Analysing the impact of retail store attributes on unplanned buying intention with mediating role of shopping enjoyment and store perception: An Empirical study

Unplanned buyers are always considered as a dream segment for marketers. many times, consumers buy the product due to their sudden unplanned buying intention rather than their need. That is the reason unplanned buying pattern and behaviour is one of the most demandable topics for investigation by the marketers as well consumer behaviour researcher from last half centuries. This research aim to explore, impact of the combination of store attributes like light ,scent, music, displays and efficient employees and personal attributes like customer’s shopping enjoyment and the effect of their store perception. On customer unplanned buying intention. This research has done by a survey method by collecting data with the help of structured questionnaire. The finding of this study will be helpful to the retailers to plan their investment on store ambience that motivate the store visitors to browse the store for longer time which further help them to do unplanned shopping. At the same time it will guide the marketing researchers to understand the unplanned buyer’s insight and explore some more influencing factors which affect the unplanned buying behaviour as well as post purchase behaviour . Keywords; Store attributes, shopping enjoyment, store perception, unplanned buying intention. INTRODUCTION: The unplanned buying behaviour (UBB)is an vital aspect not only in retail business but also in other marketing sector. Every year a large volume of product has been sold due to this buying behaviour . Lots of evidence in previous report proofs that 90% of people make unplanned purchase occasionally and many buyer themselves purchase as unplanned purchase classified around 30% to 80% of their purchase as unplanned purchase [4,8,15,16,21]. According to some author’s suggestion ,in general the percentage of unplanned buying may be higher than planned buying . Apart from this, many available research has stressed on wide range of aspect connection to unplanned buying behaviour, but most of them are highlighting the meaning, definition, nature ,its importance in retail sector, the measurement of unplanned buying aspect ,the motivating factors as well as their difference from planned buying behaviour. [8,31]. However little focus has been done on retail store attributes towards the unplanned buying behaviour [Husman.A,2000:16] Very few attention has been given for identifying unplanned buyers profile as well as very few models have gone in depth for searching the link between the retail store attribute and its impact on unplanned urge for unplanned buying intention. This paper is a sincere effort to explore a compressive theoretical model that highlight store key variables and its impact on customer’s unplanned buying intention . This research paper has taken the inputs from various studies availed and presents a conceptual interpretation of unplanned buying intention. This research piece of work attempts to address the link between store attribute like ,store layout, ambience ,employee, visual displays with the urge for unplanned buying intention through the mediating with personal tendencies like shopping enjoyment , perception about retail store as well as buying tendency. The research paper has the following research objective : 1.To Identify the retail store related factors stimulating the unplanned buying intention of the customers. 2. To explore the relation between store attribute and customer’s unplanned buying intention with mediating role of customer’s shopping enjoyment. Dr.Sarita Satpathy et al/ Analysing the impact of retail store attributes on unplanned buying intention with mediating role of shopping enjoyment and store perception: An Empirical study Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business and Government | Vol 27, Issue 2, 2021 2157 3. To explore the relation between store attribute and customer’s unplanned buying intention with mediating role of customer’s store perception PROPOSED CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND HYPHOTHESIS: In this studies a conceptual framework has been proposed which has been done after a brief literature studies . The framework has consist of four store attribute along with customer’s shopping enjoyment, store perception and unplanned buying intention. Unplanned buying scenario: As per today’s marketing scenario unplanned buying behaviour is an unique and continuous aspects customer lifestyle as well as one of the complicated considerable point in today’s marketing scenario. Unplanned buying which is popularly known as impulse buying is a result consumer’s sudden experience of a strong and powerful urge to buy something instantly . It involves the spontaneous purchase decision of something without thinking for future consequences. According to Clover (1950:7) impulse buying refers to any purchase decision made instantly and suddenly without any advance planning before entering into the store. Later Rook (1987:31)put the argument that impulse buying is something more than unplanned buying and stated impulse buying as shopper’s instant and immediate buying activities after experiencing a strong and powerful urge. Redefining this Beatty and Ferrel(1998:3) states that instant purchase decision for a specific product without any prior intention to fulfil specific buying need. According to Crawford and Melewar (2003:9) growth in sale through unplanned buying is a result of customer’s increased frequency of store visit due to their hectic lifestyle. A research report suggests that total money spent on unplanned purchase by British consumer’s is around 21.7 billion euro. During the last two decades many research has been conducted by the researcher like, Donovan et al. (1994:11); Rook and Fisher (1995:32); Beatty and Farrell (1998:3). Hence for the retailer it is very essential to understand and use the customer’s unplanned buying behaviour as an input to promote their sale. It is also believed by some researchers that a comprehensive and brief understanding of unplanned buying behaviour can help the retailers to explore the stimulating factors that motivate customers and create the urge for unplanned buying. Relation between store attributes and unplanned buying intention As unplanned buying in retail stores are grabbing the interest ,lot of research has been undertaken to indentify the stimulating factors for unplanned buying. This paper has done an in-depth study about the relationship between the store attribute like store layout, store ambience including lighting, music, and scent , sales people, store visual display with unplanned buying intention. store layout: As per Crawford and Melewar,( 2003:9), a well planned store layout which will be convenience for the customer will be able to maximise their sale by creating a strong unplanned buying urge among the customer . Bitner (1992:5) in his research suggest that a good store layout helps the customer to find out the product in a quick manner which can facilitate more purchase. A retail store which is well organised can enhance and fasten the shopping process by creating more convenience for the shoppers . In fact in most of the superstore designed their layout to keep the daily needed products in the back of the store so that shoppers can browse entire store and may do some impulse purchase Store ambience: Customer buying urge is greatly influenced by their emotion which can be developed by store ambience. A well organised store with good smell or pleasant aroma can directly influence the shoppers time spend in store. I t will help the shopper to spend more time for looking various merchandise which further helps in unplanned buying. Similarly Matilla and Wirtz (2008:25) study has explored the customer unplanned buying has greatly influenced by the store smell. Like store aroma , store background music are also important store elements which have direct relation with customer’s purchase behaviours well as unplanned purchase intention. Customer’s unplanned buying intention is always trigger by pleasant back ground music. Presence of friendly Salesperson: Reference As per reference (20) humans are having a tendency to pay attention and attracted by other humans, can make an impact in retail sector , which includes salespeople and customers. Therefore, it is highly essential for the retailer to understand the role of human variables in affecting consumers’ perceptions and consequent behaviours . Some research stated that the well trained and friendly of employees can be considered as an vital factor while designing the retail business[25]. The store environment which have high availability of trained and friendly employees are always considered as a part of high social imaged store who are able to provide high motivation for consumer’s buying intention than the low-social-imaged store . Dr.Sarita Satpathy et al/ Analysing the impact of retail store attributes on unplanned buying intention with mediating role of shopping enjoyment and store perception: An Empirical study Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business and Government | Vol 27, Issue 2, 2021 2158 Visual Merchandising: Visual Merchandising can include anything that is visible to shopper outside and inside the store is a great stimulating factor in generating the customer’s interest, increase their attentiveness and strong desires for an similarly wide range of product display can affect unplanned purchase positively Peak& Peak (1997:39). According to Ramaswamy and Namakumar(2009:42). When a customer see a product on sale automatically start paying attention which can result unplanned purchase. H1: There is a positive relationship between The store attribute and customer’s unplanned buying