How Do Customers Alter Their Basket Composition When They Perceive the Retail Store to Be Crowded? An Empirical Study

Abstract

Using data from a large-scale field study, we show that (perceptions of) crowding change(s) the composition of a consumer's shopping basket. Specifically, as shoppers experience more crowding, their shopping basket contains (a) relatively more affect-rich ("hedonic") products, and (b) relatively more national brands. We offer a plausible dualprocess explanation for this phenomenon: Crowding induced distraction limits cognitive capacity, increasing the relative impact of affective responses in purchase decisions. As we are the first to show that level of crowding relates to what shoppers buy (at both product and brand level), the implications of these effects for retailers are discussed.

E-tailers adaptation during early stages of “social distancing causing crises”: an exploratory study

“…As shoppers experience more crowding, their shopping basket contains relatively more hedonic products and national brands. Hence, during SDCC, when shoppers maintain a safe distance from each other, perhaps less crowding will lead to a greater demand for private labels and utilitarian products (Aydinli et al , 2020). Social distancing during COVID-19 has increased the pace at which customers adopt emerging retail technologies that improve their experiences and facilitate their omnichannel journey.…”

How safe is it to shop? Estimating the amount of space needed to safely social distance in various retail environments

“…Given these potential risks and fears, the retail sector has to navigate through this crisis and adjust to a “new normality” in which capacity will be limited in stores ( Aydinli et al, 2020 ), and more shoppers will continue shopping online even after the lockdown measures are lifted ( Nazir, 2020 ). In the UK, the combination of shifting consumer behaviours and ordered closures has had a detrimental impact to the point that 20,000 high street retail outlets have been forecast to close in the following months ( Li et al, 2020 ).…”

“…In the new normal, safety becomes the number one priority for shopping destinations, as consumers would like to keep a safe distance from each other in the stores, and not experience ‘crowding stress’ ( Aydinli et al, 2020 ). Social distancing, increased hygiene procedures and the wearing of face-coverings will become normal practices, but also effective communication and understanding of the required measures is of primary importance, in order to avoid a second wave that would not only put public health at risk, but would also give another huge blow to an already troubled sector.…”

Social distancing and store choice in times of a pandemic

“…For example, Katakam et al (2021) found more impulse buying in more crowded stores, and Calvo-Porral and Lévy-Mangin (2021) found no influence of store crowding on satisfaction in hedonic and utilitarian shopping environments. In a similar note, Aydinli et al (2021) found that crowding was correlated with more “hedonic” purchases and more national brands in a large-scale study in the Netherlands, which in many cases translate into a higher total purchase cost.…”