1. Store Layout, Design, and Atmospherics
Consumer Behavior
Special Topic:
Store Layout, Design, and Atmospherics

2. Meeting Store Design Objectives
Design store and product mix to fit target market.
Design for Convenience and/or Image and/or to increase sales/profitability
Atmosphere: “Any surrounding or pervasive element or influence”
Non-Product Related Stuff (Atmospherics)
vs. Product Related Stuff (Merchandising)
Source: Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary, 1974

3. Effect of Atmospherics on Mood
Enjoyable shopping environments can induce positive moods in shoppers (1)
(1) Smith and Sherman 1993

4. Effect of Mood on Shopping Behavior
Positive Correlation between Mood and:
Satisfaction with Retailer (2)
Rating of Overall Store Image (3)
Number of Items Purchased (3)
Time Spent Shopping (3)
Amount of Money Spent (3)
(2) Babin and Darden (3) Sherman and Smith 1987

6. Retail Atmospherics: Outline
Social Factors
Retail Density / Employee Availability
Ambient Factors
Music / Lighting / Scent
Design Factors
Color / Signage / Layout

7. Atmospherics - Social Factors
Retail Density
Eroglu and Machleit 1990
Web download time analogy
Employee Availability
Baker et al. 1994

8. Atmospherics - Design Factors
Color (Warm vs. Cold)
Bellizzi et al. 1983
Signage (Present/Bold vs. Absent)
Various Sources
Layout (Grid vs. Free-Flowing)

9. Office & customer service
Grid Store Layout
Fruit
Vegetables
Office & customer service
Books, magazines, seasonal display
Receiving & storage
Exit
Entrance
Cart area
Checkouts

10. Grid Layout Who uses it? Used in grocery and drugstores.
What’s good about it?
Cost efficient.
Easy to navigate / remember

12. Racetrack Layout Who uses it? What’s good about it?
Draws customers around the store.
A.K.A.--loop.
Time spent in store……
Show BEST Product “racetrack” design:

13. Free-Flowing Layout

14. Free-Form Design Fixtures and aisles arranged asymmetrically
Used in small specialty stores and departments within large stores.
Pleasant ambiance doesn’t come cheap.

15. Free-Form Layout Storage, Receiving, Marketing Dressing Rooms
Underwear
Dressing Rooms
Checkout counter
Clearance Items
Feature
Jeans Casual Wear Stockings
Accessories
Pants
Tops
Skirts and Dresses Hats and Handbags
Open Display Window

16. Bloomingdale’s
Fixtures with latest garments are placed along the perimeter to draw customers into area.
Flooring and lighting delineate department.
See picture on next slide...

18. Store Layout for Cost, for Image, or for Convenience ?
Wal-Mart?
CVS?
JC Penney?
Building 19?
Staples?

19. Behavioral Design Issues
Show Paco Underhill Clip
Decompression Zone
Butt-Brush Factor
etc.

20. Atmospherics - Ambient Factors
Music (Waiting in Line)
Hui, Dube and Chebat 1997
+ Perceived wait duration
+ Emotional Eval. of Service Environment
+ Approach Behavior
Music (Loudness)
Smith and Curnow 1966

21. Atmospherics - Ambient Factors
Music (Liked vs. Disliked)
Gorn 1982
Music (Fast Tempo: Supermarket)
Milliman 1982
Music (Slow Tempo: Restaurant)
Milliman 1986

22. Atmospherics - Ambient Factors
Lighting (Harsh vs. Soft)
Various Sources
Scent (Present vs. Absent)
Hirsch and Gay 1991
Scent (Odor #1 vs. Odor #2)
Hirsch (Casino Study)
Show Casino Layout

25. Alan Hirsch, M.D (The Scent Guy…)

26. Casino Study Questions
Do you see any relation between this and a normal retail environment?
Is pumping in a scent like Odorant A any different than pumping bakery smells across a grocery store?
Of you were a store owner, would you use Odorant A if you could?
Is there a potential downside to it?