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The purpose of the study is to establish the mediating role of Perceived Service Quality on the relationship between Retail Atmospherics and Retail Store Patronage of Supermarkets in Emerging Economies using empirical evidence from Uganda.

The study used a cross-sectional research design and quantitative approach to understand stand the structured reality of Retail Store Patronage of supermarkets in context of emerging economies. In the context of this study, the data were drawn from Uganda's supermarkets. A sample of 1,504 customers were selected from 136,270 customers. Data was collected from supermarket customers using closed ended questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were derived to describe the behavior of customers and draw conclusions on population using sample statistics. Correlation analysis was used to establish the degree of association between the variables. Hierarchical regression was applied to assess the unique contribution of each variable; control variables-income and age, predictor variables – Retail Atmospherics and Perceived Service Quality on dependent variable – Retail Store Patronage. Mediation was done following the four-step procedures of mediation of Baron and Kenny (1986).

The results revealed significant positive relationship between Retail Atmospherics, Perceived Service Quality and Retail Store Patronage, confirming the direct hypotheses. Perceived Service Quality partially mediated the relationship between Retail Atmospherics and Retail Store Patronage. The findings depict that Retail Store Patronage is influenced directly by Retail Atmospherics and indirectly through Perceived Service Quality as a mediating variable. However, in situations where the atmospherics is good but perceived service quality is poor, Retail Store Patronage may not be fully realized.

The study provides information that is relevant for filling the practical and theoretical gap in the Retail Store Patronage in Ugandan supermarkets. Previous research studies investigated patronage behavior of shoppers in single retail units yet there is paucity of research on patronage behavior across different retail formats in the world. This study can be generalized and have strategic implications to developing economies that seek to grow and sustain their businesses. It points to the gaps that are normally overlooked and could lead business failure. The focus of most previous studies were on developed economies more especially Europe and America. This study in particular focused on the role of perceived service quality in the relationship between retail atmospherics and customer retail store patronage in emerging economies like Uganda as a testing ground.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how an industrial retailer used a small‐scale study to explore the importance of retail atmospherics in non‐consumer retailing and made a considerable contribution to its success. It focuses on the importance of interior and point of purchase retail atmospherics as a sales tool in industrial retailing. It also explores the relevance of previous research findings on atmospherics in business‐to‐consumer (B2C) retail outlets to the business‐to‐business (B2B) environment.

The research was carried out using a quantitative questionnaire method using closed questions in a face‐to‐face interaction with respondents in the case study company's best‐performing B2B retail outlet.

The findings indicate that atmospherics are relevant to B2B retailing, although there are differences in the levels of importance attached to various atmospheric elements. Also, the level of importance of the elements varies with trade customers depending on whether they are participating in a planned purchase, an alternative/substitute purchase (when the planned purchase is not possible), or an impulse purchase.

Consumer retailing atmospherics has been subject to considerable examination and proved to be influential in maximising the potential sales of stores. However, industrial (B2B) retailing has been generally overlooked by academic studies. This study not only explores industrial retail buying, but indicates that B2C findings are transferable to some degree and may contribute to improved performance.

The best possible way for brick-and-mortar retailers to maximise engagement with personalised shoppers is capitalising on intelligent insights. The retailer operates differently with diversified items and services, but influencing retail atmospheric on personalised shoppers, the perception remains the same across industries. Retail atmospherics stimuli such as design, smell and others create behavioural modifications. The purpose of this study is to explore the atmospheric effects on brick-and-mortar store performance and personalised shopper's behaviour using cognitive computing based in-store analytics in the context of emerging market.

The data are collected from 35 shoppers of a brick-and-mortar retailer through questionnaire survey and analysed using quantitative method.

The result of the analysis reveals month-on-month growth in footfall count (46%), conversation rate (21%), units per transaction (27%), average order value (23%), dwell time (11%), purchase intention (29%), emotional experience (40%) and a month-on-month decline in remorse (20%). The retailers need to focus on three control gates of shopper behaviour: entry, browsing and exit. Attention should be paid to the cognitive computing solution to judge the influence of retail atmospherics on store performance and behaviour of personalised shoppers. Retail atmospherics create the right experience for individual shoppers and forceful use of it has an adverse impact.

The paper focuses on strategic decisions of retailers, the tactical value of personalised shoppers and empirically identifies the retail atmospherics effect on brick-and-mortar store performance and personalised shopper behaviour.

