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Exterior atmospherics
and consumer behavior
Influence of landscaping
and window display
Jennifer M. Mower and Minjeong Kim
School of Design and Human Environment,
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA, and
Michelle L. Childs
Department of Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies,
University of North Carolina – Greensboro,
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Abstract
Purpose – To fill a gap in external atmospheric literature and provide useful information for small
store retailers, this study aims to investigate the influence of external atmospheric variables,
specifically window displays and landscaping (i.e., accessory vegetation), on customers’ responses
towards an apparel boutique.
Design/methodology/approach – The Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model proposed by
Mehrabian and Russell provided the theoretical framework. Data were collected from students enrolled
at an American university. Univariate analyses and simple regression analyses were used to evaluate
the influence of two external variables (window display and landscaping) on consumer responses in
terms of liking, mood, and patronage intentions.
Findings – Results indicated that window display and landscaping had no main effects on pleasure or
arousal. However, the presence of window display and landscaping influenced respondents’ liking of
the store exterior and patronage intentions. Additionally, consumers’ liking of the store exterior and
mood positively influenced patronage intentions.
Practical implications – Store retailers, especially small apparel boutiques, would benefit from
landscaping the external portion of their store and pay special attention to their window displays.
Originality/value – Turley and Milliman stressed the pressing need for further empirical research on
external atmospheric variables because of lack of research on exterior atmospheric variables. This
study focused on external atmospheric variables and their impact on shopper behaviors and thus adds
to the existing literature.
Keywords Atmospherics, Landscaping, Window display, Retailers, Consumer behaviour
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In today’s competitive retail industry it is harder than ever to reach a target segment
and sell them on a particular brand or product. Retailers need to pay special attention
to all elements of their retail mix which includes store design and atmospherics.
According to Berman and Evans (1998), atmospheric variables are divided into four
categories: the exterior, the interior, layout and design, and point-of-purchase and
decoration variables. The store exterior includes the storefront, entrances, display
windows, physical characteristics of the building (e.g. height and size), surrounding
area, and parking (Berman and Evans, 1998). The store interior includes flooring,
colors, lighting, scents, sounds, fixtures, temperature, merchandise, and cleanliness
(Berman and Evans, 1998). Layout and design variables describe the allocation of floor
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1361-2026.htm
Received 8 July 2011
Revised 8 January 2012
Accepted 18 January 2012
Journal of Fashion Marketing and
Management
Vol. 16 No. 4, 2012
pp. 442-453
rEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1361-2026
DOI 10.1108/13612021211265836
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space (Berman and Evans, 1998). Point-of-purchase and decoration variables
includes point-of-purchase displays, signs, wall decorations, certifications, pictures
and artwork, price and product displays, and so forth (Turley and Milliman, 2000).
Store atmospherics have received much scholarly attention in terms of their effects
on shoppers’ behaviors. Turley and Milliman (2000) conducted a comprehensive
review of the extant atmospheric studies. Their review suggests that store
atmospherics, especially interiors of the store have substantial impact on shopper
behaviors. Turley and Milliman also stressed the pressing need for further empirical
research on external atmospheric variables because of lack of research on exterior
atmospheric variables.
Store exteriors are what customers first encounter as they engage in shopping
behavior and thus are an important opportunity for stores to build positive
impressions. Perhaps for big box retailers store exterior matters less, because they
have already built a reputation based on the brands they carry, convenient locations,
and competitive prices. But for smaller retailers without strong brands or store names,
store exterior may play a critical role in building a first impression of a store and
attracting customers into a store. When deciding to shop at smaller boutique stores
customers rely on external cues such as window displays to help form an impression
of the store and its merchandise even before stepping foot inside the store. Given
that small retailers with fewer than ten employees make up over 65 percent of all
retailers in the USA (US Census Bureau, 2007), more research is warranted on store
exteriors.
The current study focussed on the store exterior of a small apparel boutique
because of the potential importance of store exteriors on positive shopper behaviors.
