Article Number : 6048 |
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| Date | 10/20/2010 9:31:06 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=6048 |
| Abstract | A leading carpet manufacturer has welcomed new research that suggests that what’s under our feet in a retail outlet may influence whether or not we buy products on display. It’s a finding, according to DESSO, that could have... |
| Article | A leading carpet manufacturer has welcomed new research that suggests that what’s under our feet in a retail outlet may influence whether or not we buy products on display. It’s a finding, according to DESSO, that could have implications for the interior design of shops worldwide. It has always been assumed that how we see and judge products on display is influenced predominantly by light and colour as most of the information we receive comes through our eyes. But a new study from the United States now suggests that how we see goods on display inside a showroom may also be influenced by what’s under our feet. Until now, retailers have designed outlets in which appearance is everything – from the layout to the ways in which colour and light are intermixed to project an overall brand, as well as the individual product lines on display. Flooring, as one of the largest surface areas inside a retail showroom, has long been an integral part of that design process, using all of carpet’s unique qualities to help convey brand values. Now, however, an intriguing research study from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and the University of British Columbia*, suggests that flooring may be rather more important than retailers might have thought. The study, published this summer in the Journal of Consumer Research, examined the feelings that are evoked by the two most common types of flooring found in the retail sector – hard vinyl and carpet. Surprisingly, it found that the feeling customers get from a store’s flooring can affect how a product makes them feel – and, in turn, may determine whether or not they buy it. The researchers first conducted a study to show that carpeting truly does evoke a greater sense of physical comfort than tiled flooring. But the researchers then sought to examine a more practical question – do the sensations generated from the flooring transfer to people's assessments of products that they look at while shopping? Participants in the study were asked to stand on either soft pile carpet or hard tile and view products that were either close to them or moderately far away. Interestingly, when the products were a moderate distance away, people's judgments of them were unconsciously guided by their bodily sensations. Intriguingly, if they were standing on soft carpet and viewed a product that was moderately far away, they also judged that item's appearance to be comforting. However, people who examined products while standing on this same carpet judged items that were close by as being less comforting. “While the research conclusions are interesting, if somewhat contradictory, they merely underline how retail psychology has become a guiding influence in a retail sector that is cluttered, highly competitive and massively important,” said Jenny Krijnen, from DESSO. “It’s a design process that we at DESSO are familiar with, working with interior designers to develop colour palettes across the store’s floors – subtly directing shoppers around the store, drawing attention to particular retail spaces or, stripping away psychology, simply providing them with a comfortable floor to walk on.” “The results from this study merit further research, but should also be of significant interest for retailers and commercial interior designers working in the retail sector,” she said. About Desso DESSO is one of the world’s leading carpet manufacturers, and has been making carpets for some 80 years. The company has recently launched two important products. The first, a new carpet that significantly reduces the amount of dust and particulate matter floating in the air and which therefore improves indoor air quality. The second, a new carpet backing that reduces impact sound – both ideal for busy retail environments. * Meyers-Levy, Juliet Zhu and Lan Jiang. University of Minnesota (2010, June 4). |