Purpose -The purpose of this study is to examine the roles that social cues play in affecting patronage behavior and how consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence would moderate the influence of social cues on store image. Design/methodology/approach -A two (high vs low socially-oriented in-store graphics) by two (high vs low personalized customer service) between subject experimental design was conducted to achieve the research objective. A total of 193 surveys were used for data analysis. Findings -Consumers had a more favorable attitude toward merchandise and service quality and felt more aroused or pleased with a store where more social cues were present. They also had a more favorable perception of store image when high-personalized service was provided. Consumers perceived that they would be more likely to shop in a store that had more in-store displays of graphics with social meaning. Consumer susceptibility to informational influence (SII) played a moderating role in some cases. Practical implications -Retail service needs to be reinvented to create excitement. Consumers may use social cues embedded in the store environment as an information source. Sales skills of staff and in-store graphics should be especially appealing to low-SII customer. Originality/value -This study has added to the retail literature by demonstrating that the social cues in store environment can affect consumers' perception of store image and patronage intention. It provides interesting insights on how retailers can use a socially meaningful environment as a source of competitive advantage.

PurposeThis paper seeks to analyze government survey data on what concerns leisure and hospitality employers most when considering hiring people with disabilities, as well as what hiring practices best alleviate these concerns. Special attention is to be given to the theory of planned behavior in these aims.Design/methodology/approachUS government survey data of leisure and hospitality employers' perspectives were disaggregated and examined using F‐, T‐, and Z‐tests.FindingsEmployee abilities and workplace accommodations raised substantial concerns, while financial incentives and practices addressing workplace attitudes were seen as especially helpful solutions. Employer concerns toward hiring varied significantly by employer size, with employers with more workers being more likely to hire those with disabilities than those with fewer workers.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should work to overcome limitations inherent in the source data used by further disaggregating business types within the leisure and hospitality industry, and to examine how socio‐demographic factors impact employer perceptions.Originality/valueThis is the first study to statistically test and apply the theory of planned behavior to the most recent nationally representative and randomized survey data of leisure and hospitality employer perceptions on hiring people with disabilities.

This study was designed to examine the role that perceived risk plays in consumers' purchases of apparel from catalogs. Specifically, it investigated the relationship between frequency of purchasing apparel from catalogs, the dollar amount spent on apparel purchased from catalogs, and several independent variables. The independent variables are consumer inability t o inspect apparel physically, consumer self-esteem, consumer propensity to seek information, consumer attitude toward brand name, and consumer ability to visualize him/herself in a garment. This study was exploratory, with the purpose of investigating the general question of whether perceived risk associated with these factors deterred consumers from catalog shopping for apparel. Regression analysis indicated that, of these variables, inability to physically inspect apparel and attitude toward brand name are the most reliable predictors of frequency of orders placed. Physical inspection and consumers' self-esteem were found to contribute t o the inability to predict dollar amount spent o n purchases of apparel from catalogs.

ABSTRACT

This study was designed to profile catalog shoppers of apparel and to examine their frequency of shopping. Specifically, it focused on the relative importance of consumers' lifestyle, demographic, and motivational factors in catalog shopping patronage. Data from 680 respondents were analyzed. The data indicated a relationship between consumers who shop for apparel from catalogs and some of the variables included in the study. A multiple regression model indicated that when several variables were considered, the frequent catalog shoppers tended to be older and better educated than infrequent catalog shoppers. They were also more likely to engage in inactive pursuits rather than sports activities and were more likely to perceive convenience as an important factor in their decisions to shop from catalogs than were infrequent catalog shoppers.