Description
In an age of self-service stores, saturated markets, and ever more demanding customers, the careful and science-driven design of the point of sale has become a crucial success factor for both retailers and service businesses. In this book, the interested reader will fi nd a variety of hands-on suggestions for how to optimize the design of retail stores and service environments to increase customer satisfaction and sales. While the focus is on the practical applicability of the concepts discussed, the book is nevertheless fi rmly grounded in consumer and psychological research. In this respect it is uniquely positioned vis- – vis books written by artists, architects, and interior designers, which often lack a solid research foundation, and academic journals articles, which are often inaccessible to the educated yet nonspecialized reader. In writing this book, the authors draw on both the recent research literature and their own experience in marketing consulting and consumer research. Topics covered in the book include goals and relevance of store design; design tips derived from environmental psychology; cognitive and aff ective approaches to store design and visual merchandising; use of ambient factors such as music, colors, and scents; and creation of emotional experiences and theming. Claus Ebster is an associate professor of marketing and business administration at the University of Vienna and president of Market Mentor, a consulting company specializing in marketing strategy, consumer research and store design. As a researcher, Claus Ebster has focused on studies related to store design, environmental psychology, merchandising and sales techniques, which he has published in international academic marketing journals. As an educator, he has for over a decade taught courses in store design, consumer behavior, marketing research and marketing strategy. Marion Garaus is a research assistant at the University of Vienna. She holds an MA from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and is currently working toward a PhD at the University of Vienna. Her field of research is consumer behavior.
