Enhancing Shoppers’ Experiences and Building Mall Loyalty: The Role of Octomodal Mental Imagery (OMI) and Management Dimension-Evidence from the Yangtze River Delta Region of China

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of Octomodal Mental Imagery (OMI) and management dimensions on shoppers’ experiences and mall loyalty. The study was collected through “Questionnaire Star,” and 358 valid data points were obtained. The data were analyzed using SPSS27 and AMOS28. The results showed that sensory attributes such as visual, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory attributes positively influenced shoppers’ experiences in OMI, while the auditory attribute had no significant effect. Spatial, a structural attribute of OMI, positively influenced shoppers’ experiences, whereas autonomy and kinesthetics did not have a considerable effect. Tenant mix and entertainment positively impacted shoppers’ experiences in management, while accessibility had no significant effect. The study also found that shoppers’ experiences positively impacted mall loyalty, while hedonistic motivation had a more substantial effect than utilitarian motivation. This study is the first to examine the impact of OMI on shoppers’ experiences. It fills a gap in the literature on this relationship. It also examines the combined impact of management dimensions (accessibility, tenant mix, and entertainment) on the overall shopper’s experience, filling a gap in the Chinese shopping mall literature and extending the generalizability of the theory. The study further explores the relationship between shoppers’ experiences and mall loyalty and the moderating effect of incentive orientation. The results of this study have critical implications for mall managers. Strengthening the mental image and management dimensions of the shopping mall will enhance shoppers’ experiences and build loyalty, allowing brick-and-mortar malls to remain competitive and sustainable in today’s highly competitive and popular e-commerce environment.

1. Introduction

Over the past decade, there has been a marked increase in the closure of shopping malls, leading to discussions of the phenomenon of “dead shopping malls” or declining shopping malls [1]. The rapid increase in distressed shopping malls is becoming a global problem [2,3]. According to Retailnext, since January 2015, the average shopping mall traffic in the United States has decreased by 9.1%. Shopping mall traffic has continued to decline for 42 consecutive months, and there are now 1221 shopping malls in the United States, about one-third of which need to be closed due to over-saturation [4]. In China, the average vacancy rate of shopping malls in 20 first- and second-tier cities nationwide was 9.0% in 2021, also significantly off from 6.1% before the epidemic, according to “2022 China Shopping Mall Annual Development Report” by WINSHANG “http://news.winshang.com/html/070/2339.html (accessed on 8 July 2023)” [5]. This decline is attributed to various factors, among which the rise of online shopping [6,7,8] and increased competition from physical retail [9,10,11] are significant contributors. These result in reduced consumer traffic and increased vacancy rates [8]. However, brick-and-mortar stores are crucial in the customer journey [12]. Shopping malls, in particular, provide a unique and diverse retail environment by combining consumer, social, leisure, and entertainment activities [13,14].

Moreover, in the face of the current shopping mall dilemma, this study attempts to explain from the customer’s point of view what kind of experience shopping malls, that remain competitive, leave behind to build mall loyalty. In order to understand the concept of the “shopper’s experience” and explore its dimensions and underlying causes, this study develops constructs related to shoppers’ experiences. At the same time, we evaluate the impact of shoppers’ experiences on shopping mall loyalty and examine the moderating role of motivational orientation.

Previous research has shown that consumers’ motivations to shop have changed from simply shopping to the need to pursue different experiences [15]. It is becoming increasingly important for shopping malls to provide a holistic and satisfying shopper experience [14,16]. By providing a unique and outstanding shopper experience, shopping malls can differentiate themselves from their competitors, attract new customers, and retain existing ones [17,18,19]. In order to achieve this goal, shopping mall management must focus on improving the shopper’s experience [20]. Research has shown that when customers feel more excellent value in the shopper experience, it leads to higher satisfaction, loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth [21].

Although several antecedents of shoppers’ experiences have been explored in previous studies, this study specifically focused on the combined effects of Octomodal Mental Imagery (OMI) and managerial dimensions (accessibility, tenant mix, and entertainment) on the overall shopper experience [22]. The OMI is a vast imagery scale designed to measure aspects of imagination and outlook. By applying the OMI in different shopping environments, we aim to enhance our understanding of consumer behavior, particularly from the perspective of experiential consumption [22].

