The moderating effect of store image on the indirect relationship between socio-sensory experience and the purchase intention via social value

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how social-sensory experience influences purchase intention; moderated and mediated by store image and social value. The study is based on a sample of 420 respondents drawn from three retail stores belonging to three tier one retail chains in Nairobi-Kenya. Structural equation modeling is used to test the relationships between social-sensory experience, social value, and store image and purchase intention in a moderated mediated context. The software SPPS with process macro is used to compute the moderated mediated relationship using bootstrapping. The results show that store image moderates the mediated relationship between social-sensory experience and purchase intention via social value. The study contributes to the study on consumer behavior by demonstrating the complex interactions of key influencers in the consumer decision making process. Managers need to ensure that store environments are designed in a manner that they will offer a complete and memorable customer experience with every visit and encounter.