The Influence of spatial marketing strategies on consumer behavior: lessons learned from Pamunuwa textile market, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Markets are places of public interaction. Every market is unique, and the arrangement of spatial and non-spatial elements of marketplaces influences public interaction, especially the vendor-consumer interaction. Focusing on a mostly overlooked topic in current scholarly work, this study investigates the spatial marketing strategies adopted by mobile, semi-permanent, and permanent vendors operating in the Pamunuwa Textile Market, Sri Lanka. In addition, the study examines how these strategies affect consumer behaviour. Drawing from a combination of literature review, field study, and surveys, the research identifies how spatial dimensions such as booth layout, product segregation, accessibility, and sensory stimuli affect purchasing behaviour and overall market dynamics. The study reveals that variety and value are still highly valued by customers, whereas standards for better organization, visual presentation, and mobility are of great importance. Permanently located traders who have well-presented and attractively laid out stalls attract more customers than semi-permanent or mobile traders, a sign of the growing power of physical space design on vendor-consumer interaction.