Additionally, apparel boutiques and other specialty retailers are important components
of central business districts (CBDs), and add to the unique nature of downtown
shopping areas (Padilla and Eastlick, 2009). To fill a gap in external atmospheric
literature and provide useful information for small store retailers, the purpose of this
study was to investigate the influence of external atmospheric variables, specifically
window displays and landscaping (i.e. accessory vegetation), on customers responses
toward an apparel boutique. The findings of the study are expected to provide useful
information for small store retailers to develop effective store exteriors that lead to
positive shopper responses.
Conceptual background
Atmospherics research falls under the broad discipline of environmental psychology,
which often employs the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model (Babin et al., 2003).
The S-O-R model assumes that consumers’ emotional responses to a physical
environment mediate the influence of the environment on their behaviors. Mehrabian
and Russell (1974) presented a model within the S-O-R framework suggesting that
exposure to environmental stimuli influences consumer’s emotions. Mehrabian and
Russell (1974) identified three dimensions of emotion that influence consumer’s
responses to an environment: pleasantness, arousal, and dominance. The pleasantness
dimension relates to the degree that consumer’s feel happy, pleased, satisfied, or
content. The arousal dimension indentifies feelings of stimulation, excited, frenzied,
and relaxed. Dominance relates to customers feeling of being in control or lacking
control (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974).
Mehrabian and Russell (1974) also discuss the interaction between the pleasure and
arousal dimensions as a determining factor in consumer’s approach or avoidance
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behavior. Approach behaviors involves the desire to enter and stay in the environment,
a desire to explore the environment, interact with other customers and sales personnel,
and be satisfied in the environment. Avoidance behaviors involve the desire to leave
the environment, to avoid interacting with others in the environment, and lowered
satisfaction in the environment. If customers enjoy their experience, they are more
likely to have favorable associations to the retailer, make purchases, and become loyal
customers.
Applying the S-O-R model to a retail environment for the first time, Donovan
and Rossiter (1982) found that pleasure obtained from the store is a strong
indicator of customers’ approach-avoidance behavior. Likewise arousal obtained
from the store can increase the amount of time customers’ spend in a store and
willingness to interact with salespeople. Donovan and Rossiter (1982) determined
that dominance did not fit with a retail environment. Since then, many empirical
studies have supported the influence of retail environments on human behaviors
mediated by emotional responses (Baker et al., 1992; Donovan and Rossiter, 1982;
Ferreira and Oliveira-Castro, 2011; Fiore et al., 2000; Morrison et al., 2011; Yalch
and Spangenberg, 2000). Following the S-O-R model, this study posits that
the exterior of the retail store as the environmental stimulus influences consumers’
affective responses in terms of liking and mood and subsequently, consumers’
affective responses influence their behaviors, operationalized as patronage intentions
in this study.
Hypotheses development
Effects of exterior of the environment
In today’s competitive retail environment many independent retailers need to
develop strategies to compete with chain stores. McGee and Finney (1997) found
that merchandising strategies were oneofthewaysindependentretailers
competed with chain stores. Merchandising can refer to how products are
packaged, promoted, and displayed but it can also refer to how the store looks.
Atmospherics are the environmental elements that help create the retail image of
a store and set the mood to stimulate sales. Berman and Evans (1998) categorized
atmospheric variables into four categories: the exterior, interior, layout and design,
and point-of-purchase and decoration variables (Turley and Milliman, 2000). For
small independent retailers without strong brand names like chain stores, the store
exterior can play a critical role in attracting customers into a store especially
because the store exterior is what the customer sees first. Yet extant research on
retail environment has been limited to the interiors of the environment,
largely overlooking the exterior of the environment (Turley and Milliman, 2000).
In their review of atmospheric research, Turley and Milliman (2000) stressed the
need for more research on store exteriors for successful retail and service businesses.
Thus this study focussed on the store exteriors as atmospheric cues affecting consumer
behaviors.
