The industry that shows the strongest growth and development online is the foodindusty. The prognosis shows that this development will only continue to increase. One problem with the online grocery shopping lies in the fact that consumers find it difficult to differentiate the product packaging. Consumers also find it more difficult to evaluate the product traits online versus in physical stores. Companies must therefore start thinking about designing packaging that should also fit digitally. Companies who do not adapt to the new digital landscape run the risk of losing customers, see the margins fall and being out- competed by other companies who have come further in this work. This study therefore aims to analyze which communicative elements on the digital packaging that consumers consider ease their purchasing decisions when shopping for groceries online. This is to be able to create direct communication on the digital packaging which in turn can lead to purchases. In order to examine this, theories in visual communication and consumer purchasing behavior have been analyzed as secondary data together with primary data in the form of three focus groups and fifteen semi-structured interviews. The interview answers have then been analyzed and set against previous theories. This led to the following conclusions: The communicative elements on the digital packaging that consumers consider eases their purchasing decisions when shopping for groceries online are: Consumers want to be able to easily see the brand's logotype and quantity/volume must be clearly stated. It is also important to have an image presenting the packaging's content, clearly state what the product is and labels, especially in the form of eco-labels and origin. / Den bransch som visar på den starkaste tillväxten och utvecklingen online är livsmedelshandeln. Prognosen visar att denna utveckling bara kommer fortsätta öka. En problematik med handeln av livsmedel online ligger i att konsumenter nästan inte ser någon skillnad på förpackningarna. Konsumenter har även svårare att utvärdera produktegenskaper online kontra fysisk butik. Företag måste därmed börja tänka på att designa förpackningar som även ska passa digitalt. Företag som inte anpassar sig till det nya digitala landskapet riskerar förlora kunder, se marginalerna falla och bli utkonkurrerade av andra aktörer som kommit längre i detta arbete. Denna studie syftar därmed till att undersöka vilka kommunikativa element på digitala förpackningar som konsumenter anser underlättar deras köpbeslut när de handlar livsmedel online. Detta för att kunna skapa en tydlig kommunikation på digitala förpackningar som i sin tur ska kunna leda till köp. För att undersöka detta har författarna analyserat teorier inom visuell kommunikation och konsumentköpbeteende som sekundärdata tillsammans med primärdata i form av tre fokusgrupper samt femton semistrukturerade intervjuer. Intervjusvaren har sedan analyserats och ställts mot tidigare teorier. Våra slutsatser är följande: De kommunikativa element på digitala förpackningar som konsumenter anser underlättar deras köpbeslut när de handlar livsmedel online är: Att lätt kunna se varumärkets logotyp och att mängd/volym tydligt framgår. Det är också viktigt med en bild som förmedlar förpackningens innehåll, vad det är för produkt och märkningar, framförallt i form av miljömärkningar och ursprung.

The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual integrated online visual merchandising framework containing online visual merchandising themes that South African apparel e-tailers could use when developing an effective apparel e-store, with the main aim of possibly influencing consumer purchasing behaviour. The study adopted a consumer-centred response approach to online visual merchandising in an attempt to holistically consider this area of the South African e-tail industry from the consumer’s perspective. The study followed a pragmatic paradigm that implemented a mixed-method approach. The qualitative section of the mixed-method approach primarily comprised four focus group interviews as the main data-collection instrument. The data obtained during the qualitative section was analysed by Tesch’s inductive descriptive coding technique, better known as thematic analysis. The findings obtained during the qualitative section were used as the basis for the quantitative section of the mixed-method approach, which implemented a self-administered web-based questionnaire as the data-collection instrument. The data was analysed by means of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 23. The findings of the study delivered a conceptual integrated online visual merchandising framework that consists of 13 themes and 82 items. This conceptual integrated online visual merchandising framework will contribute to the South African apparel retail and e-tail industry, as both apparel brick-and-mortar retailers and apparel e-tailers in South Africa can benefit from using the conceptual integrated framework as a guideline. The value of the conceptual integrated framework lies in the fact that it includes consumers’ views regarding the online visual merchandising themes. Therefore, apparel e-tailers, as well as brick-and-mortar retailers that want to develop an e-store, or update an existing e-store, can use this conceptual integrated framework as a guideline to make their online offering as attractive as possible. This way involves the least possible online risks to ensure that online trust is created, and ultimately, that consumer purchasing behaviour has been influenced. / Business Management / D. Phil. (Management Studies)