The mediating effect of mood on in-store behaviour among Muslim shoppers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of atmospherics on in-store behaviour among Malay Muslim shoppers in Malaysia. The effect of age on shopping behaviour is tested using two age groups: 18-25 years and 50 years or older. Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative methodology was employed, using structural equation modelling for testing the hypotheses developed. Purposive sampling was applied. Findings – Results of the present study show that positive perceptions of atmospherics exerted a positive influence on mood, which, in turn, affected in-store behaviour. Based on stimulus– organism– response theory, Muslim shoppers who were positive about the atmospherics tend to spend more time and money, and they exhibited intention to patronize the store again. Originality/value – Although past studies suggest that Muslim consumers are different due to their Islamic way of life, guided by the Islamic principles, by controlling for country-specific influences such as socio-economic factors, the results of this study provide support that modern marketing concepts are as relevant for the Muslim market as they are relevant for other market segments. Using the Mehrabian–Russell framework, Malay Muslims are found to be influenced by store atmospherics which, in turn, affect their in-store shopping behaviour. When comparing younger and older Muslims, results show no evidence of significant differences between these two age groups.