Keyword

Store atmospherics, in-store behavior, music, genre of music

Abstract

Store atmospherics is becoming an important determinant of differentiating products and services across the globe. A number of papers have researched about store atmospherics and their impact on customer / shopper behavior. We observed that studies incorporating these facets were missing out in the Indian context. In order to analyze the impact of in-store music on shopper behavior in a retail setting, a simulated retail outlet was created. For sake of simplicity the merchandise was restricted to chocolates, toiletries and stationery items. Using two samples – one exposed to music (experimental sample) and second not exposed to music (controlled sample) the study tried to assess differences in shopper behavior in terms of the time spent in the store, the type of merchandise selected and value of merchandise purchased. If there was an impact, to what extent did the genre of music play a role in influencing customer behavior? Did music create the desired Affect in terms of creating a sense of pleasure and arousal? Results of the study indicate and strengthen existing beliefs about the importance of music on shopper behavior. While Western pop music influenced the time spent in the store, Indipop had a higher influence on the amount of money spent on merchandise. Indian classical music created a higher pleasure score whereas Western Instrumental created a higher arousal score. It is suggested that such studies can be carried out in varied service formats and in actual se


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