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Abstract
The extant literature on retail store atmospherics is extended with the express purpose of providing an experimental method that can be utilized by retailers to examine various aspects of store atmospherics and their impact on the retail patronage decision. As an application of this methodology, the Mehrabian and Russell (1974) affect model is examined. Specifically, the effects of 2 retail atmospheric factors: 1. ambient cues (lighting and music), and 2. social cues (number-friendliness of employees) on respondents' pleasure, arousal, and willingness to buy were examined. The results indicate that the ambient cues interact with the social cues to influence respondents' pleasure and the social cues influence arousal in the store environment. These affective states (pleasure and arousal) are in turn found to have a positive relationship with respondents' willingness to buy. Finally, the results provide initial support that arousal and pleasure may mediate the effects of store environment on respondents' willingness to buy.