the chosen methodologies, concerning
explanation on how factors related to the academic nature of this paper
influenced the outcome of the research.
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CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
4.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter refers to the analysis of the data gathered by
questionnaires and interviews performed on 06 June 2011 at a Mr. Pretzels’
kiosk in Lakeside, a shopping centre located in Thurrock, London. The figures
were transformed into information through various methods of data analysis,
mainly statistical in respect to facts gathered via questionnaire (quantitative
information) and thematic in respect to the answers gathered via interviews.
The object of this analysis is to assess sensitive themes of visual
merchandising and customer buying behaviour in order to find traces that can
lead to answer the research questions and fulfil its objectives.
4.2 DATA ANALYTICAL APPROACH: THEMATIC ANALYSIS
Thematic analysis is a process to be used along qualitative
information, enabling the researcher to encode opinions, views and values
into quantitative data. Boyatzis (1998) defends the view that thematic analysis
is intrinsically related to our way of seeing, or observing information and
situations. Coding information provides an insight that might be correct in
one’s point of view and completely wrong in another’s. That’s because
thematic analysis is dependant of personal views: Observing, understanding,
recognising, encoding and interpreting facts are processes currently done by
all of us in our everyday lives, and relies mainly on personal insights, not
excluding a business research, where our personal knowledge acts like a
filter, straining relevant information to form judgements. In order to justify this
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view, Boyatzis (1998) mentions Coffey and Atkinson (1996: 27), who state
“Coding can be thought about as a way of relating our data to our ideas about
these data”.
Clarke & Braun (2006) highlight the flexible characteristic of thematic
analysis. In comparison to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
and grounded theory, thematic analysis is “not wed to any pre-existing
theoretical framework, and so it can be used within different theoretical
frameworks, and can be used to do different things within them.” On the other
hand, as mentioned by Boyatzis (1998), “time efficiency and information
manipulation are the biggest drawbacks of thematic analysis. Encoding
qualitative information requires a pre set ‘code’, which may be a list of
themes, or a model of trends and qualifications that are related to a theme.” In
turn, a theme can be described as “a pattern latent in the information, which
describes and arrange possible observations or interprets features of the
phenomenon, according to its depth.”
Development of the analysis through the thematic approach is
possible by using three main levels of coding, although most authors refer to
these steps as not necessarily sequential, but overlapped during the study.
Green and Browne (2005) define the coding steps as:
Initial Coding: First stage consisted in filtering the information
collected and identification of applicable concepts that can be useful in
answering the research questions.
Developing a Coding Scheme: After discovering the main elements
compounding the data collected, re-classification is necessary in order to
separate these elements into codes, forming the themes which will be utilised
in the analysis.
Coding the Data: In this final step, the remaining data is then added to
the specific set of themes previously coded in order to fulfil the analysis with
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every piece of data collected. The result is a classified rank of information,
ordered by its relevance to the research and its objectives.
In the researcher’s point of view, there is a fourth or hidden step to the
formulation of coded data. Following Aronson (1994), it is important to
intercalate the themes with relevant literature, as a way of widening the
researchers knowledge of the discovered patterns. This will allow the
researcher to “build a valid argument for choosing the themes”. The use of
thematic analysis in this research advent from its flexibility, as stated above,
and also for giving the researcher the opportunity to accumulate all pieces of
this great puzzle called qualitative data into more recognisable and organised
fields or themes of reference. This organised approach facilitates mapping
the key assumptions fuelling the research, as highlighted by Cameron & Price
(2009: 437): “This is extremely useful when you come to map out the
arguments that you wish to make in discussing your research findings
because each batch can be used as the basis for a particular part of your
discussions.” Following extensive interpretation of the interviews and pattern-
underlining, the researcher singled out four main themes that seem
appropriate for analysis:
Major Theme Perceived Benefits Key Issues
Overall presentation Visual aids, kiosk and staff
presentation as tools to attract customers.
Differentiation
Staff Attitude
Brand Image
Product presentation Visual aspects of the product and its preparation can captivate customers.
Senses Stimulation
Product's Healthy Image
Live Preparation
Quality Balance between price and quality in customers' choice. Freshly Baked Image
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Importance of Price
Importance of Quality
Sampling Visual merchandising
strategies and its implications on customer buying behaviour.
Significance of Consumers’ Experience
Customer Satisfaction
The Role of the Sampler
As mentioned in chapter three, the interviews were supported by a ten
question questionnaire, which was elaborated bearing in mind the extraction
of general concepts and views of accordance or discordance to the visual
merchandising approach adopted by the organisation. The researcher’s
objective was to combine these two data collection methods in order to better
interpret the circumstances faced by customers when making a purchase
decision.
