The Effects of Environmental Haptic Cues on Consumer Perceptions of Retailer Warmth and Competence

Subhash Jha, M.S. Balaji, Joann Peck, Jared Oakley and George D. Deitz

Journal of Retailing, 2020, vol. 96, issue 4, 590-605

Abstract: While research has recognized the role of haptic sensations in influencing various aspects of consumer behavior, the association between haptically based experiences and social judgments in a retail encounter has not been explored. Based on the results of one field study, we showed a positive effect for both heavy and soft haptic cues on purchase behavior. Two follow-up lab experiments demonstrate that haptic attributes of retailer promotional materials affect social judgments of retailer competence and warmth. Furthermore, the relative accessibility of these two dimensions is contingent on the salience of environmental haptic cues (weight vs. softness). Additionally, we show that weight and softness influence recommendation intentions through competence and warmth, respectively. Compared to a lighter weight haptic cue, a retailer using a heavier haptic cue is perceived as more competent. In contrast, a retailer using a soft haptic cue is perceived as being warmer. Further, we demonstrate that retailer image moderates the impact of haptic cues on social judgment, such that these effects are mitigated for retailers with a more positive image.

Keywords: Haptics; Weight; Softness; Warmth; Competence; Touch (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002243592030021X
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jouret:v:96:y:2020:i:4:p:590-605

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretai.2020.04.003

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Retailing is currently edited by A. Roggeveen

More articles in Journal of Retailing from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().