Conveying conscientiousness: Exploring environmental images across servicescapes

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 21 (2014) 520–528

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Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jretconser

Conveying conscientiousness: Exploring environmental images across servicescapes Hannele Kauppinen-Räisänen a,n, Anne Rindell b, Charlotta Åberg c a

Department of Marketing, CERS—Centre for Relationship Marketing and Service, Management, Hanken School of Economics, Vaasa, Finland Department of Marketing, CERS—Centre for Relationship Marketing and Service, Management, Hanken School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland c Associate to Hanken School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland b

art ic l e i nf o

a b s t r a c t

Article history: Received 7 January 2014 Received in revised form 4 April 2014 Accepted 4 April 2014 Available online 4 May 2014

The study explores how conscientiousness gets conveyed across servicescapes in two specific retail contexts: a supermarket and an organic food store, both of which claim an environmentally oriented branding strategy. Data collected from a qualitative approach and a photo elicitation technique consist of 20 semi-structured interviews with consumers of organic food products. The present study contributes to extant retailing literature by demonstrating that a conscientious corporate brand image requires longterm, comprehensive dedication by retailers. Moreover, this study contributes to research into retailer branding by uncovering a nostalgic dimension of conscientious branding, which in this setting means acknowledging the effects of the past. & 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Conscientiousness Nostalgic branding Organic food Retailing Servicescape Supermarket

1. Introduction Conveying conscientiousness constitutes a retail challenge, especially as customers grow increasingly aware of sustainability and responsibility issues and express growing demands for environmentally sustainable products and services (Loussaïef et al., 2013; Park and Ha, 2012; Tsarenko et al., 2013). This managerial challenge is manifested through the retailer brand image, which is constructed through “dynamic relational processes based on a multifaceted network of earlier images from multiple sources over time” (Rindell, 2007, p. 162), which have both affective and cognitive influences (Hu and Jasper, 2007). Research into conscientiousness in retail brand images is relatively new though (Magistris de and Gracia, 2008; Park and Ha, 2012; Rindell et al., 2011; Tsarenko et al., 2013), so various questions remain. Retailers often seek to establish or promote a particular brand image by designing a particular mix of offered products, namely, their product assortment (Ailawadi and Keller, 2004; González-Benito and Martos-Partal, 2012). The product assortment can attract customers to the store; for retailers, it serves as a strategic differentiation method (Ailawadi and Keller, n Correspondence to: P.O. Box 287 (Kauppapuistikko 2), 65101 Vaasa, Finland. Tel.: þ 358 504335805. E-mail addresses: hannele.kauppinen-raisanen@hanken.fi (H. KauppinenRäisänen), anne.rindell@hanken.fi (A. Rindell).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2014.04.001 0969-6989/& 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2004; Bauer et al., 2012). Accordingly, a sustainable product assortment, featuring a range of environmentally sustainable offerings, could promote a positive, environmentally oriented retailer brand image (e.g., Bhaskaran et al., 2006). But is including a few or many environmentally sustainable products in a store's assortment enough to convey a retailer image of conscientiousness? We also consider persistent questions about the physical store, because the physical setting is part of the retailer's strategy to convey its brand image (Ailawadi and Keller, 2004), through non-verbal communication (Finne and Strandvik, 2012) that influences customers' beliefs and perceptions about the retailer and its service (Bitner, 1992; Turley and Milliman, 2000). Current trends focusing on environmental aspects suggest the need to consider whether the physical setting can establish a retail brand image of conscientiousness. The physical setting is complex, involving a wide set of issues (beyond just the product assortment), and various conceptualizations seek to capture this multifaceted setting. We turn to the servicescape, which offers a holistic perspective on grocery retail settings and highlights the influence of various dimensional aspects, including social and symbolic elements (Bitner, 1992; Rosenbaum, 2005; Rosenbaum and Massiah, 2011). In turn, this study seeks to explore customers' views on how conscientiousness can be conveyed across servicescapes, using two specific retailing contexts: a supermarket and an organic food store, both of which claim an environmentally oriented brand

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image and strategy. With this qualitative study, we seek to address two main research questions: 1. Can the inclusion of environmentally sustainable products in the product assortment convey an image of being environmentally inclined? 2. Do other aspects in the physical grocery retail setting contribute to an environmentally inclined retailer brand image?

