“Man, I Shop Like a Woman!” Effects of Gender and Emotions on Consumer Shopping Outcomes and Perceptions of Retail Environments

Previous studies in retailing have suggested that gender influences the way people shop. Women are more affected by store environment elements and more likely to enjoy shopping than men. However, is it possible to reduce these gender effects and to enhance men’s shopping outcomes? Drawing on gender and emotions literature, the authors suggest that emotions moderate gender effects on shopping outcomes (i.e. satisfaction, recommendation to others, and return intentions). This study tests the effects of emotions in two conditions: positive emotions (triggered by background music) and neutral emotions (control group, no music). Results demonstrate that positive (vs. neutral) emotions increase shopping satisfaction, recommendations, and return intentions for male consumers, in the same level as female consumers. In addition, the findings indicate that store environment perception mediates the effects of gender and emotions on shopping outcomes.