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1 International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management A conceptual model of the holistic effects of atmospheric cues in fashion retailing Paul W Ballantine, Andrew Parsons, Katrina Comeskey, Article information: To cite this document: Paul W Ballantine, Andrew Parsons, Katrina Comeskey, (2015) "A conceptual model of the holistic effects of atmospheric cues in fashion retailing", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 43 Issue: 6, pp , Permanent link to this document: Downloaded on: 24 October 2017, At: 02:34 (PT) References: this document contains references to 55 other documents. To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 2247 times since 2015* Users who downloaded this article also downloaded: (2010),"Atmospheric cues and their effect on the hedonic retail experience", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 38 Iss 8 pp <a href=" doi.org/ / "> (2013),"Impact of store environment on impulse buying behavior", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 47 Iss 10 pp <a href=" doi.org/ /ejm </a> Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by emeraldsrm: [] For Authors If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit for more information. About Emerald Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services. Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.

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3 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: Downloaded by University of Manchester At 02:34 24 October 2017 (PT) A conceptual model of the holistic effects of atmospheric cues in fashion retailing Paul W. Ballantine Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship; College of Business and Law; University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Andrew Parsons Department of Marketing, Advertising, Retailing, & Sales, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand, and Katrina Comeskey Department of Management, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand Abstract Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how the holistic atmospheric cues encountered in a retail environment contribute to the creation of a retail experience. The interaction between these cues, and how they impact on the various stages of the retail experience is also explored. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology was employed, using protocol analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews that were conducted with 18 participants. Data were collected in the context of the women s fashion sector. Findings The findings highlight the importance of store owners ensuring atmospheric cues create a store image congruent with their target market s self-image. A model is also developed which highlights how atmospheric cues are able to affect successive stages of the retail experience. Originality/value This paper provides a holistic understanding of how retail atmospheric cues are able to influence the overall retail experience; from how a retail store is initially evaluated through to the intention to purchase. Keywords Consumer behaviour, Retailing, Retail atmospherics, Store design Paper type Research paper Introduction Research on how retail environments can affect consumer behaviour owes much to the work of Kotler ( ). Coining the term atmospherics, Kotler ( ) argued that buying environments can be purposefully designed to produce specific emotional effects in shoppers, thereby enhancing their purchase probability. Work in this area was further popularised by Donovan and Rossiter (1982), who used the framework provided by Mehrabian and Russell (1974) to help understand consumer responses to retail atmospherics. Since the work of Donovan and Rossiter (1982), researchers have largely explored how individual atmospheric variables such as music (e.g. Milliman, 1982; Morin et al., 2007; Yalch and Spangenberg, 2000), colour (e.g. Bellizzi and Hite, 1992), odour/scent (e.g. Hirsch, 1995; Michon et al., 2005; Spangenberg et al., 1996), lighting (e.g. Areni and Kim, 1994), and crowding (e.g. Machleit et al., 2000) can affect a range of outcomes in retail stores, treating them as independent causal effects. These outcomes have included affective responses (e.g. Bellizzi and Hite, 1992), shopping duration (e.g. Yalch Cues in fashion retailing 503 Received 12 February 2014 Revised 27 February April July 2014 Accepted 26 October 2014 International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management Vol. 43 No. 6, 2015 pp EmeraldGroupPublishingLimited DOI /IJRDM

