The impact of shopper mood and retail salesperson credibility on shopper attitudes and behaviour

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of shopper mood and salesperson credibility in a retailing context. It predicts that shoppers in good moods will respond positively to a high-credibility salesperson but not a low-credibility one. Using a three-way full-factorial experimental design, this notion is supported. Credible salespeople are found to have a positive effect on shoppers in good moods, but not bad moods, with respect to salesperson evaluations, to purchase intentions and to intentions to seek out the salesperson in subsequent shopping.

Keywords:

• Mood
• Shopper response
• Purchase intention
• Salesperson performance
• Consumer response.