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PurposeThis study aims to explore how a relational brand experience can be designed using an integrated retail experience. It addresses the research gap between relational brand experience strategy, retail experience design, as well as online-offline integration, by providing applicable tools and knowledge.Design/methodology/approachBased on a literature review, a relational experience analytical framework (REAF) was developed as a diagnostic tool for relational brand experience. A case study was then conducted using the REAF to determine the relational brand experience factors, strategies in practice and related initiatives.FindingsThree distinguishing integrated relational brand experience factors were identified (online-offline integration, overall activeness and the centre of relationships). A typology for an integrated relational brand experience was established with clarifying experiential characteristics and the required initiatives for each type. Based on the findings, a framework was proposed for an integrated brand experience design and its application in the retail experience design process.Practical implicationsThe frameworks and strategies proposed can serve as a guide to industry professionals in designing integrated relational brand experiences.Originality/valueThe theoretical contributions of this study are in clarifying the relational brand experience dimensions and an integrated relational brand experience strategy typology. It also illustrates the strategic application of integrated retail experience based on a brand experience strategy using the proposed framework and the process.

Can the same product or service be experienced differently depending on feelings evoked by the retailer’s environment? The current research explores how consumers’ sense of environment familiarity influences retail experiences. A series of eight studies demonstrates that consumers like familiar products more when they sense an unfamiliar (vs. familiar) environment because they become discovery-oriented, whereby familiar items seem more novel under these conditions. Consistent with this explanation, we find that the proposed effect is specific to familiar products and does not apply to products that are inherently new (i.e., unfamiliar), and that this effect occurs due to consumers having a mindset geared toward discovery. The present research reveals the important joint impact of the retailer environment and product type on customers’ experiences, by showing how and why feelings evoked by retailers’ surroundings affect consumers’ judgments and behaviors. Our findings have implications for retailers wishing to improve in-store experiences, as well as for consumer welfare.

PurposeIncreasingly, retailers are adopting technologies such as augmented reality (AR) as tools to enhance the customer experience. However, little is known about consumers' differing attitudes towards AR. The aim of this study is to explore how consumers differ in terms of the value they receive from using AR, as well as the trade-offs they experience when using the technology for shopping. Moreover, the study explores the individual characteristics that lead to these differences by segmenting consumers according to their perceptions of and attitudes towards AR as a shopping tool.Design/methodology/approachTo identify the segments, latent class analysis was conducted on the data collected from an online survey of 503 US consumers.FindingsThe analysis yielded four distinct segments of consumers who vary in their attitude towards AR as a shopping tool – AR Averse, AR Hesitant, AR Open and AR Enthusiastic. Covariate analysis indicated that the factors which drive membership of these segments include perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and psychographic characteristics such as innovativeness, time pressure and shopping enjoyment.Practical implicationsThe heterogeneity of consumer attitudes towards AR is driven by consumers' perceptions of decision confidence (how they see AR enhancing their ability to make choices), information overload (the potential for AR to over-stimulate shoppers) and experiential value (the derived value from engaging with AR). Hence, retailers should leverage these dimensions when communicating the value of AR in assisting consumers when shopping.Originality/valueThis study highlights that heterogeneity exists in consumer attitudes towards AR, and suggests that the attitude towards AR is not a fixed value, but can change through education.

Purpose – As online retailing grows in importance there is increasing interest in the online customer experience. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of gamification, the use of game mechanics, in enabling consumer engagement with online retailers. Design/methodology/approach – The research adopts a qualitative methodology carrying out 19 in-depth interviews with individuals who are frequent online shoppers. Findings – Findings support the importance of including game elements to enhance the retail experience. However, data also suggests that without appropriate management customers can subvert gamification strategies to create their own “games” which increases competitive pressure between retailers. Practical implications – The paper suggests ways in which retailers might more successfully “gamify” their online retail stores and reduce incidences of undesirable customer behaviour. Originality/value – This paper provides empirical support to the current paucity of research into the role of gamification in the context of the online retail experience.

PurposeProviding positive and memorable shopping experiences has become essential for retailers. As the retail industry strives to create multisensory experiences for consumers, it is equally important to understand the emotions and pleasure such experiences evoke. The current study aims to investigate how multisensory experiences induce hedonic emotions in retail shoppers. It explores the mediating role of hedonic emotions in between multisensory experiences and shopping mall patronage intention.Design/methodology/approachThe study is descriptive; the data was collected using the mall intercept survey method. A total of 380 shoppers participated in and responded to the survey administered at the mall. The collected responses are analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsOur findings support the idea that hedonic emotions play a significant role in the retail environment by influencing retail patronage intentions. Also, the multisensory experiences have a positive effect on patronage intention as well as the hedonic emotions of shoppers.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study provides theoretical and managerial implications for academicians and retail marketing.Originality/valueThe present research contributes to the existing literature by introducing the concept of multisensory experiences in the retail context and its impact on hedonic emotions and adding to the concept of inference theory.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate if retail services have a transformative potential to improve the well-being of customers in a Latin American market. Transformative studies have been conducted mostly in developed countries, and consumer well-being in a Latin American supermarket context has not been addressed previously. Specifically, this study aims to understand if customer satisfaction with a supermarket experience in Chile leads to positive customer well-being. Additionally, it is examined if customer well-being influences firm outcomes, such as customer loyalty, word-of-mouth (WOM) communication or retailer equity. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model was developed, and data was collected through an online survey from 866 customers of a large supermarket chain in Chile. Hypotheses were tested with structural equation modeling. Findings The findings of this study support all the hypotheses of the model and confirm that customer satisfaction has direct and indirect effects on customer loyalty and other firm outcomes through customer well-being. Research limitations/implications This research is among the few studies in the academic literature that considers retail experience and well-being outcomes for supermarket customers in a Latin American context. Limitations derive from the cross-sectional nature of this study. Practical implications There are implications from this study contributing to the literature on customer retail experience, in terms of the potential to transform supermarket shopping in a Latin American country. This is particularly relevant in Latin America as the extent to which for-profit organizations acknowledge their relevancy of the individuals’ well-being is still at its infancy. Social implications This research provides empirical support to the importance of not only looking at traditional measures such as WOM, equity and loyalty but looking into the impact services have for customers’ life and well-being. Originality/value This study contributes to the services literature and addresses a gap in it by exploring the transformative potential of supermarket shopping on customer well-being and in turn the role of customer well-being in retail firm outcomes. The findings also contribute in considering Chile, a Latin American context that has been overlooked in the transformative services studies. This provides managerial implications for domestic and global companies that offer grocery retailing for consumers in this region.

