The internal physical surroundings of a retail outlet have important Essay

The internal physical surroundings of a retail outlet have important implications for building store image and influencing consu - Essay Example In-Store Environment Physical environment of the retail stores play a crucial role in influencing consumer behaviors and provide the retail stores with an ability to create un-rivaled image particularly in service businesses. Additionally, retailers rely heavily on store atmosphere as it prolongs the time consumer spend in the store and increases impulse buying of the consumer. More importantly, enhancing the store atmosphere is the last option for the retailers in terms of gaining competitive advantage (Blackwell, Miniard, and Engel, 2006). A store environment can be best defined as an external stimulus that attracts individuals on personal level. The in-store environment includes cues, messages and suggestions for the customers to gain their attention so that they can spend quality time at the store. Retailers are provided with variety of benefits through effective and breathtaking in-store environment due to which they tend to design store environment that significantly enhances c onsumer’s positive feelings and motivation to purchase or stay longer in the retail store (Yoh, 2000). On the other hand, physical environment can be distributed into three categories. ... Providing the customers to move freely in the store significantly influences the customers to frequently visit the store to satisfy the personal needs and wants. Signs, Symbols and Artifacts Communication with the customers in the store is quite essential. Communication either through direct medium or indirect medium can motivate the customers to stay longer at the retail store. Moreover, decoration and design of the signboards creates a positive image in the mind of the customers. Another classification of environmental factors is as follow (Mowen and Minor, 1997): Ambient Cues The ambient cues have significant impacts on potential customers as it includes attributes such as temperature, music, noise and lighting. Design Cues The design cues give rise to aesthetic feelings of the customers as it includes style, layout and architecture of the retail store. Social Cues Such cues relate to factors such as employees and the customers. The ability to provide the customers with effective and interactive employees can significantly motivate the customers through high quality service. Nature and Importance of In-Store Environment In the 21st century, providing the customers with unique and special retail environment has become a necessity for organization to enhance its differentiation from other retailers. This significantly provides the retail outlets with an ability to bind customers through the un-rivaled experience. Indeed, the retail outlets are showing interest in the design of outlets so that the outlet can create an experience that would lead to consumer purchasing behavior. Moreover, the design and the environment of the retail outlets are the two most prominent factors for