4.3 OVERALL PRESENTATION
Overall presentation is related to all visual aspects engaged by the
company as a way of transmitting a message. Clearly the message Mr.
Pretzels want to show is of an organised, clean and dynamic snack shop, with
a bit of differentiation from competition in terms of product quality and
freshness. When asked about the overall presentation of the kiosk, one of the
respondents mentioned:
“My impressions of Mr. Pretzels’ overall presentation are of a tidy place where we can assess the production from beginning to end, differently from other snack shops where you are presented with the final product without being able to see what happens in the kitchen or how the product got to you.”
Evidently, the above-mentioned respondent is experiencing Mr.
Pretzels’ visual merchandising strategy, which is preparing the final product in
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front of the customer, bringing an idea of freshness not found in any other
snack chain. The goal is to achieve competitive advantage through
differentiation, especially in the highly disputed market of snack shops.
Additionally, the kiosks are built in an open-plan approach, with glass walls
around the most of the kiosk, allowing potential customers to watch the whole
production chain. At several times children and families are attracted by the
possibility of learning how a pretzel is made, and at this point the staff also
interact with the customers, by explaining what is being done, as well as
entertaining the children.
Nevertheless, it is not only the kiosk that sends this message, but also
the staff and their attitude towards the customers and the product, as the
researcher could evaluate by one the respondent’s (between 26 and 34 years
old) answer:
“The staff seem pretty organised and hygienic, all of them wearing hairnets an gloves when manipulating the pretzel, which give me a good image of Mr. Pretzels and ensure the quality of your product. I was well-treated and could see that they were in good spirits, greeting customers and smiling.”
In visual merchandising, the way a product or brand is shown to the
public gives the idea of a wider picture, like a statement of intentions, and the
staff is specifically responsible for passing this message around, acting
according to the brand’s necessity. Yet, the word ‘acting’ doesn’t transmit the
right idea of the kiosk’s atmosphere. It is not relevant for the company to have
staff acting in a certain way, but to be part of a philosophy, to think and work
as a team, in a relaxed but at the same time serious environment.
The researcher’s experience can be taken into consideration to point
out that in reality the staff was motivated to perform, not to act. They were
happy working for Mr. Pretzels because the environment presented to them
adopts this ideal. When correctly managed, human resources are of precious
value to the brand, and knowing this, the company implemented a bonus
policy based on monthly sales, as well as giving the staff opportunity to grow
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within the organisation in the form of a career plan, something not taken into
consideration by many of the industry entrants. The result is a highly
motivated staff, that well trained, is able to perform better and transmit the
right image, an important point in visual merchandising and customer
satisfaction.
The questionnaire was an important tool to
assess the overall impression of customers in
relation to Mr. Pretzels’ overall presentation.
A vast majority of customers believe that the
looks of a Mr. Pretzels’ kiosk is able to attract
their attention, and the researcher believe
that the reason for that is mostly related to
the live product preparation. Those who didn’t
agree to the statement completely tend to
agree that the kiosk is able to communicate a
good message.
In terms of quality, the kiosk
design give the customer the unique
opportunity to assess production, and
their response when asked about it was
equally satisfactory. Due to the fact that
Mr. Pretzels is the only snack shop in
many shopping centres to offer an open-
for-all approach to production, customers
are intrigued and at the same time thrilled
by the fact that what they see is what they
get, differently from other snack shops
where pictures in menus differ from the
real product. It is a simple and elegant
idea.
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Customers’ views on staff presentation, another crucial point to the
success of a brand, could be assessed in the questionnaire, and the response
was convincing:
Almost one third of the respondents
mentioned not being sure if staff
presentation affect their purchase
decision, while the majority points
out that being well treated by staff
and their presentation and manners
are important factor, impacting on
purchase decision.
4.4 PRODUCT PRESENTATION
The process that triggers our will to buy a certain product, especially
food products, is intrinsically related to senses stimulation. In terms of product
presentation, Mr. Pretzels offers certain differentiation by freshly baking its
products, and that is where lies their competitive advantage. The pretzel is
prepared from freshly mixed dough and baked in open conveyor ovens, which
claim the customers’ visual attention but also intrigue them with smells and
other senses. As the pretzel is coming out of the oven, it exhales the scent of
fresh bread, which already attracts one’s nose, but after the hot pretzel is
coated on cinnamon and sugar, the smell changes to something that recalls
Christmas. The strong smell of the cinnamon allied to the freshly baked bread
spread around the surrounding area of the kiosk, and it is not usual to see
customers walking around trying to figure out where that smell is coming from.
