The Impact of In-Store Greenery on

Customers
Malaika Brengman
Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Kim Willems
Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Hasselt University

Yannick Joye
University of Leuven

ABSTRACT

The incorporation of greenery in retail areas has scarcely been explored in environmental
psychology studies. In a 2 2 experimental design, the effect of in-store vegetation on consumer
emotions and responses toward the store was studied, considering the moderating role of the
information rate of the retail setting. While introducing foliage in the store environment did not
evoke feelings of excitement, it was found to elicit pleasure and to reduce stress in a complex store
interior. Given the impact of pleasure and stress on consumers approach/avoidance responses, these
findings support the potential of integrating greenery, particularly in spatially dense stores.
C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

It is widely accepted in psychology that the first level of
response to any environment is affective (emotional) in
nature (Ittelson, 1973). Empirical research has demon-
strated that shopping environments can also evoke
emotional responses in consumers (Machleit & Eroglu,
2000) and that these emotions, in turn, influence shop-
ping behaviors and outcomes (Darden & Babin, 1994;
Donovan & Rossiter, 1982; Sherman, Mathur, & Smith,
1997). A neglected emotions-evoking element in the
shopping environment appears to be in-store greenery.
Although vegetation has been demonstrated to have
positive and stress-mitigating influences in humans
(among others, Bringslimark, Hartig, & Patil, 2009;
Ulrich, 1993; Van Den Berg, 2009), it is unclear how
it would affect in-store emotions and behaviors. While
many environmental psychology studies have inves-
tigated retail settings and green environments sepa-
rately, the incorporation of greenery in retail areas has
barely been explored. Therefore, the objective of this
study is to determine the effect of introducing foliage
into the store environment. The role of store complex-
ity will be considered as a potential moderating factor.
STORE ATMOSPHERICS
Kotler (1973, p. 50) introduced the term atmospher-
ics to denote the conscious designing of [ . . . ] buy-
ing environments to produce specific emotional effects
in the buyer that enhance his purchase probability
and indicated that this would become an important
marketing tool for retailers. The more recent finding
that almost two-thirds of all purchase decisions are
made in the store (Point-of-Purchase Advertising In-
stitute (POPAI), 1998) has turned the attention of
practitioners and marketing researchers to the point
of purchase and store atmospherics. There is now a
growing recognition that store interiors and exteriors
can be designed to create specific feelings in shoppers
that can have an important cueing or reinforcing ef-
fect on purchase (Newman & Foxall, 2003; Shapiro
and Associates, 2005). In the last two decades, there
have been many studies concerning store atmospherics
(Babin & Attaway, 2000; Fowler, Wesley, & Vazquez,
2007; McGoldrick & Pieros, 1998; Michon, Chebat, &
Turley, 2005; Sherman, Mathur, & Smith, 1997), pre-
dominantly based upon environmental psychology and
specifically on the Mehrabian and Russell stimulus-
organism-response (SOR) model (1974a), which was
first applied to the study of store atmosphere by Dono-
van and Rossiter (1982). In this context, it has been
proposed that approach/avoidance behaviors by cus-
tomers are largely determined by individual internal
(cognitive, emotional, and physiological) responses to
the store environment. Especially the pleasure and
arousal dimensions have been shown to be useful in

Psychology and Marketing, Vol. 29(11): 807821 (November 2012)

