How Crowding Influences Emotional, Perceptual And Behavioural Reactions In Store

The aim of this research is to test the effect of crowding on emotional, perceptual and behavioural reactions of consumer within a store. A survey was conducted in a cosmetic department using a questionnaire administered face-to-face on a sample of 192 consumers. This allowed us to demonstrate that the two dimensions of crowding (social and spatial) affect differently emotional states, the perception of the global environment of the store, as well as the approach/avoidance behaviour. Our results showed that in-store crowding directly impact the emotions and behaviours, but that the emotional states of pleasure and stimulation mediated the relationship between crowding and the perception of the global environment of the store.