Mall Atmosphere Research Articles

The Effect of Mall Atmosphere, Brand Image, and Visitor Satisfaction on Return Intention at Living World Denpasar

This study aims to explain the influence of mall atmosphere, brand image, and visitor satisfaction on the intention to revisit Living World Denpasar. The intention to revisit is the result of various factors involving previous experiences and the hope of getting the same or even better experience on the next visit. The population of this study was the people of Denpasar City who had visited Living World Denpasar. Data were collected through a direct survey from 120 visitors who were taken purposively from the population and then analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics in the form of multiple linear regression. The results showed that mall atmosphere , brand image, and satisfaction have a positive influence on the intention to revisit. The results showed that the better the mall atmosphere, the better the brand image, and the more satisfied the visitors were, the three would increase the intention of visitors to revisit Living World Denpasar.

Do environmental factors affect the market atmosphere, amount of purchases and customer attitude

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of environmental factors on the atmosphere of chain stores in Iran as well as the effect of the related atmosphere on customers' attitude and purchase intention. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire was used to collect the data. The questionnaire was distributed among 220 customers who purchased from Iranian stores in the autumn of 2019. Data analysis was performed using the structural equation method. The obtained Cronbach's alpha for all constructs was above 0.7 and the extracted mean of variance was greater than 0.5; hence, the validity and reliability were confirmed. The findings of this study showed that lighting, entertainment, and cleanliness have a significantly positive effect on customers' attitudes regarding the mall atmosphere. In this respect, it was also found that the mall atmosphere has a significant effect on the purchase intention. Moreover, the customers' attitudes as well as the customers' intention have a significant and positive impact on the purchase intention.

Mall brand meaning: an experiential branding perspective

Purpose This paper aims to examine mall consumer brand meaning through understanding consumer brand associations of shopping malls. Design/methodology/approach Building on the literature, a quantitative methodology is applied. A large sample (n = 755) of an Australian shopping mall is surveyed, and the data are analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings The first set of findings is that mall atmosphere and mall merchandise are the main determinants of consumer mall satisfaction. In turn, consumer mall satisfaction and mall merchandise are the main determinants of consumer mall brand attitudes. Research limitations/implications The study is the first known study to measure consumer-based mall brand meaning quantitatively. This discovery gives a more holistic understanding of the mall brand. Additionally, the study highlights that mall branding is essentially experiential branding. Practical implications The study provides sound guidance for mall managers by suggesting priorities in shaping the mall brand, the emphasis on mall atmosphere and the criticality of tenant mix. Some malls spend hundreds of millions of dollars on refurbishments, enhancing mall atmosphere, consistent with the emphasis of this paper. Social implications More effective experiential branding could influence community well-being. Originality/value This original research pioneers the discovery of customer-based mall brand meaning. Additionally, the study adds to the experiential branding literature. Sensory experiences are not sufficient to examine brand experiences; additionally, the core product (mall merchandise in our context) enhances the total (mall) brand experience.

Why male and female shoppers do not see mall loyalty through the same lens? The mediating role of self-congruity

What factors drive mall loyalty of male and female shoppers? A literature-based model was tested in two North American shopping malls (regular and upscale) with 905 shoppers (476 women and 429 men). The findings reveal that atmosphere affects mall loyalty and shoppers' identification with the mall. In the case of male shoppers, the drivers of mall loyalty are mall atmosphere, prices, and identification with the mall. With female shoppers, the drivers are mall's atmosphere, its physical design, and the perceived quality of products and services. The findings should guide managers in the allocation of resources to enhance mall image and attract more male shoppers.

Fashion orientation, shopping mall environment, and patronage intentions

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore female fashion shoppers’ perception and response to the mall environment. Specific objectives include a conceptual model of female fashion shoppers’ experience in a mall environment incorporating fashion orientation, store personality, shopping mall perception, shopping value, and patronage intentions.Design/methodology/approach– Empirical testing is done with a latent path structural equation model. Data collection was carried out in a firmly controlled mall intercept survey which produced 312 usable questionnaires.Findings– Results show that shoppers’ fashion orientation hypothesized to be a personality trait is not an antecedent to the perception of the mall environment. Instead, fashion orientation moderates the perception of product and service quality, hedonic shoppers’ response, and patronage intentions. The perceived mall personality has a focussed impact on the perception of product and service quality. The mall’s sophistication image influences the perception of product quality. On the other hand, the mall’s enthusiasm image atmosphere affects the perception of service quality. Perceptions of product and service quality are correlated and trigger positive hedonic and utilitarian shopping benefits.Research limitations/implications– Because findings from this study cannot be generalized to other situations, the research should be replicated to a variety of mall formats and shopper segments. Furthermore, other fashion-orientation factors (fashion leadership, fashion interest, and anti-fashion attitude) should be considered. However, along with model complexities, increased sample sizes are also required. Future studies may also include male shoppers to investigate differences in fashion motivation and mall shopping experience.Practical implications– It is concluded that the person-place congruency theory is confirmed and that the shoppers’ fashion orientation should be included in the set of segmentation variables. Shopping malls cannot be everything to everyone without risking diluting their image. Downtown urban malls have the opportunity to adopt a well-defined positioning in order to differentiate themselves. Large suburban malls should partition themselves to remove image ambiguities. Mall managers must primarily work on the “meaning” of the mall atmosphere rather “mood.” Fashion shoppers are task oriented. Mall managers should design malls to facilitate the shopping experience with highly functional designs, simple layout, and clear signage in support of wayfinding.Originality/value– Although fashion consumers have been studied from diverse perspectives, there is limited research on the experience of fashion shoppers in a mall setting. This study partly fills this gap in the literature by investigating how female fashion shoppers respond to the shopping center environment and commit to mall patronage.