4 IJRDM 43,6 504 and Spangenberg, 2000), merchandise evaluations (e.g. Areni and Kim, 1994), and shopping satisfaction (e.g. Machleit et al., 2000). Moreover, in an extensive review of the atmospherics literature, Turley and Milliman (2000) established five broad categories of atmospheric cues, in which 57 specific cues were identified. We suggest that there is a need to examine atmospherics and their effects from a more holistic perspective. When a customer enters a store they do not experience the music in isolation; they do not smell the scent without seeing the colours as well; they do not walk on the floor-covering without feeling the ambient temperature. The typical customer experiences degrees of stimuli as an on-going, integrated experience. Moreover, it is important that we understand how atmospherics can affect the entire retail process, from the basic dilemma of whether or not to enter a store to the actual purchase decision. Ballantine et al. (2010) note the difficulty of measuring a multisensory experience using the traditional stimulus-organism-response of Donovan and Rossiter (1982) due to the extensive set of interactions which need to be examined. For example, the interactions of Turley and Milliman s (2000) 57 specific cues would create a combinatorial value of 57 C 2 56,resultinginmorethan29,000three-wayinteractionsalone. This study aims to examine how the holistic atmospheric cues encountered in a retail environment contribute to the creation of a retail experience. Moreover, the interaction between these cues, and how they impact on the various stages of retail experience will also be explored. Literature review Store atmosphere has a measureable effect on emotional factors such as pleasure and arousal, which in turn can affect the time and money spent in a store (Donovan et al., 1994), with customers moods also affected by pleasant/unpleasant store environments, and customer satisfaction with a store directly affected by the atmosphere, and indirectly mediated by customers moods (Spies et al., 1997). There is also a suggestion that the customer s motivational orientation (recreational vs task) may moderate the effect of arousal produced by a store atmosphere on the pleasantness of the environment (Kaltcheva and Weitz, 2006), perhaps due to the functional theory of attitudes and store atmosphere acting as a social identity appeal (Schlosser, 1998). Simplified proxies for atmospheric factors are commonly used, such as lighting and music for ambient cues, and the number/friendliness of employees for social cues (Baker et al., 1992); music for ambient factors, store design for design factors, and store employee perceptions for social factors (Baker et al., 2002) though by looking at the cues themselves rather than as proxies for factors, Parsons (2011) demonstrated that the interactions between the stimuli that constitute a store atmosphere can have a significant effect on shoppers affect for the store. Jain and Bagdare (2011) took the approach, when looking at music and consumption in a retail setting, of viewing other ambient cues (such as visuals, fragrance, quality of air) as moderators on the sensory interaction of audio signals and their impact upon cognitive, emotional, and behavioural responses, though theirs was a conceptual review and has not been subjected to empirical examination. Music has often been considered when looking at the effects of other factors in-store, such as music and retail density (crowding) (Eroglu et al., 2005); music and wait expectations as contributors to store atmosphere evaluation, as a precursor to store patronage intentions (Grewal et al., 2003); and as a means of enhancing salespersons persuasive efforts within a store environment (Chebat et al., 2000). Similarly, olfactory cues (scent) have been considered to have an impact on affect evaluations and behaviour (e.g. Spangenberg et al., 1996), including perceptions of store

5 environmental attributes as part of the retail brand image (Ward et al., 2007), though in contrast to Kaltcheva and Weitz (2006), Douce and Janssens (2013) suggest that while the presence of a pleasant scent can work with affect intensity, there is no evidence that shopper motivation (e.g. hedonic) interacts with olfactory cues. In line with our preposition that we need to look at interacting stimuli (along the lines of Parsons, 2011), it has been shown that music and scent work together when congruent in terms of their arousing qualities to significantly enhance approach and impulse buying behaviour as well as satisfaction (Mattila and Wirtz, 2001). Indeed, music and scent have been shown to have a significant effect on emotions and satisfaction levels, increased pleasure levels leading to time and money spent, approach behaviour, and satisfaction with the shopping experience and their interaction can lead to increased time spent in-store and pleasure (Morrison et al., 2011). Visual effects too can have an influence on shoppers, from lighting effects on perceptions of store ambience (Custers et al., 2010), to colour (Bellizzi and Hite, 1992; Crowley, 1993), and colour and shopping intentions (Babin et al., 2003), with the latter showing colour and lighting can work together to have significant effects on things like perceived price fairness. Colour in a store can also impact upon mood and cognitive performance, with age and sex interacting with colour in the perception of atmospheric attributes (Yildirim et al., 2007). Retail crowding (or density) has also attracted a degree of attention when considering store atmosphere (e.g. Eroglu and Harrell, 1986; Machleit et al., 1994), revolving to some extent around perceptions of crowding (Kim and Kim, 2012; Machleit et al., 2000) and the perceived effect depending on the needs of the shopper (Byun and Mann, 2011; Eroglu et al., 2005; van Rompay et al., 2012); a particular twist being Yüksel s (2009) study of how exterior colours of stores can affect tourist s perception of retail crowding. Bonnin and Goudey (2012) go as far as to explore the kinetic quality of the store environment showing a relationship with the shopping motivation, while it is also suggested that space and colour interact with