Subsequently, the customer is prompted by staff to try a sample of the
product, and at this moment other senses come into action. Touching and
eating the sample allow the customer to feel the texture and temperature of
the freshly baked pastry, as well as the unique taste of cinnamon and sugar.
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The sampler then briefs the customer about its quality, pointing to the
production area, where the live preparation is taking place. When asked about
product presentation, a lady between 35 and 44 years old gave this answer:
“The presentation of the pretzel is something very interesting. I’ve felt intrigued about the smell of cinnamon in the air and when I tried the product and was informed that it is freshly baked, the idea of quality came into my mind. I could see the pretzel being made, and differently from many other shops, it seemed to me that the pretzels were a healthy way of having a treat.”
At this point, the customer’s way of life and personal views are
imposing the message that the pretzel would be better for her than other pre-
made products, basically because it smells fresh, it tastes fresh, and it is
baked, though not loosing its taste. That is one of the most important parts of
Mr. Pretzels’ visual merchandising strategies: Product presentation including
a fresh approach to snacks, not commonly seen in other brands.
In the questionnaire, the general
response from the interviewees
was also towards good views of Mr.
Pretzels’ product presentation: 64%
of the interviewed customers claim
that product presentation affects
their purchase decision, and
considering this rates Mr. Pretzels
is doing a good job in terms of
attracting customers, not based on
promises, but on reality. The fresh
approach to product presentation involves a mix of sense stimulation and
differentiation from competition. Being able to see and taste the pretzel before
making a purchase normally shifts the balance in the company’s favour, as
few are those who don’t like the taste of fresh pastry and cinnamon & sugar.
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4.5 QUALITY
Quality plays a major role in any industry, but especially in the food
market. Snacks and food kiosks found on shopping centres and the high
street are full of advertisings highlighting the quality of their products, the
origin of the raw materials utilised and freshness in preparation. In some
areas like the fast food sector, not only quality but price also causes a big
impact on customers’ purchase decision. To act in a market like this is
common sense that the strategy must be price or quality focused, or a
balance of both, in the case of Mr. Pretzels.
Visual aspects of a product are intrinsically related to its quality and
price, and it is very hard to balance both factors and target the market in the
right way. Mr. Pretzels’ objective is to galvanise product quality and price,
using one to balance another. In comparison to other snack shops, a pretzel
is more expensive, but in terms of quality the advantage is notorious, as
highlighted above.
Being able to offer a fresh product elevates the cost of the product
made by Mr. Pretzels. In instead of having only one person to take care of the
oven and heat frozen pretzels and another person to take care of the till, Mr.
Pretzels kiosks are always packed with staff taking care of manufacturing a
fresh product. In instead fighting in a saturated market, Mr. Pretzels is a
company focused on deviating from the common path, innovating by bringing
freshness to its product, and consequently quality.
That is the view customers’ carry as well. Most of the interviewees,
when asked about Mr. Pretzels’ product quality in comparison to the
competition asserted pro quality opinions. Important mention one of the
answers, from a respondent in between 26 and 34 years old:
“I feel that Mr. Pretzels’ products are of better quality in comparison to its competitors because I can see how the product is made and it tastes fresh. Other shops just give you a pre-made product, and sometimes the taste and aspect of the food don’t feel as fresh as this.”
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And this customer is pretty much right. That is the effect Mr. Pretzels
want to extract from customers when experiencing their products, and in
comparison to other snack shops remains clear the view of a fresh product. In
terms of competition though, Mr. Pretzels loose customers that seek for lower
prices, since this slice of the market is more interested in saving their money
than paying for quality. It is virtually impossible to reduce the cost of the
pretzel without changing the way it is made, and in reality such change is not
a necessity in the company’s horizon. Most of the current customers adopt the
view that being able to see how the pretzel is made enhance their opinion
about its quality, as it can be verified in the chart below:
Confidence is something crucial to a
brand, and that is exactly how Mr.
Pretzels is thriving in the snack
industry, competing with giants like
Krispy Kreme and Millie’s Cookies.
Customers’ confidence in Mr.
Pretzels’ products is a natural
process, due the nature of the
business. The company and its
kiosks are designed to pass this
message.
As previously mentioned, Mr. Pretzels’ quality policy surpass its price
policy. But what the customers think of it? In the researcher’s opinion if a
product is marketed the right way nothing can go wrong, so it is really a matter
of finding your public, people that embrace the same ideas of the company. If
a company wants to serve quality food, there will be people willing to buy it,
no matter the price, and vice versa.
In this point Mr. Pretzels is doing well and tend to attract people
willing to pay a bit more for a better quality snack, that attract customers by its
freshness and impacting flavour, as can be verified in the chart below:
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Besides almost 20% of the
respondents pointing not being
sure about quality overlapping
price, the great majority of Mr.