Investigation of Mall Atmosphere in Experiential Shopping During Holiday Season: A case of Malaysian Shopping Malls

This study examines the influence of environmental factors in a shopping mall on consumer behaviour especially during holiday season. Within a shopping mall there needs to be a balance of external environment elements that serves to elicit human stimuli to help induce different sensations and psychological effects on a person, ultimately leading to positive consumer behaviours and increased purchase intentions. However the wrong balance of these elements can hinder the positive reactions of consumers especially during the holiday season shopping where potentially sales are at the highest. This study employed a convenience sampling data collection method from 300 respondents in a selected shopping mall during the month of December 2013 to capture the consumer’s reaction to the mall’s atmosphere which were enhanced with festive decorations to help induce potential buying behaviour. Results were collated based on the analysis of four significant environmental variables which are interior settings, music, employee engagement and consumer density. The findings indicated that the effects of interior settings, music and employee engagement were found to be evident. Conversely, consumer density was found to elicit no effect on consumer behaviour. It was also noted that gender moderates the relationship between music and consumer behaviour. The implications of the results obtained are discussed along with the managerial implications, limitations and future research.

The effects of mall renovation on shopping values, satisfaction and spending behaviour

Managers renovate malls to keep up with newer shopping centres and retail formats that erode traffic. This paper investigates shoppers׳ psychological processes that trigger changes in spending behaviour in the renovated mall. Renovation has a direct impact on the perception of the mall atmosphere and an indirect one on shoppers׳ hedonic and utilitarian values, satisfaction, and spending. Renovation affects shoppers׳ spending through the perception of utilitarian shopping benefits.This study is the first of its kind to explore the effects of mall renovation on shoppers׳ spending. It focuses on the effect of renovations on shoppers׳ holistic perception of the mall atmosphere. The hedonic benefit contributes more to shoppers׳ satisfaction than does the utilitarian value. However, the utilitarian value affects shoppers׳ spending while the hedonic value does not.

购物中心消费者行为研究述评与展望

与购物中心迅速发展的势头相比，国内对购物中心内消费者行为的理论研究则显得相对滞后。本文涵盖了不同国家有关购物中心消费者行为研究的理论和文献，从消费者心理和行为的角度，分析与传统环境的消费行为相比，购物中心消费者行为的特点，购物中心环境对消费者行为的影响，以及消费者对购物中心环境的期望，并结合国内社会环境和消费者心理的特殊性，提出中国购物中心消费者行为的未来研究方向。 Shopping mall is becoming one of the most favorite destinations for different kinds of consumers, but the research about Chinese consumer behavior in shopping mall seems a little bit hysteretic. The emphasis of our review is to classify the researches in order to give readers a straightforward direction of present studies (in nearly 20 years). The primary purpose of this review is to describe the researches about the development of shopping mall, characteristics of consumer behaviors in shopping mall, how consumer behavior will be influenced by shopping mall atmosphere and customer expectations on the environment of shopping mall. Combining with domestic social environment and the particularities of consumer psychology, we give some suggestions to further research about consumer behaviors in shopping mall in Chinese circumstance.

복합쇼핑몰에서의 세대별 몰링문화에 관한 연구 - 엔터테인먼트 경험을 중심으로 -

Malling culture, which refers to the enjoyment of shopping in multi-complex malls with shopping, cultural, and leisure facilities, has emerged as a major trend in society. However, few studies have researched malling culture in depth. This study classified people who go to multi-complex shopping malls as belonging to the baby-boom generation, X-generation, or Y-generation to investigate consumer culture in malls, with an emphasis on user satisfaction and entertainment experiences. Consumers who had shopped in a multi-complex shopping mall during the last 6 months were surveyed. Data were collected through a research company, and responses from 417 subjects were used in the analysis. Among the 417 subjects, 130 were baby-boomers, 136 were from the X-generation, and 151 were from the Y-generation. Investigating the components of multi-complex shopping malls that stimulate entertainment experiences, this study found that exploratory, emotional, and leisure experiences were enhanced when users were more satisfied with the image, atmosphere, and events of shopping malls. In addition, mall image and atmosphere contributed to the improvement of social experiences. With regard to generation, baby-boomers and subjects from the X-generation were generally more satisfied with mall atmosphere, image, and events and had more exploratory and leisure experiences. This study holds significance in that it examined malling culture from a wider perspective than simply the younger generation and presented scholarly and marketing implications based on insights into generational malling culture.