The store exterior includes the storefront, parking, entrances, display windows,
physical characteristics of the building (height, size, and color of buildings), location
(congestion and traffic), surrounding area including landscaping and vegetation and
nearby stores. For this study, landscaping (i.e. accessory vegetation) and window
displays were selected as key elements of store exteriors because of their high visibility
and key role in attracting customers into a store (Sen et al., 2002) and ease of control for
retailers to improve their exteriors.
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Landscaping
Research from forestry has demonstrated that landscaping generates positive
emotional reactions and evaluations of urban settings (Sheets and Manzer, 1991;
Ulrich, 1986; Wolf, 2005a, b, 2009). Ulrich (1986) found that people preferred nature
scenes over pictures of urban environments. Sheets and Manzer (1991) further found
that the presence of vegetation positively influenced respondent’s moods and
evaluation of the quality of life in an urban setting. Wolf (2005b, 2009) found that
consumers reacted positively to the presence of trees in CBDs and at mini-malls. When
stores were landscaped, consumers were more likely to patronize stores and were even
willing to travel greater distances. Wolf (2005b, 2009) also found that customers
shopped longer, were more likely to return to the store, and paid more for products.
Research by Chebat and Morrin (2007) suggest potential influences of landscaping on
consumer behaviors. In their research on mall de
´cor, Chebat and Morrin used plants
and flowers to manipulate mall de
´cor in terms of color and found a substantial impact
of mall de
´cor on shoppers’ perceptions of the environment and the quality of products
sold by mall retailers. Shoppers liked the environment more when plants, flowers, and
trees were used to manipulate the decor than when these elements were not used.
Therefore it is reasonable to assume that a retail exterior with landscaping will have
a positive impact on consumer’s mood and consumer’s liking of the retail exterior.
Landscaping in this study was operationalized as the presence of vegetation in front
of a store because retailers have a direct control over having vegetation and it is
a relatively inexpensive way to enhance the exterior of the store:
H1. Landscaping has a positive influence on consumers’ mood (a: pleasure,
b: arousal).
H2. Landscaping has a positive influence on consumers’ liking of the external
environment.
H3. Landscaping has a positive influence on consumers’ patronage intentions.
Window displays
“The windows are the first look a customer gets before she comes into a store” (Klokis,
1986, p. 108). As an important component of the retail mix (Edwards and Shackley,
1992), window displays are used to communicate information about the store, its
products, and services (Sen et al., 2002). From window displays, potential customers
gather information used to help make decisions about whether to shop at a particular
store. Window displays help identify the type of store and its offerings to customers
who may be unfamiliar with the retailer (Berman and Evans, 1998) and thus are
expected to be an important store atmospheric cue for small independent retailers.
Window displays are also one of the exterior elements that retailers have direct control
over what they display.
Window displays congruent with the consumers’ self-image were found to be more
successful in attracting customers; window displays were less successful when they
only contained promotional or style information (Sen et al., 2002). After conducting
interviews with shoppers Edwards and Shackley (1992) found that larger window
displays were more successful in attracting consumers’ attention compared to smaller
windows since there were more design elements to take in. They also found that
sales increased when stores used window displays compared to no window display.
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Successful window displays were found to be aesthetically pleasing, contained a
theme, used warm colors, drew customers into the scene with the use of perspective,
used lighting to highlight key areas of the display, and incorporated accessories
associated with the products. Their findings further showed that when new products
were displayed in windows sales increased. Based on review of literature, the following
hypotheses were developed:
H4. Window displays have a positive influence on consumers’ mood (a: pleasure, b:
arousal).
H5. Window displays have a positive influence on consumers’ liking of the external
environment.
H6. Window displays have a positive influence on consumers’ patronage intentions.