In order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the variables, a quantitative research approach was used in this study. To ensure the accuracy and reliability of the findings, the questionnaire method was chosen as the data collection method in this study. The questionnaire method is widely used in studying customer experience and consumer behavior and is considered a valuable tool for data research and evaluation [23]. This method helps to establish a comprehensive research framework and assess the relationship between variables through a quantitative analysis.

This study fills a research gap regarding the impact of OMI on shoppers’ experiences. Furthermore, although previous studies have examined the impact of retail market accessibility, tenant mix, and entertainment facilities on shopper behavior, their focus has been primarily on Bangladesh [20]. By validating the applicability of these results in the context of Chinese shopping malls, this study fills a gap in the literature and extends the generalizability of the theory. Furthermore, there needs to be more understanding of the relationship between shoppers’ experiences, mall loyalty, and the moderating role of motivation orientation. Therefore, this study aims to provide a significant theoretical contribution by exploring the moderating role of consumer motivational orientations (hedonic and utilitarian) on the relationship between shoppers’ experiences and mall loyalty.

Overall, this study contributes to mall management and consumer behavior literature. At the same time, it provides valuable insights and suggests appropriate measures for shopping mall managers. Next, the paper is structured as follows: first, the theoretical background is presented, followed by the hypotheses. It then describes the research methodology, discusses the findings, presents theoretical and managerial implications, and concludes with a summary of the study’s limitations and directions for future research.

2. Literature Review and Hypotheses

2.1. Octomodal Mental Imagery (OMI)

Elder & Krishna have provided a revised definition of mental imagery: “Mental imagery is a prospective, multi-modal sensory and cognitive representation formed from memory that is evoked automatically or deliberately.” Consumer psychology places significant importance on the construct of imagery [24], as it has been shown to elicit emotional and behavioral responses [25]. Mental imagery plays a crucial role in memory and motivation, as it reconstructs past perceptions through imagination and anticipates desired or feared future experiences through prospection [26]. The utilization of mental imagery as a strategy of influence has been widely adopted in the marketing industry for years, with slogans such as Apple’s “Imagine the Possibilities” and Samsung’s “Imagine”, used to evoke consumer imagination, which has had a significant impact on consumer evaluation and behavior [22].

In travel and tourism marketing research, mental imagery has been identified as a critical cognitive process in pre- and post-trip experiences [27]. The role of imagery in travel and tourism marketing has been extensively reviewed by [27]. Imagination directly impacts anticipation and savoring, where consumers can vividly imagine their prior experiences upon returning from a trip, allowing for savoring [28,29]. The tourism literature also supports the significance of imagination in tourism consumption [30].

OMI is considered the most comprehensive imagination scale in the imagination literature, and its adoption can significantly enhance our understanding of consumer behavior, particularly in experiential consumption [22]. The literature has covered hospitality consumption’s multisensory and imaginative aspects [31], making OMI an essential tool for evaluating efforts to improve the sensory and creative dimensions of hospitality and tourism experiences. Furthermore, combining OMI with experience economy models can considerably enhance co-creation measurement across the hospitality, tourism, and entertainment sectors [22].

Imagery plays a crucial role in shoppers’ online or offline experiences. When consumers are presented with a choice between alternatives, they tend to prioritize utilitarian or functional dimensions; however, if they anticipate their experience with the product, they are more likely to engage in mental imagery, with sensory or hedonic dimensions becoming more prominent in the decision-making process [32].

Based on previous correlational research and evidence, there is a solid case to suggest that mental imagery influences shoppers’ experiences and consumer behavior [22]. The OMI scale was established in 2023, and was developed and validated by conducting three rigorous studies and six data collections. The results confirmed that the OMI is a reliable and valid scale for hedonistic consumption. The OMI contains five components of sensory attributes (i.e., visual, tactile, auditory, gustatory, and olfactory) and three members of structural features (i.e., autonomy (control), spatial, and kinesthetic) [22]. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume in this study that:

Hypothesis 1 (H1). 

Visual in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.

Hypothesis 2 (H2). 

Tactile in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.

Hypothesis 3 (H3). 

Auditory in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.

Hypothesis 4 (H4). 

Gustatory in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.

Hypothesis 5 (H5). 

Olfactory mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.

Hypothesis 6 (H6). 

Autonomy in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.

Hypothesis 7 (H7). 

Spatial in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.

Hypothesis 8 (H8). 

Kinesthetic in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.

