Despite previous work, researchers still do not fully understand the mechanisms by
which environmental stimuli influence emotions and affect behavior. This paper attempts to
address this knowledge gap by modelling the effects of a stimulus on emotions and behavior
within the context of a shopping mall and retail stores. We evaluate a stimulus-response
model based on the influence of perceptions on shoppers’ moods, which in turn influence
approach behaviors. A structured questionnaire survey of actual shoppers in a real mall
environment (n=315) was analysed by structural equation analysis. The exemplar stimulus
consisted of a Captive Audience Network (CAN or private plasma screen network) – a topic
that has been little researched to date. The influence of the CAN was small but significant.
The findings have implications for practitioners as even small changes in image can have a
substantial effect on profitability