Relationships among affective responses and patronage intentions
Several studies have established the mediating role of mood on consumer behavior
(Baker et al., 1992; Donovan and Rossiter, 1982; Fiore et al., 2000; Moody et al., 2010;
Teng et al., 2007; Yalch and Spangenberg, 2000). Donovan and Rossiter (1982) found
that customers’ who found the store environment to be pleasing and positively
arousing were more likely to spend time in the store, spend money and interact with
sales associates. Baker et al. (1992) also found that store environment do influence
shopper response in such a way that pleasure evoked by lighting and music increased
consumer’s willingness to buy. The study by Fiore et al. (2000) provided additional
support for the relationship between cognitive and affective responses and behavioral
intent. In their study of the effects of product displays and ambient scent on purchase
intention, Fiore et al. (2000) found that sensory, cognitive, and affective pleasure
induced by a pleasant and appropriate fragrance positively influenced attitude toward
the product and purchase intention. Yalch and Spangenberg (2000) looked at the
influence of music on shopping times and found that listening to unfamiliar music
while shopping heightened perceptions of pleasure and lengthened shopping times
than when shoppers listened to familiar music. However, shoppers were more aroused
when listening to familiar music, which adversely affected feelings of pleasure.
Pleasure and arousal experienced as a result of music familiarity influenced the
perception of shopping time and actual shopping time. Based on the S-O-R model and
review of literature the following hypotheses were developed:
H7. Liking of the exterior of the retail environment is positively related to mood
(a: pleasure, b: arousal).
H8. Liking of the exterior of the retail environment is positively related to patronage
intentions.
Method
An online survey was conducted with a convenience sample of college students from
a large American university. College students are a significant market segment
for apparel boutiques (Esposito, 2007), and generation Y consumers do represent
“a dominant future market” for independent retailers (Let’s Talk Business, 2006). Thus
the research participants used in the study were deemed appropriate. The design of the
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study was 2 (landscaping: presence vs absence) 2 (window displays: presence vs
absence) between-subjects factorial design. When participants logged onto a research
web site, they read one of the four experimental stimuli depicting external environment
of an apparel boutique and then answered a set of dependent measures and
demographic questions. In order to enhance relevant of experimental stimuli for the
research participants used in the study, the items described in the environmental
stimuli (apparel and accessories) were targeted toward college students.
Stimulus and instrument development
Written descriptions of external environment were used to manipulate the two
independent variables. Written descriptions have been successfully used as
experimental stimuli in prior atmospheric research (Sands et al., 2008; Schlosser,
1998). Students were asked to imagine they needed to buy a new pair of jeans for
back-to-school, so they had a general idea about the type of merchandise the retailer
sold. All scenarios contained information about the physical structure and color of
the building. The descriptions differed in whether they contained information about the
landscaping (i.e. accessory vegetation) and window displays. For landscaping, concrete
descriptions of vegetations (e.g. oversized glazed terra cotta planters with tiny
purple and yellow flowers with ivy draping over the edge of the pot) were used. For
window displays, concrete descriptions a female mannequin wearing a fashion-
forward ensemble set among a modern backdrop were used.
All dependent measures except liking of the exterior of the environment
were adopted from prior studies with appropriate reliabilities. Pleasure and arousal
were measured using six items, respectively, from Mehrabian and Russell (1974).
Liking of the exterior were measured using two items; one item measuring liking of
landscaping and liking of window displays, respectively, were developed. Patronage
intentions were measured with the three items (i.e. likelihood respondents would shop
at the store, purchase likelihood, recommendation likelihood, and return likelihood)
adopted from Baker et al. (1992).
Results
Sample characteristics
A total of 180 college students completed the online survey (mean age ¼20.4). About
94 percent of the respondents were female. Most respondents were juniors (35 percent)
and seniors (39 percent), followed by freshman (16 percent), sophomores (9 percent),
and graduate students (1 percent). Over half of respondents were employed part-time
(51 percent), while 45 percent were not employed, and 4 percent of respondents had
full-time employment.
Manipulation check
To ensure window displays used in the scenarios were relevant and appealing to the
research participants, a manipulation check was conducted in terms of fashionability
and perceived quality of products displayed on windows. Mean score for fashionability
was 5.0 (SD ¼1.63) and 4.73 (SD ¼1.73) for perceived quality based on a seven-point
rating scale. Thus, window displays were deemed appropriate for the study.