A foundational premise of this study is that conscientious corporate branding must be considered holistically and over time (Rindell et al., 2011). The study highlights the importance of acknowledging that as the corporate brand image develops over time, each action taken by the company can have an effect, not just those that are environmentally oriented (Rindell, 2013). As a main contribution to retailing literature, we emphasize that a conscientious corporate brand image in a retail context requires long-term, comprehensive dedication. Moreover, this study contributes to research into conscientious retailer branding by uncovering a nostalgic dimension that suggests the need to address the effects of the past.

2. Theoretical background 2.1. Conscientiousness in branding Conscientiousness is a topical issue, an emerging research area, and a global trend. It also takes many forms, such as ethics, sustainability, transparency, responsibility, and environmental issues. In general though, conscientiousness is an ethical matter, which customers increasingly are aware of Park and Ha (2012). Trudel and Cotte (2009) find that modern customers move beyond a positive attitude toward ethically produced products and also demand discounts from companies that produce unethically. As a megatrend, conscientiousness relates to the behaviors of not just customers but also businesses (Rindell et al., 2011), particularly as a potential source of competitive positioning (Ind and Ryder, 2011). Rindell et al. (2011, p. 710) argue that conscientious corporate brands are those for which “ethical concerns and values are embedded in the company's entire business strategy, in its value and supply chain, as well as in its vision and culture over time.” That is, conscientious corporate brands focus on long-term, consistent, and holistic socially responsible behavior as core elements of their corporate branding strategy. A related concept, ethical branding, refers to moral principles that define right or wrong behavior in branding decisions and how the brand contributes to the public good. Fan (2005) calls for research that defines ethical branding, as opposed to unethical branding, and clarifies the relationship between the brand and society (Abela, 2003). Werther and Chandler (2005) argue that strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) offers insurance for global brands, as long as that CSR is a mind-set throughout the organization. As exemplified effectively by Patagonia, for which the mission statement is to “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis” (www.patagonia.com), CSR can represent a keystone for companies that defines how the corporate brand image develops over time and influences the company's reputation (Fombrun, 2005). A lack of conscientiousness, anywhere in a retail supply chain, thus can have significant consequences, as H&M learned in relation to child labor issues (Doward, 2012).

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2.2. Conscientiousness among consumers Customers are more environmentally conscious than ever before; they consider environmental issues in not only their everyday practices (e.g., recycling) but also their consumption behavior and choices (Barber, 2010; Tsarenko et al., 2013), such that they might prefer environmentally sustainable products. Magistris de and Gracisa (2008) explain that organic food production accounts for environmental practices, biodiversity, preservation of natural resources, and animal welfare. In addition, customers perceive organically produced products as healthier and safer, tastier, and of higher quality (Makatouni, 2002; Zakowska-Biemans, 2011). Demand for organically produced food has been constantly increasing, resulting in expanded organic production (Magistris de and Gracisa, 2008), which allows retailers to include more of these products in their assortments to meet customers' demands. Organic food products thus can be found at farm shops, food cooperatives, farmers' markets, health food stores, and organic food stores, as well as in traditional supermarkets. 2.3. Retailer brand images and the influence of consumers' past experiences As Martineau (1958, p. 50) noticed quite early, “retailers everywhere are sensing the vital importance of the many non-price components of their operations which contribute to their store character,” such that “many corollary meanings emerging from the corporate image can play a role in the actual purchase decision at the moment of sale” (p. 58). Following from this assertion, various influential articles have considered the role of corporate brand images, for both retailers and customers, in terms of store choice and loyalty. For example, Ailawadi and Keller (2004, p. 332) note that “since most retailers' revenue and profit comes from selling manufacturer brands which many of their competitors also offer, building their own corporate image is particularly challenging, but one with big potential rewards.” These authors consider several dimensions of store image, but we focus on the in-store atmosphere, which we define according to a servicescape perspective. That is, a retailer can influence its retail brand image through its in-store choices, such as the design of the store, lighting, layout, music, atmosphere, and social features. From a branding perspective, an appealing in-store servicescape also offers unique possibilities (Ailawadi and Keller, 2004; Rayburn and Voss, 2013). In particular, offering environmentally sustainable products in the assortment might help retailers differentiate themselves, as well as promote a positive retail brand image of being environmentally oriented (e.g., Bhaskaran et al., 2006). Several studies also affirm that corporate image depends on customers' past experiences with the retailer. For example, Woodside and Walser (2007) propose that a retailer's brand strength depends on customers' past experiences with it. In studying retail brand images, Rindell (2007, 2013) argues that customers' relevant past experiences offer direct, influential input into real-time corporate brand image formation. Rindell also has introduced two new theoretical concepts, image heritage and image-in-use, to distinguish images based on the past from those that consumers construct in real time. Because the company's past influences customers' interpretations of its present corporate image, retailers' branding strategies should be informed by systematic efforts to identify likely components of those historical perceptions. In turn, customers' retailer-specific image heritages likely influence their perceptions of the existing in-store atmosphere—that is, the servicescape for organic food products. The retail brand image reflects how the customer perceives the retailer, and previous research suggests several effects, though as