2.2. Mall Management Dimensions

Mahmud grouped shopping mall management dimensions into three independent variables: accessibility, tenant mix, and entertainment [20]. The literature review of these three independent variables is detailed below.

2.2.1. Accessibility

Accessibility to shopping malls is defined as the excellent location of the shopping mall and the distance customers need to travel to shop there [33]. According to [34], accessibility can be further divided into macro-accessibility and micro-accessibility. Similarly, Anselmsson also categorized accessibility into external and internal dimensions, with external factors related to the broader shopping mall area, such as public transport and parking facilities, while internal factors concern access within the mall [35].

In previous research, Bodkin & Lord identified accessibility as one of the main reasons for prioritizing shopping malls [36], while [37] found that easy access positively influences the choice of a shopping mall. Additionally, perceptions of mall convenience, including convenient location and parking facilities, positively affect shoppers’ satisfaction levels, ultimately influencing their intention to visit and shop there [33,35]. Transportation and location-related factors were also found to significantly impact mall shoppers’ purchase decisions in a study on the determinants of consumer purchasing behavior [38]. As consumers increasingly prioritize multi-purpose visits to shopping malls [39], centers offering shoppers one-stop solutions are more likely to be favored. According to [40], convenient accessibility is crucial for a satisfying shopping experience as the store’s layout influences the time spent there and the desire to return. A study [20] found that entertainment and accessibility significantly affect shoppers’ experiences. Therefore, it can be posited that:

Hypothesis 9 (H9). 

Accessibility exerts a positive impact on shoppers’ experiences.

2.2.2. Tenant Mix

According to [1], the shopping mall is a collection of various retail tenants that offer a wide range of merchandise within their stores [41]. A strong, desirable, and stable tenant mix is crucial to the success of a shopping mall, as found by [42]. The tenant mix helps define the mall’s brand and impacts customer satisfaction [43]. A shopping mall’s appropriate mix of tenants is widely recognized as a crucial success factor. Including various stores in one location can attract shoppers with different objectives to visit the mall [41] as they can find a diverse range of desired products or services in one building. As asserted by [44], selecting stores and an optimal retail mix plays a vital role in ensuring that patronage is influenced by a compelling image.

There is now past literature that has confirmed that the tenant mix positively affects shoppers’ experiences. However, [20], a recent study shows that the effect of the tenant mix on shoppers’ experiences is not statistically significant in the context of the retail market in Bangladesh. However, in the context of shopping malls in China, this study can still hypothesize that:

Hypothesis 10 (H10). 

Tenant mix is positively related to shoppers’ experiences.

2.2.3. Entertainment

Shopping malls are typically characterized by a large enclosed area designated for a mix of retail stores, restaurants, hospitality, and entertainment facilities [45]. According to [46], malls are perceived as a destination for shopping and other activities, such as entertainment.

In examining shoppers’ mall experiences, Csaba & Askegaard found that an entertainment-driven experience increased the likelihood of store patronage [47]. Additionally, Nicholls revealed that today’s mall patrons are more leisure and entertainment-driven [48]. Entertainment is a component in attracting crowds to shopping malls as it induces fun and exciting experiences among shoppers and has been proven to positively impact mall patronage’s intention, performance, and competitive position [1,49,50]. Shopping is no longer just a functional utility but also provides hedonistic values and fulfilling experiences for consumers [51], and shopping malls serve as venues for entertainment activities [46] and social meetings when shoppers do not plan to shop [52]. Therefore, instead of fulfilling utilitarian purposes, shopping also serves as a means for shoppers to socialize [52].

The entertainment factor of hedonic shopping is considered the most important competitive tool for a shopping mall since it influences shoppers’ decisions on which mall to visit and shop at [53]. Adequate entertainment facilities enhance leisure and hedonic experiences [1]. It encourages social interaction as shoppers can meet at the mall to socialize, enjoy entertainment services, or engage in other activities such as having dinner or watching a movie [52]. A study [20] also showed that entertainment and accessibility wield significant influence on shoppers’ experiences. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that:

Hypothesis 11 (H11). 

Entertainment has a positive impact on shoppers’ experiences.

