Importance of Store Atmosphere in Retail Merchandising Industry: An Application Based on SOR Model

Abstract

Purpose – In purchasing goods and services, the role of the store atmosphere in the purchasing decision is very important. Considering retail clothing stores, which have a very important place in today's consumption habits, it can be easily stated that customers are exposed to many environmental stimuli, however, it can be said that consumers are highly affected by emotional and cognitive factors as well as environmental stimuli during shopping. The "S-O-R Model", which was developed by Mehrabian and Russel in 1974 and made significant contributions to the literature in the field of environmental psychology, is considered to be a very important model that guides marketing researchers in terms of revealing the potential of the external environment to affect behaviors and the connection of human

behavior with the environment. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the store atmosphere on the positive emotional reactions of customers in the context of environment, design and social factors based on the S-O-R model and whether this effect affects impulsive purchasing decisions. In addition, it was aimed to determine the mediating role undertaken by the hedonic motivation, which is considered as a personal factor, in this interaction.

Design/methodology/approach –  In this quantitative study, first, a conceptual framework on the basis of relevant literature within the scope of research topic was created, and then a survey was conducted over 418 customers of a store serving in the retail clothing sector and has chain stores all around Turkey. Afterward, 418 survey data obtained were interpreted using SPSS AMOS 21 structural equation modeling software.

Findings – As a result of the study; It was determined that there is a positive relationship between consumers' perceptions of the store atmosphere characteristics and their reactions towards the store atmosphere, and a similarly positive relationship between positive emotional reactions to the characteristics of the store atmosphere and impulsive purchasing behavior. Another finding is that hedonic motivation has a mediating role in the relationships between the characteristics of the store atmosphere (and the positive emotional reactions of consumers to these characteristics.

Discussion – It can be said that the store atmosphere has a great influence on the behavior of customers in the store. The findings of the study contribute to the literature by emphasizing that the store atmosphere has a critical role in increasing the emotional and behavioral reactions of customers. Especially, by marketing managers, regulating the atmosphere in the store in a way that increases the time customers spend while shopping and in this sense, improving the emotional reactions of the customers in a positive way can be effective in impulsive purchasing decisions. In today's modern consumption approach, making purchasing decisions with hedonic motivation to take pleasure and the intermediary role of hedonic motivation in this relationship indicates the importance of the need to create consumer-based marketing strategies to be developed.