Factor analysis and reliability analysis
Multi-item measures were subjected to exploratory factor analysis and reliability
analyses. The objective of exploratory factor analysis is to find a set of underlying
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Influence of
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latent constructs, which might be represented by a set of items. An exploratory factor
analysis using maximum likelihood estimation was first conducted to assess the
dimensionality of the mood scales. The minimum eigenvalue of 1.0 was used as
a criterion to control the number of factors extracted. Only items loading 40.40 on
a single factor and cross-loading at o0.40 on the other factors were included.
Consistent with prior research, exploratory factor analysis on the mood scales yielded
two factors containing 11 items, accounting for 69.20 percent of the variance,
and representing pleasure and arousal dimensions. Pleasure included five items and
arousal included six items. Consistencies of each dimension were reliable (Cronbach’s
a’s 0.92 for pleasure and 0.89 for arousal). For reliability, Cronbach’s a’s were calculated
to examine internal consistency of multi-item measures. Cronbach’s arepresents how
closely related a set of measurement items are as a group by examining the
relationship of responses on each item to responses on every other item and to
the entire scale as a whole. A high Cronbach’s coefficient suggests that the multi-items
measure an underlying construct. For the two-item measure of liking of external
environment was 0.83 and for the three-item measure of patronage intentions was
0.92. Based on the reliabilities, composite scores were developed and used as dependent
measures.
Hypothesis testing
To test H1-H6, univariate analyses of variance were conducted. Results showed no
main effects of landscaping (p¼0.36) and window displays ( p¼0.13) on pleasure.
Both landscaping ( p¼0.80) and window displays ( p¼0.10) also had no effects on
arousal. The results further showed that both landscaping, F(1, 0.175) ¼6.68, po0.05,
and window display, F(1, 0.175) ¼3.88, po0.05, had a positive impact on liking of
external environment. Additionally, both landscaping, F(1, 0.174) ¼5.19, po0.05, and
window display, F(1, 0.174) ¼5.40, po0.05, were found to have a positive impact on
patronage intentions. No interaction effects were found. Cell comparisons showed that
when landscaping was present, respondents like the external environment more
(M¼4.36, SD ¼1.27) and had higher patronage intentions (M¼4.4, SD ¼1.44)
than when no landscaping was available ((M¼3.76, SD ¼1.68) for liking and
(M¼3.92, SD ¼1.62) for patronage intentions). Also when window displays were
present, respondents liked the external environment more (M¼4.29, SD ¼1.61)
and had higher patronage intentions (M¼4.42, SD ¼1.58) compared to no
window displays ((M¼3.83, SD ¼1.54) for liking and (M¼3.92, SD ¼1.33) for
patronage intentions).
Simple regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between mood and
patronage intentions and also the relationship between liking and patronage
intentions. Both the pleasure and arousal dimensions were positively related to
patronage intentions; for pleasure, F(1, 0.170) ¼60.26, po0.0001, R
2
¼0.262, b¼0.51,
and for arousal, F(1, 0.171) ¼44.44, po0.0001, R
2
¼0.206, b¼0.45. Liking was also
positively related to patronage intentions, F(1, 0.175) ¼70.92, po0.0001, R
2
¼0.288,
b¼0.54.
Post hoc mediating analysis
The findings of the study showed that exteriors of store environment operationalized
as landscaping and window displays increased liking and patronage intentions, and
liking also increased patronage intentions. While store exteriors had no direct impact
on mood, mood was positively related to both liking and patronage intentions. Thus, it
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was posited that mood may mediate the relationship between liking and patronage
intentions.
