Store Atmospherics as a Determinant of Customer Buying Behaviour in Organized Retail Stores

In today’s competitive retail scenario, physical retail stores are facing stiff competition from the ever-expanding online retailing platform. Hence, it is not sufficient for retail businesses to provide products and competitive pricing strategies alone to attract and retain customers. One of the best ways to achieve this is by developing store atmospherics that provide an improved shopping experience to customers. Store atmospherics are those aspects of the retail store’s design and sensory elements that influence the behavior and response of customers. This study is an investigation into the store atmospherics as a factor determining the buying behavior of customers in retail store settings. This research is based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response theory, which explains how stimuli in the retail store influence the internal states of customers and ultimately their buying behavior. Primary research was conducted using a structured questionnaire to collect data from retail customers. Results The study reveals that different store atmospheric factors play an important role in determining the perceptions and behavior of customers. A pleasant store environment improves the satisfaction level of customers and positively influences their buying behavior.