Spatial-behavior, perception and choice of the shopping location: attributes of the shopping location or traditional psychology of marketing?

Modeling consumer decision-making in marketing has strong cognitive and attitudinal roots in the Fishbein tradition. It includes topics such as understanding consumer (1) beliefs, (2) feelings and (3) behavioral intentions toward some object (a product, a brand). Regardless of where the store is located the retailer would argue that the understanding of such issues as how consumers think, feel, reason and select between different brands and products and how consumers are influenced by family, culture and media in relation to the certain products improves marketing strategies. However, retailers are also influenced to a substantial degree by the quality of the shopping environment. It is important to realize that all experiences with elements of environments external to the individual take place within a framework of space and time. Selection of a specific location by consumers represents an act of choice. Choice is the result of decision-making process. From the 1960s, in Behavioural Geography it is argued that the built environment is the spatial manifestation of human decision making and that many of these decisions are related to the way in which we perceived space, evaluate the elements of space, and form image about the potential use of it. Thus perceptions, preferences, attitudes, and cognitions appear to be relevant in the decision-making process. In Environmental Psychology predisposition or propensity of individuals to travel to a particular location is explored in the theory ‘sense of place’. Sense of place is thought to develop as the individual subjective experience created by the spatial settings of location. Therefore, it is crucial to first understand the level of interaction one has had with all of the choice locations in order to establish an associated sense of place. This paper discusses which theories of cognitions, perceptions, travel behaviours attitudes and sense of place may contribute to examine the relationship between the attributes of built environment, choice of shopping location and consumer behaviour