The Influence of Social Crowding on Brand Attachment

Abstract

Feeling crowded in a shopping environment can decrease consumers’ evaluations of a product or service and lower customer satisfaction. However, the present research suggests that a crowded environment can sometimes have a positive impact on consumer behavior. Although feeling crowded motivates consumers to avoid interacting with others, it leads them to become more attached to brands as an alternative way of maintaining their basic need for belongingness. The effect does not occur (a) when the crowding environment is composed of familiar people (and, therefore, is not considered aversive); (b) when individuals have an interdependent self-construal (and consequently, high tolerance for crowdedness); (c) when people are accompanied by friends in the crowded environment; (d) when the social function of the brands is made salient; (e) when people have never used the brand before; or (f) when the brand is referred to as a general product rather than a specific brand.

A contemporary review of three types of social influence in consumer psychology

“…A space violation is a second potential threat to a consumer's self‐view and can arise when social density is high (i.e., a large number of people occupy a limited space) or when consumers believe a social presence has crossed into their territory. For instance, when social density is high consumers will feel crowded which can increase negative emotions (e.g., Byun & Mann, ; van Rompay, Krooshoop, Verhoeven, & Pruyn, ), heighten self‐awareness (Uhrich & Tombs, ), decrease perceived control (e.g., Consiglio, de Angelis, & Costabile, ; Langer & Saegert, ; Uhrich, ; Uhrich & Luck, ), create cognitive distraction (e.g., Hock & Bagchi, ), threaten uniqueness (e.g., Xu et al, ), or prompt a need for avoidance (e.g., Huang, Huang, & Wyer, ; Maeng, Tanner, & Soman, ; Puzakova & Kwak, ). Because none of these states are desirable, consumers will be motivated to respond to space violations.…”

Kalabalık, Mesaj İçeriği ve Mesaj Çerçevesi Etkileşiminin Perakendede Tüketici Satın Alma Eğilimleri Üzerindeki Etkisi

“…Authors reported the significant and negative effect of perceived crowding on the customer satisfaction while using winter outdoor facilities. Huang, Huang andWyer (2018:1081) measured the affective influence of feeling crowded and focused on its effects on the brand attachment. Authors reported a significant and positive effect of perceived crowding on brand attachment in retail context.…”

“…Perceived crowding is a psychological dimension (Shelby, Vaske & Heberlein, 1989:272) defined as the recognition of disparity between the amount of space demanded and the amount of space available to the individual (Stokols, 1972:276). Crowding was addressed by many studies in the literature, especially focusing on its negative consequences (Huang, Huang &Wyer, The Interaction of Crowd, Message Content andMessage Frame on Generating Purchase Intentions in Retailing 2017:1068). In the marketing literature, there are two research groups which focus mainly on the determinants at one side and on the consequences of retail crowding on the other side (Eroglu, Machleit, Barr, 2005:1146.…”

Repurchase Intentions toward Trendy Clothing Fashion in Muslim Communities: The Role of Social Influence, Brand Attachment and Perceived Value

“…The impact of social influence on brand attachment is well documented in marketing lit-erature, e.g., social influence and passionate desire in apparel fashion (Loureiro et al, 2017); Smartphone interaction on brand attachment (Wu, Chen, & Dou, 2017); crowding on brand attachment (Huang, Huang & Wyer, 2017); social consumption positively influences using luxury goods (Gil, Dwivedi, & Johnson, 2017); social media interaction enhances the brand engagement (Pongpaew, Speece, & Tiangsoongnern, 2017); customer socialization and brand loyalty (Shobri, Wahab, Ahmad, & bt'Ain, 2012); and impact of social forces on attitude and behavior (Moschis & Churchill, 1978). The comprehension and advancement of literature suggests examining the impact of social influence on brand attachment, especially in apparel fashion brands.…”