motivation (van Rompay et al., 2012). Of course, it is not just other customers that can create a feeling of crowdedness the physical layout can cause perceptions of crowding, such as the effect of mall kiosks (Kim and Runyan, 2011). Store atmosphere perceptions begin before entering the store. Yüksel (2009) looked at the exterior colour, but other studies have examined the effect storefronts primarily store windows and the displays in them can have on approach/avoidance entry decisions (Oh and Petrie, 2012; Sen et al., 2002). There is also the suggestion that store windows, and the surrounding landscaping, can influence affect for the store and patronage decisions (Mower et al., 2012). There are, of course, virtual store environments which can involve a holistic store atmosphere experience, as shown by Parsons and Conroy (2006), and there have been a number of studies that have examined aspects of store atmosphere on the internet (e.g. Cheng et al., 2009;MenonandKahn,2002;Ng,2003;Wuet al., 2014).Thisstudy, however, examines the real rather than the virtual world of holistic store atmospheres. As such, we turn next to our study, presenting first the methodology used to allow an holistic perspective to be understood, followed by a detailed discussion of the findings and consequent implications. Methodology Research was conducted using a within-subjects comparative case study design, with the data being qualitative in nature (Miles and Huberman, 1994). This allowed for the Cues in fashion retailing 505

6 IJRDM 43,6 506 examination of a large range of cues and interactions that would not be possible in an experimental design due to complexity issues. The context in which this study was conducted is the women s fashion sector. The rationale behind choosing this is that it has a proportionally larger number of stores in shopping centres than any other retail sector (West, 1992). The data were obtained using a form of cognitive interviewing known as protocol analysis. Protocol analysis involves placing a person in a specified situation, and asking them to verbally express their thoughts as they proceed through the situation (Ericsson and Simon, 1993). Participants were fully briefed as to the nature of this study, and then tasked with exploring stores within a large suburban shopping mall in Christchurch, New Zealand, verbalising any atmospheric cues that they noticed, describing what effect (if any) it had on them, and any behavioural outcomes arising from these effects. The protocol interviews were followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews, allowing for deeper discussion of the comments made during the earlier protocol analysis. Due to the conditions of conducting this study on-site, the researchers could not directly approach any patrons within the mall. Given this constraint, all participants were recruited off-site using a snowball sampling approach. Thus, potential participants with the correct characteristics were referred by those participants who had already taken part in the study. All participants also had to meet the criteria of being female, and aged between 18 and 50 (consistent with the target age demographic of the mall). In total, 18 participants were recruited to take part in the study, with an average age of 31. There was a slight age bias towards younger participants, which may have been an effect of the sampling process, with younger people potentially being more willing and/or having more time to participate in this study. Moreover, younger participants would have been likely to suggest potential participants similar in age to themselves. On average, the protocol analysis and subsequent interview took an hour to complete, with both approaches being recorded using a digital voice recorder that clipped onto each participants lapel. Notes were also taken during the protocol analysis that were later used to guide the interview discussion. All voice-recorded data were subsequently transcribed, and the field notes were turned into expanded field notes. In total, 183 pages of transcripts were documented. From this full set of data, main themes were identified. Each transcript was coded at two levels. The highest level of coding represented main themes, which were participants cognitive, affective and behavioural responses towards the stores they encountered. The second level of coding represented the specific atmospheric variables that formed the participants cognitive, affective and behavioural response towards each store. These variables were coded in accordance with the list of atmospheric variables identified by Turley and Milliman (2000). The two levels of coding from each transcript were then compared across all cases, and this cross-case analysis enhances the generalisability of the findings (Miles and Huberman, 1994). The coded data were then condensed and refined so that only main themes and atmospheric variables that were common across the majority of cases remained. The common themes and atmospherics identified then formed the basis for a model to be created of how individual atmospheric variables affect consumers cognitive, affective and behavioural responses towards stores. Findings Figure 1 presents the conceptual model developed from the findings of this study. Each box represents a separate main theme of participants cognitive, affective and

