Influence of in store retail displays on impulsive buying behaviour of customers in Kerala

Abstract

Impulse buying has become a prominent and widespread consumer behaviour in organised retail formats, particularly hypermarkets, owing to the strategic use of in- store display elements that stimulate unplanned purchases. In an increasingly competitive retail environment, understanding the factors that influence impulsive buying behaviour and its emotional outcomes has become increasingly crucial for organised retailers. Although impulse buying has been widely examined in global contexts, empirical studies focusing on hypermarket shoppers in Kerala remain limited. Against this backdrop, the present study examines the influence of in-store retail display elements such as visual merchandising, in-store ambience, product placement, and in-store promotion on impulsive buying behaviour and its emotional outcomes, namely positive emotional response and post-purchase guilt, among hypermarket customers in Kerala, while also analysing the role of shoppers’ characteristics and generational cohorts. The study employs a descriptive-analytical research design, drawing on both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to hypermarket shoppers across selected districts of Kerala, using a multi-stage cluster sampling technique combined with systematic random sampling. The total sample size determined for the study was 400. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent- samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, CFA, CBSEM, and multigroup analysis, using IBM SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 23.0. The findings reveal that visual merchandising, in- store ambience, and in-store promotion significantly influence impulsive decision- making, whereas product placement does not. Further, impulsive buying behaviour contributes to both positive emotional responses and post-purchase guilt, though no direct relationship exists between these emotional outcomes. Shoppers’ characteristics such as gender, education, employment status, income level, purchase frequency, and generation significantly influence impulsive buying behaviour and its emotional consequences. The generational comparison between Gen X and Gen Y consumers indicates no significant differences in impulsive decision-making and positive emotional responses. At the same time, post-purchase guilt differs significantly, with Gen X consumers experiencing higher levels of guilt. Based on the results, the researcher has provided appropriate recommendations to key stakeholders, including organised retailers, policy makers and hypermarket customers. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence from Kerala’s hypermarket context. It offers practical implications for retailers in designing effective in-store strategies to influence impulse buying behaviour.