Power of anticipatory imagination: driving delight in in-store retail settings

Purpose The competitive environment has forced many retailers to search for better ways of delivering in-store customer experiences. A key opportunity that has gone largely unstudied in retailing is targeting the customer’s anticipatory imagination during the encounter. Thus, the purpose of this research is to evaluate factors that can be strategically managed to positively impact the anticipatory imagination of the customer, which is then connected to customer delight and, ultimately, purchase-related outcomes. Finally, whether the purchase is for oneself, or a gift is evaluated as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach This study uses exit interviews, experiments and structural equation modeling with panel and company data. Findings The influence of verbal clarity and visual appeal on anticipatory imagination and the resulting impact on customer delight has a profound impact on customer sales. Results show that a difference of one point in customer delight evaluations results in a 35% increase in the transaction dollar amount. Research limitations/implications The results provide new and novel insights for practitioners on engaging customers to create delightful retail experiences. Furthermore, this research expands the theoretical understanding of how anticipatory imagination functions in the in-store shopping experience. Practical implications This research provides actionable targets to help retailers deliver customer experiences that drive profitability for the brick-and-mortar store. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research to study anticipatory imagination and the resulting changes in customer’s attitudes and behaviors in an in-store shopping experience.