This study aims to explore the impact of store atmospherics on urban bottom-of-the-pyramid consumers’ behavioural intentions to purchase apparel in an emerging African market context. This study also considers purchase antecedents to attitude, perceived behavioural control and social norms as determinants of urban bottom-of-the-pyramid consumers’ apparel behavioural intentions.

Using non-probability sampling, specifically purposive and interlocking sampling, data collection was secured from 881 economically active Namibian urban bottom-of-the-pyramid respondents through interviewer-administered questionnaires. Covariance-based structural equation modelling assessed the significant relationships among all constructs in the conceptual model.

This study found that for favourable apparel behavioural intentions of urban bottom-of-the-pyramid consumers to occur, apparel retailers should emphasise trust, perceived awareness and self-identity through apparel assortment and groupings, easy-to-read visible signage, together with competent, friendly and respectful sales personnel in their store atmospherics.

The findings of this study may guide apparel retailers in other emerging African markets to develop regional integration, market-based solutions and inclusive economic growth focusing on “non-essential” products, such as apparel, among urban bottom-of-the-pyramid consumers.

This study expands the intellectual boundaries of urban bottom-of-the-pyramid consumers’ behavioural intentions towards “non-essential” products. The theoretical framework supports the integration of both the stimulus-organism-response model and the theory of planned behaviour into one single model for empirical investigation. Additionally, adopting a novel theoretical framework helped identify the impact of store atmospherics from a bottom-of-the-pyramid perspective in an emerging African market context, such as Namibia.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of atmospherics on in-store behaviour among Malay Muslim shoppers in Malaysia. The effect of age on shopping behaviour is tested using two age groups: 18-25 years and 50 years or older.

Quantitative methodology was employed, using structural equation modelling for testing the hypotheses developed. Purposive sampling was applied.

Results of the present study show that positive perceptions of atmospherics exerted a positive influence on mood, which, in turn, affected in-store behaviour. Based on stimulus–organism–response theory, Muslim shoppers who were positive about the atmospherics tend to spend more time and money, and they exhibited intention to patronize the store again.

Although past studies suggest that Muslim consumers are different due to their Islamic way of life, guided by the Islamic principles, by controlling for country-specific influences such as socio-economic factors, the results of this study provide support that modern marketing concepts are as relevant for the Muslim market as they are relevant for other market segments. Using the Mehrabian–Russell framework, Malay Muslims are found to be influenced by store atmospherics which, in turn, affect their in-store shopping behaviour. When comparing younger and older Muslims, results show no evidence of significant differences between these two age groups.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of atmospherics and affective state on shoppers’ in-store behaviour using the two approaches in structural equation modelling (SEM), i.e. Frequentist and Bayesian approaches. Shoppers’ affective state was tested for its mediating effect on in-store shopping behaviour.

The final sample consists of 382 respondents who were drawn from shoppers at selected apparel stores in six of the most popular shopping malls around Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). A frequentist approach to SEM is common among researchers and offers generally an analysis of the relationships between multiple latent variables and constructs. Alternatively, the Bayesian SEM (BSEM) approach stems from the diffusion of the model’s posterior distributions using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique. More specifically, this technique is inherently more flexible and substantive in determining parameter estimates as compared to the more conventional, the frequentist approach to SEM.

The results show the mixed effects of atmospheric cues in retail setting on shoppers’ affective state. More specifically, the positive direct effect of atmospheric cues (music) on in-store behaviour was confirmed while other atmospheric cues (colour and store layout) were found to be fully mediated by affective state. The Bayesian approach was able to offer more distinctive results complementing the frequentist approach.

Although the current sample size is adequate, it will be interesting to examine how a bigger sample size and different antecedents of in-store behaviour in retailing can affect the comparison between the frequentist approach in SEM and BSEM.

The authors found that a combination of well-designed store atmospherics and layout store can produce pleasurable effects on shoppers resulting in positive affective state. This study found that results from both frequentist and Bayesian approaches complement each other and it may be beneficial for future studies to utilise both approaches in SEM.

This paper met the aim to compare the approaches in SEM and the need to consider both approaches on in-store shopping environment. Overall, the authors contend that the Bayesian approach to SEM is a potentially viable alternative to frequentist SEM, especially when studies are conducted under dynamic conditions such as apparel retailing.