Purpose – This study aims at developing a reliable and valid measure of retail customer experience. Design/methodology/approach – Scientific scale development process has been followed. Survey methodology was used to collect data. The results are tested for reliability and validity using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Findings – The study conceptualizes retail customer experience as a reliable and valid multidimensional construct, explained in four dimensions: leisure, joy, distinctive and mood. Research limitations/implications – It was confined to only “brick and mortar” personal lifestyle retail stores. Mediating and moderating effects of contextual variables and the influence of antecedents have not been studied. It provides insights into the “delivered” retail customer experience as perceived by the shoppers for future research. Practical implications – The scale can be used to measure the experiential responses of retail customers and provide directions for retailing strategies. Originality/value – The study presents psychometrically valid scale to measure retail customer experience scale.

Online retail shops increasingly implement gamified marketing strategies to enrich consumers’ online experience and increase engagement. This study aims to evaluate the ludic experience of consumers in online retail stores and the role of gamification and game mechanics in changing the online shopping experience. It seeks to assess, through a qualitative methodology, based on an exploratory study approach obtained through 30 interviews with Portuguese consumers, whether consumers have playful experiences when shopping in online retail shops and whether the introduction of game mechanics changes this experience by generating co-creation. The results show that online shopping can be playful and generate positive emotional benefits. However, gamification in online retail shops is not guided by a co-creation process, nor do game mechanics create greater online consumer engagement. There is a need to review how gamification is introduced in online retail shops, and strategies should be designed to co-create experience value and brand co-creation. This study is original, as it contributes to developing knowledge about gamification in the context of the online retail experience. Studies on this topic are scarce, and this study contributes to filling that gap.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate older shopper behavior in a retail environment. The study focused on how the environment elements of supermarket stores influence older customers to interact with other customers when they shop for groceries. Design/methodology/approach Various qualitative research techniques were undertaken, including interviews with retail architecture experts, store employees, a psychologist and a gerontologist; in addition, five interviews followed by three focus groups were conducted with older shoppers in Brazil. Findings Customer-to-customer interactions that are related to the environment elements of supermarkets tend to influence the shopping experience of the older shoppers, which has an impact on satisfaction. Although some customers may value social contact, some interactions can involve discomfort and embarrassment. Research limitations/implications The study sheds light on the understanding of the influence of the environment elements of supermarket stores on customer-to-customer interactions, and it proposes such interactions to be a relevant strategy that is used by older customers to maximize their satisfaction, although such strategies can also lead to dissatisfaction. Practical implications The findings provide insights regarding the specific needs of older customers in a supermarket context, associated with the design and ambient elements of the store environment, which can be valuable for retailers and policy-makers. Originality/value Considering the limited understanding of older shoppers and their experiences, this study provides a thorough understanding of how the retail environment can influence customer-to-customer interactions that involve older shoppers. Moreover, the study captures how interactions, which are influenced by the retail environment, can result in dissatisfaction; however, such interactions can also be used by older customers to modify their satisfaction with the shopping experience.

[Display omitted] ► We develop an Other Customer Perception (OCP) scale for use in service organizations. The scale dimensions are Similarity, Physical Appearance and Suitable Behavior. ► A service consumer's OCPs can explain variation in outcomes beyond that explained by just modeling the effects of service quality. ► The OCP scale effectively predicted customers’ approach and avoidance behaviors to a retail service experience. ► An age comparison suggests that physical appearance plays a more prominent role in the appraisal process for younger consumers. During most consumer exchanges, particularly in service and retailing settings, customers are “in the factory” and, as a result, the presence of other customers can have a profound impact on customer experiences. Despite studies demonstrating the importance of managing the customer experience and customer portfolios, the marketing literature lacks a comprehensive scale that can be used to assess individuals’ perceptions of other customers during commercial transactions. This study conceptualizes a three-dimension, Other Customer Perception (OCP) scale to address this gap. Using a seven-step scale development process, the multi-dimensional conceptualization is supported and validated and the research demonstrates the impact of the OCP dimensions on consumers’ approach and avoidance intentions. The findings provide a clearer understanding of how other customers can indirectly influence assessments of a customer exchange and can assist in the measurement of other customer perceptions in future research efforts.