2.3. Shoppers’ Experience

According to research by [54], the in-store shopper experience for retail shoppers includes their internal responses to service stimuli (cognitive, affective, and physical) and their social interactions with other actors during the service encounter. A study [55] has concluded that a shopper’s experience is a multifaceted construct that focuses on their cognitive, emotional, behavioral, sensory, and social responses to a firm’s offerings throughout their purchase journey. Another study [56] found that when explaining a shopper’s value judgement of a retail store, the perceived shopper’s experience was considered more essential than their views on the price and quality of merchandise. Some scholars, such as [49,57], have argued that creating satisfying experiences is critical for enhancing the competitive advantage of shopping malls. One study [58] also noted that retailing had shifted its focus from transactions to creating unique shopper experiences, which [59] predicted would become a significant factor in developing marketing strategies and a modern source of creating value for firms.

Extensive research has emphasized the importance of shoppers’ experiences, and according to [60], holistically developed shoppers’ experiences to aid retail organizations in creating value for customers more effectively than meticulously defined relationships. A study [61] argues that an enjoyable shopper’s experience based on aesthetic appeal can enhance a retailer’s potential revenue by encouraging customers to spend more time in the store. At the same time, [62] suggests that meticulously crafted experiences can boost customer loyalty by improving the practical design of products and services and facilitate consistent, passionate, and passionate gazing cognitive situations. One study [63] has shown that positive shopper experience ratings significantly impact loyalty and actual consumption. Therefore, it can be concluded that:

Hypothesis 12 (H12). 

Shoppers’ experiences have a positive impact on mall loyalty.

2.4. Mall Loyalty

According to [64], mall loyalty is a deep commitment to a specific brand or retailer. Positive emotions, such as pleasure and arousal, resulting from positive shoppers’ experiences [65] can foster customer loyalty [66] and repurchase intention [67].

For executives in this competitive industry, maintaining current shoppers or attracting new ones is one of their primary goals [68,69]. In a competitive environment, loyal customers are essential for maintaining market shares [70]. As a result, the issue of shopping mall loyalty has received increasing attention from researchers and managers. They believe that by fostering loyalty among shoppers, they will visit the shopping malls more frequently and spend more money, which could lead to higher rents from shopkeepers [71]. The strategic objective of developing greater shopper loyalty is a topic of significant interest to both researchers and managers [52,72].

2.5. Motivation Orientation

The existing literature suggests that two fundamental motivational orientations underlie different customer motives: hedonic and utilitarian [73]. Consumers approach product/service search, consumption, and evaluation differently based on whether they are motivated primarily by efficiency or necessity (utilitarian) or enjoyment and fun (hedonic) [73].

While both hedonic and utilitarian factors influence satisfaction with the retailer and re-patronage, [74] suggest that hedonic aspects of shopping significantly impact these outcomes. Specifically, hedonic shopping value—representing the emotional worth of the shopper’s experience—has a more substantial influence on positive word of mouth, an indicator of loyalty [75], than utilitarian shopping value. Since pleasure and arousal are more closely associated with hedonic than utilitarian shopping value [73], Stein & Ramaseshan concluded that positive evaluations of overall shoppers’ experiences strongly affect loyalty intentions and actual consumption [63]. These effects are particularly pronounced among consumers who have a hedonistic motivational orientation.

Given this, it is reasonable to assume that positive shoppers’ experiences will have a more substantial effect on loyalty among those with a hedonic compared to utilitarian motivational orientation. As such, it can be hypothesized that:

Hypothesis 13 (H13). 

Shoppers’ experiences have a stronger effect on loyalty for hedonic than utilitarian motivational orientation.

2.6. Theoretical Model

The theoretical framework of this study is illustrated in Figure 1.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Development of Research Instruments

This study utilized close-ended questionnaires as the primary research instrument, with items measuring independent and dependent variables adapted from previous studies. Respondents were asked to rate their level of agreement or disagreement with each statement on a seven-point Likert scale [76], where a score of 7 indicated strong agreement, and 1 indicated strong disagreement. In addition to assessing independent and dependent variables, the questionnaire included questions related to respondents’ demographic characteristics and shopping motivations.

The 44 items measured in the questionnaire were identified for this study. Among them, the five components of sensory attributes (i.e., visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory) and the three components of structural features (i.e., autonomy (control), spatial, and kinesthetic) of the independent variable OMI were measured by variables adapted from [22]. The three independent variables of the management dimension are accessibility, tenant mix, and entertainment. Their measurement scales were adapted from [34,77], respectively. The scale measuring shoppers’ experiences was taken from [78]. The scale for the dependent variable, shopping mall loyalty, was taken from [79].

