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Abstract
The current study explored the effects of the importance of visual merchandising specifically in the home furnishings retailing setting. Five underlying dimensions of the importance of visual merchandising were identified as well as five perceived store image dimensions. With these variables, how the importance of visual merchandising affects both the perception of store image and consumer patronage behaviors was examined. Further, the relationship between the perception of store image and consumer patronage behaviors was tested. Overall, the current study provided partial support for the effects of the importance of visual merchandising as a marketing tool to influence the perception of store image and consumer patronage behaviors; different sets of the importance of visual merchandising factors affected the perceived store image and only one factor of the importance of visual merchandising influenced consumer patronage behaviors in the home furnishings retail setting. Contrary to numerous previous studies conducted in various retail settings, in the current research the perception of store image did not show any impacts on patronage behaviors in the home furnishings retail setting.