Therapeutic servicescapes: Restorative and relational resources in service settings

This article introduces the concept of ‘therapeutic servicescapes’ to the retailing and services discipline. In the health literature, therapeutic landscapes emerge when physical and social conditions in a geographically bounded space combine to produce an atmosphere that is conducive to human well-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of retailing and consumer services 2020-07, Vol.55, p.102078, Article 102078
Main Authors: Rosenbaum, Mark S., Friman, Margareta, Ramirez, Germán Contreras, Otterbring, Tobias
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Business Administration
Företagsekonomi
Grocery stores
Place attachment
Servicescapes
Therapeutic landscapes
Transformative service research
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Summary:This article introduces the concept of ‘therapeutic servicescapes’ to the retailing and services discipline. In the health literature, therapeutic landscapes emerge when physical and social conditions in a geographically bounded space combine to produce an atmosphere that is conducive to human well-being. Traditionally, therapeutic landscapes have been associated with natural and leisure settings, such as parks, green spaces, and beaches. This work breaks new ground in the marketing domain by linking therapeutic landscapes to commercial retail establishments. This study empirically demonstrates the extent to which physical and social conditions may combine in a customer-centric grocery store to positively enhance customers' well-being and promote feelings of attachment to the establishment. Furthermore, this study reveals that customers' future behavioral intention are driven by the store's impact on their well-being and their desire to maintain ‘place attachment.’ From a managerial perspective, this work recommends that retail and consumer service organizations facing online competition focus on creating architectural and human resource conditions that promote consumer well-being and place attachment. •Defines the concept of therapeutic servicescapes in retail/service settings.•Shows how physical and social conditions work together to promote well-being.•Links therapeutic servicescapes to place attachment.•Encourages retailers that confront online competition to promote servicescape design.
ISSN:0969-6989
1873-1384
1873-1384
DOI:10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102078