ATMOSPHERE PURCHASING BEHAVIOR

Atmosphere purchasing behavior



Atmosphere purchasing behavior

1.

The influence of the atmospheric variables of consumers' feelings and behaviors is research topic of great relevance to retailers. Knowing what atmospheric variables impact on the feelings of consumers can suggest appropriate marketing strategy to create and maintain positive shopping experiences. Donavan et al's study (1994) reveals that pleasurable shopping experiences induced by environmental factors in turn are likely to encourage consumers to spend more money than intended. Kotler (1973-74) supported these findings in his study. Regardless the designers effort to create an atmosphere (intended atmosphere) different customers perceive atmosphere differently (perceived atmosphere). There is an important distinction between intended atmosphere and perceived atmosphere. One's reaction to colours, sounds, noises, and temperatures are partly learned.

People of different cultures have different ideas about colours, smells, and sound (Kotler, 1973-74). Therefore, Turkish customers may have different perceptions of the same attributes than other customers of other nations. Our study can make contributions to the academicians for a comparatiye study.

Physical environment influences behaviours and creates image mostly in service businesses such as hotels, banks, restaurants, retail stores and hospitals. Because the service generally is produced and consumed simultaneously while the consumer is in the facility where the service is produced. The facility (store) cannot be hidden and in fact have a strong impact on consumers' perception of the service experience (Bitner, 1992).

The retail environment provides a complex physical situation. The design and layout of a store, for instance width of aisles and music inside the store will influence the level of satisfaction and purchase patterns. The degree of crowding in a shop also affects purchase behaviour. Heavily crowded supermarket leads to faster shopping and a low level of purchase. On the other hand people shopping together stimulates each other to buy more (Bireham. 1995). It is proposed that consumer's attitude be positively related to the internal and external environment of the retail setting. The store's environment could be attractive enough for a consumer to enter. In order to complete sale, the other environmental variables, such as waking time at the cash registers music inside the store. etc. should be acceptable to the consumer. Thus retail atmospheric plays a critical role in consumer shopping behaviour (Kumar et aL., 2000).

Bitner and Barnes (1992) refer to store atmosphere as store's physical environment and according to them store's physical environment can be divided into two pails: the external environment which is the part of the store visible prior to entry like parking lot, entrance, traffic and the internal which is the part of the store visible from the retail selling space. In this study, Dn1 infernal environment referred to store atmosphere, is examined since it has proven that many consumers make decisions at the point of purchase (Baker and Grexal, 1994).

Another classification came from Berman and Evans (1995), which divides atmospheric stimuli into four categories: the exterior of the store, the general interior the layout and design variables, and the point-of-purchase and decoration ...