Application of the Stimulus-Organism-Response model to the retail environment: the role of hedonic motivation in impulse buying behavior

Abstract The study examined direct and indirect effects of retail environmental characteristics on impulse buying behavior. Guided by the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model and impulse buying literature, the study investigated whether and how three characteristics (i.e. ambient, design, and social) of the retail environment influenced consumers' positive emotional responses which, in turn, affected impulse buying behavior. Whether and how individual factors (i.e. hedonic motivation) moderated the relationship between these characteristics and consumers' positive emotional responses were also examined. Survey data were collected using a store intercept method from 212 consumers of a retail store offering outdoor merchandise. The study found direct effects of (a) ambient/design characteristics of the retail environment on consumers' positive emotional responses to the retail environment and (b) consumers' positive emotional responses to the retail environment on impulse buying behavior. Hedonic motivation moderated the relationship between social characteristics of the retail environment and consumers' positive emotional responses. Keywords: hedonic motivationimpulse buyingpositive emotionsS-O-R model