Profiling Chinese Hong Kong consumers' attitudes on the atmospheric management strategies adopted by intimate apparel retailers

The atmosphere in a store is a crucial factor for inducing impulse shopping or providing an effect on perceived brand image and product quality. The atmosphere is especially important for aesthetic-related products, such as fashion. However, fashion becomes an inseparable element even in a function-oriented product, namely intimate apparel. In this study, the authors adopted a qualitative method, the grounded theory, to investigate the ways that the store atmosphere affects the attitudes of Chinese female consumers to intimate apparel. Attitudes with regards to cognitive and affective aspects are discussed and numerous strategic directions are presented.