The effect of consumption motivation on the perception of gift store attributes in jewelry retail stores and its influence on repurchase intention.

AutorMunaro, Ana Cristina

I Introduction

Growing numbers of shopkeepers are transforming their stores into pleasurable and stimulating shopping environments; that is, planned environments that create or reinforce consumer induction to purchase a product. Considering that satisfied consumers are more likely to stay with a company for longer periods and that behavioral intentions directly impact the company's profitability (Udo, Bagchi, & Kirs, 2010), it is important for retailers to differentiate themselves by satisfying the needs of their consumers in a better way than their competitors (Dabholkar, Thorpe, & Rentz, 1996).

The notion that the atmosphere influences consumer behavior is widely accepted in marketing literature (Turley & Milliman, 2000). Consumers perceive service environments in a holistic way and their reactions to a physical environment depend on the set of effects or configurations (Lovelock & Wirtz, 2011). In a servicescape, consumers examine the physical aspects of the service environment to compensate for the fact that service experience is intangible (Kotler, Ayes, & Bloom, 2002; Singh, Katiyar, & Verma, 2014). Nevertheless, the literature emphasizes the difficulty of measuring intangible and subjective aspects of a service environment (Grewal, Levy, & Kumar, 2009).

Furthermore, decision-making styles are becoming increasingly complex for the process of consumers choosing a store, deciding to be satisfied with that decision, and then possibly making a purchase. Few studies have examined the structural relationship between the decision-making styles that consumers present during purchase, the level of satisfaction, and the purchase intention (Alavi, Rezaei, Valaei, & Wan Ismail, 2015). First, one must consider which type of motivation leads consumers to a store and then to purchase. Is it hedonic or utilitarian? Based on this premise, many factors in the retail environment, including consumer service, must be tailored to assist the consumer's goal. Consumers' goals play an important role in determining how they perceive the retail environment and the various elements of the retail marketing mix (Grewal et al., 2009). These goals lead consumers to make their purchasing decisions and affect their satisfaction with the shopping experience. Specifically, purchase motivations affect the consumer needs, the search for information, and the assessment, acquisition, and post-purchase stages (Puccinelli et al., 2009).

Based on the aforementioned arguments, this study verifies how consumers perceive the retail atmosphere, starting by identifying the motivational aspect. More specifically, the study analyzes how the store atmosphere affects customer service, and how both aspects affect consumer satisfaction and repurchase intention. In evaluating the store atmosphere, the study considers variables such as cleanliness, music, temperature, lighting, color, display/layout, and scent. This study will address these variables within the context of a silver jewelry retailer, which has 65 outlets spread across different channels (streets and malls).

Therefore, this study attempts to verify whether the consumer's motivation (hedonic or utilitarian) changes the buying behavior in the retail space, and to better understand the role of store atmosphere and customer service as determinants of satisfaction and repurchase intention.

2 Literature Review

Buying motivation is an important influencer of consumer behavior (Haas & Kenning, 2014), whether it is hedonic or utilitarian. A goal is defined as a cognitive representation of the desired end state (Barbopoulos & Johansson, 2017). Thus, in addition to affecting the purchase, motivation tends to play a significant role in a customer's evaluation of a store's atmosphere (Ballantine, Jack, & Parsons, 2010). In this context, Buttner, Florack, and Goritz (2013) suggest that marketers and retailers will benefit from addressing and evaluating consumers' buying orientations in the retail environment. If hedonic consumers (focused on the experience) and utilitarian consumers (focused on the task) differ in cognitive procedures that are activated while shopping, retailers can combine factors that make up the retail consumption environment to activate these cognitive procedures and enhance the proposed objectives.

The theoretical framework of this study discusses the motivators of consumption within the gift store environment for silver jewelry. In addition, this study evaluates customer service in the service environment and how it affects consumer responses (satisfaction and repurchase intention).

2.1 Store atmosphere and gift stores

Bitner (1992) was the first to integrate empirical studies and theories about the store environment, creating the servicescape model. This model consists of a set of stimuli that is holistically perceived and commonly used when creating service environments. The author argues that the dimensions of the atmosphere create an integrated environment. This environment is moderated by the reactions of collaborators and consumers, who create internal responses that are affected by cognitive, emotional, and psychological factors. These responses guide consumers to approach or reject a store.