Pretzel’s customers are keen on
buying a product that is valued by
its quality. Even the customers who
are no sure about the importance
of quality in their buying behaviour
came to Mr. Pretzels and bought
the product, and that is a great
fact. So, even people that don’t rely on quality so much are regular customers
of Mr. Pretzels, but why? In the researcher’s opinion, the taste of the product
affects this slice of the market. And customers can only assess the taste by
trying the product, what took this research to analyse another important factor
of Mr. Pretzels’ merchandising strategy: Sampling.
4.6 SAMPLING
Giving products for free might be an idea far from reality for the major
snack brands, specially because these companies are well established in the
market and don’t need to prove themselves anymore. American pretzels were
not a common product in the UK, so the strategy when implementing the
company’s operation in this country was to keep the sampling running in all
shops, at all times, in order to assess as many potential customers as
possible and captivate new shares of the market. Not many strategies were
so successful than sampling for Mr. Pretzels, and it worked in such a way that
all shops opened in the UK but one (which won’t be mentioned for
professional reasons) flourished, based on extensive sampling.
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During the interviews, not surprisingly, all customers, without
exception, attested that the samples affected their purchase decision, as
mentioned by one of the respondents:
“Samples affected my purchase decision simply because the pretzel is wonderful and as soon as you taste it you want more.”
Another respondent mentioned:
“While trying a sample the guy offering it proved to be a great salesman, explaining all the features of the product and also highlighting its main characteristics. Being able to try before you buy helps the decision-making.”
Their opinions underline the two main aspects of sampling in Mr.
Pretzels: Offering the freshest pretzel and describing the product in detail in
order to paint the right picture and consequently attract new customers. Some
people come and go during the day trying the samples all the time, but even
so, sooner or later they would be stopping by to buy a pretzel of their own.
This statement is proved by
the answers obtained in the
questionnaire, where more than 70%
of the respondents assured that would
come back to the shop to buy a pretzel
sooner or later, just after trying a little
piece of the product. In the
researcher’s interpretation it is an art
to attract new customers by sampling.
It requires great level of attitude and
sensitivity. The sampler needs to be
agile in his/her sales pitch (performed
in a couple of seconds while the potential customer is trying the pretzel), and
astute as to play the role of a host, offering the best customer experience
possible.
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Not surprisingly, the level of response
acquired from the questionnaire show
how a good sampling can achieve
great sales results: 30 out of 30
respondents totally agree with
sampling being an effective way of
attracting customers, 100% of
satisfactory answers. This information
shows how happy customers for being
able to try a new product and be
surprised by a new business concept.
Most of the English people know pretzels from Germany and are not
so keen on trying Mr. Pretzels’ products thinking it would be hard, salty and
crunchy, perfect for a beer but not for a sweet snack in a shopping centre.
That is when the attitude and sense of the sampler come into play. By
explaining the customers that Mr. Pretzels offer a different product, which is
freshly baked, soft and warm, they realise the pretzel they are thinking about
is not what is being offered. They then give it a try and rapidly change their
minds.
For that reason, harmony between
sampler and sample is needed, in
order to make the maximum of the
customer’s experience. In the
questionnaire this theme was
approached and the responses
follow: A good job by the sampler
implicates in improved image of the
brand and product, turning
sampling into an experience. Being
able to highlight the main aspects
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of the product and approach the customers in a friendly way are the key
features for the success of a kiosk. Improved image of the brand and product
experience result in customer satisfaction and loyalty, main reasons for the
long-term survival of any business.
4.7 SUMMARY
This chapter is undoubtedly the main part of this research. Being able
to analyse the data gathered through the interviews and questionnaires is
certainly the top point for any researcher. The findings of this research were
able to tell a lot about the customers’ view on a great variety of themes:
quality, price, loyalty, sampling, merchandising strategies, and kiosk and
product presentation and brand image.
Remain clear to the researcher that Mr. Pretzels chose the right
strategy to tackle its competitors in UK soil, especially in terms of bringing the
customers a new experience and a relatively new product to the market.
Sampling is the key factor for the success of the sales and the greatest idea
was to offer a fresh made product which is rolled and baked in front of the
customer, not only intriguing by the live rolling but also for playing with the
senses of potential buyers.
Mentioned the benefits of the merchandising strategies, the
researcher would be too confident in assuming everything is working and in
perfect order. There is always room for improvement and that is what is going
to be analysed in the next chapter.
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CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 INTRODUCTION
The fifth chapter of this study is responsible for linking the information
gathered through extensive literature review and the findings obtained from in
depth interviews properly reinforced by a questionnaire in order to clarify
points of specific sensitivity as well as general opinions and views of the
brand, the company, and its visual merchandising strategies.
This section will also bring a review of the research’s aims and
objectives, in an effort to justify the key factors that contribute to the merge of
visual merchandising and customer buying behaviour, in terms to establish
the correlation between these two fields of study, and how improvements in
one area can lead to impacts in the second.
Furthermore, clarified the research problem and solved the main
questions, recommendations for further improvements on the studied field will
be offered as matter of changing some approaches to visual merchandising
strategies, especially concerning its impact on customers’ purchase decision.
Finally, a brief contribution to further studies is considered as to allow those
who are interested in this field of study to benefit from this paper as guidance
for future projects.
5.2 EVALUATION OF THE FINDINGS
The matter of visual merchandising and its impact on customer buying
behaviour is certainly of great influence on the retail industry, especially in the
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snack area, where competition is fierce and fresh approaches to well known
strategies might bring the perceived competitive advantage every retailer
wants. Considering that Mr. Pretzels is a relatively new entrant to the British
snack industry, this is an issue of major importance. The company is being
fuelled by fresh ideas since its establishment in Puerto Rico, and that is what
keeps Mr. Pretzels on the edge, alongside the basic business concept, that
can simply be adapted to contrasting scenarios.
The foundation stone of its success, in the researcher’s opinion is the
fusion of these two factors: A basic, simple business idea, or the product in all
its conceptual simplicity, and new approaches to marketing and
merchandising. The unpretentiousness of the product allowed the company to
expand in many different countries around the globe. It is simple to make, and
adaptable to different perspectives and cultures (flavours can be added, sizes
and shapes can be changed), keeping its basic recipe: Freshly baked dough
coated on the customer’s favourite topping. Added to this factor are the
merchandising strategies, creating differentiation, and so, competitive
advantage. Being able to transmit the correct message fuels the conception of
a brand in the customers minds, as previously mentioned by Tucker (2003:19)
“stores have in their core the function of representing the brand in the most
innovative ways, granting that consumers will keep in mind a concept of their
products and the correlation to the brand’s name and heritage.”
The data gathered through interviews and the administration of
questionnaires stresses the efficiency of this brand-customer communication
and the existence of a
connection between
visual merchandising and
customer buying
behaviour, to the point
where was possible to
measure customers’
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impression on various of the merchandising strategies adopted by the
company, the responses being nothing but a general agreement that there is
an impact to be measured from the implementation of merchandising
strategies on customer buying behaviour, as it can be verified from the overall
answers obtained via questionnaire:
The questions from both interviews and questionnaires were directed
to estimate the real impact of visual merchandising on customer buying
behaviour, not tending to defend the company or its strategy, but in contrary,
to test its strength in a very competitive industry. Even though, a margin of
77% of the questionnaire’s respondents agreed with most, if not all the
statements that were put in front of them. Questions designed to measure the
impact of external and product presentation, staff approach to customers,
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sampling and product quality in relation to visual merchandising, were in its
majority successful in demonstrating that as more innovative in terms of visual
merchandising and respectful in dealing with customers, more the company
tend to succeed. In Mr. Pretzels’ case, building the whole shop around
customer experience and performing activities like sampling based on
customer hosting are the key factors for their success. In terms of consumer
behaviour, this approach can be classified as the most valuable part on the
development of a buying process, as mentioned by Foxall (1977:26) and that
comprises, in its first phase, “the development and perception of a want or
need.”
The in depth interviews also highlighted the massive agreement from
Mr. Pretzels’ customers in relation to its visual merchandising strategies, the
most important being the live-rolling process, in which the product is
completely made in front of the customers from scratch: From mixing the
dough to adding the flavours, passing through the baking process, it is all
done in front of the customer, and the result of this open-plan production
design is, according to the answers obtained in the interviews, a high
confidence of customers in product quality, withdrawing attention from the
most delicate share of the business, which is product price.
Mr. Pretzels is a relatively new snack shop for many of the potential
customers, and the visual merchandising strategies help them making the
purchase decision, especially taking into consideration the relationship
between consumer buying behaviour and product life cycle, as mentioned by
Howard (1989: 15-17), highlighting that a new product is likely to be an
extensive problem solving for the consumer, that needs a large amount of
information to decide whether to buy or not to buy.
