دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی اثرات ویژگی های خرده فروشی مغازه بر تجربه خرید تفریحی - امرالد 2017

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of store characteristics (i.e. product availability, product quality, store layout, employee politeness, décor, music, lighting, and aroma) on the various dimensions of in-store leisure shopping experience (i.e. hedonic, flow, escapism, challenge, learning, socialising, and communitas). Design/methodology/approach – In order to achieve the study’s objectives, a quantitative on-site survey was conducted. Respondents were interviewed upon exiting fashion retail stores. Findings – Findings indicate that not all store characteristics impact the various dimensions of experience in the same way. Product quality and in-store music were found to be the most important in-store characteristics that affected the majority of experience dimensions. Other important store attributes that emerged were store layout and ambient scent. Conversely, product range actually had a negative impact on in-store experience. Practical implications – By orchestrating the most influential in-store characteristics, fashion retailers could be delivering unique in-store experiences to their customers. This research shows that they would benefit from designing experiential strategies that focus on merchandise quality, price, and availability while simultaneously carefully managing ambient (music and scent) alongside design factors (store layout and décor). Careful consideration should be paid to merchandise variety in order to avoid potentially negative effects on customers’ shopping experience. Originality/value – Until now most studies that document the relationship between store elements and shopping experiences have examined the effects of store characteristics on a limited number of experience dimensions. This study adds to the body of research into in-store leisure shopping experience in two ways: by shedding light on its multi-dimensional nature, and by analysing the effect of the different store elements on the various components of the in-store experience.

Limitations and future research suggestions

The main limitation of the present study stems from the sampling procedure and the representativeness of the sample. The survey was conducted in two Greek cities, outside specific fashion stores and thus shoppers of other stores did not participate in the survey. Hence, results cannot be generalised to all the Greek customers of the particular stores nor to all types of in-store experiences. Future research could be directed towards examining shoppers’ experiences in other types of stores such as luxury fashion stores or discount stores. Moreover, further fruitful insights could be gleaned by comparing shopping experiences across different store types.

The moderate intensity of the experiential elements reported by consumers could be attributed to the length of time shoppers stayed in the stores. For example, shoppers who stayed longer in stores could experience more intense feelings of flow as they might had more time to delve into and become engrossed in their shopping task. Hence, the moderating effect of time spend in the store could help to better understand in-store experiences.

Another limitation of this research is related to the way in-store shopping experiences have been measured. Whilst it has focused on dimensions that comprise leisure shopping experiences it has not taken into consideration the utilitarian dimension of consumer behaviour. Future research could be profitably directed towards examining the total shopping experience in the light of utilitarian and leisure shopping aspects. Further studies in this line of research could investigate the relationships between the hedonic dimension with the other experiential elements (i.e. escapism, flow, challenge, learning, socialising, and communitas). In addition, an investigation into the mediating effects of hedonic experiences on the relationship between evaluations of store characteristics and post-consumption variables would also be a welcome addition to the body of research.