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Esbjerg et al. (2012) stress, few investigations explicitly focus on grocery contexts. Nevertheless, the image of a retail brand generally appears to influence customers' retail preferences and purchase intentions (e.g., Grewal et al., 1998). It also strongly affects their satisfaction and post-consumption behaviors, such as loyalty (e.g., Helgesen et al., 2010). Positively perceived retail brand images relate to customers' pre-consumption, in-store, and post-consumption behaviors.

should be considered strategically in terms of their effects on both the consumption experience and the image that customers hold of the retailer and the store (e.g., Bitner, 1992; Kim and Lee, 2012; Namasivayam and Mattila, 2007; Rosenbaum and Massiah, 2011). If the firm's strategic aim is to be environmentally oriented, it should act in ways that are conscientious and environmentally responsible over time (Rindell et al., 2011), but it also needs to consider the various aspects and factors of its servicescape.

2.4. Influential dimensions of the servicescape The servicescape is the physical setting in which a service process takes place. Many studies indicate that a retail environment can have a significant influence on customers' behavior (e.g., Bauer et al., 2012; Bitner, 1992; Turley and Milliman, 2000). The concept of a servicescape initially was developed by Blooms and Bitner (1981, p. 36), who defined it as “the environment in which the service is assembled and in which seller and customer interact, combined with tangible commodities that facilitate performance or communication of the service.” Aubert-Gamet and Cova (1999) also suggest that the influence of the retail environment and the physical setting increases with the intangibility of the service, likely because customers prefer to have physical evidence to assess the quality of a service, and the physical retail environment can function as a cue (Shostack, 1977). Thus the physical setting of the grocery store should have an instrumental impact on, for example, how customers perceive the service provided by the store (AubertGamet and Cova, 1999). Considerable literature outlines the concept of the servicescape, including several taxonomies and frameworks, though most of these views pertain to physical dimensions or features of the retail environment (Mohan et al., 2012; Tombs and McCollKennedy, 2003). For example, Turley and Milliman (2000) distinguish exterior, general interior, store layout, interior displays, and human variables, which might comprise features such as parking, entrances, lighting, sounds, traffic flow, departments, product displays, posters, crowding, and even employees' clothing. In addition to physical dimensions, perceptions of the servicescape and service quality reflect consumers' personal experiences and the spatial context. Personal experiences refer to social aspects, such as the customer's perception of the firm's image or mood, which can define how that customer views the servicescape (Namasivayam and Mattila, 2007). The spatial context instead refers to the abstract dimension of the servicescape, including spatial aspects in the retail environment. According to AubertGamet (1997), physical features of the servicescape, such as its internal layout, may create a sense of crowding or spaciousness, which in turn determine perceptions of the servicescape and behavioral intentions. Another study suggests four dimensions of the servicescape: physical, social, social-symbolic, and natural (Rosenbaum and Massiah, 2011). Physical dimensions refer to the tangible elements of the general interior, the store layout, interior displays, parking, entrances, lighting, sounds, traffic flow, departments, product displays, and posters (Rosenbaum and Massiah, 2011; Turley and Milliman, 2000). Social dimensions include employees, other customers and non-customers online, and social density aspects, such as crowd and queuing (Aubert-Gamet, 1997; Kim et al., 2010; Namasivayam and Mattila, 2007; Rosenbaum and Massiah, 2011; Sands et al., 2011). The social-symbolic dimension involves culturally bound meanings, expressed by signs, symbols, and artifacts (Bitner, 1992; Rosenbaum and Massiah, 2011). Finally, the natural dimension refers to the spatial aspects that affect customers' states of mind, such as relaxation (Rosenbaum and Massiah, 2011). Regardless of the conceptualization, existing research stresses that the physical setting is influential, and its various components

