The Role of Atmospherics in Influencing Consumer Behaviour in the Online Environment
Rory Hunter, Dr. Bhasker Mukerji

Abstract
Online retailing has been growing in Canada at a “double digit rate” since 2002. With a 26% increase in online sales since 2006, businesses are attempting to apply traditional marketing theories in order to capitalize on this growth in online sales. Marketing literature has a great deal of empirical evidence confirming the influence of store ambience on consumer behavior in a bricks and mortar setting. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of studies exploring the impact of website atmospherics on online customers.The objective of this paper is to explore the concept of atmospherics and analyze how it influences consumer behavior in an online environment. After reviewing the literature on atmospherics and analyzing existing models, a conceptual model has been proposed which provides an ecologically valid interpretation of the importance of online atmospherics. It illustrates the importance of tailoring “website atmospherics” according to the characteristics of the target market and also suggests incorporating consumer preferences.

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