Effects of mall atmosphere on mall evaluation: Teenage versus adult shoppers

What is the effect of mall atmosphere in mall evaluation? Is this effect mediated by self-congruity and functional congruity? Does the effect of mall atmosphere on mall evaluation differ between adult and teenage shoppers? If so how? The research reported in this paper attempts to answer the above questions. A survey of mall shoppers was conducted ( N=265) based on a mall intercept. The survey findings indicate that mall atmosphere positively affects functional congruity for both adults and teenage shoppers. However, as expected, the impact of atmosphere on self-congruity is only significant for teenagers. In turn, self-congruity and functional congruity positively affect mall evaluation for both adult and teenage shoppers.

The influence of mall environment on female fashion shoppers' value and behaviour

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how the shopping mall environment influences the shopping experience and approach behaviour of female fashion shoppers.Design/methodology/approachFemale shoppers were first clustered along the fashion orientation of the stores they patronise. Shoppers' response and behaviour was modelled in an invariant multigroup latent structural path analysis. Paths were initially constrained and then released as required. A total of 286 usable questionnaires were administered using a mall intercept survey method in a regional shopping centre. Participants were probed on their shopping activities, shopping mall perception, product perception, shopping value and approach behaviour toward the mall.FindingsA favourable perception of the mall atmosphere elicits a positive perception of the merchandise offering and triggers hedonic shopping experiences. The effect of the mall environment, mediated by product perception, significantly impacts the shopping objectives of middle‐of‐the‐road female fashion shoppers. Mall atmospherics has no or little effect on the utilitarian value of low‐ or high‐fashion oriented shoppers. Hedonic response of fashion forward shoppers is not stronger than that of other fashion shoppers.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was carried out in one regional mall and should be replicated to other locations and markets. A larger sample would allow the inclusion of additional constructs.Practical implicationsMall developers and operators are not only in real estate; they are also retailers. The mall environment is central to the perception of merchandise quality, and the shopping experience. Mall operators must be aware that the middle market target group is one that is highly sought after. They should strive to create a tenant mix that satisfies the many layers of fashion shopper needs.Originality/valueThis study represents a first attempt that investigates the integrated shopping experience of fashion shoppers in a shopping mall setting. It segments shoppers on their actual shopping behaviour rather than psychometrics.

It’s all at the mall: exploring adolescent girls’ experiences

While overall mall patronage in the United States has been declining for several years, patronage among U.S. adolescents (especially girls) has risen sharply. We describe a qualitative study that examines in-depth the young girl’s mall experience. A theoretical model was developed from the findings that includes some factors that have been examined in previous research, such as mall atmosphere and utilitarian and hedonic shopping motives. In addition, several new factors specifically relevant to girl shoppers, aged 12–19, also emerged, including education cohort, trend consciousness, comfort, safety, mall companion, freedom as a mall-patronage motivation, and accessibility issues. This insight into young girls’ patronage behaviors and motivations will provide academics, mall developers and retailers a richer understanding of the various components that contribute to the female adolescent mall experience, and allow them to more effectively study and market to this segment.

The Privatisation of Public Property: The Development of a Shopping Mall in Sydney and its Implications for Governance through Spatial Practices

This article examines the planning application and current operation of a new shopping mall in Sydney. I use this analysis to argue that the owners of the mall, Westfield, govern, through spatial practices, the physical space in the mall and the shopping practices of the people who enter the mall. By the term govern I mean the spatial practices by which Westfield controls the shopping area of the mall. I follow the idea of governance inspired by the governmentality literature to show that those connected with the mall are shaped by spatial practices which envisages subjects which are morally free and yet are shaped by shopping mall practices (Foucault, 1975, 1980). By these spatial practices, I argue, Westfield creates a certain ambience in the mall, which conveys the message that the mall is an attractive and safe location, which welcomes certain customers and excludes others. This collective impression of mall atmosphere, I argue acts as a spatial practice, which in effect governs the mall. One of the features of shopping malls is that public or civic space is replaced with 'semi-public space' owned by developers. In this context the protection of private property has coalesced with the preservation of public order (Gray and Gray, 2000, p. 23). In shopping malls people considered disruptive to shopping are excluded and shops found in the high street such as pawnshops and second-hand bookshops are not granted a tenancy. Other unwelcome folk include the homeless and groups of teenagers. In this article I plan to analyse the spatial practices which restrict full public access to such places as the Hornsby shopping mall. Accordingly, I firstly show that the concept of property should rightly be seen as containing social ideas, secondly I discuss the nature of spatial practices, which materially and discursively lead to the exclusion of certain people and thirdly, describe notions of community which help define who are proper mall entrants.