The influence of retail store environment on brand-related judgments

Abstract

Theories of schematic, or representational, thinking posit that schema congruity and incongruity direct people's evaluative, inferential, and action processes. However, to date research has not provided a test of schema (in)congruity theory for important environmental cues, such as the effect of retail store environment on brand judgments. Within the framework of schema (in)congruity, this paper tests the effects of retail store environment on brand judgments. Empirical evidence in support of the congruity theory, theoretical implications of the findings, and directions for future research are provided.