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5.3 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE FINDINGS AND THE RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES AND QUESTIONS
As in any research, the purpose of this study was to comprehend
certain phenomena and establish a link between them in order to build up
theory and solve related problems. Have said that, important is to review its
objectives and questions, as a way to conclusively answer the research’s
proposed problem:
Research Aims & Objectives:
a. To review extant conceptual models and theoretical
frameworks related to visual merchandising and consumer buying behaviour.
b. To examine the impact of visual merchandising on consumer
buying behaviour.
c. To recommend some practicable frameworks in which visual
merchandising could be used to improve consumer buying behaviour.
Research Questions:
a. Is visual merchandising an important tool for
companies like Mr. Pretzels in terms of increasing sales and gaining competitive advantage?
b. Does visual merchandising affects Mr. Pretzels’ consumers’ buying behaviour? To which extent?
The aims and objectives need to be analysed in conjunction to the
research questions, singularly, in order to highlight the main findings of this
research in comparison to the problem presented at the initial stages of this
study, drawing a conclusion regarding the main themes approached.
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Subsequently, recommendations were drawn as a form of fulfilling the third
research objective, especially in terms of how the current visual
merchandising strategies can be improved in order to achieve competitive
advantage.
5.3.1 VISUAL MERCHANDISING AS A TOOL TO GAIN COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
The first main purpose of this research was to find out whether visual
merchandising is an important tool for Mr. Pretzels, in terms of gaining
competitive advantage. The kiosks flourished mainly relying on visual
merchandising strategies, and consequently the expansion of the brand within
the UK was also planned bearing in mind the maintenance and improvement of merchandising strategies as a plan.
The main visual merchandising strategies consist of live pretzel
preparation and sampling, two strategies similarly not taken into consideration
by the competition, and there rely Mr. Pretzels’ first advantage: differentiation
and fresh approach to an industry already packed with competition. By
engaging in being as transparent as possible with its products, Mr. Pretzels
allowed potential customers to acquaint themselves with the brand and its
products, highlighting of course the most important part of the strategy:
Customers are able to assess the production chain entirely, enhancing confidence in the product and also in the brand.
In relation to sampling, nothing better for a new entrant than putting its
products to a test, allowing potential customers to draw their initial
impressions of the product and also eliminating possible pre-judgements in
relation to the kind of product is being sold. In this scenario it is possible to
say that Mr. Pretzels mastered the sampling policy very wisely, first for always
offering samples of freshly baked soft pretzels for customers familiarized to
the German way of making the same product, eliminating the bad image
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some consumers had about the later version of it. The second aspect of
sampling relies on its quality: The pretzel being sampled is the same offered
to customers, as fresh as possible, and as the sampler cut it into pieces, not
only the freshness is revealed, but also the smell of the cinnamon combined
to fresh pastry, making pre product very appealing to the public. Combine to
the product, a friendly approach to customers when sampling tie the whole
product experience, generating sales on the short, medium and long terms, as
some people try the product and buy it straight away, whereas others come
back later during the day to make purchases and even others that try the
product in a Mr. Pretzel kiosk located in one shopping centre and, when visiting another shopping centre some time later, decide to make a purchase.
Therefore, the research’s focus on interpreting visual merchandising
as a tool for to establish competitive advantage can be accepted as true, as
Mr. Pretzels case study was able to fulfil the topic completely, especially on
account of the widely used visual merchandising strategies applied by this organisation.
5.3.2 CORRELATION BETWEEN VISUAL MERCHANDISING AND CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR
The second and last research question attempted to focus not only on
the effectiveness of Mr. Pretzels’ visual merchandising strategies, but also to
analyse the impact of these strategies in the company’s customers.
Therefore, in order to assess their views and opinions, interviews were carried
and questionnaires administrated to thirty of Mr. Pretzels’ customers from a kiosk at Lakeside Shopping Centre, located in Thurrock, London.
The findings revealed an interesting pattern of behaviour from the
interviewed customers, that can be amplified as to build a general concept on
how Mr. Pretzels’ visual merchandising strategies are linked to customer
buying behaviour. To a large extent, it was possible to measure that the life-
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support strategy of Mr. Pretzels as a business is intrinsically related to visual
merchandising. The customers respond to it all the time, especially when
intrigued by the fact that the product is being made in front of them, and also
by the constant sampling that allow them to taste and evaluate the product
without really having to pay for it. Customer satisfaction, as assessed in
chapter four, is inherently connected to product experience and quality, and
Mr. Pretzels is delivering both messages to its customers on a daily basis.
The quality is ensured by the both rolling process and free tasting, while
product experience is embarked by product presentation and friendly approach by the staff when dealing with customers.
5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS
At last but not least, the important objective of supplying the studied
subject with recommendations that if followed tend to be successful. Taking
into account the findings obtained from primary data analysis, becomes clear
that Mr. Pretzels’ customers want to straighten the bond between them and
the brand. Levels of acceptance are strong enough to point that the
organisation is sailing the calm waters of prosperity, but in the researcher’s
point of view some alterations to the current visual merchandising strategy
should be implemented in order to establish a pattern of behaviour, especially when it comes to sampling.