3. Research design and methods 3.1. Individual interviews The purpose of this study was to explore how conscientiousness is conveyed by servicescapes in two retailing contexts (supermarket and organic food store), which requires rich data. This requirement lent itself to a qualitative approach, to elicit deeper insights and gain data that can reveal the constituents of an environmentally oriented, physical retail setting (Hine, 2000). We accordingly performed individual interviews to gather rich data (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994; Miles and Huberman, 1994). Such one-to-one interviews can reveal the detailed, in-depth beliefs and feelings held by individual consumers (Rowley, 2012); in particular, they help respondents provide information that they may perceive as sensitive or personal (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994; Miles and Huberman, 1994). Finally, face-to-face interviews provide an opportunity for further probing, which is essential in a study like ours that seeks to uncover rich, in-depth insights (Rowley, 2012).

3.2. Photograph collages We employed a photo elicitation data collection technique during the interviews, such that we included appropriate photographs as part of the interview. For this study, collages of photographs illustrated either a supermarket or an organic food store. This use of photographs is appropriate for several reasons; this technique is particularly useful in studies that focus on customer responses to servicescapes (e.g., Rosenbaum, 2005; Venkatraman and Nelson, 2008). Moreover, photographs help guide the interviews, stimulate imaginary processing, and elicit information. Because they evoke visual imagery, researchers using such photographs can dig deeper into human consciousness than they might using words alone (Harper, 2002). As Matteucci (2013) emphasizes, photographs tend to prompt emotional responses, which would benefit our study insights. Finally, the use of photographs means that informants all begin with the same starting point (e.g., Lincoln and Guba, 1985). The collages, each of which contained 32 photographs taken by one of the author (see Figs. A1 and A2), illustrate scenarios. Their intentional design attempts to illustrate the two grocery settings in comparable ways. During the interviews, we asked the informants to imagine themselves in a purchasing scenario, in which they stepped into the pictured grocery retail setting. To stimulate the respondents' imaginations, we provided them with the photo collages. In turn, the informants should be potentially less distracted by the artificial interview situation and focus more closely on the scenario, which may encourage their comfort and ease with expressing their thoughts (Belk, 2007), including implicit feelings and attitudes that informants might not have been aware of previously (e.g., Eckhardt and Bengtsson, 2010). Scenarios are relatively common in projective settings; by using scenarios, this study may overcome some of the limitations associated with direct questioning and reveal knowledge and judgments that would otherwise be difficult to discern (Belk, 2013; Boddy, 2007).

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Fig. A1. Photograph collage of a supermarket.

Fig. A2. Photograph collage of an organic food store.

