STORE ATMOSPHERICS

Store Atmospherics Kotler (1973) defines store atmospherics as: ‘……the conscious designing of space to create certain effects in buyers. More specifically atmospherics is the effort to design buying environments to produce specific emotional effects in the buyer that enhance his purchase probability’

Role of Store Design in Retail Environment  Store design is an extension of integrated retail communications  It is a powerful communication weapon  Provides dual role of attracting customers, and inducing customer’s purchase decision.

Nature of Store Design  Design for visual appearance (see it)  Design for a feel of environment (smell it)  Design for self-concept, store perception and reputation (status, and esteem)  Design for merchandise touch (physical appearance)  Design for image and reputation of a store.  Design for controversy (making people talk about it)

Objectives of Designing Store Environment  To provide a pleasant shopping environment  To provide a conducive environment for making shopping decisions and choice  To create an attractive atmosphere for shoppers  To create alternative choice dimensions for consumers with shopping experience  To provide consumers with varied judgement of value.

Store Design Motives  To keep up with market competition  To introduce store concept to consumers  To upgrade the store relative to competitors  To improve customer satisfaction rate  To comply with environmental regulations.

Main dimensions atmosphere  Layout  Visual (sight) colour Brightness (Lighting) Size Flooring  Aural (sound) Volume Rhythm Crowding  Olfactory (smell) Scent  Tactile (touch) Softness temperature

Layout  is the physical organization of a store that creates specific traffic patterns, assists retailers in the presentation of merchandise, and helps create a particular atmosphere.

Layout

 Grid Layout  Diagonal Layout  Mouse Trap Layout  Mixed Floor Plan

IKEA Layout

Effects of colours in a retail store Source: Hayne (1981)

Colors

Colors that match

Brightness-Lighting

Flooring

Shelving

Sounds  In a supermarket store study sales increased daily by 38% when slower music was played.  A restaurant study found when slow music was played, liquor sales increased.  Playing peppy music while on hold or waiting in line doesn’t make time pass more quickly.  Louder music increases “pace of events” perception but raises estimates of time durations.

Crowding  Density - how closely packed people are (i.e., the physical arrangements of people in a space).  Crowding - the unpleasant feelings that people experience when they perceive that densities are too high and that their control of the situation has been reduced to unacceptable levels.

Smells

Touch