View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/mar

C 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. DOI: 10.1002/mar.20566

807
determining shopper behavior. As such, atmospheric
variables have been found to influence a wide variety
of consumer evaluations and behaviors (Turley & Mil-
liman, 2000).
While some authors have focused on overall per-
ceptions of the general store interior (e.g. Akhter, An-
drews, & Durvasula, 1994; Donovan, Rossiter, Mar-
coolyn, & Nesdale, 1994; Donovan & Rossiter, 1982;
Grossbart, Hampton, Rammohan, & Lapidus, 1990),
others have investigated the effects of specific in-store
stimuli. Hence, some store interior variables such
as music and scent have received ample attention,
whereas others have not received the attention they
probably deserve (Turley & Milliman, 2000). With re-
gard more specifically to point-of-purchase and dec-
oration variables (cf. the classification of Berman &
Evans, 1995), attention has focused merely on prod-
uct displays and point-of-purchase information as well
as promotional signs, while neglecting decorative ele-
ments, such as artwork and wall decorations (Turley
& Milliman, 2000). The impact in particular of one
specific decorative element, that is, in-store greenery,
which is the main focus of the current paper, strangely
appears to have been entirely ignored by academic
researchers.
THE IMPACT OF GREENERY IN THE
STORE ENVIRONMENT
The intuition that nature has positive and healing influ-
ences on humans has been around since time immemo-
rial. These last few decades there has been a steady
increase of environmental psychology research into the
positive impact of nature and greenery on human atti-
tudes, moods, and behavior in different settings. For ex-
ample, different studies show that humans prefer veg-
etated settings over artifact-dominated environments
and that greenery can reduce stress in humans. These
effects are frequently explained as a remnant of a
shared evolutionary history, during which human be-
ings were deeply dependent on nature for their subsis-
tence (e.g. Heerwagen & Orians, 1993; Ulrich, 1993).
According to this view, humans have evolved positive
affective responses toward green elements and set-
tings, such as [ . . . ] flowers, ripe fruits, savanna (open
forests that give easy visual access), growth and leaf
patterns of healthy savanna trees, [and] closed forest
canopy (shelter), [ . . . ] (Thornhill, 1998, p. 562). Hard-
wired positive affective responses to these elements
and conditions conveyed an adaptive benefit to our an-
cestors because they could offer them resource and
refuge opportunities. Colarelli and Dettmann (2003)
provide an overview of how these evolved preferences
are already commonly being used by marketers in ad-
vertising practice.
As to research on the impact of vegetation on hu-
man behavior, the literature provides a wide range of
study contexts, such as hospitals (cf. Dijkstra, Pieterse,
808
& Pruyn, 2008), office environments (cf. Kweon, Ulrich,
Walker, & Tassinary, 2008), roadside views (cf. Cack-
owski & Nasar, 2003), school settings (cf. Han, 2009),
and home environments (cf. Hartig & Fransson, 2009;
Kaplan, 2001).
By contrast, only very few inquiries seem to have
focused on the effects of greenery in commercial set-
tings. Noteworthy in this context are the findings by
Kathleen Wolf (2003, 2004a, 2004b, 2005, 2008), who
carried out a multistudy research program, focusing
specifically on the impact of urban vegetation and trees
in streetscapes. She found that retail environments
were more pleasing when there were trees in the streets
as compared to when the streets were treeless. Judg-
ments on retailers and merchandize appeared to be
more positive in streetscapes with urban greenery. This
also seemed to be the case for inferences about prod-
uct value, product quality, and merchant responsive-
ness, leading to enhanced expectations of shopping ex-
periences in vegetated commercial settings. Also, pa-
tronage intentions appeared higher in commercial set-
tings with trees as compared to settings without trees.
Although positive price increments were associated
with the presence of trees (+9% for small cities and
+12% for large cities), respondents claimed they would
travel farther to visit a business district with trees.
They also reported to be willing to stay longer once
there.
Experimentally testing the effects of, for example,
plants on consumer behavior in a shopping mall, Bu-
ber, Ruso, and Gadner (2006) found that consumers
were more inclined to enter the mall when it featured
vegetation. Moreover, the presence of greenery trans-
lated into higher exploration rates (e.g. more detailed
inquiries about offers). Increases in physical contact
with products and with other people in the shopping
mall were also apparent when plants were present.
These results corroborate and extend environmental
psychology results about greenery from residential and
other settings to retail environments.
While Joye, Willems, Brengman, and Wolf (2010) in-
troduced the notion of Biophilic Store Design to denote
the use of (references to) nature in the design of retail
environments in order to tap into the purported ben-
eficial effects of greenery, no empirical studies seem
so far to have investigated the impact of in-store
foliage.
Essentially two main findings from the environmen-
tal psychology literature studying the beneficial effects
of greenery are of interest for the current paper (see also
Joye et al., 2010). The first is that nature consistently
leads to preference/liking reactions in humans. Differ-
ent studies have confirmed that scenes featuring green-
ery are preferred over nonnatural, artifact-dominated
settings, even if the latter are well tended (see Ulrich,
1993, for a review). Based on these findings, it can be
expected that stores with in-store vegetation will be
perceived as more pleasurable compared to stores with-
out vegetation, which results in the formulation of the
following hypothesis:
BRENGMAN, WILLEMS, AND JOYE
Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar
 H1: The presence of in-store vegetation leads to
increased feelings of pleasure in consumers.
A second finding is that nature has a stress-reducing
or restorative potential for human individuals. For
example, in a widely cited experimental study, Ulrich
et al. (1991) found that after exposure to a stressor, in-
dividuals recovered faster and more deeply from stress
when they were exposed to a natural/green setting
than when they had viewed an urban scene (Ulrich
et al., 1991; see also Cackowski & Nasar, 2003; Dijk-
stra, Pieterse, & Pruyn, 2008; Ulrich, 1984). The stress-
reducing value of greenery has been found to occur in
many types of settings and during different activities.
As shopping is frequently perceived as a stressful ac-
tivity (see further), it can be expected that the pres-
ence of in-store vegetation will lead to reduced feelings
of stress in consumers, which leads to the following
hypothesis:
H2a: The presence of in-store vegetation leads to
reduced feelings of stress in consumers.
AROUSAL IN THE STORE ENVIRONMENT:
A TWO-DIMENSIONAL PERSPECTIVE
In a retailing context, the arousal construct has been
shown to be rather ambiguous (e.g. Donovan, Rossiter,
Marcoolyn, & Nesdale, 1994; Groppel-Klein & Baun,
2001; Van Kenhove & Desrumaux, 1997). Claiming that
excitement represents a pervasively positive reaction
in a retail setting, Babin and Attaway (2000) see no
reason to include a separate arousal dimension in their
study. Also Groppel-Klein (1998) argues that arousal
