Effects of design factors on store image and expectation of merchandise quality in web-based stores

Jungmi Oh, Susan S. Fiorito, Hira Cho and Charles F. Hofacker

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2008, vol. 15, issue 4, 237-249

Abstract: This study investigates two design factors of store atmosphere in relation to store image and consumers’ expectations of merchandise quality for web-based stores. We address this purpose through the use of the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) model on which five hypotheses were drawn based on research conducted with brick-and-mortar and web-based stores. In order to test the hypotheses, four treatment combination stimuli were developed by two types of storefront designs (thematic/non-thematic) and two types of information display (picture-based/text-based). A total of 307 college student questionnaires were analyzed. The findings provide a better understanding of consumer's behavior toward web-based stores. Experiment results suggest that, consumers reacted more positively to web-based stores using a thematic and picture-based store design than web-based stores using a non-thematic and text-based store design. The methods of information display (picture-based/text-based) were positively related to a convenient store image and consumers’ expectation of merchandise quality. In addition, there was a mediating effect of store image between store atmosphere and consumers’ expectations of merchandise quality.

Keywords: Store atmospheric design factors; Store image; Merchandise quality; Web-based stores (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:15:y:2008:i:4:p:237-249

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2007.03.004

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