7 Intent to purchase - Changing rooms - Employee characteristics Cues in fashion retailing 507 Time spent in-store - Crowding - Employee characteristics - Layout - Music - Product displays - Temperature Perceived store image congruency Perceived target market age: - Colour scheme - Customer characteristics - Employee characteristics - Lighting - Merchandise - Music Perceived target market social class: - Customer characteristics - Interior furnishings - Layout - Merchandise - Product displays Downloaded by University of Manchester At 02:34 24 October 2017 (PT) Intentions to enter store - Crowding - Customer characteristics - Dead areas - Employee characteristics - Entrance - Exterior signs - Exterior windows - Layout - Merchandise Comfort in-store - Customer characteristics - Employee characteristics - Flooring - Interior furnishings - Layout - Lighting - Music - Posters - Temperature Ability to browse merchandise - Crowding - Layout - Lighting - Product displays - Signage Propensity to try on merchandise - Changing rooms - Employee characteristics - Temperature Figure 1. Atmospheric cues at successive stages of the retail experience

8 IJRDM 43,6 508 behavioural responses to women s fashion store atmospherics. Atmospheric variables that create the response are listed underneath the main themes. The model also highlights how atmospheric cues are able to affect successive stages of the retail experience. Perceived store image congruency was the initial aspect that participants attempted to understand, and had a notable impact on whether or not they would think about entering a store. The two main factors participants used to determine this were perceived target market age and perceived target market social class. If these two perceptions were aligned with the participants own self-image, they would believe the store to be congruent. Once they had decided that the store was congruent with their own self-image, participants then began to determine whether they wanted to enter the store, doing so under the condition that the atmospheric variables present positively influenced their desire to enter. Participants comfort in-store affected how long they would spend in-store and their browsing behaviour. However, time spent in-store and the ability to browse merchandise had an interdependent relationship, where the more time spent in-store the more merchandise would be browsed, and vice versa. Moreover, the longer participants browsed merchandise, the more likely it was they would find something to try on and subsequently purchase. It was noticeable that the final two stages of the model contained the fewest atmospheric variables. This was mostly likely because each participants personal favour towards the merchandise played a major role in deciding whether to try on the merchandise and whether to buy it. In total, 19 of the 57 atmospheric variables identified by Turley and Milliman (2000) were found to be evident in the model provided. The majority of the atmospheric cues identified manifested themselves in two forms that would either positively or negatively influence participants responses to the store environment. The remainder of this section will now present further detail about the atmospheric cues which informed each of the successive stages of the conceptual model. Perceived store image congruency When participants attempted to identify store target market age, the atmospheric cues which allowed them to infer this were: colour scheme, customer characteristics, employee characteristics, lighting, merchandise, and music. A bright colour scheme indicated that the store was aimed at a younger consumer, whereas soft colours were perceived by participants to be appealing to an older consumer. Participants would also look at the other customers in-store to determine what target market age the store was aimed at. Younger customers would lead participants to believe that the store was aimed at a younger target market. The opposite was also true, with one participant observing: [ ] this store is for an older market [ ] the shoppers, all women, but more senior. So yeah, who are in the store is a good idea of who should be in the store. Similarly, participants also used employees of the store as a point of inference to judge what the target market age was. Bright lighting was associated with a younger target market, and as one participant noted: [ ] I noticed when we walked past some of the older ladies stores that the lighting was dimmer and softer and gentler, whereas the younger stores are more in your face. Merchandise that was priced low indicated to participants that the store was for younger customers, and bulk merchandising also lowered the participant s perception of the target market age of the store. Finally, participants perceived the latest popular music to be aimed towards a younger target market, while easy listening music was perceived to be more appropriate for stores