and pleasure seem to converge in a retail setting, as
positive activation appears to be implicitly registered
in the arousal construct. Nevertheless, empirical stud-
ies by Bost (1987) and Groppel (1991) reveal that con-
sumers in a retail setting can also experience a pleasant
state of low arousal (i.e. relaxation). Too much arousal,
also at the point of sale, can therefore be experienced
as hectic and unpleasant (i.e. tension). For this rea-
son, Groppel-Klein (1998) recommends not to neglect
the emotional dimension of relaxation experienced
in the shopping environment. In accordance with this
suggestion, a "two-dimensional" view of arousal has
been rationalized by several researchers (Schimmack
& Reisenzein, 2002; Thayer, 1986; Walters, Apter, &
Svebak, 1982; see Figure 1), and it has been demon-
strated that the arousal construct consists of two
separate uncorrelated arousal dimensions (Brengman
& Geuens, 2004; Gorn, Chattopadhyay, Yi, & Dahl,
1997): one with a positive hedonic tone (i.e. boredom
excitement) and a second with a negative valence (i.e.
relaxationtension). This conceptualization is in line
with the system of emotions proposed by Wundt (1896),
which actually incorporates three bipolar dimensions:
unpleasantpleasant, quietexcited, and relaxed the store environment. Therefore, the stress-reducing
IN-STORE GREENERYS IMPACT ON CUSTOMERS
Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar
Figure 1. A two-dimensional view of arousal.
tense. Also the two-dimensional circumplex models,
which capture the underlying structure of emotions by
means of an evaluation and activation dimension
(cf. Mano, 1999; Russell & Lemay, 2000) appear to fit
Thayers (1989) two-dimensional view of energetic and
tense arousal when viewed as 45 rotations of one
another (Yik, Russell, & Feldman Barrett, 1999). In
accordance with Wundt (1896), Schimmack and Grob
(2000) provide support for a three-dimensional model,
which recognizes a separate pleasure-displeasure
dimension, alongside the energetic and tense
arousal dimensions (see also Schimmack & Reisenzein,
2002).
Considering a two-dimensional view of arousal, such
as the one developed by Walters, Apter, and Svebak
(1982), it may be expected that in-store vegetation
will affect the two dimensions differently. Although
the stress reducing properties of greenery have already
been extensively demonstrated (for noncommercial en-
vironments), in-store vegetation as a decorative ele-
ment can also be expected to cause some excitement
in shoppers as it brings some variety to the store. Es-
pecially in hedonic shopping situations, consumers are
expected to be in a more paratelic or arousal seeking
state (Kaltcheva & Weitz, 2006). This idea is summa-
rized in the following hypothesis:
H3a: The presence of in-store vegetation leads
to increased feelings of excitement in con-
sumers.
THE MODERATING ROLE OF THE
INFORMATION RATE OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
In line with Groppel-Kleins assertion that an op-
timized store-interior presents an interaction of acti-
vating and de-activating stimuli (1998, p. 309), the
impact of vegetation in a store can be expected to
be moderated by the amount of arousal evoked by
809
properties of in-store vegetation are assumed to be
more prevalent in a more arousing store environ-
ment, while the excitement evoking properties are ex-
pected to be more pronounced in less arousing store
environments.
Given that a direct link is conceived between the in-
formation rate of an environment and its arousability
(see Donovan & Rossiter, 1982), a moderating effect can
be expected from the information rate or complexity
of the store on the impact of vegetation in that store.
Based on information theory, Mehrabian and Russell
(1974b) characterize the various stimuli of the envi-
ronment in terms of the information rate or load of
the environment, which they define as the quantity of
information drawn from, or perceived in, the environ-
ment per unit of time, measured by its degree of nov-
elty (i.e. newness, unexpectedness) and complexity
(i.e. the number of elements or features and the extent
of motion or change in the environment). Accordingly,
the more varied, complex, novel, surprising, and lively
the environment, the higher its information rate will
be. In the same vein, Bitner (1992) makes a distinction
between lean and elaborate environments, based on
the physical complexity of the servicescape (i.e. the
physical surroundings of the place where a service is
delivered or consumed). In this context, Bitner (1992)
describes lean environments as very simple, with few
elements, few spaces, and few forms and elaborate
environments as very complicated with many elements
and many forms. The notion of spatial density has
also been used to denote the number and configuration
of spatial elements such as merchandise and fixtures in
a retail environment, (e.g. Machleit, Kelaris, & Eroglu,
1994; Van Rompay, Galetzka, Pruyn, & Moreno Garcia,
2008).
Incorporating greenery in the store interior can
therefore be expected to have a stronger soothing
or calming effect in more arousing complex stores,
whereas a stronger exciting effect can be anticipated
in lean or simple stores. Accordingly, the two previ-
ous hypotheses can be refined
H2a: The presence of in-store vegetation leads to
reduced feelings of stress in consumers.
H2b: The reduction in stress evoked by in-store
greenery is more pronounced in a complex
store environment than in a simple store en-
vironment.
H3a: The presence of in-store vegetation leads
to increased feelings of excitement in con-
sumers.
THE IMPACT OF IN-STORE GREENERY
ON SHOPPING BEHAVIOR
This study relies on a widely accepted environmental
psychology model, namely the SOR model, as put for-
ward by Mehrabian and Russel (Mehrabian and Rus-
sel 1974a). Ever since this model has been introduced
to the context of store atmospherics by Donovan and
Rossiter (1982), numerous retail and consumer psychol-
ogy researchers have applied it in empirical studies on
the effects of store environmental cues (i.e. the stim-
uli) on consumer emotions (i.e. the organism), and
subsequent consumer behavior (i.e. the responses;
cf. Donovan, Rossiter, Marcoolyn, & Nesdale, 1994;
Kaltcheva & Weitz, 2006; Turley & Milliman, 2000).
In accordance to this conceptual model, it is expected
that on the one hand, feelings of pleasure as well
as excitement evoked by the store environment will
lead to approach behaviors" while they will have a
negative impact on "avoidance behaviors. Feelings of
stress on the other hand, will lead to avoidance be-
haviors and will negatively affect approach behav-
iors. The final hypotheses in this SOR-based study are
consequently
H4a: Feelings of pleasure induced by the store en-
vironment have a positive impact on con-
sumer approach responses toward the store.
H4b: Feelings of pleasure induced by the store en-
vironment have a negative impact on con-
sumer avoidance responses toward the store.
H5a: Feelings of excitement induced by the store
environment have a positive impact on con-
sumer approach responses toward the store.
H5b: Feelings of excitement induced by the store
environment have a negative impact on con-
sumer avoidance responses toward the store.
H6a: Feelings of stress induced by the store en-
vironment have a negative impact on con-
sumer approach responses toward the store.
H6b: Feelings of stress induced by the store envi-
ronment have a positive impact on consumer
avoidance responses toward the store.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to explore the im-

