25 July 2005
A Monash University researcher has found store atmosphere alone does not affect sales.
Ms Natalie Hedrick, a masters student in the Department of Marketing, surveyed 270 people on how store atmosphere and customer service influenced their buying.
"Many retailers seem to be improving store atmosphere irrespective of the customer service they are providing and this could work to their detriment," Ms Hedrick said.
"We have found that store atmosphere affects customers' expectations of salespeople, so retailers need to ensure that expectation is met in order to satisfy customers.
"This research is the first to look at how consumers perceive the store environment and their salesperson and how this affects purchase intentions," she said.
"Retailers need to look at the two factors together in order to provide an optimal shopping experience for customers."
"Even if a store is newly refurbished, with soft lighting and the right sort of music playing, we have found that customers still want the salesperson to be involved in their shopping experience," Ms Hedrick said.
The 270 people surveyed were given two written scenarios -- one requiring them to buy a bottle of perfume and the other to buy car oil. They were also given a description of the store environment and details of the assistance provided by the salespeople. They were then asked to rate their experiences.
While the first research stage showed store atmosphere affected expectations but not sales directly, Ms Hedrick said the second stage would provide more conclusive results.
The second stage, due to start in September, will be an online survey in which 600 people will be asked to rate 32 different shopping scenarios. The experience will be more interactive because participants will be shown an image of the store and a video recording of a salesperson helping them. Results are expected by the end of the year.
For further information contact Ms Natasha Whalley, Media Communications on +61 3 9905 9201 or 0437 458 457.
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