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image of Visual merchandising in fashion retail: The diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) perspective

Abstract

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) has been at the forefront of many disciplines in recent years. Utilizing three different aspects of visual merchandising in the context of fashion retail, this study investigates the effects of (1) colours of mannequins, (2) sizes of mannequins and (3) the presence of a rainbow flag as signage in a physical store on consumers’ feelings towards the store and related clothing styles, in addition to their perceptions of the store’s commitment to DEI. Using an online survey, data were collected from a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experimental design with 382 responses. Findings suggest that mannequin sizes influenced the participants’ overall feelings towards a store, in addition to mixed interaction effects among mannequin sizes, colours and/or use of a rainbow flag. Discussion and implications are provided.

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2025-01-30
2025-03-26
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