Title: The influence of online visual merchandising on consumer emotions: Moderating role of consumer involvement
Author: Ha, Young
Advisor: Lennon, Shannon J.
Degree: PhD (year: 2005)
School: THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
Publish Date: May 2006
ISBN: 0-542-42188-7

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Amazon.com: The influence of online visual merchandising on consumer emotions: Moderating role of consumer involvement : (Dissertation): Books: Young Ha

Abstract
The current research consists of two studies. The purpose of Study 1 was to investigate (1) the effects of peripheral cues presented in the apparel websites on consumers' emotions (pleasure and arousal) under low situational involvement, (2) the influence of product involvement (personal relevance of clothing products) as a moderator of the relationship between peripheral cues and emotions under the low involvement situation, (3) the influence of emotions on consumer response behaviors, and (4) the mediating effects of emotions on the relationship between peripheral cues and response behaviors (purchase intention and approach behaviors). A convenience sample of 157 female college students participated in an online experiment using a mock website for Study 1. In a between-subjects experiment with one factor (peripheral cues) having two levels (presence vs. absence), Study 1 found: (1) main effects for peripheral cues on consumer pleasure and arousal, (2) a stronger effect for peripheral cues on pleasure and arousal for consumers with a low level of clothing product involvement rather than with a high level of clothing product involvement, (3) direct effects of consumer emotions on purchase intention and approach behaviors, and (4) indirect effects of peripheral cues on purchase intention and approach behaviors via consumer pleasure and arousal. The purpose of Study 2 was to examine (1) the effects of web cues---central cues (product-related stimuli) and peripheral cues (stimuli not directly related to the product)---on emotions, (2) the influence of emotions on consumer response behaviors (satisfaction, purchase intention, and approach behaviors), (3) the effects of situational involvement (e.g., purchase situation vs. browsing situation) as a moderator of the relationship between web cues and emotions (pleasure and arousal), and (4) the mediating effects of emotional states on the relationship between web cues and response behaviors. A random sample of 1634 female undergraduate students participated in an online experiment using a mock website for Study 2. Employing a 2 (situational involvement: high vs. low) x 2 (central cues: medium amount vs. high amount) x 2 (peripheral cues: presence vs. absence) between subjects' factorial design, Study 2 revealed: (1) direct effects for central cues on pleasure and for peripheral cues on arousal, (2) the influence of pleasure and arousal on satisfaction, purchase intention, and approach behaviors, (3) the effects for central cues on consumer pleasure and arousal under high situational involvement (purchasing situation) and effects for peripheral cues on consumer emotions under low situational involvement (browsing situation), and (4) the mediating effects of consumer emotions on the relationship between web cues and consumer response behaviors. The findings of Study 1 and Study 2 (1) provide valuable information for apparel online retailers developing successful apparel online stores using various web cues that may attract both online browsers and purchasers, (2) extend online visual merchandising research by empirically investigating how various web cues presented in apparel websites influence consumer emotions that in turn affect consumer response behaviors under different involvement conditions, and (3) combine the ELM and the S-O-R paradigms to explain and predict consumer responses to online visual merchandising under different involvement conditions.

Getting down to plain English, visual merchandising can be tested and can improve sales. The design functions are desirability (aesthetics, benefits, symbols) and captology (persuasion architecture).

In another thread I posted about a Petco test. They made one small change in their catalog layout and sales increased. Unfortunately, visual merchandising is rampant with creative types looking to express their creative whims. ...And apparently with academics who can't seem to apply their own findings about desirability or persuasion.