The moderating role of environmental complexity on the impact of vegetation in the store environment

Abstract

Although many environmental psychology studies have investigated retail settings and green environments separately, the incorporation of greenery in retail areas is barely explored. By means of a 2 by 2 experimental design, we empirically studied the effect of in-store vegetation on consumer emotions and responses towards the store, considering the moderating role of the information rate of the retail setting. While introducing foliage in the store environment did not seem to evoke any feelings of excitement, in-store vegetation was found to elicit pleasure and reduce stress, albeit these effects could only be discerned in a ‘complex’ store interior. Given the impact of pleasure and stress on consumers’ approach/avoidance responses, these findings support the potential of integrating greenery in retail store environments, especially in ‘spatial dense’ stores.