Retailing in the Face of Uncertainty: How Consumers' Hope and Fear Shape Channel Choice
研究在零售不确定性时期，消费者的希望和恐惧情绪如何通过社会规范影响其购物渠道选择，发现主观规范会放大或加剧情绪对实体店购物意愿的作用。
ABSTRACT This study investigates how consumers’ societal norms, reflecting hope and fear during periods of retail uncertainty, influence their choice of shopping channel. Across three studies, the authors examined the relationship between societal norms and consumers' in‐store shopping likelihood, along with the moderating role of subjective norms, and the moderated‐mediation of internal locus of control. The findings show that hopeful and fearful societal norms differentially affect in‐store shopping likelihood depending on corresponding subjective norms. Hopeful subjective norms amplify the positive relationship between consumers' hope and in‐store shopping likelihood. Conversely, fearful subjective norms exacerbate the negative relationship between consumers' fear and in‐store shopping likelihood, a pattern explained by reduced internal locus of control. These results provide actionable strategies for retailers to navigate consumers' shopping behaviors during periods of uncertainty.