Servic-escape! A cross-sectorial study on environmental shopping irritations

Abstract

Most of previous studies focus on the effect of customers’ shopping experience on their positive emotional responses. However, some less pleasurable shopping experiences may also generate negative affective responses such as irritation. This research investigates the effect of shopping environment on customers’ level of irritation and customers’ satisfaction across three retail sectors. We survey customers after a shopping experience in either a grocery- (n = 150), a fashion- (n = 183), or an electrical appliances retail stores (n = 156). Our results demonstrate that design and social aspects of the store are the most irritating. Customers’ irritation decreases their satisfaction. However, these effects depend on the retail sector considered.