Consumer Trust and Experiential Drivers in Phygital Fashion Retail: A Study of Sensory Design Layout and Digitalphysical Consistency in India

The rising Indian retail market has also brought about the concept of phygital shopping experiences, which blend online and offline shopping experiences to influence consumer behaviours. The research paper emphasizes the importance of experiential store design elements such as ambience, lighting, and layout design in influencing consumer trust and comfort in the fashion retail market. The research paper follows a quantitative research methodology, and a structured survey was carried out among 218 respondents in Tier 1, Tier 2, and selected Tier 3 cities in India. The findings reveal that comfort, ambience alignment, and lighting are the most important parameters in establishing consumer trust and loyalty, while digital engagement is the most important parameter in establishing initial brand engagement, although emotional engagement and trust-building are established through the offline shopping experience. The research paper proposes a dual-store design strategy with QR and NFC-enabled phygital touchpoints and enhanced trial room lighting to establish brand resilience and customer loyalty. The research paper contributes to the existing knowledge base on phygital retail by establishing the significance of experiential and emotional alignment in establishing consumer trust in the Indian fashion retail industry.