The Effects of Wait Expectations, Store Atmosphere and Merchandise Value Perceptions on Store Patronage Intentions

Waiting for service in a retail store is an experience that can lead to consumer dissatisfaction (Katz, Larson and Larson 1991), which in turn can result in negative effects on store patronage behavior (Hui, Dube and Chebat 1997). Previous studies on the effects of waiting have tended to focus on consumer responses to delays under conditions of actual or simulated waits (e.g., Hui, Dube and Chebat 1994; Taylor 1994). In these studies, subjects actually experienced a wait situation. However, before retail customers choose to wait, they are likely to estimate how long that wait will be based on cues they observe in the store environment. If their observations lead to an expectation that the wait will be too long, they may not even enter the store, or stay long enough to experience a wait. Thus, there is a need to understand the antecedents of wait expectations and the role of these expectations on patronage intentions. We use inference theory as a conceptual foundation for building our model, and generating hypotheses to test the model.