Purpose This paper aims to analyze how a biophilic atmosphere inspired by nature influences customers’ affective states and intention to visit shopping centers, and to empirically test how affective states affect and mediate the relationship between the nature-based atmosphere and behavior or intention to visit. Design/methodology/approach Four hypotheses are examined empirically through a model of structural equations using control variables. A survey of 403 consumers distributed in 24 large shopping centers was used. Findings The findings indicate the influence of the biophilic atmosphere on affective states and the intention to visit. Also, it is shown that affective states mediate in this relationship and effect. Practical implications The research suggests that shopping centers are potentially places to take advantage of people’s natural predisposition. Thus, they can combine biophilic architecture and atmosphere with other more traditional factors of attraction to increase the likelihood of visiting. A biophilic atmosphere can improve the attraction capacity within a highly competitive environment, where design and management of space is a topic of special value. Originality/value By incorporating the perception of the biophilic atmosphere in consumer evaluations when visiting shopping centers, this research has shown its influence on visiting intentions through affective states. The research proposes an alternative model that can increase and stimulate the attraction of demand and loyalty, as well as strengthening new paths in the field of retail and services marketing.
El rápido desarrollo de mercados con productos competitivos de difícil diferenciación y consumidores mejor informados que demandan experiencias memorables, justifican estudiar los elementos sensoriales que pueden potenciar e influir positivamente sobre dichas experiencias. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar el estado del arte respecto a la gestión y uso del marketing sensorial sobre la experiencia del consumidor. El diseño de investigación es no experimental documental, con un tipo de estudio descriptivo, empleando fuentes de recolección de información secundarias, mediante un arqueo bibliográfico de revistas de impacto que figuran en bases de datos de libre acceso. Los resultados revelan la dominancia del sentido de la visión sobre la persuasión y las actividades de marketing, mientras que el sentido del olfato demuestra mayor influencia sobre el nivel de recuerdo y evocación de información. Se concluye la utilidad de jerarquizar por nivel de influencia las actividades de estimulación sensorial en marketing a partir del funcionamiento y participación de los sentidos humanos y poder combinar dichas estimulaciones como medio para maximizar la experiencia del consumidor y distinguir la oferta de valor, considerando el grado de diferenciación, la favorabilidad y la fuerza de la actividad sensorial basada en planeación estratégica empresarial.
Purpose The mall industry in Latin America has grown rapidly in the past decade, offering diverse proposals oriented to improving the attractiveness of this commerce format; along this line, despite the fact that several studies have analyzed variables from an ecological perspective based on the relationship of the physical space with the consumers (from a marketing context), there is shortage in research regarding alternative attractiveness factors inspired by nature, although its connection with people’s behavior has been confirmed. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to answer the following question: Is the perception of environments with natural resources displayed in malls an alternative attractiveness factor for visitors? Thus, does it benefit its own competitive management against other attractiveness variables that focus on offering variety, accessibility, physical design and entertainment? Design/methodology/approach The quantitative method is an exploratory factor analysis that is followed by a confirmatory analysis and resulting in a measurement model based on 470 effective questionnaires. The exploratory and confirmatory nature focused on multidimensional verification of the measurement model (including the validation of the eco-natural environment) justified this choice in consistence with prior research that has used goodness of fit criteria. Findings The paper not only suggests the existence of a perception factor in the eco-natural environment, but it also determines its comparative importance over other traditional attractiveness factors reported in scientific literature. Particularly because commercial attractiveness is a consequence of how marketing variables are managed by malls and of how consumers respond to said variables, benefiting the visit’s experience. Practical implications The paper contributes to malls’ competitive management by suggesting and proving the importance of the eco-natural environment as a commercial attractiveness factor; thus, the results encourage this format’s developers to take into account new ways of persuasion considering its progressive and competitive rise in the past years in Latin America. Originality/value There is shortage of research on alternative attractiveness factors for malls; therefore, contrasting the eco-natural environment in a measurement model of commercial attractiveness allows contributing strategic information to the industry, which in turn constitutes an innovative resource to lure and motivate visitors. On the other hand, the paper contributes the state of knowledge of environmental variables over consumers’ assessments.
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