3.3. Data collection and sample To assess the quality of the collected data and reduce the potential for researcher bias, we designed the study to feature researcher triangulation (Denzin, 1978; Denzin and Lincoln, 1994; Miles and Huberman, 1994), such that each author collected

data individually. To initiate the data collection, we asked the respondents to imagine themselves in a purchasing scenario depicted by the photo collages, as we explained in the previous section. By focusing on the physical setting, we sought to determine what constitutes the servicescape, according to customers, in both traditional grocery stores and organic food stores. Both

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Table 1 Perceptions of servicescapes. Dimension

Attribute

Supermarket

Organic food store

Physical

General layout

Organized, straight lines, sterile, dull, cold, stiff, plastic, standardized, familiar Not apparent, organics among other products, lower perishable product quality, packed in plastic

Nice, warm (hearty), earthy, pleasant, visually appealing, nostalgia Tree, renewable materials (e.g., paper bags), crayon boards, handmade signs, products in bulk, better product quality

Employees

Stressed, less friendly, routine

Other customers

Passage, no interaction, crowds and queuing negative

Emotions

No emotions perceived to be related to organic identity

Professional, helpful, happy, friendly, communal, personal Sympathy, interaction, engagement, spontaneous, crowds and queuing not negative Sense of environmental emotions; nostalgic, warmth, positive

Social- symbolic

Sign and symbols

Plastic, no genuine organic signs apparent

Pictures of animals, wreaths, baskets, environmental materials, no plastics, nostalgic objects and handicrafts

Natural

Spatial aspects

Stressed, industrial setting

Relaxed, excitement, experience, peacefulness

Characteristics and display of environmental image Social

retailers similarly attempted to convey a conscientious corporate brand identity associated with an environmental orientation. The qualitative data consist of 20 semi-structured, one-to-one interviews with purposefully sampled informants, such that we selected respondents who could provide rich information about the topic (Patton, 2002) and would be comfortable talking about the topic with the researcher. Therefore, the target respondents were mixed users who consumed both organic and ordinary food products regularly and also shopped at both types of grocery stores. To help ensure that we gathered a multiplicity of alternative perspectives, we selected respondents according to age and gender criteria (Belk, 2013). The sample thus included equal numbers of men and women, who ranged in age from 19 to 60 years and had an average age of 37 years. We designed a consistent, systematic interview guide to direct the discussions during the interviews (McCracken, 1988). The interview guide highlighted the main themes, interposed with probes to elicit more elaborate responses as needed. The themes pertained to informants' overall impressions of the retailers, as well as related, specific aspects and factors. The guide also included issues that might elicit informants' beliefs and feelings about the physical setting. The analysis started immediately after the first and continued after each interview. We reached data saturation among the chosen sample (Kumar, 2005) with 12 informants, after which a pattern emerged. The interviews lasted 45 min on average and were recorded and transcribed.

the identified categories resembled the taxonomy proposed by Rosenbaum and Massiah (2011). Therefore, in the remainder of the second phase, our coding and analysis grew gradually more structured, and we relied on the dimensions (physical, social, social-symbolic, and natural) proposed by Rosenbaum and Massiah (2011). Across the four dimensions and their related attributes, we identified differences between the two retail settings. For example, in the initial coding, we noted that several respondents mentioned color, in comments such as “Here is lots of colors,” “cold colors, “Lots of natural colors like brown,” or “warm colors.” The color code relates closely to a code we labeled scape, in that many respondents mentioned lightning and arrangements in the store, such as “it is sterile, well organized, straight passages,” or “It is not cozy due to the lightning.” Another code, labeled accessories, involved comments and cues such as “and lots of baskets… that reminds me of the country side,” “many ecological packages,” or “lots of plastic.” Because these codes all characterized the physical setting, we gradually grouped them into two second-order codes or main categories within the physical dimension: general layout and characteristics and display of environmental image. Although the data for the two retail stores were coded separately, the coding gradually gained integrated meaning, such that the cues and stimuli mentioned by the informants could use the same labels. The three other dimensions—social, socialsymbolic, and natural—were detected through a similar process.

