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Retail atmospherics: The impact of a brand dictated theme

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  • Foster, Jamye
  • McLelland, Melinda A.

Abstract

Although retail atmospherics has been an active area of study, a glance around a typical mall indicates many retailers still do not actively differentiate their retail environment from competitors. This is likely due to retailers considering the atmospheric elements (lighting, music, etc.) individually and making decisions regarding the elements based on what is “standard†for their customers, merchandise, and format. This approach leads to very little differentiation and fails to consider that today’s consumer is often expecting a more multi-sensory, interactive, and holistic shopping experience. This paper considers an alternative approach, where a brand dictated “theme†is used to guide the manipulation of the atmospheric elements. This allows retail brands to break free from standard design to create a more interactive, immersive, and authentic environment. Outcomes include increases in shopping enjoyment, positive brand attitudes, and brand loyalty. T-tests are utilized to compare the two approaches within both the apparel (Study 1) and restaurant (Study 2) industries.

Suggested Citation

  • Foster, Jamye & McLelland, Melinda A., 2015. "Retail atmospherics: The impact of a brand dictated theme," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 195-205.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:22:y:2015:i:c:p:195-205
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2014.07.002
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    14. António C. Moreira & Nuno Fortes & Ramiro Santiago, 2017. "Influence of sensory stimuli on brand experience, brand equity and purchase intention," Journal of Business Economics and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 68-83, January.
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    22. Shin, Hyunju & Parker, Janna, 2017. "Exploring the elements of consumer nostalgia in retailing: Evidence from a content analysis of retailer collages," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 1-11.
    23. Marle van Eyk & Felix Amoah & Thembelihle Yase, 2022. "Sustaining the Township Economy: An Investigation into the Factors Influencing the Shopping Experience of Spaza Shop Customers in South Africa," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 14(3), pages 20-32.

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