9 trying to attract an older clientele. As one older participant noted: [ ] personally I think the music is too loud for me. But I think it s fine because I know they are trying to get in kids, and they are playing popular current music because that s what they listen to, generically speaking. The perception of store target market social class was related to whether participants felt the store was posh (upper-class), or more tacky (lower-class). The atmospheric variables found to affect perceptions of target market social class were: customer characteristics, interior furnishings, layout, merchandise, and product displays. When considering customer characteristics, participants believed that a store with many customers was lower class as it had wide appeal to many consumers, whereas a store with fewer customers had a level of exclusivity to it. Interior furnishings also affected participants perceptions of target market social class. Furnishing made of cheap materials indicated to participants that the store was targeting a lower class consumer, as expensive furnishings indicated that the store was more upmarket. As one participant commented: [ ] it s a bit more upmarket, the décor and the interior designing cost a little bit more, what is that marble?. A cramped layout as compared to a spacious layout lowered participants perceptions of store target market social class, as cramped layouts were associated with being bulk merchandised. Extending this, bulk merchandising was associated with a cheaper store image, with less merchandise being displayed indicating exclusivity to participants, and they therefore perceived the store to be more upper class. Cluttered displays were also associated with having bulk amounts of merchandise, while a product display which was spaciously laid out was perceived to have a higher class target market, as it demonstrated that the shop has less to sell, and was therefore assumed to be more exclusive. Intentions to enter store Once participants ascertained that the store image was congruent, their intentions to enter the store were based on the following atmospheric cues: crowding, customer characteristics, dead areas, employee characteristics, entrance, exterior signs, exterior windows, layout, and merchandise. A crowded store generally did not entice participants in-store, as they felt it would be too much effort to look at merchandise throughout the shop, whereas a store that was not crowded meant that they would be able to move around unimpaired. However, participants also found empty stores (dead areas) to be just as unappealing as crowded stores. Participants felt they would feel alone, and that they would be the sole focus of the shop assistant if they entered, with one participant stating: [ ] it s kind of lonely and you feel like the shop assistant is looking at you and watching you, so it s better if there is a few people in the shop. If the characteristics of other customers in-store were perceived to be congruent with a participants self-image, then they would want to enter the store. However, participants did not wish to enter stores in which the other shoppers did not appear to be congruent with their own self-image. As one younger participant noted: [ ] when I look around, I sort of see a different demographic of people than when we were in [another store], it s a lot more older ladies [ ] straight away that tells me I m not going to want to shop here. The employees of a store were evaluated in the same terms, with participants indicating that they would be less likely to enter a store if the staff were incongruent with their own self-image. A narrow entrance made participants less likely to enter a store. If they were thinking about entering but the entrance area was narrow, they would walk past. Whereas if the entrance was wide, participants found the store Cues in fashion retailing 509

10 IJRDM 43,6 510 more inviting, and the wider entrance gave them a greater opportunity to walk into the store if they were trying to decide whether to go in while walking past. An exterior sign promoting new merchandise in-store enticed participants to go into a shop to see the latest fashions. Similarly, a sale sign in a shop window drew participants in regardless of age or disposable income. If the use of mannequins in the window effectively displayed in-store merchandise, this was found to encourage participants to enter a shop. This was especially true of displays that featured new merchandise, as it appealed to participants sense of curiosity as to what was new in-store and encouraged them to enter. A spacious layout was inviting for participants as they felt they would have room to move around comfortably. This was especially important for participants who had young children in a pram, or if they knew someone who was wheelchair bound. Finally, merchandise that participants did not reconcile with their own self-image made them less likely to enter a store, while conversely, merchandise that was appealing to participants self-image (i.e. they could see clothing items that they would want to wear), was something that would draw them into a store. Comfort in-store Comfort in-store was found to be a function of the following atmospheric cues: customer characteristics, employee characteristics, flooring, interior furnishings, layout, lighting, music, posters, and temperature. Once in-store, participants could be made to feel uncomfortable if other customers in-store did not fit with the participants own self-image. However, if the other customers in-store were similar to the participant s self-image, this made the participant feel a sense of belonging, and therefore induced feelings of comfort. Similarly, participants felt a level of discomfort in-store if store employee characteristics were not congruent with their own self-image. An example of this was provided by one participant, who noted: [ ] it would really put me off if a lot