Abstract
The purposes of this study were to examine: 1) supporting activities of fashion brands for store-level visual merchandising(VM); 2) shop masters' attitude to VM supporting activities; 3) the differences in the perceived importance of VM, attitude to VM supporting activities, and shop masters' VM management by shop master characteristics; and 4) the influencing factors on shop masters' VM management. A total of 203 questionnaires collected from shop masters working for women's wear fashion brands were analyzed. Results revealed that VM manual was used most often as a VM supporting activity, and casual brands offered VM training and professional VM help more often than designer brands did. Shop masters' attitude toward necessity, participation and usefulness to VM supporting activities were related to each other as well as to the perceived importance of VM. There were differences in the perceived importance of VM and attitude to VM supporting activities by age and sales career and in the VM management by income. Brand knowledge, the perceived importance of VM, and participation to VM supporting activities affected VM management of shop masters.