Ballantine et al. (2010) prove that consumers perceive a store's atmosphere holistically and their response to a physical environment depends on a set of effects, thus it is difficult to predict. For Singh et al. (2014), the attributes of a store's atmosphere and image of service personnel, that is, music, noise, room temperature, clothing and attitude of service personnel, etc. are considered by customers as critical factors. These are factors that heavily influence customer behaviors and display a significant positive correlation with customer approach behaviors. Bitner (1992) proposed a three-dimensional environmental model, composed of: a) environmental conditions: temperature, lighting, air quality, noise, music, odors, factors that affect the human senses; b) space/function: service environments that exist to fulfill specific consumer needs; c) signs, symbols, and artifacts: displayed internally and externally as a form of communication and signaling the store identity.

Turley and Milliman (2000) added two other categories of atmospheric variables, which are: 1) external variables: architecture, style, and stores around; and 2) human variables: characteristics of the employees, uniforms, accumulation of people, and private areas. Ortegon-Cortazar and Royo-Vela (2017) demonstrate the influence of the design and natural eco-environment on the intention to visit. This influence highlights the need for retailers to consider the relationship between a shopping center's design, environment, and ecological architecture, and consumers' behavior. Hence, the store atmosphere is a strategic element that must be built based on what the consumer values in a specific environment, in a holistic and integrated way, to gain a competitive advantage within the marketspace (Muhammad, Musa, & Ali, 2014; Turley & Chebat, 2002).

For Sheth, Mittal, and Newman (2001), the store atmosphere can stimulate the consumer to stay in the store or feel like leaving the place quickly. This shows that a store atmosphere has the ability to affect consumers not only cognitively but also emotionally (Muhammad et al., 2014). Since consumers perceive the retail atmosphere with their senses, it is a crucial aspect of the shopping process and behavioral responses (Douce & Janssens, 2013).

For instance, the background music increases sales and improves positive attitudes about the store (Chebat J., Chebat, & Vaillant, 2001), affecting the length of stay and customer purchases (Yalch & Spangenberg, 2000). Hussain and Ali (2015) found that cleanliness, smell, lighting, and store layout have a significant positive influence on consumers' purchase intention. In addition, the products at the point of sale should be displayed in a way that attracts consumers, having a strong impact on the purchase intention and the customer's perception regarding the product (Ballantine et al., 2010). Store displays are important sources of information for gift buying, that is, a wide selection and display of products is essential for gift buyers (Laroche, Saad, Kim, & Browne, 2000a).

An important factor to consider when creating a store atmosphere is the type of product/ service that is being marketed. For example, for a gift shop, the environment must facilitate a vast product selection and easy-to-find goods. In an ethnographic study of gift shops in the Christmas period, Sherry and McGrath (1989) found that the store environment, from the structural design and decoration to the placement of objects and rearrangement strategies, delivers a powerful message to all who enter. The store experience is a gift and creates a persuasive environment.

Similar to Hussain and Ali (2015), this study has been designed to investigate the collective impact of all major atmospheric variables such as cleanliness, music, temperature, lighting, color, display/layout, and scent at one point in time. Given that consumer objectives play an important role in determining how consumers perceive the retail environment and the various elements of the retail marketing mix (Grewal et al., 2009), this study proposes:

H1a: Cleanliness has a significant impact on consumer satisfaction.

H1b: Music has a significant impact on consumer satisfaction.

H1c: Temperature has a significant impact on consumer satisfaction.

H1d: Color has a significant impact on consumer satisfaction.

H1e: Lighting has a significant impact on consumer satisfaction.

H1f: Display/layout has a significant impact on consumer satisfaction.

H1g: Scent has a significant impact on consumer satisfaction.

2.2 Consumer service at a gift store

In creating the servicescape model, Bitner (1992) proposed an intersection between the atmosphere, collaborators, and consumers. Since services are generally...

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