of old members were working, because I d think I was in the wrong place. Extending this, employees who acknowledged participants upon arrival and who were available to help if required were deemed friendly and made the participants feel welcome in-store. Conversely, as one participant commented: [ ] I get a bit nervous about going into [that store] [ ] I find the staff a bit pushy. Many participants felt more comfortable in-store if the floors were carpeted, as it felt more like home to them. Participants also appreciated when stores had gone to the effort to add additional furnishings or displays that were visually attractive such as floral displays, beyond as one participant put it: [ ] just filling the shop with merchandise. A spacious layout made participants feel comfortable in-store, where cramped stores made people feel uncomfortable, with one participant stating: [ ] I hate being cluttered it makes me feel anxious and I can t think. In comparison to soft lighting, bright lighting made participants feel less comfortable due to the resultant glare: [ ] the lighting is quite good in here because it s bright but soft, it s not going to attack you when you come in the door. If the music in-store was too quiet, participants would feel slightly uncomfortable as they would be straining to hear the music. However, music that was excessively loud also made participants feel uncomfortable, as they had to strain to hold a conversation and could not concentrate on the merchandise. Soft music that was in the middle of the two extremes highlighted above was found to be the optimum level to induce participant comfort in-store. It was also found that the absence of music in-store made participants as uncomfortable as when the music was too loud or too quiet. Specifically,

11 the lack of music made participants feel that the shop assistant s attention would solely be on them, with one participant summating: [ ] when there is a little bit of music it makes me feel more comfortable, I don t feel like I m being stared at. Stores that presented posters which reinforced a feeling of belonging in the store by displaying images of models that were seen as being similar to participants own self-image increased the level of comfort felt. As one participant stated: [ ] it kind of represents my age group [ ] and just in general it represents that customer. Finally, participants felt more comfortable in stores with temperatures that were slightly cooler, as they felt the mall environment could become quite stuffy. Cues in fashion retailing 511 Downloaded by University of Manchester At 02:34 24 October 2017 (PT) Time spent in-store The level of comfort participants felt in-store influenced their willingness to spend more time in-store. This is reflected in the finding that many of the atmospheric cues participants used to interpret how long to stay in-store were similar to those that affected comfort, including: crowding, employee characteristics, layout, music, product displays, and temperature. Stores that were not crowded increased the amount of time participants spent in-store, as they felt more comfortable. In comparison, a crowded store decreased the amount of time spent in-store, as participants did not feel comfortable and had difficulty accessing merchandise. Staff that were persistent were also viewed negatively, as those shops where staff just gave a friendly acknowledgement meant participants felt they had more time to browse, as it was interpreted as being a less pressured environment. Open and spacious layouts increased the ability of participants to view all merchandise and increased their comfort in-store, leading them to spend more time in spacious stores. As one participant commented: [ ] it s too crammed, you just want to go in and get out, it s not a store you would linger in. Similarly, product displays that were cluttered were perceived as requiring too much effort to look through; again leading participants to spend less time in-store. Loud music was found to reduce the time spent in-store, and when one participant was asked if they did not like loud music, she typified many by stating: [ ] it would agitate me, and I would have to leave even if I saw something I liked. However, the absence of in-store music was also viewed negatively, with another participant commenting: [ ] you didn t feel like you wanted to stay in the shop for very long [ ] it just wasn t a very good atmosphere [ ] you could hear peoples conversations. Finally, temperature was also found to influence the amount of time spent in-store, with temperatures that were either too cold or too hot causing participants to want to leave a store prematurely. Ability to browse merchandise Logically, the more browsing of merchandise consumers are able to do, the more likely they will be to find something they wish buy. The ability to browse merchandise was found to be influenced by the following cues: crowding, layout, lighting, product displays, and signage. A store full of other customers meant participants often had difficulty accessing the merchandise they were interested in. However, a store with only a few other customers made this task easier, with one participant noting: [ ] it allows me to go where I want and not worry about where someone else is looking. A spacious layout with wide aisles meant participants could easily access any merchandise of interest. If the layout was cramped, participants had difficulty moving around the store to view merchandise,

