Abstract
The study reported here examines how combinations of specific elements in the retail store environment influence consumers’ inferences about merchandise and service quality and discusses the extent to which these inferences mediate the influence of the store environment on store image. Results show that ambient and social elements in the store environment provide cues that consumers use for their quality inferences. In addition, store environment, merchandise quality, and service quality were posited to be antecedents of store image—with the latter two serving as mediators—rather than components of store image (as they are typically treated in the store image literature). Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed, and future research directions are proposed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 328-339 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science: Official Publication of the Academy of Marketing Science |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1994 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business and International Management
- Marketing
- Economics and Econometrics