The impact of in-store sales personnel's altruistic behaviors on store image: a cross-category study in Japan

Online sellers continue to grow at the expense of traditional brick and mortar retailers. For traditional retailers to remain competitive in this modern consumer age, it is essential to identify the dynamics of effective customer interaction, to foster positive perceptions of the store. Specifically, in this cross-category study of almost one thousand retail consumers in Japan, the findings show that the behavior of sales personnel affects perceptions of altruism, trust, and expertise. Both directly and indirectly, these customer perceptions significantly impact store image. The existence of a traditional business philosophy of Omotenashi, makes Japan a good place to observe and study altruism in retail customer-sales personnel relationships.