The kiosk where the survey took place had been previously targeted
by the company’s head-office in the UK to be part of a training program that
consisted of improving staff attitude and posture when sampling, the
researcher being pointed as responsible for carrying out the program. After a
week of training and talks to the staff about their impressions on sampling,
remained clear that a change of approach when dealing with customers was
needed. The staff was not engaging with customers the right way, or
sometimes not engaging with customers at all, due mainly to: lack of
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understand of the English language and lack of interest in performing the role of sampler, classified by many as the worst role within the kiosk.
Therefore, a change of approach was due in terms of recreating the
image of the sampler, from worst to best role in the shop. Clearly, the sampler
does not endure so many difficulties during the day because he/she is outside
the kiosk engaging with customers, while the rest of the staff is suffering with
the production cycle or doing other activities that involve physical
engagement, like stocking materials, so that was a plus. Secondly, from being
just a person standing outside of the kiosk handling free food, the sampler
was elevated to the condition of host and salesman, bringing customers to the
shop and consequently generating more sales. The concept brought to the
staff was that sampling is more difficult than it seems, (And it really is!)
especially if you want to captivate customers in instead of just boringly
handing pieces of pretzels away. It requires perception, education and a good
dose of wit and business sense to succeed in this area of the shop, where the
mechanical activities are forgotten, giving space to a more mental and
delicate action. If sampling is taken as a serious business activity in instead of
a mechanical function, it works to the point where sales figures rise and the
sampler stands out from the crowd, being able to grow within the company faster than the others.
The result of this new approach to the role of sampler opened the
staff eyes for opportunities they had never considered, like becoming a
supervisor or manager of a kiosk, and also motivated them to do things
differently, mainly because from the rise on the sales comes a cash bonus for
the employees of the kiosk. After four months in red and a month of training,
the sales rate rose considerably and the staff was receiving their first bonus ever.
Although this is a good example of how sampling can be used as a
way of motivating staff and generating more sales, not every shop in the Mr.
Pretzels chain adopted this approach, and this is why the main
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recommendation the researcher could possibly think of relies on implementing
training programs especially designed to boost the role of the sampler and
motivate the staff in every kiosk to a point where anyone is able to sample
correctly and with the enthusiasm needed in order to succeed.
Additionally, another effective recommendation would be to change
the recruitment process of the company as a way to allow managers to track
people especially for the role of sampler, people enthusiastic about sales, with
a good English language background and determined to stand on his/her feet
outside the kiosk captivating, convincing and charming customers all the way until a purchase is made.
5.5 FURTHER RESEARCH ORIENTATIONS
This paper has covered the key aspects related to visual
merchandising and customer buying behaviour in the snack industry,
especially analysing the case of Mr. Pretzels. However, lots of fields remain to
be explored for those who want to experience more about the correlation
between these two areas of study.
Based on the findings of this research, future terms might be inclined
in discovering how staff training and development help improve visual
merchandising strategies, with special focus to the role of the sampler.
Additionally, remains clear to the researcher that other brands could make
good use of sampling and other merchandising strategies adopted by Mr.
Pretzels in their activities, so it would be interesting to put in practice some of
these strategies in other environments, in order to assess its effectiveness.
Furthermore, in the field of consumer behaviour, would be of great importance
to study the impacts of customer loyalty for brands like Mr. Pretzels, as a way
of assessing what brands can achieve with customer loyalty strategies and
how this kind of relationship between customer and brand evolves along the
time, and what can be done to captivate more and more customers. In many
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ways, this study can serve as a base for further questioning on the impact of
visual merchandising in consumer buying behaviour in other industries, being
useful as a point of comparison and further investigation.
5.6 SUMMARY
This chapter has considered the main findings obtained from the
analysis of primary and secondary data in terms of establishing the links
proposed by the research questions and objectives, assessing firmly each
problem that initially evoked the research itself. From the findings and
literature review was possible to draw a comparative approach between
research objectives and the final results of the study, generating a clear
picture of the impact of visual merchandising on consumer buying behaviour.
It was proved that the initial assumptions of this paper were right in pointing to
the investigation of this phenomenon, especially because the correlation
found was of really strong. Apart from that, this chapter was also a way of
clarifying future themes of study that could arise from the findings here
presented. Many are the issues involving visual merchandising and consumer behaviour and there is still plenty to be done.
