The Relationship between Perceived Retail Crowding and Customer Satisfaction in Night Markets: The Mediation role of Shopping Values

Abstract

Much of prior research on perceived crowding has focused on the effects of in-store crowding on retail outcomes and has demonstrated that perceived retail crowding can reduce customer satisfaction. This study was conducted to investigate the differential roles of shopping values the relationship between perceived retail crowding and customer satisfaction in the context of night markets. Data were collected through survey using a structured questionnaire administered to the general public. The results indicate that (1a) perceived human crowding positively affects hedonic shopping value but not utilitarian shopping value, (1b) perceived spatial crowding negatively affects both hedonic shopping value and utilitarian shopping value, (2a) utilitarian shopping value mediates negatively the effect of spatial crowding perceptions on customer satisfaction only, and (2b) hedonic shopping value mediates positively the effect of human crowding perceptions on customer satisfaction, but mediates negatively the effect of spatial crowding perceptions on customer satisfaction.