Mall atmospherics: the interaction effects of the mall environment on shopping behavior

The authors investigate the moderating effects of ambient odors on shoppers' emotions, perceptions of the retail environment, and perceptions of product quality under various levels of retail density. The context for the experiment is a real-life field location-in a community shopping mall. The pleasing ambient scents are hypothesized to positively moderate shoppers' perceptions of their environment. A multigroup invariant structural equation model that accounts for different retail density levels shows that the relationship between ambient odors and mall perception adopts an inverted U shape. Ambient odors positively influence shoppers' perceptions only under the medium retail density condition. Incongruity theory informs the interaction effect between the two atmospheric variables. A moderate incongruity level is more likely to trigger a favorable evaluation of the situation (the shopping experience), object (the products sold), or the person (the salesclerks).