H3b: The increase in excitement evoked by in-
store greenery is more pronounced in a sim-
ple store environment than in a complex
store environment.
pact of introducing greenery in the store environment
on consumer emotions and on their subsequent ap-
proach/avoidance behaviors, according to Mehrabian
and Russels environmental psychological SOR model

810 BRENGMAN, WILLEMS, AND JOYE

Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar
 Figure 2. Research hypotheses.
(1974a). Considering the potential moderating role of
the spatial density or complexity of the store en-
vironment, this study aims to ascertain how in-store
vegetation affects the shoppers feelings of pleasure, ex-
citement, as well as stress and how these evoked feel-
ings engender further responses toward the store. An
overview of the studys research hypotheses is provided
in Figure 2.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Experimental Design
A 2 2 factorial experimental design was set up to test
these hypotheses, within a fashion retail context. Ma-
nipulations included two conditions of store environ-
mental complexity (lean vs. complex), with and with-
out in-store vegetation (see Figure 3). Two separate
pretests of the stimuli confirmed the adequateness of
the manipulations (reported underneath). The exper-
iment that was subsequently conducted on the basis
of these stimuli was monadic in nature (i.e. each re-
spondent evaluated only one store). Participants were
exposed to a picture of the store and were asked to
imagine shopping in that store. This is a procedure
that has been shown to accurately simulate reactions
toward real environments (Bateson & Hui, 1992). A
meta-analysis by Stamps (1990) found a 0.86 correla-
tion between environmental preferences obtained by
photographs and preferences obtained by exposures to
real environments.
Manipulation Checks
In order to check whether the experimental manipu-
lations were successful, an online pretest of the four
photographic stimuli was conducted in a between-
subjects design using a convenience sample of 81 re-
spondents. The average respondent age was 34.17 years
old (range: 2066) and 39.5% of the participants were
male.
The "information rate of the store environ-
ment" was measured by means of six seman-
IN-STORE GREENERYS IMPACT ON CUSTOMERS
Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar
tic differential scale items: simplecomplex, sparse
dense, patternedrandom, clearconfusing, plain
ambiguous, and uncrowdedcrowded (adapted from
Mehrabian & Russell, 1974b; range: 3 to +3; Cron-
bachs = 0.86). An independent samples t-test demon-
strates that the information rate in the "complex"
store environment was significantly higher than in the
"lean" store environment (0.992complex vs. 0.444lean ,
p < 0.001). While the integration of in-store greenery
appears to increase the information rate of the envi-
ronment somewhat, an ANOVA with post-hoc Scheffe-
test, comparing the information rate between all con-
ditions, does not indicate any significant differences
between the environments with or without vegeta-
tion: the information rate of the complex store envi-
ronment remains significantly higher (1.06with vegetation
and 0.93without vegetation ) than the information rate of
the lean store environment (0.33with vegetation and
0.57without vegetation ). An independent samples t-test also
does not reveal any significant difference in informa-
tion rate between store environments with or with-
out vegetation (0.35with vegetation vs. 0.25without vegetation ,
p = 0.764).
According to OKeefe (2003), there is no need to check
the manipulation of inserting "greenery in the store envi-
ronment," because whether respondents noted the pres-
ence of vegetation or not, potential effects of integrating
greenery may occur unconsciously, without consumers
even noticing its presence. Still, in the pretest respon-
dents were asked to give their opinion with respect to
the greenery present in the photographs of the store en-
vironments. The response categories concerned (1) "If
there were plants, I didnt notice them at all," (2) "If
there were plants, I didnt notice them," (3) "If there
were plants, they are in harmony with the environ-
ment," (4) "Plants were quite prominently present,"
and (5) "Plants were very prominently present." An
independent samples t-test indicates that vegetation
was noted more in environments with versus with-
out vegetation (1.94with vegetation vs. 1.10without vegetation ,
p < 0.001). Still the pre-test findings also show that
even in the condition with vegetation, 52.8% of respon-
dents indicated not to have noticed the plants at all. An
ANOVA with post-hoc Scheffe test reveals that plants
appeared somewhat more prominently present in the
811
lean/green condition (2.41) as compared to in the com-
plex/green (1.53) or no-green conditions (1.14complex store
and 1.05lean store ). As the plants used in both the lean
as the complex store environment conditions are iden-
tical, namely (1) a Spider Plant (i.e. Chlorophytum Co-
mosum), (2) a Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena Sanderiana),
(3) a Bamboo Palm Tree (Chamaedorea Seifrizii), and
(4) a Ficus Benjamina "Samantha," the only difference
was the way in which they were arranged within the
store setting. Consequently, no differences are expected
in perceived attractiveness between the different con-
ditions. Still, this is put to a formal test during an-
other manipulation check. Applying a within-subject
research design, respondents were asked to rate the
plants in the photographs in both vegetation settings
on a 5-point Likert scale in terms of their attractive-
ness. The sequence in which both photographs were
presented was randomized. For this second manipula-
tion check, another convenience sample was used con-
sisting of 40 respondents, among which 35% males,
age range 1861, average age = 35.67. Participants
were explicitly asked to ignore the surrounding store
environment and to focus only on the plants. The at-
tractiveness of the plants in both photographs appears
significantly positively correlated (paired samples
correlation r = 0.689, p < 0.001). The results of a
paired samples t-test indicate that the mean attrac-
tiveness rating of the plants in the simple store en-
vironment (2.53; SD = 0.751) and the attractiveness
of the plants in the complex store environment (2.42;
SD = 0.747) do not differ significantly (t (39) = 1.071,
p = 0.291).
Participants
The data were electronically gathered between Novem-
ber 2007 and January 2008. The sample was drawn
randomly from a large online consumer panel in the
Netherlands (comprising over 100,000 people who have
registered to participate in market research studies).
An email invitation was sent to a random selection of
these panel members requesting them to participate in
this online study. A stratified sampling procedure was
used in order to reach certain quota (in terms of age,
gender, and region) and was continued until 5000 com-
plete cases were obtained. After data cleaning, 4293
participants were retained of which 1838 (42.8%) men
and 2455 (57.2%) women. The average age was 42.2
years old (range 1869); 55.7% of the subjects in the
sample had a lower education level, while 44.3% had
enjoyed higher education. A summarizing overview of
the total sample as well as the four subsamples in terms
of sociodemographic characteristics is provided in
Table 1. Also some corresponding key numbers pertain-
ing to the total Dutch population are provided (Statis-
tics Netherlands online, 2010). As can be observed from
these data the total sample is quite representative for
the Dutch population. There are slightly more females
in the sample and somewhat more highly educated and
812
married consumers. With respect to age, only respon-
dents aged 18+ are included in this study. The proce-
dure of assigning one of the four photos to each par-
ticipant was randomized. A detailed comparison be-
tween the different subsamples reveals an even distri-
bution of socio-demographic characteristics over the dif-
ferent conditions (see the Chi-square tests reported in
Table 1).
Measures
In order to measure the emotions evoked by the
store environment, participants were asked how the
fashion store depicted in the photo made them feel.
These feelings were captured by means of 7-point Lik-
ert scaled items, measuring pleasure, stress, and
excitement. Adjectives were selected on the basis
of previous operationalizations of the three dimen-
sions of core affect (cf. Schimmack & Grob, 2000;
Schimmack & Reisenzein, 2002). Pleasure was mea-
sured by means of five items: agreeable, unpleas-
ant (reversed), enjoyable, depressed (reversed), and
good (Cronbachs = 0.866). Stress was measured
by means of three items: nervous, stressed, and
irritated ( = 0.869). Excitement was measured
by three items: excited, lively, and stimulated
( = 0.787).
Although significant, the correlation between the
two subdimensions of arousal is confirmed to be very
low (Pearsons r = 0.126). While Excitement proves
to be positively related to Pleasure (r = 0.505), a clear
negative correlation between Pleasure and Stress
is apparent (r = 0.740). Mean scores are calculated
for each of these emotion states for use in further
analyses.
Subsequently, approach and avoidance responses
were measured using the Donovan and Rossiters
(1982) measurement scale that was developed specif-
ically for application in a retail context. Approach
was measured by means of the five 7-point Likert-
scale items: I like this store environment, I would
enjoy shopping in this store, I would spend a lot of
time browsing in this store, In this store I might end
up spending more money than I originally set out to
spend, and In this store, I would feel friendly and
talkative to a stranger who happens to be near me ( =
0.930). Avoidance intentions were captured by means
of three items: I would avoid ever having to return to
this store, I would want to avoid looking around or
exploring this environment, and In this store I might
try to avoid other people, and avoid to talk to them (
= 0.869).
Although the correlation between both behavioral
subconstructs may appear quite high (Pearsons r =
0.727), they are considered separately as they have
been conceptualized to constitute two distinct under-
lying dimensions of the approach/avoidance construct,
each evolving from opposing learning histories (Foxall,
1997; Foxall & Greenley, 2000). Again, for each of these
BRENGMAN, WILLEMS, AND JOYE
Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar
 Table 1. Sociodemographical Sample Characteristics.
Condition 1 Condition 2 Condition 3 Condition 4
Without Without With With
Vegetation/ Vegetation/ Vegetation/ Vegetation/ Total Population NLa

Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar

Simple Complex Simple Complex Sample (N2010 =
(n = 1079) (n = 1027) (n = 1080) (n = 1107) (n = 4293) 16,577,612)

IN-STORE GREENERYS IMPACT ON CUSTOMERS

Abs. Rel. (%) Abs. Rel. (%) Abs. Rel. (%) Abs. Rel. (%) 2 test Abs. Rel. (%) Abs. Rel. (%)

Sex
Male 437 40.5 454 44.2 453 41.9 494 44.6 2 1838 42.8 8,205,443 49.5
Female 642 59.5 573 55.8 627 58.1 613 55.4 0.173 2455 57.2 8,372,169 50.5
Age
Min./Max 18 69 18 69 18 69 18 69 18 69 0 >99
Mean/SD 41.4 13.1 42.3 12.8 42.3 13.4 42.8 13.0 42.2 13.1 39,2 -
< 20 43 4.0 41 4.0 34 3.1 30 2.7 2 148 3.4 3,927,975 23.7
2040 493 45.7 420 40.9 480 44.4 458 41.4 0.181 1851 43.1 4,195,201 25.3
4065 512 47.5 540 52.6 536 49.6 588 53.1 2176 50.7 5,916,067 35.7
6580 31 2.9 26 2.5 30 2.8 31 2.8 118 2.7 1,890,472 11.4
>80 - - - - - - - - - - 647,890 3.9
Educational level
Lower 599 55.5 602 58.6 604 55.9 587 53.0 2 2392 55.7 6,905,000 63.4
Higher 480 44.5 425 41.4 476 43.0 520 47.0 0.079 1901 44.3 3,987,000 36.6
Civil status
Married 694 64.3 676 65.8 684 63.3 707 63.9 2 2761 64.3 9,603,148 58.3
Other 385 35.7 351 34.2 396 36.7 400 36.1 0.667 1532 35.7 6,882,639 41.7
a
Based on Statistics Netherlands online.
Abs. = absolute numbers; Rel. = in relative terms.

813
 Figure 3. Manipulations of store complexity and in-store vegetation.
subconstructs, mean scores are calculated, to be used
in further analyses.
ANALYSES AND RESULTS
So as to be able to formulate an answer to the research
questions in this study, the analyses will be discussed
in two stages. First, the hypotheses with regard to the
impact of in-store greenery on perceived pleasure,
stress, and excitement in both lean and complex tion effect between the two factors appears to be only
store environments will be tested. Next, the mediat-
ing effects of these consumer emotions on subsequent
approach and avoidance responses will be addressed.
The Impact of In-Store Greenery on
Consumer Emotions, Considering the
Moderating Role of Store Complexity
In order to test Hypotheses H1 through H3, a two-way
multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was
814
conducted with in-store vegetation and store com-
plexity as fixed factors and evoked feelings of plea-
sure, stress, and excitement as dependent vari-
ables. In order to control for any confounding effects of
the sociodemographic variables age and gender, these
were added to the analysis as covariates. Although the
multivariate tests support the main effects of in-store
vegetation (Wilks Lambda = 0.997, F (1, 4289) = 3.89,
p = 0.009) and complexity (Wilks Lambda = 0.971,
F (1, 4289) = 42.41, p < 0.001), the overall interac-
marginally significant (Wilks Lambda = 0.998, F (1,
4289) = 2.17, p = 0.090). Nevertheless, a closer look
at the univariate analyses provides clear evidence of
some pronounced interaction effects, as will be illus-
trated further. Both covariates, age (Wilks Lambda
= 0.995, F (1, 4289) = 6.95, p < 0.001) as well as
gender (Wilks Lambda = 0.984, F (1, 4289) = 23.90,
p < 0.001), also appear to have a significant impact
on the emotional reactions toward the store environ-
ments.
BRENGMAN, WILLEMS, AND JOYE
Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar
 Figure 4. The moderating role of store complexity on Figure 5. The moderating role of store complexity on stress
pleasure evoked by in-store greenery. reduction by in-store greenery.

Pleasure Evoked by In-Store Greenery. Regarding to alleviate stress only in a complex retail setting (per-
the impact of in-store greenery on evoked pleasure (H1), ceived stress = 3.51(without vegetation) vs. 3.35(with vegetation) , t
a notable interaction effect of store complexity that was (2107.785) = 2.84, p = 0.005), which is in line with the
not anticipated can be observed (F (1, 4289) = 6.41, p = present studys hypotheses.
0.011).
Figure 4 clearly illustrates that adding greenery in
Excitement Evoked by in-Store Greenery. Although
the store interior can evoke higher feelings of pleasure,
it was tentatively hypothesized that the presence of
but that this effect is distinctly more pronounced in
in-store vegetation would lead to increased feelings of
complex store environments. As a matter of fact, an in-
excitement in consumers (H3a) and that this increase
dependent samples t-test reveals that the introduction
would be more pronounced in simple store environ-
of vegetation does not generate a significant effect in
ments than in complex retail settings (H3b), the find-
the lean store environment (t (2152.547) = 0.50, p =
ings do not reveal any effect of in-store greenery on
0.617). In a complex retail setting, on the other hand,
elicited excitement. A possible explanation is that veg-
the positive effect of foliage on perceived pleasure is
etation, basically plants, are not enough to surprise a
clearly evident (perceived pleasure = 3.86(without vegetation)
shopper. Not only may consumers be too familiar with
vs. 4.05(with vegetation) , t (2115.773) = 3.98; p < 0.001).
such natural elements to feel excited by them, previous
So the integration of greenery in the store environment
research also indicated that such elements are actually
apparently does not result in an equally beneficial effect
experienced as only moderately fascinating (as opposed
on the consumers perceived pleasure in complex versus
to, say, watching television; see Herzog, Black, Foun-
lean retail settings. This implies that the first hypothe-
taine, & Knotts, 1997).
sis is only partially supported, that is, in complex store
interior conditions only. As is observable, however, the
lean store interior was generally rated to be more
pleasurable than the complex store environment (F
(1, 4289) = 51.57, p < 0.001), which may have provided
too little room for improvement by integrating in-store
vegetation.

