Do perfect mannequins sell more clothes? Not necessarily, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Colombia (UBC) and the University of Alberta.
The researchers discovered that mannequins that evoke the body type widely idealized as “perfect†– those with long and lean legs, very thin waists, and perky busts – actually made the articles of clothing they were displaying less attractive to shoppers. This effect was particularly noticeable on shoppers with low self-esteem, the researchers reported. The study, titled “Standards of Beauty: The Impact of Mannequins in the Retail Context was published in the Journal of Consumer Research over the summer.
When that mannequin is an example of perfection, it reminds people who are vulnerable that they don’t measure up, explained Darren Dahl, a UBC marketing professor and one of the authors of the study. The problem is the beauty ideal that mannequins represent. When people feel they don’t meet that ideal, their view of the product dims as well.
In the study, Dahl and his co-author, Jennifer Argo, a professor of marketing at the University of Alberta, first asked participants a series of questions relating to their body image and overall self-esteem. They then asked the participants to look at a bikini that was displayed on a mannequin. Participants whose self-esteem was lower were significantly more likely to have a worse opinion of the bikini.
However, when the bikini was just displayed on a hanger without any mannequin around or when the bikini was displayed on a mannequin that was somehow damaged, customers had a much higher opinion of the bikini, particularly those with lower self-esteem. Interestingly, this effect was only noted with apparel. When mannequins modeled merchandise less related to appearance, such as umbrellas, this discrepancy disappeared.
Dahl and Argo think this could have huge ramifications for the retail industry and the use of mannequins. A lot of us experience low self-esteem to some extent. We all have bad hair days. Those consumers actually have a negative reaction when they see beautiful mannequins on display, Dahl explained.
In other words, the retail industry might actually be able to sell more if it shied away from using “perfect mannequins”. Dahl suggested that retail stores might be able to increase sales if they use half mannequins, which are not only less expensive but also perceived by consumers to be much less threatening.
Quote source:
https://phys.org/news/2017-08-mannequins-turnoff-consumers.html
