Linking Retail Strategy, Atmospheric Design and Shopping Behaviour

Abstract

Although not usually recognized in the published work in retail atmospherics, the environment created by retail managers is an important strategic variable. Most of the work in atmospherics has focused on consumer reactions to environments while the strategic dimensions of this decision have largely been ignored. The present paper explores this gap by focusing on the managerial dimensions of store atmosphere by linking retail strategies and atmospheric design with consumer behaviours and issues. This discussion underscores the necessity for retail managers to have specific goals for the atmosphere in mind before creating a store design since the retail environment is capable of eliciting a wide range of behaviours from consumers.

Investigation of Mall Atmosphere in Experiential Shopping During Holiday Season: A case of Malaysian Shopping Malls

“…The approach-avoidance behaviour also comprises three emotional states in response to the environment, namely pleasure (P), arousal (A) and dominance (D) (Turley and Milliman, 2000;Turley, et al, 2002;Donovan and Rossiter, 1982;Bohl, 2012). Urban consumers are constantly evaluating the ambient quality and the extent of stimuli experienced during shopping which relates to the scenario of the research (Rajagopal, 2011).…”

“…The employee's behaviour and the way their duties are conducted will influence the customers' behaviour in the mall (Turley, et al, 2002). Besides, retail employees play a role in affecting shoppers' satisfaction level (Turley, et al, 2000).…”

Copyright Liability and Performing Rights Organizations in the United States and India: A Comparative Analysis

“…The atmosphere of a store refers to the physical characteristics that a store embodies which help it to project an image that either attracts or repels customers (Kotler 1973). Strategically manipulating the environment's arousing qualities via scents, colors, and sounds can help retailers differentiate their stores from otherwise similar competitors (Matilla and Wirtz 2001;Turley and Chebat 2002).…”

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“…Turley and Chebat (2002) established theoretical links between retail management strategy and the image evoked by a wide range of tangible and intangible factors. Therefore measuring retailer image components serves to evaluate the success of the retail strategy and the retailer's bid to satisfy the target market.…”