Julie Baker

Can a Retail Web Site Be Social

Avatars are lifelike characters created by technology. Research suggests that avatars can increase the persuasiveness of online sales channels. The authors investigate how the social cues inherent in avatars influence consumers affect and shopping value. In Study 1, social cues induce perceptions of Web site socialness, leading to increased pleasure and arousal, both of which positively influence flow, hedonic and utilitarian value, and patronage intentions. Study 2 finds that social cue–induced arousal leads to increased pleasure only for consumers who are involved with the product category. Moreover, the influence of arousal on hedonic value is stronger for women, flow does not lead to pleasure for older consumers, and utilitarian value is less important for this group than for their younger counterparts. The findings suggest that there is a competitive advantage for online retailers that use social cues that provide consumers with enhanced perceptions of human connection and the formation of emotional bonds.

How website socialness leads to website use

Website designers are beginning to incorporate social cues, such as helpfulness and familiarity, into e-commerce sites to facilitate the exchange relationship. Website socialness elicits a social response from users of the site and this response produces enjoyment. Users patronize websites that are exciting, entertaining and stimulating. The purpose of our study is to explore the effects of website socialness perceptions on the formation of users’ beliefs, attitudes and subsequent behavioral intentions. We manipulate website socialness perceptions across two different online shopping contexts, one for functional products and the other for pleasure-oriented products, and draw from the responses of 300 Internet users. Our findings show that website socialness perceptions lead to enjoyment, have a strong influence on user intentions and these effects are invariant across shopping contexts.

It Depends: Moderating the Relationships Among Perceived Waiting Time, Anger, and Regret

When consumers have to wait, the service delivery process is frequently compromised. The literature suggests that reducing waiting time is beneficial, but for service firms faced with scarce resources this is not always an option. As an alternative strategy, this study identifies and tests the mitigating effects of three factors that moderate the waiting time—anger and waiting time—regret relationships. Results show that in four service industries, affective commitment, perceived justice, and physical environment quality affect negative evaluations of a service experience and attenuate the effects of waiting time on both anger and regret. The authors discuss implications for researchers and service marketers in light of the results.

The mall as bazaar: How kiosks influence consumer shopping behaviour

Abstract The addition of kiosks (e.g. pushcarts, stalls, etc.) to malls has changed the mall environment. However, no research to our knowledge has been conducted to determine if that change has been received positively or negatively by shoppers. Our study investigates how kiosks and kiosk salespeople affect consumers emotional responses and shopping behaviours towards the mall. Using a between-subjects design, we found that the very presence of kiosks negatively affects shoppers perceptions of the mall environment. Whether a kiosk salesperson was aggressive or passive had virtually the same effect upon shoppers. Similarly, passive kiosk salespeople and the absence of kiosks resulted in relatively the same level of arousal on shoppers, while aggressive salespeople caused a higher level of arousal than either of the other two conditions. This contributes to the extant literature on retail atmospherics and perceptions of retail salesperson behaviours.

Mother-adolescent daughter identity interplay processes

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the mother–adolescent daughter shopping trip to better understand the experiences and process that occur during these shopping trips. Adolescent girls and their mothers are an important shopping companion pair that has received minimal study. Design/methodology/approach – This research investigates the mother–adolescent daughter shopping trip using in-depth interviews with 28 mothers, adolescent daughters and retail employees in the USA. Findings – The interviews reveal that the mother–adolescent daughter shopping trip consists of three important developmental experiences: conflict and struggle, education and influence and bonding between mother and daughter. Similarities and differences between middle- and high-school daughters relative to these issues are explored. Originality/value – This study is the first to bring together the interplay processes of conflict, education and influence and bonding during mother–adolescent daughter shopping trips. This study extends r...

Waiting for Service: The Effects of Music Volume and Gender

The results of this experiment lend support to previous findings that music can influence consumers reactions to delay in a service setting. Music volume made a difference in service evaluation, with those waiting in a no music condition reporting the most favorable ratings. Mood and gender of the consumer was also found to influence service evaluation.

Is Background Music Effective On Retail Websites

ABSTRACT Web designers often advise online retailers against incorporating background music on websites. However, the effect of music in brick-and-mortar retail settings has generally been found to be favorable. The research on the effects of music has been mixed. Our study aims to examine whether congruent music on the website homepage influences online consumers. Using the responses of 290 visitors to two different commercial websites, we test the influence of background music on consumers’ arousal and pleasure perceptions. The results indicate congruent background music on a websites homepage will generate positive affective responses of arousal and pleasure within users, and will enhance users’ perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment as well. The findings reveal the effects of respondent’ affective responses to the music differed by gender. Website music produces significant affective and cognitive responses in high web skill/low web challenge users and explains more of website enjoyment.