engleski

The Importance of Retail Atmosphere in Online and Offline Environments

Nowadays retailers have found it increasingly difficult to create a differential advantage based on the traditional marketing mix. This chapter sheds light on the increasing role of atmosphere as a tool for keeping retailers favourable in the mind of consumers. As retailers are no longer just using the place to do business in the form of physical structures but also the intangible virtual store, the purpose of this chapter is to present the main dimensions of the retail atmosphere in both conventional retail stores and its electronic counterpart. The chapter concludes that store attributes are equally important for consumers when making a purchase decision whether they are purchasing online or offline. The results suggest that Croatian consumers are very task- oriented and raise questions about retailers` decisions in creating the appropriate mix of environmental factors that may influence customers` patronage decisions.

atmosphere ; environment ; retailing ; store ; virtual retail store ; online retailing ; Croatia ; consumers ; communication

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