3.4. Analysis 4. Findings To ensure analysis quality, we relied on researcher triangulation (Denzin, 1978; Denzin and Lincoln, 1994; Miles and Huberman, 1994), such that two of the authors analyzed the collected data individually. When the initial coding was completed, producing some first impressions, we compared our coding and interpretations to arrive at a common understanding. Next, the data analysis continued individually, using the dimensions detected and their specific features across the two settings. The data analysis consisted of two phases. First, we coded the data using descriptive codes that functioned as summary labels, which required minimal interpretive efforts (Hyde, 2000). Second, we relied on the conceptual framework of servicescapes and our literature review as a lens. At the end of the first and the start of the second phase, we collaboratively reached the conclusion that

The findings in Table 1 reflect aspects within the related attributes across the four key dimensions, which show how the informants perceived the physical settings of the two grocers; the comparison highlights the differences. As these findings show, two types of grocery retailers conveyed distinct images across the four dimensions.

4.1. Physical dimension The physical dimension comprised three attributes; general layout, characteristics, and display of environmental images. First, the general layout of the supermarket and the organic food store were perceived differently, as the following quotes illustrated:

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It's big, it's sterile and well organized and straight aisles, and that is typical for large and larger groceries. [Informant 6; supermarket] The grocery retail reminds me of a country store, and I recall when I was a child, a mobile shop came to grandmother's place, which was very much like a market trade. [Informant 10; organic food store]. That is, the general layout of the supermarket conveyed no environmental images, whereas the organic food store's layout did. Overall the supermarket was perceived as environmentally false or artificial, such that its attempts to convey environmental images did not appear credible or genuine: It's not their [retailer's] priority. [Informant 20; supermarket] [Sarcastically] Well for some reason those organic signs have been changed to green. [Informant 10; supermarket]. … they haven't thought it through. If they had, [the retailer] would invest in things that truly are environmental. [Informant 2; supermarket]. Rather, the respondents expected the retailers to express their environmental orientations explicitly, as two informants' comments indicate: It is the green that symbolizes the ecological. It is … unconscious. It would be important that … the ecological values would be visible. [Informant 12; supermarket] … lots of tree and natural materials, no plastic bags.… Everything should be from the nature. [Informant 1; supermarket] These informants also mentioned details such as packaging materials for products in general and for organic food products in particular as necessary elements: [Negative tone] Lots of plastic. [Informant 5; supermarket] … it's odd that organic products are packed in plastic. [Informant 2; supermarket] In addition to the expectation that food products would be packed in sustainable, recyclable materials, the respondents anticipated authenticity, naturalness, and truthfulness. If such aspects were not apparent, the stores did not convey environmentally oriented retail brand images or conscientiousness, as explicitly illustrated by the following quotes: They sell organic food products among other products for a lot more money in a less cozy environment. [Informant 1; supermarket] So I have to think that the [organic food products] are not fresh and [the retailer] isn't so devoted [to environmental issues]. [Informant 2; supermarket] Instead, a store appears environmentally oriented when the retail brand conveys a sense of conscientiousness: … they speak the same language of ecology, organic, or naturefriendly products. [Informant 7; organic food store]

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particular, the respondents believed that the employees of the organic food store were good resources when needed: … the staff have always been nice and friendly. [Informant 11; organic food store] They appeared to have knowledge about the products, such as their ingredients and origins: I often have questions, and I perceive that I got really good answers, so they seem very knowledgeable. [Informant 14; organic food store] These social aspects contributed to more positive impressions of the organic food store than of the supermarket. The more relaxed atmosphere in particular might have enhanced this positive attitude, which even encompassed other customers: Those who go to those stores are more spontaneous or something. I have always had really positive experiences. [Informant 1; organic food store] These perceptions in turn led to higher levels of expectations related to social interactions in the organic food store, in terms of the respondents' own and other customers' behaviors. Thus, a sense of relaxation could encourage or discourage interactions with other customers: It feels like you share something. [Informant 12; organic food store] This is that kind of an environment, where you for sure would not talk with other customers. [Informant 9; supermarket] 4.3. Social-symbolic dimension Environmentally oriented retailers seemingly should express their image explicitly, through visual signs and symbols. The informants mentioned their expectations that they would see pictures of animals, wreaths, baskets, environmental materials, nostalgic objects, and handicrafts, for example. Moreover, they cited colors such as green and brown, which evidently help strengthen an environmental image. However, the informants also explained that the uses of signs and symbols must be authentic and truthful: … the [supermarket] fruit troughs have been changed to those wooden ones [laugh]. It is toward that direction, but is it ecological or more about people's images of what is ecological? [informant 10; supermarket] … [only] the green tags and written text [implying ecological products]. [Informant 15; supermarket] I think they are forced, exactly because they are green plastic tags saying organic. [Informant 19; supermarket] What became apparent was that the visual elements affected atmospherics, such that they could invoke a sense of relaxation, and simultaneously, the elements conveyed a sense of nostalgia, as illustrated with two quotes: … wooden, which makes it [feel] cozier and softer. [Informant 2; organic food store] One starts to think of the countryside, in the good old days. [Informant 4; organic food store]

