The Effect of Positive Emotions toward F&B Venues in Department Stores and Mixed-Use Shopping Malls on Customer Engagement Behavior and Purchase Intentions: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Positive Emotions toward Retail Stores*,**

Purpose: Following COVID-19, the accelerated growth of online markets have weakened the competitiveness of offline retail, leading department stores and shopping malls to strengthen their market position by expanding F&B outlets. This study provides an empirical analysis of how positive emotions evoked in F&B spaces within department stores and mixed-use shopping malls affect customer engagement behavior and purchase intentions toward retail stores, while also testing the mediating effects of positive emotions toward the stores. By examining whether the attractiveness of F&B venues increases purchase intentions, the study seeks to identify spatial planning strategies capable of improving total sales. Research design, data, and methodology: Grounded in the SOR (Stimulus-Organism-Response) model of Mehrabian and Russell (1974), this study developed a conceptual framework in which experiences within F&B settings operate as stimuli (S), positive emotions toward F&B venues and retail stores function as organismic states (O), and customer engagement behavior and purchase intention represent the response (R). Positive emotions toward F&B venues were treated as the independent variable, positive emotions toward retail stores as the mediating variable, and customer engagement behavior and purchase intention as the dependent variables. To ensure robustness, gender, age, frequency of visits, spending per visit, and length of stay were included as control variables. A total of 300 valid responses were collected through an online panel from consumers who had visited a department store or mixed-use shopping mall during the prior year. Among them, 277 respondents reported visiting a well-known F&B venue. After excluding 19 responses identified as inconsistent or inattentive using an absolute z-score cutoff of 3, a final sample of 258 was retained. The demographic distribution was balanced across gender and age groups, and office workers comprised the largest segment (57.8%). Positive emotions toward F&B venues and retail stores were measured with the Korean Consumption Emotion Scale (Seo & Son, 2004). Customer engagement behavior was measured using the augmented behavior scale by Roy et al. (2018), while purchase intention was assessed using Lee’s (2012) scale. All items employed seven-point Likert response formats. Structural equation modeling was utilized for hypothesis testing, with mediating effects evaluated through bootstrapping(2,000 iterations, 95% confidence interval). Results: Positive emotions associated with F&B venues significantly increased positive emotions toward retail stores (β=.751, p<.001). Positive emotions toward retail stores were found to exert positive effects on customer engagement behavior (β=.542, p<.001) and purchase intention (β=.628, p<.001). Full mediation by positive emotions toward retail stores was validated for the relationship between positive emotions toward F&B venues and customer engagement behavior (B=.696, p<.001), as well as for the relationship with purchase intention (B=.369, p<.001). Of the control variables, only spending per visit significantly predicted positive emotions toward retail stores, while gender and age significantly influenced customer engagement behavior. None of the control variables were significant predictors of purchase intention. Moreover, perceived emotional transfer-reflecting consumers’ recognition that positive emotions generated within an F&B venue extend to retail stores in the same facility-was assessed. The six-item scale produced a high mean score (M=5.013, SD=.052), indicating strong perceived transfer and providing further support for the causal pathway through which positive emotions in F&B environments positively affect emotions toward retail stores. Conclusions: This research confirmed, through empirical analysis, that positive emotions experienced in F&B establishments transfer to positive emotions toward retail stores, producing a full mediating effect on customer engagement behavior and purchase intention. In practice, the findings emphasize the need for strategic space planning and effective layout of F&B venues, the design of compelling environments that stimulate customer engagement, and the formulation of collaborative marketing strategies linking F&B and retail stores.