Can a retail environment be simulated by photographs?

ABSTRACT

Photographs are commonly used in store atmospherics research, although their ecological validity lacks conclusive support. To this end, we examine the effect of different representation media of a retail environment (i.e. one photograph, three photographs, or a real store visit) on customer experience, satisfaction, and behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. Two studies examine the robustness of our findings across low- and high-experience stores. The results show that only in the high-experience store environment, a real store visit results in a significantly higher average perceived customer experience. Moreover, the chosen representation medium affects satisfaction and behavioural loyalty in both store types. Again, a real store visit results in higher scores. Upon studying low-experience stores and/or focusing on attitudinal loyalty as the outcome variable, pictures, however, do seem to be ecologically valid. To conclude, whether it is safe to simulate a retail environment with photographs depends on the particular retail context and the outcome variables under study.

KEYWORDS:

• Customer experience
• store atmospherics
• environmental representation medium
• ecological validity
• satisfaction

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank dr. Wim Janssens and Prof. dr. Koenraad van Cleempoel for their thoughtful comments and efforts in the design of this study and Prof. dr. Katelijn Quartier for the pictures of the store environments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kim Willems

Kim Willems (Ph.D. in Applied Economics: Business Engineer) is associate professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium). Her research expertise pertains to retail marketing and consumer behaviour, with a special interest in store atmospherics and the digital transformation in retailing and services.

Lieve Doucé

Lieve Doucé (Ph.D. in Applied Economics) is assistant professor at the Marketing and Strategy department of Hasselt University (Belgium). Her research focuses on sensory marketing and this in relation to both the in-store and the online customer experience.

Ann Petermans

Ann Petermans (Ph.D. in Architecture) is assistant professor at the Faculty of Architecture and Arts of Hasselt University, Belgium. Her research interests pertain in particular to designing for experience in designed environments and for diverse user groups, and research related to design for subjective well-being in architecture and interior architecture.