4.2. Social dimension 4.4. Natural dimension The social dimension comprised aspects related to employees, other customers, and the interviewees' own emotional responses. For the employee aspect, some workers appeared more committed to the retailer and the products, as well as to serving customers. In

Finally, the atmosphere of the organic food store and its relation to the natural dimension was a frequent topic for the respondents. They mentioned that they felt more relaxed and

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peaceful in the organic food store, whereas the supermarket represented a more stressful, impersonal environment. They don't invoke the same, I don't know—peacefulness and county feeling as the organic food store. [Informant 3; supermarket] They [supermarket] are a more stressful environment. [Informant 17; supermarket] …like… it's more routine … people come to pay, not to ask questions. [Informant 4; supermarket] Moreover, the act of shopping in an organic food store constituted a positive experience and an act that invoked emotions such as excitement, which could imply enhanced retailer commitment or loyalty (Ailawadi and Keller, 2004). In summary, the presence of organic food products in a product assortment is not enough to convey an environmentally oriented retail brand image (Bhaskaran et al., 2006). Aspects related to the physical and social-symbolic dimensions emphasize that finding in particular, in that these dimensions contributed attributes that were concrete and conveyed meanings and images that were relatively easy to express. Such attributes in turn determined the first impression evoked by the retail setting. These salient cues then provided essential means to evaluate and diagnose the quality of the retailer (Willems et al., 2012). Yet our respondents also explicitly called for honesty and integrity, such that they expressed sensitivity to the use of the attributes in the physical and social-symbolic dimensions that appeared to offer only cosmetic upgrading. These respondents frequently pointed to the evoked sense of falsity, which prompted negative attitudes among them. Yet aspects within the other dimensions, such as other customers and the pace, also could contribute to an overall positive impression of the retailer's environmental orientation. However, these attributes tend to be more difficult to manage, though Kim and Kim (2012) recommend that retailers address them, to effect positive perceptions. Our findings suggest that the social dimension may contribute a sense of caring by establishing employee presence and availability, which evoke positive emotions. The aspects contained within the social dimension also appeared important for information transmission and product use sharing. Yet many of these aspects were generally expected by the respondents; for example, they expected that the employees of an organic food store would be committed to their workplace and care about their customers and the products sold. The social dimension, including human factors, also had an impact on the natural dimension, which had positive outcomes for the organic food store. The natural dimension instead was linked to the physical aspects of the supermarket. These findings thus highlight the influence of emotions in particular, as well as appeals based on aesthetics or hedonism.

5. Discussion This study focuses on a contemporary issue: means for conveying conscientiousness through retail servicescapes. It also reflects the assertion that conscientious corporate branding must be viewed holistically and over time (Rindell et al., 2011), which here refers to a retailer's brand image of being environmentally oriented. We have highlighted how the corporate brand image gets created over time, on the basis of each action the company takes, not just those that relate directly to the environment (Rindell, 2013). In turn, this study contributes to retailing literature by emphasizing that a conscientious corporate brand image requires persistent, comprehensive, dedicated efforts by retailers.