12 IJRDM 43,6 512 with one observing: [ ] well this section is always cramped and you are usually fighting your way through it, umm and it s hard to find what you are looking for. In contrast, the benefit of a spacious layout was articulated by another participant who noted that: [ ] you can stand back and see lots of merchandise standing in one area, it s not blocked by other displays. The issue of lighting was also raised by participants, and summarised in one instance as: [ ] [bright lighting] just makes things clearer, you don t have to strain or concentrate hard if you can see things really clearly. You don t have to go hunting if you can see. Spacious product displays with few products meant participants could easily view merchandise in-store. In contrast, cluttered displays, which were usually bulk merchandised, made it difficult for participants to sort through merchandise and differentiate between different products. When discussing the problems associated with cluttered displays, one participant commented: [ ] [the cluttered display] is not good because they have just piled them all up, kind of hard to find what you want. Finally, in-store signs made it easy for participants to understand what was going on in the store and directed them to areas which may be of interest. Propensity to try on merchandise Participants intention to try on merchandise is the final phase of the model before an intention to purchase the merchandise is formed, and three atmospheric cues were found to influence this stage: changing rooms, employee characteristics, and temperature. In terms of changing rooms, privacy was a key issue when participants were contemplating trying on merchandise. Many did not like trying on merchandise when the changing room area was communal (i.e. it was not segregated from the store or hidden from public view), and were more inclined to try on merchandise if a private area was provided. Queues for changing rooms were viewed negatively, however spacious changing rooms that were appropriately lit with mirrors were viewed as desirable, with one participant stating: [ ] I often find that there is no mirror in the actual changing room, you have to walk out. If you think you might be looking a bit crap in what you have tried on you have to actually walk out and look! I just don t like that. If participants felt that sales assistants were too pushy for a sale they were often reluctant to try a garment on, as they felt they would be pressured into buying. Finally, participants also commented that they were often flustered when trying on clothes. Because of this, a warm store often put them off, while cooler temperatures in-store made it more enticing to try on merchandise, as they were not worried about becoming flustered and sweaty. Intent to purchase The final stage in the model is the intent to purchase; however, this phase of the model should not be considered in isolation, as the previous stages all contribute towards forming the intention to purchase. Participants identified two atmospheric cues that they felt influenced their intent to purchase the most: changing rooms and employee characteristics. Dimly lit changing rooms made participants feel more attractive in merchandise they tried on, making them more likely to purchase something. While bright lighting was not perceived as flattering, one participant noted the unintended positive consequences of bright lighting, stating: [ ] the softer lights make you look better and

13 then you get home and look terrible! So they are probably doing you a favour. Shop assistants who were friendly and helpful made participants more inclined to purchase merchandise, with one participant noting that: [ ] if you have a shop assistant who s quite eager to help you and friendly then you kind of feel bad if you don t buy anything, you should bother to buy something because they were nice to you. Discussion The findings reinforce the importance of storeowners manipulating atmospheric cues to create a store image congruent with their target market s self-image. The findingsbased model shows perceived store image congruency to be the primary antecedent towards forming intentions to enter a store within the women s fashion sector. This finding is consistent with the Mehrabian and Russell (1974) model, which suggests individuals approach pleasant stimuli, but avoid unpleasant stimuli. In relating this concept to the role of self-image and store image congruence, it was found that an incongruent store image provided an unpleasant stimulus that was avoided, whereas a store image congruent with self-image provided a pleasant stimulus that would be approached. The current study illustrates the importance of female consumers comfort in-store within the fashion sector and could be closely related to creating a store environment that satisfies consumers with hedonic shopping motivations. The move, from providing the bare necessities to enable consumers to purchase merchandise, towards creating a comfortable in-store environment is a vital step in attracting consumers with hedonic shopping motivations. Donovan et al. (1994) have previously stated that comfort in-store is essential because of the significant influence it can have on consumer purchase intentions. The research carried out in the present study identifies variables