How does the biophilic design of building projects impact consumers’ responses? – Case of retail stores

Abstract

The study that biophilic store design (BSD) has a much higher perceived visual quality, increases the desire to patronize, increases willingness to spend retail stores shopping times is on the increase in the literature. The study of greenery in building environments has been vastly studied, however, the inclusion of greenery study in retail stores and its potentials to provide a strategic business advantage have been scarcely explored. This research work draws from the Attention Restoration Theory to unearth the impact of biophilic design attributes on consumer responses. Hence, this study asked: “How do attributes of biophilic design in retail stores impact consumers’ responses in retail stores”. A quantitative research method with an online questionnaire was employed; 177 participants were recruited. Multiple regression analysis was computed via SPSS and demonstrated that the four attributes (predictors) of biophilic design positively impact consumer responses. Findings for three attributes (biomorphic forms and patterns, material connection with nature, and complexity and order) were significant, while a visual connection with nature was not significant. These findings suggest that a biophilic design positively impact consumer responses; however, simply presenting or using natural elements is not sufficient to produce positive consumers' responses. Additionally, the t-test revealed that intent to purchase was significantly higher for a store low in biophilic attributes than the study hypotheses. The study's limitations and implications are discussed herein. This work contributes to the biophilic design paradigm of building projects by empirically demonstrating the restorative potential of lifestyle centers.