This paper aims to verify the hypothetical relationships between antecedent and consequence variables of consumer's shopping experiences based on an experiential typology advocated by Schmitt.

First, the study takes a holistic view of shopping experiences by adopting three experiential components (sensory, affective, and rational) with a view to uncovering the roles of antecedent (shopping motives) and consequence (impulse buying) of shopping experiences. Specifically, the study seeks to affirm the effects of shopping motives on shopping experiences for three types of retail store (department store, discount store, and internet store) and two product types (perfume and detergent). Second, the study confirms whether store type and product type influence the kind of experience preferred by shoppers and verifies whether types of product and store moderate the relationship between shopping motives and shopping experiences. Thirdly, the study investigates the effects of shopping experiences on impulse buying, with special attention given to the role of store atmospherics.

The study found that shopping motives had significant effects on shopping experiences. Product‐based shopping motive exerted greater significant influence on shopping experiences than experience‐based motive. The result showed that product type (detergent) was a significant moderator between experience‐based shopping motive and sensory experience. And, both department store and discount store were found to significantly moderate between experience‐based motive and affective experience. It also found that affective shopping experience boosted impulse buying and rational experience decreased it significantly at department store. However, no consistent pattern of influence was detected for the effects of atmospherics on impulse buying when examined by store type.

The study results will offer important retailing implications which accommodate customers' experiential needs that are not only consumer‐centric, but also context specific. The study reflects the growing recognition of the role of sensory stimuli, as they were found to influence advertisement and brand effectiveness. Also, antecedents of experiential shopping in relation to its impact on impulse buying have not been fully explored in the past.

Previous research has demonstrated that, in retail settings, music has some of the largest effects on consumer behavior. However, it is still unknown how the language of the lyrics (native vs foreign) affects consumer behavior. In order to address this gap in retail atmospherics, the purpose of this paper is to examine the differential effects of the language of the lyrics of the music played and explain the interactions between the music language and volume.

The data were obtained from a field study conducted in an apparel store and from 241 shoppers speaking Spanish as their native language. The study involved the manipulation of language of the lyrics of music played in the store (native vs foreign).

Results indicate that customers in a non-English speaking country are more likely to make purchases when music is played in English, which fits with the store’s global image. This effect is mediated by time spent in the store.

For managers of global apparel brands, the results suggest that English music may be a good option to increase time spent in the store and subsequent purchases. This is especially attractive as music is an atmospheric cue that can be easily modified at less expense than other atmospheric cues.

This work is the first to demonstrate that fitting the language of the lyrics of music in an international retail store to a global brand image affects consumer behavior. Furthermore, it demonstrates that atmospherics research may not directly transfer to non-English speaking countries.

The purpose of this article is to show how consumers’ inferences of manipulative intent mediate the effects of in-store arousal on pleasure and approach behavior.

A qualitative study identifies arousal as a dimension of the store environment that may lead to inferences of manipulative intent. An experiment manipulating arousal tests the mediating effect of inferences of manipulative intent on the relationship of arousal with pleasure and approach behavior.

A qualitative study and the results of an experiment suggest that arousing store environments lead to negative outcomes when consumers infer that such environments are manipulative. The experimental study results show that high in-store arousal increases inferences of manipulative intent, which in turn negatively affect pleasure and approach behaviors. The results also indicate that the effects of in-store arousal on inferences of manipulative intent vary with age.

The study results recommend that practitioners carefully design their store environments, such that arousal they create does not lead consumers to believe that the environment is manipulative.

This article contributes to extant literature by emphasizing the crucial role of inferences of manipulative intent in the effects of in-store arousal.

Retail marketing is in the midst of an evolution. The paradigm is shifting from a product-centric to a consumer-centric focus, with a particular emphasis on understanding how consumers transition from harboring an interest in a product to actually purchasing that product. In response, shopper marketing, and in-store marketing (ISM) in particular, have emerged as important mechanisms to influence shopper behavior in brick & mortar and online retail environments. The academic literature is replete with work on what factors of ISM influence shopper behavior. In this chapter, we categorize prominent streams of findings on ISM into firm, customer, competitor and product characteristics of ISM and examine how the notion of a “store” is evolving from bricks to clicks – namely from physical formats to online shopping experiences. Insights from this chapter will help retailers and store managers identify what their customers respond to within a physical store, how technology is changing the way they can capture information on customers, and how shopper behavior is evolving in response to brick & mortar and online retail environments.