Stress Alleviation by In-Store Greenery. With re-

gard to the stress-reducing properties of in-store vege-
tation, a moderating effect of store complexity was ex-
pected (H2a and H2b), which is confirmed by the studys
findings (F (1, 4289) = 4.28, p = 0.039). Figure 5 clearly
illustrates that adding greenery in the store interior
can alleviate feelings of stress and that this effect is
distinctly more pronounced in complex store interiors.
As a matter of fact, an independent samples t-test re-
veals that the introduction of vegetation does not gener-
ate a significant effect in the lean store environment (t Figure 6. The moderating role of store complexity on
(2155.445) = 0.10, p = 0.922). Foliage is found to be able approach responses by in-store greenery.

IN-STORE GREENERYS IMPACT ON CUSTOMERS 815

Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar

Figure 7. The moderating role of store complexity on
avoidance responses by in-store greenery.
The Impact of In-Store Greenery on
Shopping Behavior, Considering the
Moderating Role of Store Complexity
The second stage of this study aims to investigate
the mediating role of the different emotions evoked by
greenery in the store environment (i.e. pleasure, stress,
and excitement) on shoppers approach and avoidance
intentions (H4H6) and this again for both lean and
complex store environments. Thus, both the direct
and indirect effects of the integration of greenery in
a store on shoppers approach and avoidance behaviors
will be examined.
Direct Effects
A MANCOVA analysis with approach and avoid-
ance as dependent variables and in-store greenery
and store complexity as fixed factors (again includ-
ing age and gender as covariates) reveals significant
main and interaction effects. Actually, this multivari-
ate test supports the overall interaction effect between
the factors (Wilks Lambda = 0.999, F (1, 4289) = 3.12,
p = 0.044) as well as main effects of in-store vegeta-
tion (Wilks Lambda = 0.998, F (1, 4289) = 3.42, p =
0.033) and store complexity (Wilks lambda = 0.993, F
(1, 4289) = 14.73, p < 0.001).
With respect to in-store vegetations impact on
consumer Approach responses toward the store, a
marginally significant interaction effect with store com-
plexity can be discerned (F (1, 4289) = 3.25, p = 0.071),
besides significant main effects of in-store vegetation
(F (1, 4289) = 6.80, p = 0.009) and store complexity (F
(1, 4289) = 21.18, p < 0.001). In line with the previ-
ously formulated expectations, adding greenery to the
store interior appears to increase consumers approach
intentions toward the store. Store complexity on the
other hand decreases consumers approach intentions.
As a matter of fact, a closer look at the results reveals
that the positive effect of greenery on approach reac-
816
tions, is only significant in complex stores (approach
= 3.05 (without vegetation) vs. 3.22 (with vegetation) , t (2132) =
3.06, p = 0.002). The effect of introducing vegetation
in a lean store environment appears not significant as
illustrated in Figure 6 (t (2153.694) = 0.56, p = 0.574).
Regarding the impact of in-store greenery on con-
sumers "Avoidance" responses toward the store, an
even more notable interaction effect with store com-
plexity can be discerned (F (1, 4289) = 6.24, p = 0.013),
besides a significant main effect of store complexity (F
(1, 4289) = 28.23, p < 0.001) and a marginally signif-
icant effect of in-store vegetation (F (1, 4289) = 3.04,
p = 0.082). Figure 7 illustrates that adding greenery
in the store interior can reduce consumers avoidance
of a complex store (avoidance = 3.97 (without vegetation) vs.
3.79 (with vegetation) , t (2132) = 2.30, p = 0.003). The effect
of introducing vegetation in a lean store environment
appears however not significant (t (2148.593) = 0.53,
p = 0.598).
The Mediating Role of Emotions Evoked in
the Store Environment
According to the guidelines offered by Zhao, Lynch, and
Chen (2010) and Hayes and Preacher (2011), a boot-
strapping analysis (with 5000 bootstrapping samples
and a 95% confidence level) is conducted to examine
mediation effects and to reveal the indirect as well as
the direct effects of vegetation in the store environment
on shopping intentions. Individual tests are performed
for the dependent variables Approach and Avoid-
ance. The variables Pleasure, Stress, and Excite-
ment are entered as possible mediators to the model
(using MEDIATE for SPSS), while the direct effects
of in-store vegetation and store complexity, as well
as the interaction effect vegetation complexity are
examined. In order to control for any confounding ef-
fects of the sociodemographic variables age and gender,
these were again added to the analyses as covariates. A
comprehensive overview of the findings is displayed in
Tables 2 and 3.
From this bootstrapping analysis, a similar picture
emerges concerning the direct effects. While no direct
main effects of vegetation on approach or avoidance
intentions can be revealed, store complexity does ap-
pear to have a negative direct effect on approach (
= 0.244, p = <0.001), which can apparently be miti-
gated by adding greenery to the store environment (
= +0.137, p = 0.072). Store complexity also appears
to have a direct avoidance inducing effect ( = 0.331,
p < 0.001), which can be reduced by adding in-store
vegetation ( = 0.212, p = 0.013).
Subsequently, it is examined whether this effect
is mediated by the consumer emotions evoked in
the store environment. While no indirect main ef-
fects of vegetation in the store environment can
be revealed on approach or avoidance intentions ei-
ther, the results support the existence of indirect
effects of store complexity and the interaction
BRENGMAN, WILLEMS, AND JOYE
Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar
Table 2. Direct and Indirect Effects on Approach Intentions.
Approach
Direct effects Indirect Effects Approach
R2 adj = 0.024 Pleasure Stress Excitement R2 adj = 0.667
Coefficient p Coefficient p Coefficient p Coefficient p Coefficient p

Vegetation - n.s. - n.s. - n.s. - n.s. - n.s.

