Abstract:

In recent years there has been a growing body of evidence to show that the point of sale can form an important influence on consumer purchasing behaviour. Key elements within this evidence are the existence of high levels of brand switching and of unplanned purchasing over a wide range of goods. Any theory or explanation of retailing and consumer behaviour must, therefore, take into account the influences on the consumer at the point of sale. In this paper the authors propose an Interactionalist approach to consumer behaviour based on psychological theories of behaviour and visual cognition. In this approach it is suggested that customers are in a continuous state of interaction with their environment. Thus the decision to buy a particular brand or product is the result of an interaction between the customer’s predisposition to buy certain brands or products and factors in their external environment. Many of these external factors are found at the point of sale. The intent to purchase is far from fixed and can be modified right up to the point of purchase. Peripheral vision plays a major part in the process by which a customer can interact with the displays in a store. This paper shows how certain traditional principles of creating impactful displays can be accounted for by elements of peripheral vision. The interactionalist approach was tested by studying the impact of a new display format in a major DIY store. The results provided evidence in support of the principles of the interactionalist approach.