Abstract: Retail markets are becoming increasingly competitive, and retailers are constantly seeking to differentiate their retail offerings. One way to do this is to create a pleasant and exciting shopping ambience.
This paper experimentally tests the effects of music (loud or soft) and aroma (vanilla scent present/absent) on young fashion shoppers in a real-life sales environment. The results show that the volume of music and the presence of a vanilla aroma have a significant impact on the emotions and satisfaction of customers. Additional analyses show that the arousal evoked by music and aroma leads to increased pleasure, which in turn has a positive effect on customers’ shopping behaviour, including spending time and money, approaching behaviour and satisfaction with the shopping experience. Direct effects of arousal on behaviour, as well as an interaction effect between music and aroma on pleasure and time spent in the store, are also present. The paper contributes to a better understanding of customers’ emotions and purchasing behaviour in response to the atmosphere in the store, and provides practical insights for retailers on how to create competitive advantage by customising the atmosphere in their stores. Source
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