Complexity 0.244 <0.001 0.315 <0.001 +0.505 <0.001 - n.s. - n.s.
Vegetation Complexity +0.137 0.072 +0.166 0.011 0.158 0.039 - n.s. - n.s.
Gender 0.352 <0.001 0.274 <0.001 +0.229 <0.001 0.200 <0.001 0.079 0.001
Age +0.005 0.005 +0.004 0.006 0.007 <0.001 - n.s. +0.003 0.004
Pleasure +0.721 <0.001
Stress 0.066 <0.001
Excitement +0.297 <0.001

Approach Approach
Direct Effects Indirect Effects through
Pleasure Stress Excitement
Coefficient p Effect CIlow CIup Effect CIlow CIup Effect CIlow CIup

Vegetation - n.s. - 0.047 0.082 - 0.007 0.007 - 0.026 0.022

Complexity 0.244 <0.001 0.227 0.295 0.160 0.033 0.053 0.017 - 0.039 0.013
Vegetation Complexity +0.137 0.072 +0.120 0.026 0.213 +0.010 0.005 0.024 - 0.014 0.056

Table 3. Direct and Indirect Effects on Avoidance Intentions.

Avoidance
Direct Effects Indirect Effects Avoidance
R2 adj = 0.015 Pleasure Stress Excitement R2 adj = 0.621
Coefficient p Coefficient p Coefficient p Coefficient p Coefficient p

Vegetation - n.s. - n.s. - n.s. - n.s. - n.s.

Complexity +0.331 <0.001 0.315 <0.001 +0.505 <0.001 - n.s. - n.s.
Vegetation Complexity 0.212 0.013 +0.166 0.011 0.158 0.039 - n.s. - n.s.
Gender +0.254 <0.001 0.275 <0.001 +0.229 <0.001 0.200 <0.001 - n.s.
Age 0.005 0.003 +0.004 0.006 0.007 <0.001 - n.s. - n.s.
Pleasure 0.663 <0.001
Stress +0.323 <0.001
Excitement 0.084 <0.001
Avoidance Avoidance
Direct Effects Indirect Effects through
Pleasure Stress Excitement
Coefficient p Effect CIlow CIup Effect CIlow CIup Effect CIlow CIup

Vegetation - n.s. - 0.076 0.043 - 0.035 0.032 - 0.007 0.008

Complexity +0.331 <0.001 +0.209 0.145 0.271 +0.166 0.128 0.210 - 0.004 0.012
Vegetation Complexity 0.212 0.013 0.110 0.195 0.022 0.052 0.103 0.002 - 0.017 0.004

between greenery and store complexity on approach
and avoidance intentions, through evoked pleasure
and/or stress.
As a matter of fact, the multiple regression analysis
demonstrates that 66.7% of the variance in Approach
(adjusted R2 ) is explained by the variance in the ex-
planatory variables Pleasure, Stress, and Excite-
ment. Each of these emotional dimensions appears to
contribute significantly to approach intentions. The
standardized beta coefficients reveal that pleasure
is the most important explanatory factor (0.721, p <
0.001), followed by Excitement (0.297, p < 0.001),
while Stress appears to have the least explanatory
power (0.066, p < 0.001).
With regard to Avoidance, the multiple regres-
sion analysis reveals that 62.1% of the variance (ad-
justed R2 ) is explained by the variance in the explana-
tory variables Pleasure, Stress, and Excitement,
which all appear to contribute significantly. While the
standardized beta coefficients reveal that pleasure is
again the most important explanatory factor (0.663,
p < 0.001), stress (0.323, p < 0.001) comes second,
and excitement appears to contribute least (0.084,
p < 0.001).