The operationalization of all measures and items used in this study and their adapted sources are shown in

Table 1. Operationalization of measures.

Construct	Item	Source
OMI Test: Please close your eyes and imagine that you frequent a shopping mall and at this moment, you are relaxing and shopping in this shopping mall. Take a moment to create a detailed mental image (scene). After completing the imagery, open your eyes and select the option that best fits your mental image (from strongly disagree to agree strongly).
OMI (sensory attributes)		OMI were measured by variables adapted from [22]. (Khalilzadeh et al., 2023)
Visual	My mental image is detailed. In my mental image, I vividly see everything. My mental image is a sharp image.
Auditory	In my mental image, I hear many different sounds. In my mental image, the sounds I hear are very clear. In my mental image, the sounds I hear are intense.
Tactile	In my mental image, I touch elements/things. In my mental image, I feel the textures of elements/things. In my mental image, I feel many different textures.
Gustatory	In my mental image, the flavors that I taste are detailed. In my mental image, the flavors I taste are very intense.
Olfactory	In my mental image, smells are very real. In my mental image, the scents I smell are very detailed. In my mental image, the scents are very clear.
OMI (structural features)
Spatial	In my mental image, I have a precise idea of the locations of elements/things. In my mental image, I have a precise idea of the directions of elements/things. In my mental image, I have a precise idea of the distances of elements/things from each other.
Autonomy	In my mental image, I can easily change my vantage point (e.g., bird’s-eye view) In my mental image, I can easily change the sizes of any entities. In my mental image, I can easily change the shape of elements/things. In my mental image, I can easily rotate elements/ things.
Kinesthetic	In my mental image, I clearly see gestures. In my mental image, I clearly see postures.
Mall Management Dimensions
Accessibility	This shopping mall is very close to my home. In this shopping mall, it is easy to find a parking place. This shopping mall is a one-stop shopping place. This shopping mall is close to my workplace. It is easy to find the products I am looking for in this shopping mall. This shopping mall has all the brands I want	Adapted from [34] (Ahmad, 2012)
Tenant Mix	This shopping mall has many famous brands. This shopping mall has related convenience services (such as banks, supermarkets, etc.) This shopping mall has a wide variety of brands. This shopping mall has many food stores.	Adapted from [77] (Marona & Wilk, 2016)
Entertainment	This shopping mall has many entertainment facilities. This shopping mall has entertainment for children. This shopping mall has entertainment for young people. This shopping mall offers a variety of entertainment programs.	Adapted from [34] (Ahmad, 2012)
Shoppers’ experience	In this shopping mall, I experienced the joy. In this mall, I was utterly immersed in it. In this mall, I feel like I am escaping from reality like I am in another world. I feel closer to my friends or family in this mall.	Taken from [78] (Triantafillidou et al., 2017)
Mall loyalty	I will most likely return to this mall to spend money. I would happily spend money at this mall. I would recommend this mall.	Taken from [79] (Krey et al., 2022)

.

Furthermore, ref. [63,80] measured the moderating variable-motivational orientation. In the questionnaire, consumers were asked to indicate their primary motivation for frequenting the shopping mall by selecting answers to the following questions: purchase specific items, make a transaction, search for information, seek help, browse, socialize, and shop for fun. Statements indicating a desire to purchase specific items, make a transaction, search for information, or seek help were considered to have a utilitarian motivational orientation, while those indicating browse, socialize, and shop for fun were considered hedonistic motivations.

3.2. Sampling and Data Collection

The questionnaire for this study was distributed using the Questionnaire Star..The survey was mainly distributed through social media link sharing (e.g., WeChat, QQ.). In addition, we contacted the commercial managers of the four malls. We provided links to the questionnaires on their WeChat public numbers and offered discount coupons from the malls as rewards. People interested in the survey then completed the questionnaire on the “Questionnaire Star” platform. In order to ensure the credibility of the questionnaire results, Questionnaire Star provided various verification mechanisms, such as IP address restrictions, duplicate submission restrictions, etc., to prevent malicious filling and duplicate data from affecting the results. Questionnaire Star has been widely used in many studies as a reliable online survey tool because of its flexibility in question design, efficiency in data collection, ease of data processing, and credibility verification.