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Samuel Prior – University of Gloucestershire – 2011 78
CHAPTER SIX
REFLECTIVE LEARNING
6.1 INTRODUCTION
The objective of this last chapter is to assess the progress the
researcher made as a Master in Business Administration student, especially
regarding the confection and development of this paper throughout the final
semester of the course and the effects of this development in present and future expectations, personally and professionally.
6.2 REFLECTIVE JOURNAL
The confection and development of this study certainly contributed
towards my development as student, professional and person. As a new
entrant to the academic research world, as I’ve never been requested to
deliver such work in my degree in law, this paper gave me a clear picture on
all methods and methodologies that surround this kind of work, especially in
terms of logically developing the title, research objectives and questions, followed by the review of current literature and analysis of findings.
As an international student I believe there is also a plus regarding the
development of this paper, which is elaborating a piece of research in English.
One of the major obstacles in this case was adapting myself to the academic
and business terms involved, creating a specific vocabulary that will certainly
contribute towards my future professional life. Being able to articulate and
transmit ideas in proper business English is something that very few people
are able to do, especially in Brazil, where English courses, in the majority, develop your communication skills only in basic areas of the language.
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Samuel Prior – University of Gloucestershire – 2011 79
In terms of logically organising a research process, the gains were
enormous as I was the only responsible for managing time and resources,
giving me a good view on how to work on budget and following short
deadlines. Additionally, my understanding of the various academic themes
absorbed by this research project was certainly taken to another level,
considering that the fields of study here presented were deeply researched,
widening my perceptions on key factors like merchandising and consumer
behaviour, especially bearing in mind my background in law, area in which
these themes are not included in the course curriculum. I believe that
business concepts, allied with my knowledge of law will blend in an interesting multi-faced approach to business management and regulations.
In terms of business and professional life, this paper gave me the
invaluable opportunity of writing and researching about something I’m part of.
Working for Mr. Pretzels only increased my interest for this kind of business
and thankfully my efforts to grow as a professional within the company are
flourishing, tending to achieve a better perspective after the completion of this
study. As far as I’m concerned, nothing like this was ever done to this
company in the UK, and being able to assess customers’ impressions on the
brand and its merchandising strategies certainly put me in a position where I
will be able to address problems related to these areas, especially in terms of
comprehending what are the needs of the English consumer and developing strategies towards the expansion and growth of the company in this country.
In summary, many were the obstacles that appeared during the
elaboration of this research project. Overcoming these difficulties only brought
me more confidence, comprehension, and knowledge, and that is the most
important part of it all. I can now consider myself a prepared professional,
ready to take any responsibilities in, what is for me, a new but, nonetheless promising stage of my life working in business.
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Samuel Prior – University of Gloucestershire – 2011 80
6.3 SUMMARY
This chapter brought to light what was the essence of this work for the
researcher: the learning process and its link to career perspectives. The skills
acquired while developing a research project for the first time are of great
importance and will guide the researcher in his future steps towards a
professional life focused on business.
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Samuel Prior – University of Gloucestershire – 2011 81
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APPENDIX A
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What are your impressions of Mr. Pretzels’ overall presentation?
2. Why did you choose Mr. Pretzels rather than other snack shop?
3. Did product presentation make any difference in your purchase decision?
Why?
4. Do you feel Mr. Pretzels’ products are of better quality in comparison to the
competition? Why?
5. Has the sample affected your purchase decision? How?
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Samuel Prior – University of Gloucestershire – 2011 87
APPENDIX B
QUESTIONNAIRE
1. Age group:
18 – 25 26 – 34 35 – 44 45 – 60 61 or above
2. External presentation of Mr. Pretzels’ kiosk drew my attention.
Agree Tend to agree Not sure Tend to disagree Disagree
3. Staff presentation affects my purchase decision.
Agree Tend to agree Not sure Tend to disagree Disagree
4. Product presentation affects my purchase decision.
Agree Tend to agree Not sure Tend to disagree Disagree
5. The fact that the pretzels are freshly baked affects my purchase decision.
Agree Tend to agree Not sure Tend to disagree Disagree
6. Being able to watch how the product is made enhanced my confidence in
its quality.
Agree Tend to agree Not sure Tend to disagree Disagree
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7. Free samples are an effective way of attracting customers.
Agree Tend to agree Not sure Tend to disagree Disagree
8. Trying a sample will certainly bring me back to the kiosk to make a
purchase, sooner or later.
Agree Tend to agree Not sure Tend to disagree Disagree
9. A friendly approach by the staff improves the image of the brand and
enhances product experience.
Agree Tend to agree Not sure Tend to disagree Disagree
10. Product quality and presentation are more important than its price.
Agree Tend to agree Not sure Tend to disagree Disagree