IN-STORE GREENERYS IMPACT ON CUSTOMERS 817

Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar
 The bootstrap mediation tests (at = 0.05) clearly
make the case that pleasure and stress" significantly
mediate the effects of store complexity" and vegeta-
tion complexity on approach as well as on avoid- negatively), providing further support for its strate-
ance intentions. According to Zhao, Lynch, and Chen
(2010) this implies indirect-only mediation (cf. Baron
and Kennys full mediation). Thus, store complex- environments on approach and avoidance intentions is
ity appears to have an indirect negative effect on ap-
proach through reduced feelings of pleasure (0.227) stress.
and increased stress (0.033). The integration of in-
store greenery in complex store environments (i.e. veg-
etation complexity) turns out to have a positive effect
on approach through evoked pleasure (+0.120) and
reduced stress" (+0.010). With regard to avoidance,
store complexity appears to have an indirect avoid-
ance inducing effect through reduced feelings of plea-
sure (+0.209) and increased stress (+0.166). The in-
tegration of in-store greenery in complex store environ-
ments (i.e. vegetation complexity) turns out to di-
minish avoidance through evoked pleasure (0.110) such as the measurement of electrodermal activity (cf.
and reduced stress 0.052).
DISCUSSION
Based on the findings of this study, it can be con-
cluded that introducing foliage in the store interior
can elicit feelings of pleasure and reduce stress, even
though these effects could only be discerned in a com-
plex store interior. As a matter of fact, no significant
effect of in-store greenery on evoked feelings of plea-
sure or stress could be revealed in the lean store en-
vironment condition. While it was expected that the
stress-alleviating potential of in-store vegetation would
be reduced in lean store interiors (as they cause less
arousal in general), it was not anticipated that it would
disappear completely. The fact that a significant effect
of in-store greenery on evoked pleasure could not be
discerned in the lean store condition either, may be
explained by the observation that the lean store inte-
rior was already rated as generally quite pleasurable,
which left little room for improvement. Contrary to the
tentative expectations, no impact was found of in-store
greenery on feelings of excitement elicited by the store.
The findings of this study confirm that feelings of
pleasure" evoked by the store environment are an im-
portant determining factor for approach as well as
avoidance responses toward the store. With regard
to the two arousal dimensions, it was established that
both of them significantly affect approach and avoid-
ance behaviors. Nonetheless, a clearly divergent impact
was identified: while feelings of excitement appear to
provide a stronger drive for approach intentions, feel-
ings of stress seem to trigger avoidance intentions De Wulf, & Van Waterschoot, 1999). In this regard, it
to a greater extent.
Given the impact of pleasure and stress on consumer
approach/avoidance responses, the findings of the cur-
rent study support the potential of integrating green-
ery in retail store environments, especially in spatially
818
dense store interiors. In such store settings, vegetation
is also found to directly affect consumers approach and
avoidance behaviors in a favorable way (positively resp.
gic role. This study also demonstrates that the posi-
tive impact of integrating greenery in complex store
fully mediated by its impact on feelings of pleasure and
LIMITATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR
FURTHER RESEARCH
In this study, emotional responses to the store environ-
ment were measured by means of self-report question-
naires. As some authors point out, verbal scales may
not be appropriate to capture arousal. Future studies
should therefore also include other arousal indicators,
Groppel-Klein & Baun, 2001).
Another limitation to this study concerns the ex-
ternal validity of the findings. Unfortunately, as a di-
rect consequence of the main concern for internal valid-
ity, laboratory experiments are generally rather weak
in generalizability. In particular, it would be valuable
to replicate the present study based on a set of pho-
tographs, rather than just one, defining each condition.
Moreover, an extension of this study to field experi-
ments is called for to determine the ecological valid-
ity and generalizability of this studys findings. In such
field studies actual in-store behaviors can be observed
(cf. Newman & Foxall, 2003).
As the experiment was conducted in a fashion re-
tail context, this study should be replicated in other
retail contexts, such as grocery stores. It will be particu-
larly interesting to investigate whether the findings ob-
tained in a hedonic shopping situation will also hold in a
more utilitarian shopping context. Because utilitarian
shopping is essentially functional and goal directed
and also often experienced as a chore" (see Geuens,
Brengman, & SJegers, 2003), it seems probable that
stress reduction will have even more pronounced ef-
fects and relevance during this type of shopping. On the
other hand, hedonistic shoppers may often show more
appreciation for aesthetic attributes in shops, such as
in-store vegetation. While enduring shopping motiva-
tions are related to a persons personality and are rel-
atively stable over time (Mooradian & Olver, 1996),
situational shopping motivations are temporary and
differ depending on a particular consumer situation
such as time pressure, social surroundings, or task def-
inition (e.g. urgent vs. regular purchase; Van Kenhove,
could also be very interesting to manipulate the situa-
tional motivation of the shopper (run vs. fun shopping
trip) to discover the different effects of introducing veg-
etation in the store. Even the shoppers stress level be-
fore entering the store could be manipulated by means
BRENGMAN, WILLEMS, AND JOYE
Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar
of different scenarios. It may also be a good idea to con-
sider the shoppers Optimum-Stimulation-Level in this
respect.
Since a moderating role of the information rate of
the store environment regarding the impact of in-store
vegetation on arousal was expected, the spatial den-
sity of the store was manipulated. Clearly, the lean
store in this study was found to be rather pleasurable
already, leaving little room for improvement, for ex-
ample, by adding greenery into the store. It is reason-
able to assume therefore that the impact of greenery
on perceived pleasure will be more apparent in less
pleasant lean store interiors. In agreement with Van
Rompay et al. (2008), the findings of the present study
also request further research to determine the impact
of spatial density on pleasure.
Because various kinds of vegetation are appreci-
ated differently (Lohr & Pearson-Mims, 2006), it can
be assumed that they may produce different effects in
shoppers. Further studies should investigate the effects
of diverse types of foliage (e.g. leafy plants, conifers,
palms, flowers). Less common, more dramatic plants or
flowers may actually evoke more excitement (carnivo-
rous plants for example). It would also be interesting
to find out whether the same effects hold for artificial
as compared to real vegetation. Moreover the impact of
representations of nature in wall decorations and art-
work could also be examined.
Finally, it can be worthwhile to investigate the ad-
verse effects of in-store greenery: in-store vegetation
can, for example, block out the view on marketing-
relevant information; it can reduce shopper circulation
and so cause crowding; it can hinder easy access to cer-
tain products; it can be valued negatively if it is not
well tended or if it does not fit the specific context.
OVERALL CONCLUSIONS
Since shopping is often experienced as quite stressful
(Fram & Ajami, 1994; Fram & Axelrod, 1990), the pos-
itive and stress-reducing effects that may be evoked by
green interventions could potentially be very valuable
in a retail context. The segment of shoppers entering
a store already in a negative mood state represents no
less than 10% of the total shopping population (Maxwell
& Kover, 2003). Moreover, once a customer enters the
store, there are numerous factors, both within and be-
yond the control of retail management, which might
turn the act of shopping into a stressful and poten-
tially irritating experience (dAstous, 2000; Aylott &
Mitchell, 1998). Shopping is often a goal-directed activ-
ity (e.g. buying a certain good) that is constrained by
certain factors (e.g. limits on time or budget). When ob-
stacles are encountered during this process, this may
cause stress (e.g. Machleit & Eroglu, 2000, p. 101),
which in turn may lead to avoidance behavior toward
the particular retail context. Babin and Darden (1996)
encourage retailers not only to try to create positive
consumer emotions, but above all to prevent negative
IN-STORE GREENERYS IMPACT ON CUSTOMERS
Psychology and Marketing DOI: 10.1002/mar
in-store moods (see also dAstous, 2000). In this respect,
Geuens, Brengman, and SJegers (2003, p. 246) found
that when consumers were asked to imagine their ideal
food store, they reported to want to shop in an envi-
ronment that takes away the stress instead of imposing
more stress . . . . It is obvious that retailers can benefit
from minimizing stress episodes in customers or from
providing them with "breathers" from such stress, for
instance by integrating in-store vegetation.
As the store environment has been shown to influ-
ence not only customers, but also store employees (Bit-
ner, 1992), an even more pronounced beneficial impact
can be expected from the integration of vegetation in the
retail environment because of its stress-reducing effects
on the sales staff. Stress reduction among sales assis-
tants and employees can lead to more positive moods,
which can translate into increased helpfulness and
friendliness toward customers and into more job satis-
faction, which are obviously important for retail service
quality (Vazquez, Rodriguez-Del Bosque, Diaz, & Ruiz,
2001). Other possible benefits are fewer stress-related
health problems affecting employees; reduced costs as-
sociated with health problems (i.e. absenteeism); in-
creased productivity, etc.
Considering that many potential benefits can be ex-
pected from the integration of vegetation in store in-
teriors, further research on this pertinent topic seems
justified.
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The authors would like to thank Mr. Johan Hellemans for his
support in the data collection. His market research and insight
agency Avisio (Antwerp Belgium) provided the opportunity
to collect a considerable dataset to test this studys hypotheses.
Correspondence regarding this article should be sent to:
Malaika Brengman, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2,
1050 Brussels, Belgium (malaika.brengman@vub.ac.be).
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