Because of the psychological terminology involved in the questionnaire, a pretest was administered to assess and improve comprehensibility before the formal full distribution of the study questionnaire. Forty-eight subjects were invited to participate in the pretest, and these subjects were considered to be generally representative. After the subjects completed the questionnaire, a telephone consultation was conducted with the requested subjects to check the wording of the items and the comprehensibility of the questionnaire [81]. The predicted result was that the original questionnaire “In my mental image ......” was changed to “In my mind ....” and so on, using more general wording. Some changes were also made to the order of the questions.

The questionnaire was released on 15 March 2023, and 492 questionnaires were received by 30 May 2023. In order to increase the credibility of the data, the questionnaire was supplemented with an interference item: “Please select the first option of this question (very satisfied).” The setting of interfering items was considered a “control question.” These additional questions are not related to the survey questions and are used to check the respondents’ level of attention to the questions and the possibility of incorrect answers [82]. Based on the [82] study, it was assumed that those who did not select this item did not scrutinize the question. This section excluded 134 data. Therefore, the number of valid questionnaires was 358. The validity rate was 72.8%. The data sample size met the requirements of [83,84] for sample size.

3.3. Research Application Used

This study utilized version 27.0 of SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) for data input and statistical analyses. Using this software, a descriptive analysis was conducted on demographic variables and a reliability analysis on factors. Furthermore, hierarchical moderated regression was performed to explore the moderating effect of motivational orientation (utilitarian/hedonic) on the relationship between shoppers’ experiences and mall loyalty.

Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed using AMOS version 28.0 to test the hypotheses developed in this study. SEM was used to examine relationships between constructs under investigation empirically. As defined by [85], SEM evaluates the degree to which a proposed conceptual model that includes observed multiple indicators and hypothetical constructs explains or fits collected data.

A two-step approach consisting of an initial measurement model and a subsequent structural model was employed in this study. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to validate the measurement model, with Cronbach’s alpha utilized to verify the reliability of the measurement items. Following the validation of the convergent and discriminant validity of the measurement model, the structural model was examined to test hypothesized relationships. The SEM’s structural portion allows for testing multiple equations with multiple dependent variables, provides parameter values (i.e., path coefficients) for each research hypothesis, and determines their significance.

4. Results

4.1. Descriptive Statistics

The demographic profile of the sample studied is portrayed in

Table 2. Demographic profile.

Items	Categories	N	Percent (%)	Cumulative Percent (%)
Gender	Male	170	47.49	47.49
	Female	188	52.51	100.00
Age	18–25 years old	136	37.99	37.99
	26–35 years old	104	29.05	67.04
	36–45 years old	99	27.65	94.69
	Over 45 years old	19	5.31	100.00
Marital status	Singleton	193	53.91	53.91
	Married	165	46.09	100.00
Educational level	Junior high school and below	10	2.79	2.79
	High school and technical secondary school	7	1.96	4.75
	Junior college	23	6.42	11.17
	Undergraduate	251	70.11	81.28
	Master degree or above	67	18.72	100.00
Average monthly income level (including bonuses, benefits and other forms of income)	5000 and below	160	44.69	44.69
	5000–10,000	87	24.30	68.99
	10,001–20,000	65	18.16	87.15
	20,001–30,000	32	8.94	96.09
	30,001–50,000	5	1.40	97.49
	50,001 and above	9	2.51	100.00
Total		358	100.0	100.0

.

From the above table, we can see that 52.21% of the sample is “Female” in terms of Gender, and 47.49% is Male. In terms of Age, the percentage of “18–25 years old” is 37.99%. Regarding Marital status, 53.91% of the sample chose “Singleton,” and 46.09% were Married. The percentage of “Undergraduate” is 70.11%. Regarding the Average monthly income level (including bonuses, benefits, and other forms of income), 44.69% of the sample was “5000 and below”.

In shopping malls, there is a common gathering place for all, whether low-income, middle-income, or upper-class. Shopping malls provide all people (both low- and middle-income) opportunities to spend money [86]. This idea is supported by [87] Bourdieu’s (1984) book “Distinction.” Moreover, according to [88] Berg’s (2005) theory of imitative consumption regarding Thorstein Veblen, members of the lower social classes also imitate the lifestyles and practices of the upper classes. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the subjects of the questionnaire are a suitable population for the study.

4.2. Reliability Analysis

From

Table 3. Reliability Statistics.

