Retail environment, self-congruity, and retail patronage: An integrative model and a research agenda

An integrative model of retail environment, self-congruity, and retail patr onage is described in this article. The model develops theoretical proposit ions for future research to further develop the research in the area of sel f-image congruence in retailing, In particular, the model postulates relati onships among store environment (including stove atmospherics), store patro n image, shoppers' self-concept, self-congruity, functional congruity, and retail patronage. The model describes the interrelationships among these co nstructs and proposes certain moderating and mediating effects. Finally, th e article describes past and recent efforts in measuring self-congruity and how better measures of self-congruity can be developed and applied in reta iling. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.