It’s all in the Mix: How Music and Light Affect Shoppers’ In-Store Behavior: An Abstract

Abstract

Nowadays, growing online retailers threaten traditional offline retailers. Stationary retailers need to find ways to differentiate themselves from competition and enhance customer experience. In light of this, the physical store itself with its specific atmosphere can serve as a unique environment that positively stimulates customers’ senses and increases their visiting, purchase, or patronage intention. Transforming traditional offline stores from simple outlets to multisensory arenas might trigger positive emotions in the customers and could positively affect their in-store behavior. From a practical background, atmospheric stimuli can be implemented rather easily without incurring major costs. However, retailers still lack guidance on how to successfully orchestrate a multisensory environment, in particular how to optimally vary and match atmospheric stimuli to their target groups and product assortment. While previous studies have focused on examining the main effects of atmospheric stimuli, research on interaction effects is limited. This is the first study that investigates the effects of light and music on shoppers’ responses in combination. We propose that a mismatch of environmental stimuli lowers shopper perceptions of their in-store shopping experience. When the arousal qualities of two atmospheric stimuli match, i.e., high (low) arousal light and high (low) arousal music, this stimulus congruency should lead to an enhanced perception of the retail environment. Conversely, incongruence should have an adverse impact on the shopper’s perception of the environment, including actual behaviors such as time and money spent. To test our model, we conducted a field experiment in an action-clothing store in Germany. We applied a between-subject scenario experiment and varied both atmospheric stimuli in terms of two levels (dim vs. bright light and slow vs. fast music) resulting in a 2 × 2 experimental design. To measure customers’ in-store behavior and feelings, customers completed a survey at the exit. Further, we observed their time spent in store and collected information on money spent and units purchased. The preliminary results indicate that when arousal levels of light and music are congruent, the average basket value increases and customers spent significantly more time and money. The present study contributes to an improved understanding of the effects of an (in)congruence of music and light on shoppers’ responses. Furthermore, the findings show that retailers may actively influence shoppers by systematically varying the environment via light and music and detailed guidance for the process is given.