Atmospherics and the establishment of long-term customer relationships in a retail environment

Abstract

With the current focus on establishing long-term customer relationships, the enhancement of the entire shopping experience and the role of atmosphere and the emotional reactions it elicits, are becoming increasingly important. Determining the factors that contribute to the creation of pleasant or unpleasant shopping experiences can influence future strategic planning. The focus of this study falls on the way that the physical environmental factors of a store, more specifically the environmental odour, affect consumers' emotional responses. This is discussed on the basis of environmental psychology, using certain research findings as well as theoretical models to shed more light on this topic.