In-store interactive advertising screens: the effect of interactivity on impulse buying explained by self-agency

Anne Moes,Bob Fennis,Harry Van Vliet,Tibert Verhagen,Marieke Fransen

doi:10.1108/jrim-03-2021-0097

Abstract

PurposePhysical stores are increasingly dependent on impulse visits and the impulse purchases of passers-by. Interactive advertising screens in store windows could help retailers increase impulse-visit urges and impulse-buying urges. However, the effects of interactive screens in physical surroundings have not been studied before. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of interactive screens on impulse urges and gain insight into the underlying mechanism that explains the possible effect.Design/methodology/approachAn interactive screen was placed in a store window. Using three field experiments, we studied the effect of interactivity-level (high vs low) on the impulse-visit and impulse-buying urges of passers-by, and the mediating role of self-agency in these effects.FindingsHighly interactive (compared to less interactive) advertising screens in store windows positively affect impulse-visit and impulse-buying urges through self-agency. Retailers can therefore use interactive advertising screens to increase the number of impulse purchases if feelings of self-agency are activated.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the extent to which interactive screens in a store window enhance the impulse-visit and impulse-buying urges of passers-by and the mediating factor of these effects. By conducting three field experiments, we achieved a high external validity and managed to share very reliable results owing to the replication of the findings.

Highlights

The digital and physical worlds are increasingly merging in retail settings (Brynjolfsson et al, 2013)
The mediation analysis shows an indirect effect of interactivity on impulse-buying urges through self-agency
Experiments 2a and 2b find the same pattern for impulse-visit urges in PROCESS, namely, a positive indirect effect of interactivity through self-agency on impulse-visit urges

Summary

Introduction

The digital and physical worlds are increasingly merging in retail settings (Brynjolfsson et al, 2013). Typical online functionalities, such as interactive screens, have started entering physical store environments (e.g. Macy’s, Adidas and Coca-Cola [1]; Pantano, 2016). Physical stores depend more than ever on impulse visits and impulse purchases of passers-by, owing to the increased competition with online shops (Mehra et al, 2017). Based on a qualitative study, Pantano (2016) suggests that compared to online stores, offering interactive content in shopping windows may improve the competitive positions of physical stores. This study aims to answer the following two questions: Can interactive screens in store-windows trigger impulse visits and impulse-buying urges? This study aims to answer the following two questions: Can interactive screens in store-windows trigger impulse visits and impulse-buying urges? what mechanism could explain this effect if so? By ascertaining the above, this study makes a unique contribution to the interactive-marketing literature and responds to the notion that more research on newly developed technologies in interactive marketing is necessary (Wang, 2021)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion