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While previous studies have examined the influence of store atmospherics and social factors independently, limited research has investigated their synergistic impacts across cultures. In particular, the interactions between ambient scents, companionship influences, and cross-cultural shopping customs remain underexplored. Therefore, this study investigates how ambient scents influence retail shopping behaviors with a companion across cultures. Data were collected via surveys administered to customers in Polish and Indian shopping malls (N = 579), examining the impact of detected fragrances on time spent, money spent, purchase decisions, cognitive responses, and attitudes. Shopping with a companion in a scented environment has a more positive influence on time spent, money spent and impulse purchases in India than in Poland. There is no difference between these two cultures regarding cognitive responses to a scented retail environment, but there are significant differences for attitudinal responses and repurchase intentions. We found a positive association between the consumer rating of the shopping environment in terms of the ambient scent and the amount of money spent in India, but not in Poland. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed for optimizing atmospheric design according to cultural customs around shopping companionships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essence of marketing today for retail consumers is to produce a favorable sensory brand experience to gain competitive visibility. Experiential marketing is a phenomenon that is in the current trend of usage by marketing experts to ensure that consumers are more involved in the purchase decision-making process. Purchase decisions are the results of both conscious and semi-conscious consumer experiences. This paper explores the underlying consumer thoughts and emotions influenced by retail store attributes (fragrance, music, store layout, and temperature) which play a significant role in their purchase decision making affecting their mood and behavior. The study introduces Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) as a qualitative tool to elicitate hidden understanding of a consumer's decision-making process by stimulating human senses and interpreting the attributes that ultimately contribute to consumer decision-making. The researcher selects a well-known retail brand to understand and identify the hidden metaphors contributing to consumer satisfaction through retail atmospherics. The study brought out prominent network retail clusters and their supporting elements which ultimately contribute to consumer satisfaction during the purchasing process inside a retail store. The study would enable store managers to identify the relevant core elements hidden in the subconscious consumer minds which would facilitate enhanced customer satisfaction during designing their retail stores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]