Papers

Research indicates that haptic information, in other words, information the consumer acquires by touching the product with his hands, is important in the evaluation of products that differ in material characteristics, such as texture, hardness, temperature and weight.

This research on the perception of interior wall finishes shows that colour has a greater impact on the visual perception of the “warmth” of materials that ruggedness and structure.

When consumers shop for clothing, they judge the items of clothing both in a visual and tactile manner. This research shows that tactile evaluations (making an evaluation based on how the product feels) can be used as a peripheral cue in our decision process, which suggests that touch and the way something feels immediately influences us on an unconscious level.

Thanks to research from Eroglu, Machleit & Cheba several remarkable effects of the music tempo on the consumer’s reaction behaviour were found, such as “approach/avoidance” and the extent of “search” behaviour.

This research shows how the tempo of instrumental background music in a shopping context can determine the speed at which the consumer moves through the store.

Mattila and Wirtz conducted research in 2001 on the combination between scent and music in a store environment. By creating congruence of both stimuli, several remarkable findings were documented.