Investigating the Relationship between Visual Merchandising and Impulse Buying of Apparel Products by Selected Retail Shoppers in Vadodara City of Gujarat

India’s overall retail sector is expected to increase at an unprecedented Compound annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10 per cent by the year 2025 from US$ 672 billion in 2017. The lifestyle format of apparel segment in retail industry has been experiencing higher growth even though intensive competitive environment has been prevailing due to presence of a large number of marketers. The customers are constantly offered newer varieties of merchandise by the modern retailers for creating customers' interest. The retailers are adopting attractive store design as well as retail layout using visual practices of merchandising viz. attractive packaging, eye-catching displays, and appropriate place for promotional signages within the store. Visual merchandising now is considered important in strategic marketing decisions to increase the footfalls and sales of the stores. This empirical research study examines the influences of selected dimensions of visual merchandising in the city of Vadodara on impulse buying behavior. Influence of four dimensions of visual merchandising on impulse buying behavior viz. window display, in-store form/mannequin display, floor merchandising and promotional signage have been considered in this research study due to their strategic importance in marketing decisions to increase the footfalls and sales of the stores in the Vadodara city of the Gujarat State.