Themes	Constructs	No. of Items	Cronbach α
OMI (sensory attributes)	Visual	3	0.831
	Auditory	3	0.819
	Tactile	3	0.818
	Gustatory	2	0.843
	Olfactory	3	0.846
OMI (structural features)	Spatial	3	0.841
	Autonomy	4	0.833
	Kinesthetic	2	0.858
Mall Management Dimensions	Accessibility	6	0.882
	Tenant Mix	4	0.835
	Entertainment	4	0.851
Shoppers’ experience	Shoppers’ experience	4	0.900
Mall loyalty	Mall loyalty	3	0.821

, the Cronbach’s Alpha results for each dimension, the Cronbach’s Alpha values corresponding to the 13 dimensions designed in this paper were 0.831, 0.819, 0.818, 0.843, 0.846, 0.841, 0.833, 0.858, 0.882, 0.835, 0.851, 0.9, and 0.821, all greater than 0.7, indicating that the internal consistency of the questionnaire dimensions is good [89], so the data collected in this survey passed the test of reliability.

4.3. Normality Testing

According to [90], it is required that each of the individual variables be normally distributed. Skewness and kurtosis values greater than 3.0 and 10.0 would indicate the contravention of multivariate normality. Accordingly, all items were tested for normality, and as can be seen in

Table 4. Normality Test.

Themes	Constructs	Items	Mean	Std.	Skewness	Kurtosis
OMI (sensory attributes)	Visual	OMI1	4.581	1.909	−0.430	−0.943
		OMI2	4.439	1.490	−0.059	−0.487
		OMI3	4.441	1.630	−0.098	−0.756
	Auditory	OMI4	4.690	1.826	−0.567	−0.653
		OMI5	4.575	1.460	−0.348	−0.337
		OMI6	4.528	1.557	−0.276	−0.473
	Tactile	OMI7	4.701	1.906	−0.506	−0.877
		OMI8	4.391	1.550	−0.158	−0.618
		OMI9	4.372	1.504	−0.099	−0.534
	Gustatory	OMI10	4.813	1.724	−0.556	−0.574
		OMI11	4.696	1.493	−0.372	−0.540
	Olfactory	OMI12	4.763	1.780	−0.585	−0.622
		OMI13	4.542	1.542	−0.245	−0.571
		OMI14	4.506	1.564	−0.253	−0.583
OMI (structural features)	Spatial	OMI15	4.514	1.886	−0.440	−0.888
		OMI16	4.397	1.595	−0.138	−0.681
		OMI17	4.324	1.630	−0.083	−0.687
	Autonomy	OMI18	4.777	1.770	−0.563	−0.617
		OMI19	4.419	1.494	−0.129	−0.509
		OMI20	4.422	1.508	−0.165	−0.504
		OMI21	4.570	1.428	−0.153	−0.400
	Kinesthetic	OMI22	4.684	1.830	−0.478	−0.872
		OMI23	4.542	1.564	−0.436	−0.643
Mall Management Dimensions	Accessibility	G1	4.802	1.872	−0.599	−0.732
		G2	4.341	1.540	−0.145	−0.649
		G3	4.497	1.533	−0.180	−0.751
		G4	4.391	1.515	−0.192	−0.407
		G5	4.483	1.504	−0.154	−0.430
		G6	4.374	1.532	−0.191	−0.418
	Tenant Mix	G7	4.791	1.810	−0.554	−0.729
		G8	4.612	1.535	−0.254	−0.646
		G9	4.556	1.417	−0.197	−0.417
		G10	4.528	1.509	−0.226	−0.384
	Entertainment	G11	4.587	1.866	−0.446	−0.916
		G12	4.330	1.582	−0.114	−0.615
		G13	4.408	1.578	−0.116	−0.772
		G14	4.388	1.644	−0.189	−0.723
Shoppers’ experiences		S1	4.743	1.676	−0.462	−0.670
		S2	4.578	1.472	−0.316	−0.944
		S3	4.612	1.511	−0.375	−0.796
		S4	4.534	1.504	−0.410	−0.855
Mall loyalty		L1	4.612	1.887	−0.488	−0.84
		L2	4.411	1.501	−0.079	−0.526
		L3	4.344	1.604	−0.085	−0.771

, first of all, in terms of means, the overall level of means for each measure was moderate between 4.324 and 4.813. The relatively low standard deviation indicates that the article variables are less discrete. At the same time, the absolute pair of skewness for the vast majority of variables is less than 3, and the total value of kurtosis is less than 10, indicating that the data satisfy the normal distribution and the data can be used effectively for the subsequent analysis.

