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Guest editorial: investigating the effect of the physical context on customer experience

Bruce, Helen L., Krolikowska, Ewa, Rooney, Tara·2023·Journal of Services Marketing
DOI 10.1108/jsm-05-2023-0163
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Abstract

Purpose: This editorial introduces a special issue of the Journal of Services Marketing, dedicated to papers discussing the effect of the physical context on customer experience. This study aims to identify diverse areas of extant knowledge, upon which researchers might draw when investigating the effect of the physical context on customer experience, to inform future research agendas. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on available literature, the authors argue that, as prior studies in diverse scholarly fields have explored the physical context, these bodies of knowledge may offer theories and constructs that meaningfully inform explorations of the effect of the physical context on customer experience. Findings: The authors identify five marketing subdisciplines and six nonmarketing disciplines, each offering theories, constructs and perspectives which researchers might draw upon in future studies of the effects of the physical context on customer experience. Originality/value: The authors develop a novel map which depicts the field of study of the effects of the physical context on customer experience, which scholars might use to inform future research design. In addition, the authors suggest several directions for future research.

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  • Empirical consumer and retailer perspectives on physical fashion retail remain deficient, especially concerning tactile, sensory, and hedonic needs.

    “Empirical consumer and retailer perspectives on this topic remain deficient (Bäckström and Johansson, 2017;Bruce et al., 2023;Poorrezaei et al., 2023), especially within the physical fashion retail context, with nuances concerning tactile, sensory, and hedonic needs.”

    From Retail futures: Customer experience, phygital retailing, and the Experiential Retail Territories perspective (2025) · cites this paper as Bruce et al., 2023

    The sections ‘Developing Future Research into the Effects of the Physical Context on Customer Experience’ and ‘Customer Experience: A Multi-Dimensional Construct’ say that the effect of physical context and the sensorial dimension of customer experience are under-studied (pages unavailable). The paper does not establish a specific shortage of empirical consumer and retailer perspectives in physical fashion retail, or of research on tactile and hedonic needs there. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • The changing emphasis of stores' roles from sales generation to a space conferring a more holistic contribution to CX remains under-researched.

    “however, the changing emphasis of stores' roles from sales generation to a space conferring a more holistic contribution to CX remains under-researched (Bruce et al., 2023;Poorrezaei et al., 2023).”

    From Retail futures: Customer experience, phygital retailing, and the Experiential Retail Territories perspective (2025) · cites this paper as Bruce et al., 2023

    The Rationale for Exploring the Effect of the Physical Context on Customer Experience (page unavailable) says the physical context’s role in customer experience has changed and calls for new research into what it contributes. It does not specifically describe stores shifting from sales generation to a more holistic customer-experience role, so that framing is not fully supported. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • This study makes valuable contributions to the under-researched field of physical retail space evolution and future retail CX by reflecting on current studies on CX and retail space in times of accelerated change.

    “This study makes valuable contributions to the under-researched field of physical retail space evolution (Bruce et al., 2023) and future retail CX (Klaus and Kuppelwieser, 2023) by reflecting on current studies on CX and retail space in times of accelerated change.”

    From Retail futures: Customer experience, phygital retailing, and the Experiential Retail Territories perspective (2025) · cites this paper as Bruce et al., 2023

    The 'Developing Future Research' section (page unavailable) calls the effect of physical context on customer experience under-studied. The 'Rationale' section discusses how digitalization has changed physical environments and mentions retailers, but the paper does not specifically characterize the evolution of physical retail space as an under-researched field. The separate claim about future retail CX is attributed to Klaus and Kuppelwieser, not Bruce et al. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Omnichannel operations by retailers and habitual online shopping behaviour are the post-pandemic new normal.

    “Omnichannel operations by retailers and habitual online shopping behaviour are the post-pandemic new normal (Bruce et al., 2023).”

    From Retail futures: Customer experience, phygital retailing, and the Experiential Retail Territories perspective (2025) · cites this paper as Bruce et al., 2023

  • Theoretically, this study responds to scholarly calls for further research on CX within different contexts, especially offline settings, to assess the importance of physical space within evolving retail for CX value creation.

    “Theoretically, this study makes the following contributions: it responds to scholarly calls for further research on CX within different contexts, especially offline settings, to assess the importance of physical space within evolving retail for CX value creation (Babin et al., 2021;Bruce et al., 2023;Klaus and Kuppelwieser, 2023).”

    From Retail futures: Customer experience, phygital retailing, and the Experiential Retail Territories perspective (2025) · cites this paper as Bruce et al., 2023

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Bruce, H. L., Krolikowska, E., & Rooney, T.
Venue
Journal of Services Marketing
Publisher
Emerald
Published
2023-06-19
Volume
37
Issue
6
Pages
689-699
ISSN
0887-6045
DOI
10.1108/jsm-05-2023-0163
Cited by
16
References
0
Language
en
Licence
www.emerald.com/insight/site-policies (tdm)

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