that constitute a comfortable environment, and establishes specific manipulations of these variables that fashion retailers can employ in order for their stores to be perceived as being comfortable, thus increasing purchase probability. To expand on the argument above that in-store comfort could lead to an increased purchase probability, the model illustrates the direct relationship between comfort in-store and time spent in-store. Therefore, by increasing consumer comfort in-store, the amount of time spent in-store could also increase. The model demonstrates the relationship between consumer comfort in-store, time spent in-store and the consumer s ability to browse. Increasing consumer comfort could lead to further browsing behaviour, and consequently a possible increased time spent in the store. Through engineering atmospheric cues in-store to positively induce the three aforementioned constructs there will be more opportunity for the consumer to find an item of merchandise that they like. Accordingly, this should lead to the final two stages of the model, where the consumer decides to try on the merchandise, and subsequently forms an intention to purchase that merchandise. Although the model identifies atmospheric cues that can be manipulated to increase consumer purchase intentions, it is important to realise that not all elements of the model are applicable to every purchase situation within the women s fashion retail sector. As identified in the literature, many other phenomena can affect consumer behaviour. For example, consumers who merely want a straight re-buy will already have formed the purchase intention before entering the store. Recently there has been criticism of self-reporting mechanisms for measuring arousal from store atmosphere, due to the time-lag, with the suggestion that a physiological measure such as electrodermal reaction (EDR) may be more appropriate Cues in fashion retailing 513

14 IJRDM 43,6 514 (Groeppel-Klein, 2005). However, the problem with EDR is that while it can note minute fluctuations in arousal, it cannot distinguish whether an arousing situation was perceived with positive or negative emotions. The protocol analysis used in this study overcomes both the time-lag and the inability to determine direction of emotion. The in-depth follow-up interview provides the richness of data typically associated with self-reporting. Similarly, the photo-elicitation approach taken by Kent and Kirby (2009), while attempting to address the call for an holistic perspective, is only able to capture the visual representations of the environment. While the follow-up interviews could coax information on other elements, these were not used in this way, and the holistic approach remained focused solely on the visually observable physical environment. It has been noted that millions is spent each year in the retail sector designing, building and refurbishing stores (Baker et al., 1992). d Astous (2000) suggests that by knowing the effect of environmental stimuli, retailers can use their marketing strategy to build a positive shopping experience. The model outlined identifies less than half (19 out of 57) of the atmospheric variables identified by Turley and Milliman (2000). Although not all cues identified by Turley and Milliman (2000) were applicable in the context of women s fashion retail stores, this study does highlight the atmospheric cues female consumers are most likely to notice and be affected by in-store. Therefore, it should be the objective of retailers in the women s fashion retail industry to place a stronger focus on creating positive manifestations of the atmospheric variables outlined in this study. Atmospheric cues not identified in this study can be viewed as being less salient cues that do not positively or negatively influence the consumer when present or absent. If at any phase of the model atmospherics are not positively facilitating consumer perceptions and intentions towards the store, this will lead to the consumer not entering or leaving the store. References Areni, C. and Kim, D. (1994), The influence of in-store lighting on consumers examination of merchandise in a wine store, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp Babin, B., Hardesty, D. and Suter, T. (2003), Color and shopping intentions: the intervening effect of price fairness and perceived affect, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 56 No. 7, pp Baker, J., Grewal, D. and Levy, M. (1992), An experimental approach to making retail store environmental decisions, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 68 No. 4, pp Baker, J., Parasuraman, A., Grewal, D. and Voss, G. (2002), The influence of multiple store environment cues on perceived merchandise value and patronage intentions, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 66 No. 2, pp Ballantine, P., Jack, R. and Parsons, A. (2010), Atmospheric cues and their effect on the hedonic retail experience, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 38 No. 8, pp Bellizzi, J. and Hite, R. (1992), Environmental color, consumer feelings, and purchase likelihood, Psychology & Marketing, Vol. 9 No. 5, pp Bonnin, G. and Goudey, A. (2012), The kinetic quality of store design: an exploration of its influence on shopping experience, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Vol. 19 No. 6, pp

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