Culture influences on emotional responses to on-line store atmospheric cues

On-line retailing created a global marketplace with an innumerable array of competitors. Essential to on-line store's ability to attract and retain customers globally is its store atmospherics, which are design elements used to garner attention and create a positive buying environment [Kotler Phillip. Atmospherics as a marketing tool. Journal of Retailing 1974; 49: 48–64.]. The research presented here assesses how behavioral and emotional responses to on-line store atmospherics vary across collectivist and individualist cultural value systems. The contribution is significant because additional research on understanding how culture affects customers' responses to the on-line store site design is needed [Chan Ricky Y. K. and Tai Susan. How do in-store environmental cues influence Chinese shoppers? A study of hypermarket customers in Hong Kong. Journal of International Consumer Marketing 2001; 13 (1): 73–104.; Eroglu Sevgin, Machleit Karen and Davis Lenita. Atmospheric qualities of on-line retailing: A conceptual model and implications. Journal of Business Research 2001; 54 (2): 177–184.; Menon and Kahn, 2002]. Using two different site designs for a fictional on-line retailer, American and Chinese University students evaluated their shopping experience at an assigned site. Findings: Cultural values do affect customers' responses to atmospheric cues. The study examines the inter-relationships between customers' emotional responses.