ABSTRACT

The context of in-store shopping has recently been subject to special attention from sporting goods brands’ managers who are looking at changing the environment and atmosphere of their stores in order to encourage consumer shopping behaviors. Despite all the advertising investment made to reach the greatest possible numbers of consumers, just over 50 percent of product purchases are decided in retail outlets in most western countries. Similarly, it appears that about 58 percent of purchases in supermarkets are not planned in advance and about 12 percent of products originally provided on shopping lists don’t have pre-defined brands. 1 If one adds the percentage of substitution purchases (about 6 percent), the rate of purchase decisions made within a store is about 70 percent to 80 percent (e.g. 70 percent in the USA and 76 percent in France). 2 Such factors as sensory elements, interior design and in-store advertising favor impulsive purchases, change the types of consumer visits, and influence the volume of purchases as well as improving brand loyalty.