Shopping Therapy? Entertainment and Social Interaction’s Role in Shopping Satisfaction: An Abstract

Abstract

Research evidences the importance of entertainment and interaction between shoppers and salespeople. However, the entertainment factor has never been studied with the presence of the shopper’s emotional states as a mediator; also relationship with shoppers in previous studies is assessed as a part of the service quality factor along with other service attributes. Hence, this research evaluates the influence of entertainment and social interaction with salespeople on shopper satisfaction while taking into consideration the mediating role of the emotional states of the shopper.

For this purpose, a convenience sample of mall shoppers was investigated. Data has been analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed research model.

Our findings indicate, unlike the social factor, entertainment directly influences satisfaction. However, indirectly, social interaction with salespeople influences satisfaction through the emotional states. The current study fills the gap in research by showing that pleasure and dominance mediate the relationship between entertainment and social interaction with salespeople from one side and shoppers’ satisfaction from the other side.

References Available Upon Request

Research evidences the importance of entertainment and interaction between shoppers and salespeople. However, the entertainment factor has never been studied with the presence of the shopper’s emotional states as a mediator; also relationship with shoppers in previous studies is assessed as a part of the service quality factor along with other service attributes. Hence, this research evaluates the influence of entertainment and social interaction with salespeople on shopper satisfaction while taking into consideration the mediating role of the emotional states of the shopper.