Multi-sensory congruent cues in designing retail store atmosphere: Effects on shoppers’ emotions and purchase behavior

Miralem Helmefalk and Hultén, Bertil

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2017, vol. 38, issue C, 1-11

Abstract: This paper explores the effects of multi-sensory congruent cues om shoppers’ emotions and purchase behavior in designing retail store atmosphere. Prior research suggests atmospheric stimuli to contribute to establish an appealing atmosphere and studies have confirmed that shoppers react to different stimuli. However, extant studies have not examined how multi-sensory congruent cues added to a visually dominant store atmosphere might impact shopper emotions and purchase behavior. The findings demonstrate a positive effect of multi-sensory congruent cues on shoppers’ emotions, through valence, and purchase behavior, through time spent and purchase. It is evident that shoppers perceive multi-sensory cues, such as auditory and olfactory ones, to be more effective in a dominant visual store atmosphere compared to only adding new visual stimuli. For retailers, a visually dominant store atmosphere should be designed more in the direction of a multi-sensory atmosphere in offering shoppers more appealing experiences of the retail setting.

Keywords: Atmospheric stimuli; Multi-sensory congruent cues; Store design; Emotions; Purchase behavior and field experiments (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (45)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:38:y:2017:i:c:p:1-11

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2017.04.007

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