2.1 The physical environment

2.1.1 Retail store design.

• types of store exterior design including storefront, window displays and landscaping, including a study, e.g. Mower et al. (2012).
• types of store interior design including grid, freeform and racetrack layouts; use of virtual store layouts, including a study, e.g. Vrechopoulos et al. (2004).
• Relevant issues and debates and methodology for this topic include: cultural differences, questionnaires, quantitative and qualitative data, objective and subjective data, ecological validity.

This matters because —retail store design determines what can be inferred or chosen; begin with the stated conditions and keep the conclusion tied to the evidence.

Example: apply —retail store design to one small, clearly defined case, show the key step or comparison, and explain the result in words.

Boundary: —Retail store design is not a universal recommendation. Check the syllabus scope, assumptions, units and the limits of the evidence before generalising.

2.1.2 Sound and consumer behaviour.

• music in restaurants focusing on how background music influences the amount spent on food and drink (exemplified by the following Key Study).
• Key study on musical style and restaurant customers' spending: North et al. (2003).
• background noise focusing on how sound and noise affect the perception of food taste including reasons why sound influences taste, including a study, e.g. Woods et al. (2011) study 1 or study 2.
• Relevant issues and debates and methodology for this topic include: individual and situational explanations, reductionism versus holism, determinism versus free-will, generalisations, validity.

This matters because —sound and consumer behaviour determines what can be inferred or chosen; begin with the stated conditions and keep the conclusion tied to the evidence.

Example: apply —sound and consumer behaviour to one small, clearly defined case, show the key step or comparison, and explain the result in words.

Boundary: —Sound and consumer behaviour is not a universal recommendation. Check the syllabus scope, assumptions, units and the limits of the evidence before generalising.

2.1.3 Retail atmospherics.

• model of effects of ambience: Mehrabian and Russell's pleasure-arousal-dominance (PAD) model.
• the effects of odour on shopper pleasure-arousal-dominance, including a study, e.g. Chebat and Michon (2003).
• the effects of crowding on shopper pleasure-arousal-dominance, including a study, e.g. Machleit et al. (2000) study 1 or study 2.
• Relevant issues and debates and methodology for this topic include: application to everyday life, cultural differences, questionnaires, quantitative and qualitative data, objective and subjective data.

This matters because —retail atmospherics determines what can be inferred or chosen; begin with the stated conditions and keep the conclusion tied to the evidence.

Example: apply —retail atmospherics to one small, clearly defined case, show the key step or comparison, and explain the result in words.

Boundary: —Retail atmospherics is not a universal recommendation. Check the syllabus scope, assumptions, units and the limits of the evidence before generalising.