Moreover, we contribute to research into conscientious retailer branding by adding a nostalgic dimension of branding. This study investigates two strategic, image-related issues – the assortment and the servicescape – and whether environmentally sustainable products can convey an image of conscientiousness. Prior studies have suggested that environmentally sustainable products in the assortment enable retailers to promote a positive, environmentally oriented brand image (Bhaskaran et al., 2006), but our findings instead imply that their presence is not enough to ensure an environmentally friendly retailer image, especially for supermarkets. The organic food store, even though it also sold some non-organic food products, was perceived as genuinely environmentally friendly, and its core products (i.e., organic food) were perceived as cleaner, fresher, and better tasting. These benefits suggest not just that organic food products tend to be perceived as offering higher quality than non-organic products in general (Makatouni, 2002; Zakowska-Biemans, 2011) but that in organic food stores, the physical setting strengthens impressions of the taste, quality, and freshness of organic food products. Regarding the servicescape, several differences arose in how the two retailers tried to convey their environmentally oriented brand image. First, the physical setting of the supermarket failed, whereas the organic store succeeded, to convey an environmental inclination. This distinction existed in several aspects related to the physical, social, social-symbolic, and natural dimensions. For example, in the supermarket context, attempts to convey environmental friendliness through decorations evoking the countryside or agriculture (e.g., hens, hay) appeared to consumers to constitute cosmetic upgrading, not a corporate mindset or strategy (Werther and Chandler, 2005). In the organic food store, similar decoration elements instead prompted positive perceptions; several “countryside decorations” were cited as nostalgic effects, which even seemed to enhance the credibility of the food store's claims of being environmentally oriented. This effect may be particularly prevalent in countries with deep-rooted agricultural traditions; in the present study, customers could have related the agricultural decoration to authenticity, small-scale, idyllic farming, or rustic grocers of past times. Overall though, an individual element, such as a specific type of interior design or decoration, is not enough to convey a conscientious brand image. Rather, if the retailer already enjoys an image of being conscientious, such elements can enhance and further its brand image. Second, the findings support prior findings (e.g. Sands et al., 2011) regarding the role that employees, other customers, and the servicescape serve in determining a retailer's brand image. For this study, a relaxed attitude, care, and commitment supported the image of being environmentally oriented. Aesthetics and hedonistic appeals also can convey a positive, environmentally oriented retailer image, in support of perceptions of corporate conscientiousness. However, our findings suggest that when a conscientious brand image has been achieved, nostalgic decoration elements continue to serve an important purpose in servicescapes. Thus, the assortment or other specific aspects within the servicescape are not enough to cause a retailer to appear environmentally oriented. Conveying conscientiousness in a retail setting requires more than a superficial focus on environmentally friendly products. What is needed instead is conscientious behavior, in all actions over time—that is, a consistently conscientious branding strategy. Then conscientiousness can define the brand image, and the acts and holistic behavior adopted by the retailer influence its image and whether the retailer is perceived as acting in a conscientious manner (Rindell et al., 2011). Our findings thus align with Rindell's et al. (2011) claim that a conscientious corporate brand stems from various actions over time. Similarly, Pine and Gilmore (2008, p. 36) stress that “a company's present

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and future strategic positions build on its past,” because an “image heritage” influences evaluations of current experiences (Rindell, 2013). As a result of this heritage, nostalgic decorations and an assortment of organic food are not sufficient to convey a conscientious retailer brand image. Rather, nostalgic decoration elements might be just decorations, with little influence on a conscientious retailer brand image, or, if they parallel long-term conscientious activities, they can enhance this conscientious dimension of the retailer's brand image. Ultimately, this study reveals that a conscientious retail brand image requires dedication by retailers, rather than just superficial adjustments to assortments and decorations. The findings also suggest potential avenues for further research. In particular, additional studies should apply our investigation methods in other markets and among other consumer groups; photo elicitation remains a good method for collecting rich data. Further research could also seek to develop our understanding of consumer perspectives on the appropriate uses of nostalgic branding, such as which specific pictures of animals, wreaths, baskets, environmental materials, nostalgic objects, and handicrafts signal environmental concerns in a retail context.

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