To determine if mood mediates the relationship between liking of store exteriors
and patronage intentions, mediating analyses were conducted using Baron and
Kenny’s (1986) three-step procedure. The three steps are: (a) regressing mood (pleasure
and arousal respectively) on liking, (b) regressing patronage intentions on liking, and
(c) regressing patronage intentions on mood (pleasure and arousal, respectively) and
liking. Results of simple regression analyses showed that (a) both pleasure and arousal
were significantly related to liking, F(1, 0.172) ¼100.49, po0.0001, b¼0.61;
F(1, 0.172) ¼33.62, po0.0001, b¼0.41, and (b) patronage intentions were positively
related to liking, F(1, 0.175) ¼70.92, po0.0001, b¼0.54. Results of multiple regression
analyses for pleasure as a mediator showed that (c) pleasure (b¼0.29) and liking
(b¼0.36) had positive effects on patronage intentions. Note that the standardized
coefficient for liking (0.36) from the multiple regression analysis was less than the one
from the simple regression (0.54), but still remained significant. Result of another
multiple regression analysis for arousal as a mediator showed that (c) arousal (b¼0.29)
and liking (b¼0.41) had positive effects on patronage intentions. Note that the
standardized coefficient for liking (0.41) from the multiple regression analysis was less
than the one from the simple regression (0.54), but still remained significant. This
demonstrates that both pleasure and arousal were the partial mediators of the effects of
liking of store exteriors on patronage intentions. In this case, liking of store exteriors
increased pleasure and arousal shoppers experienced, which led to increased
patronage intentions, in addition to affecting patronage intentions directly.
Discussion and managerial implications
These findings provide empirical evidence to support the importance of landscaping
and window displays to elicit positive consumer responses. When customers liked the
exterior retail environment, they exhibited higher patronage intentions. Additionally,
the presence of landscaping and window displays had direct positive impacts on
patronage intentions. Interestingly, the presence of external environmental stimuli had
no direct effect on customer’s mood. However, the findings further illustrate the
mediating role of mood on the relationship between liking of external atmospherics
and patronage intentions. When customers liked the exterior retail environment,
they experienced higher pleasure and arousal, which increased patronage intentions.
Results provided empirical evidence to add to the existing atmospherics literature
and also practical implications for store retailers to improve the exterior of retail
environments.
Apparel boutiques are small, often single store establishments that may not have
the visual merchandising departments that corporate retailers have, and thus can
benefit from the findings of the study. Adding accessory vegetations is a fairly
inexpensive way of enhancing the exterior of small stores. Therefore, apparel
boutiques would want to consider adding such accessory vegetation to make shoppers
like their store exteriors. Supporting prior research on window displays (Sen et al.,
2002), the findings of the study also support that attractive window displays enhances
shoppers’ liking of the store exterior and increased patronage intentions. Attractive
store window displays communicate information about the retailer to consumers, and
for smaller stores this information is important to attract customers.
Apparel boutiques and a variety of other retailers (e.g. hardware, furniture, jewelry,
pharmacies, restaurants, and so forth) are often located in CBDs, which until recently,
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Influence of
landscaping
have declined in popularity (Levy and Weitz, 2009; Padilla and Eastlick, 2009). City
planners have turned their attention to these areas in an attempt to develop
revitalization strategies to bring tourists and local residents back to these areas. These
downtown areas are particularly important in smaller towns because they are tied
to the local economy and vital to the sense of community (Lee et al., 2008). In addition to
community building other advantages of independent retailers include better customer
service and product knowledge of sales associates, and personalization (McGee et al.,
1999). Despite these advantages smaller retailers are facing several challenges and
threats mostly from large chain retailers. Independent retailers who compete in this
environment are those who develop strategies that enable them to attract customers,
and landscaping is one way a retailer can dramatically improve their exteriors, making
it more attractive to shoppers and pedestrians. Likewise retailers benefit from creating
window displays that are aesthetically interesting and inform consumers about the
products it sells and the retailer’s image. It is important that these small retailers
understand their target market and design window displays that fit with the customer
they are trying to attract. Where landscaping is particularly important for restaurants
and service retailers, attractive window displays are important for apparel retailers but
it is also beneficial for retailers that sell hardware and other products where brand
name and quality are important.
