Designing an attractive store. Roles of physical stores' arrangement on consumers' responses to the stores

Samenvatting (Engelstalig)

This thesis takes a first step to explore how the specific store layout and product location in the store affect consumer’s first impression, intention to visit the store, and product choices. We use two formats of virtual reality (SketchUp 3D modeling program and virtual store) to create stores with different layouts, to alter the location of snacks in the store and to provide close-to-reality shopping environments for participants. The findings reveal that store layout affects consumers’ impression and intention to visit the store. Store managers should opt for orderly or well-organized store layouts because consumers think that these orderly/well-organized store layouts help them find product faster and enhance their shopping enjoyment. Placing the shelves in a parallel or playful pattern brings an impression of a well-organized store. In addition, this thesis shows that shoppers can become tired and have lower ability to control themselves after they shop or choose a number of products in the supermarket. We imply from the findings that placing snacks at the end of a shopping trip may make consumer lose control over snack choices. However, it remains inconclusive how the location of snacks (beginning vs. end of the store) influence snack choices. Our findings point to opportunities and challenges for future research on the spatial layout of physical stores.