Now, let's take a look at the most important research findings from various fields of study.
According to a study to be published in the February 2014 Journal of Consumer Research, when a shop is authentic and the workers are friendly, it can feel like a second home for consumers.
People often feel strongly attached to particular places. Such places typically include their homes, but can also include commercial places such as stores and restaurants.
But, how do people develop and experience "place attachment" when the place is a commercial setting, where they are just customers, and the place is owned or controlled by someone else?
According to the researchers, consumers form strong emotional bonds with locations when they experience familiarity. Consumers also value authenticity and personal relationships.
It also helps if it is a place where one can feel safe and secure, protected from not only physical intrusions but also from the aggressions of market forces posed by intrusive staff or aggressive promotional tactics.
The place does not have to be an extravagant flagship store. People can build attachments with quite ordinary and even mundane places, as long as the place meets the criteria of familiarity, authenticity, and security.
The researchers gained these insights from interviews with a sample of French consumers who talked about their experiences with the places they most treasure, including cafés, restaurants, department stores, concert halls, and libraries. The final phase of the study focused on patrons of a particular French wine bar.
Most importantly, the study found that once consumers bond with a commercial space, they are willing to make efforts or sacrifices to support it. Satisfied customers may offer higher tips, volunteer to help the business, and serve as ambassadors, linking other consumers to the business.
Consumers treat these "special places" as treasured gifts and in return want to support the establishment beyond what is expected of them as customers.
Resources
Journal of Consumer Research, to be published February 2014, "Place Attachment in Commercial Settings: A Gift Economy Perspective," by Alain Debenedetti, et al. © 2013 Journal of Consumer Research, Inc. All rights reserved.
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