TY - JOUR
T1 - More than a mere cup of coffee
T2 - when perceived luxuriousness triggers Chinese customers’ perceptions of quality and self-congruity
AU - Li, Rong
AU - Laroche, Michel
AU - Richard, Marie Odile
AU - Cui, Xinyu
PY - 2022/1/31
Y1 - 2022/1/31
N2 - While prior research shows that atmospheric cues such as visual design trigger customers' cognition and emotions, thus leading to approach-avoidance responses, this article proposes self-congruity as a mediator, paralleling cognitive evaluation (i.e., perceived quality). More specifically, this article, situated in the context of the coffee shop industry in China, investigates how perceived luxuriousness, reflected from the service provider's visual design, affects customers' willingness to pay a price premium (WTPP). The findings show that perceived luxuriousness leads to customers' inferences of high quality of the coffee and high self-congruity, thus increasing WTPP. Further, cosmopolitanism moderates the effect of perceived luxuriousness only via self-congruity, but not via perceived quality. This article contributes to the existing literature on atmospherics, self-congruity, brand equity, and cosmopolitanism. More importantly, this article provides managerial implications for global coffee/food brands that aim to set up their chain outlets and expand rapidly in China, one of the largest emerging markets.
AB - While prior research shows that atmospheric cues such as visual design trigger customers' cognition and emotions, thus leading to approach-avoidance responses, this article proposes self-congruity as a mediator, paralleling cognitive evaluation (i.e., perceived quality). More specifically, this article, situated in the context of the coffee shop industry in China, investigates how perceived luxuriousness, reflected from the service provider's visual design, affects customers' willingness to pay a price premium (WTPP). The findings show that perceived luxuriousness leads to customers' inferences of high quality of the coffee and high self-congruity, thus increasing WTPP. Further, cosmopolitanism moderates the effect of perceived luxuriousness only via self-congruity, but not via perceived quality. This article contributes to the existing literature on atmospherics, self-congruity, brand equity, and cosmopolitanism. More importantly, this article provides managerial implications for global coffee/food brands that aim to set up their chain outlets and expand rapidly in China, one of the largest emerging markets.
KW - coffee culture
KW - atmospherics
KW - perceived luxuriousness
KW - perceived quality
KW - self-congruity
KW - WTPP
KW - cosmopolitanism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85115400700&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102759
DO - 10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102759
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85115400700
SN - 0969-6989
VL - 64
JO - Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
JF - Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
M1 - 102759
ER -