Retail design intent and effects on shopping behaviour in a South African retail store

Abstract

Retailers are well known for designing store environments with an intent to enhance the customers’ positive emotions, assuming that those emotions would contribute to the desired shopping conduct, such as a greater willingness to buy or linger in the store for longer. Store-based retailing dominates the retail environment in South Africa; on the other hand, ecommerce is slowly gaining momentum. Computers continue to be a privilege enjoyed by South Africans consumers in the middle to high LSM. The limited literature in this area indicated that there is a need for further investigation into retail design intent and effects on shopping behaviour in South Africa. This study focused on determining and explaining the correlation between the interior design effects in a South African Retail store environment on intended shopping behaviour. A qualitative approach was adopted using a single retail store in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a case study to determine the customer behaviour in relation to the design intent. Data gathered through Interviews and observations was analysed using the behavioural qualities model developed by Ahrentzen, (2001:2), which was adapted and used as a conceptual framework. The findings indicated that similar aspects as of five to ten years ago still create in-store experiences today. Although globally, retailing is moving towards e-commerce and customers have various ways they could do their shopping, in-store experience is still relevant in attracting customers. In this study, it is argued that the impact of retail design on physical retail store environments goes beyond creating appropriate ‘atmospheres’.