Argo & Dahl (2020): social influence in the retail context: a contemporary review of the literature Flashcards
in this article we review
research from the past decade that explores how elements of social influence in the bricks-and-mortar retail environment impact customers demonstrating how the active and passive social influence of the salesforce and other shoppers in the retail context can impact a focal customer’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
the central goal of this article is
to provide an effective accounting of how social influence in the retail context has been studied by marketing academic researchers over the last decade
Social influence =
he myriad ways that a secondary actor(s) can impact a focal customer’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors during retail shopping experience
active social influence
in the retail context refers to a shared exchange between a focal customer and a secondary actor that involves an actual verbal or physical interaction.
active social influence Divided based on the source of the active influence:
sales person-based (verbal vs. nonverbal)
secondary customer-based (known vs. unknown)
passive social influence arises from
a one-way exchange where the focal customer is impacted by the mere physical presence of another person
passive social influence Divided based on the nature of the influence:
focal recipient
indirect social information
Active: sales person-based verbal 2
persuasion knowledge model: when we are exposed to a persuasive message we activate and carry out strategies designed to defend against that persuasive message > but, over time or during cognitive load, flattery can be positive
making salient various social norms: reciprocity (e.g. price discount)
being friendly: facilitates impulsive shopping vs. unfriendly
Active: sales person-based non verbal 1
shared similarities or incidental behaviors, negative: territoriality. ‘mine mine mine’ > psychological ownership is the feeling of possession over a target
Active: secondary customer-based
known
3
positive influence on shopping behavior: impulsive shopping can be facilitated by the presence of peers
men spend more when in the presence of friends, women behave more modestly
negative: social rejection
Passive social influence customer is focal recipient one-to-one influence:
2
the mere presence of having a salesperson or secondary customer there can positively impact customer satisfaction, but not always: a pushy salesperson can have a negative effect, or when buying an embarrassing product
physical proximity and attractiveness of passive influence matter
Passive social influence customer is focal recipient many-to-one influence: 3
groups of people: retail crowding = social density can have both negative and positive effects
crowds and queues can have a positive and negative impact on customers
longer queues signal that the retailer is more desirable, but, queues can also be a signal of inefficiency
dispersed others
Passive: customer is indirect recipient 2
witnessing a social interaction: e.g. redeeming low value coupons
social cues: e.g. number of people in a line-up, social density, messy store displays, mannequins
Generalizing beyond retail
beyond retail context: f.e. online reviews: how interaction with other customers online can shape the way we process information