Window displays congruent with the consumers’ self- image were mo re successful in
attracting customers (Sen et al., 2002). In their review of literature of CBD revitalization
strategies Padilla and Eastlick (2009) recommend promoting “downtown shopping
[y] as an integrated unit” (Padilla and Eastlick, 2009, p. 9). Therefore, if retailers tailor
their windows to the “city’s individual personality” consumers may like the window
display more because they identify with the image, which may increase their purchase
intentions (Padilla and Eastlick, 2009, p. 20). Similarly, using regional vegetation to
landscape the exterior of the store may be another way to expand on this local theme.
Small retailers have an opportunity to differentiate themselves from corporate
retailers by focussing on the fact that they can give shoppers a unique shopping
experience that starts with the store exterior. In a 2004 study focussed on small store
success strategies, researchers found that the most successful retailers paid close
attention to both the inside and outside of their store (Nelson, 2006). Store retailers
would benefit from landscaping the external portion of their store and pay special
attention to their window displays. Given lack of research in this area, further research
is warranted to fill a gap in atmospherics literature. Field studies would also lead to
valuable insights into the effects of store exterior on consumer behavior. Future
research also needs to include other external atmospheric variables such as entrances,
building materials, surrounding area, and parking to improve the knowledge of
external atmospherics. Additional research may want to include other types of retailers
(e.g. stand-alone retailers, shopping centers, and so forth) and retailers selling different
product categories to expand the findings of the current study.
Limitations
College students are not necessarily representative of consumers of small stores and
boutiques, and more research is needed that includes a more diverse sample of consumers
to enhance the understanding of the effect of store exteriors on consumer responses.
The use of written scenarios as the experimental stimuli could be considered
a limitation since participants have limited sensory experiences. Every type of research
strategy has its advantages and disadvantages (Schlosser, 1998; Sands et al., 2008).
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Future research using a different research such as field experiment will provide
additional insights to enhance the understanding of roles of the store exterior on
consumer behaviors.
Suggestions for retailers
Window display
(1) Window displays should reflect the retailer’s image.
(2) Window displays should fit with the target market they are trying to attract.
(3) Window displays should illustrate the type of merchandise or brands the
retailer offers.
(4) Window displays should be unique and aesthetically pleasing.
(5) Retailers should try to incorporate themes into their window displays
including local themes and holiday or special event themes.
Landscaping
(1) Boutiques and other small retailers should use accessory vegetation to improve
the store exterior. The amount and scale of the vegetation will depend on space
and pedestrian traffic.
(2) Retailers may want to invest in more expensive evergreen trees or shrubs and
use seasonal flowers to add color and variety to their store exterior.
(3) The retailer has an opportunity to incorporate local/regional vegetation,
expanding on a local theme.
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About the authors
Jennifer M. Mower obtained a PhD from Oregon State University, USA. Her dissertation is
focused on consumer behavior during the Second World War. Her research interests include
historic and contemporary consumer behavior. This paper was based on a term project for
a course in trends and issues in merchandising management.
Minjeong Kim is an Associate Professor in the School of Design and Human Environment in
the College of Business at Oregon State University. Dr Kim received her PhD from The Ohio State
University and has published in Psychology & Marketing,European Journal of Marketing,
Services Industries Journal,Managing Service Quality,Clothing and Textiles Research Journal,
Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management,International Journal of Retail & Distribution
Management,Direct Marketing,andFamily and Consumer Sciences Research Journal.
Her research interests include consumer behaviors in multi-channel retailing and
sustainability in the retail industry. Minjeong Kim is the corresponding author and can be
contacted at: Minjeong.Kim@oregonstate.edu
Michelle L. Childs completed an MA at Oregon State University in Merchandising
Management and is currently attending University of North Carolina – Greensboro
studying Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies. Her research interests include consumer
behavior, social-psychological aspects of dress, and brand management.
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