Abstract:

Atmosphere of the point of sale is one of the factors that shape the image of a store and affect customers’ purchasing decisions. Properly designed atmospherics at the point of sale arouse buyers’ specific feelings and behaviours and increase the probability of making purchases by visitors to the space in question. In practice, buying decisions are made by women and men alike; however, it is women who have dominated the area of shopping within all branches of trade. Adjusting marketing activities to the specificity of women’s behaviours during shopping may be key to the success of trading companies. Therefore, the objective of this study was to verify the degree of impact of point-of-sale atmosphere on women’s purchasing decisions. In addition, the study attempted to gather women’s opinions on the effects of gender on purchasing decisions, their role as decision-makers in households, paying attention to the image of shopping venues, and particularly the role of atmosphere and its individual features. The study was conducted as an opinion poll using a questionnaire on a group of women selected by quota sampling. This pilot study has led to a number of conclusions. A majority of the surveyed women were of the opinion that the impact of gender on purchasing decisions is significant. At the same time, women are relatively more likely to fulfil the role of decision-maker in a household than men. When making purchasing decisions, women pay attention to appearance of the point of sale, and specifically to its atmosphere. Of special import for women are visual and olfactory sensations. The results also indicate that the atmosphere at the point of sale plays a significant role during women’s purchasing decision-making.