DOES EMOTIONS AFFECT MALL PATRONAGE?

Abstract

Many mall studies have examined the various factors affecting patronage, but little literature has explored how a shopper’s emotions can influence his or her desire to patronise the mall. The main purpose of this study is to identify the specific emotions that would generate positive mall patronage, and to analyse possible differences in emotions and shopping behaviours among shoppers of different gender and age groups. A survey was conducted among 300 respondents from six retail malls in Singapore. Results of the survey suggest that positive emotions (such as excited and happy) induced by the retail environment positively influence mall patronage of shoppers – increasing their willingness to dwell longer, spend more and revisit the mall. Positive emotions also cause shoppers to spend exceedingly more time and money than what they originally intended to. It was also found that female shoppers tend to exhibit significantly greater extents of positive emotions and patronage than male shoppers. The younger shoppers (aged 30 and below) only display slightly more positive emotions and patronage than older shoppers (above 30 years old), although the younger shoppers are significantly more willing to stay longer in malls. The findings contribute to mall research by validating the results of some past studies. The managerial implications of the findings on retail mall management are discussed, highlighting some areas for further research.