4.4. Common Method Bias Test

Common method bias can be tested using the Harman single factor test; that is, all indicators are placed under one factor for factor analysis, and if the variance explained by that factor is less than 40%, the study data are considered not to have serious common method bias. Conversely, common method bias is considered to exist.

According to

Table 5. Table of variance explanation rate.

Total Variance Explained
Factor	Eigen Values			% of Variance (Initial)			% of Variance (Rotated)
	Eigen	% of Variance	Cum. % of Variance	Eigen	% of Variance	Cum. % of Variance	Eigen	% of Variance	Cum. % of Variance
1	13.516	30.717	30.717	13.516	30.717	30.717	4.093	9.302	9.302
2	2.784	6.327	37.044	2.784	6.327	37.044	3.097	7.038	16.340
3	2.033	4.621	41.666	2.033	4.621	41.666	2.850	6.476	22.816
4	1.928	4.382	46.048	1.928	4.382	46.048	2.820	6.410	29.226
5	1.845	4.193	50.241	1.845	4.193	50.241	2.679	6.088	35.314
6	1.801	4.093	54.334	1.801	4.093	54.334	2.419	5.497	40.811
7	1.522	3.460	57.793	1.522	3.460	57.793	2.409	5.475	46.286
8	1.451	3.297	61.090	1.451	3.297	61.090	2.402	5.460	51.746
9	1.298	2.951	64.041	1.298	2.951	64.041	2.385	5.420	57.166
10	1.261	2.866	66.907	1.261	2.866	66.907	2.352	5.346	62.512
11	1.238	2.813	69.720	1.238	2.813	69.720	2.343	5.324	67.836
12	1.075	2.444	72.164	1.075	2.444	72.164	1.904	4.327	72.163

, the variance explained by the first common factor in this paper was 30.717%. The Harman one-way test concluded that there was no serious common method bias if the variance explained by the first common factor was less than 40%, so there was no serious common method bias in this paper.

4.5. Confirmatory Factor Analysis

4.5.1. Convergent Validity

As can be seen from

Table 6. Convergent Validity Statistics.

Path				Estimate	AVE	CR
OMI3	←	Visual	OMI (sensory attributes)	0.772	0.637	0.840
OMI2	←			0.743
OMI1	←			0.874
OMI9	←	Tactile		0.775	0.613	0.826
OMI8	←			0.744
OMI7	←			0.828
OMI6	←	Auditory		0.754	0.611	0.824
OMI5	←			0.762
OMI4	←			0.826
OMI11	←	Gustatory		0.889	0.738	0.849
OMI10	←			0.828
OMI14	←	Olfactory		0.823	0.649	0.847
OMI13	←			0.792
OMI12	←			0.802
OMI21	←	Autonomy	OMI (structural features)	0.720	0.565	0.838
OMI20	←			0.706
OMI19	←			0.748
OMI18	←			0.826
OMI17	←	Spatial		0.767	0.644	0.844
OMI16	←			0.817
OMI15	←			0.822
OMI23	←	Kinesthetic		0.894	0.761	0.864
OMI22	←			0.850
G1	←	Accessibility	Mall Management Dimensions	0.850	0.561	0.884
G2	←			0.714
G3	←			0.741
G4	←			0.743
G5	←			0.716
G6	←			0.720
G7	←	Tenant Mix		0.830	0.568	0.840
G8	←			0.719
G9	←			0.710
G10	←			0.750
G11	←	Entertainment		0.863	0.599	0.856
G12	←			0.732
G13	←			0.730
G14	←			0.764
S1	←	Shoppers’ Experiences		0.859	0.692	0.900
S2	←			0.809
S3	←			0.842
S4	←			0.817
L1	←	Mall loyalty		0.830	0.614	0.826
L2	←			0.747
L3	←			0.771

Note: “←“ The arrows indicate the corresponding survey items for each variable.

, the factor loading coefficients for all 13 factors are more significant than 0.6, all of the corresponding AVE values are greater than 0.5, and all of the CR values are higher than 0.7, implying that the data from this analysis have good convergent validity.

4.5.2. Discriminant Validity

The diagonal line in

Table 7. Discriminant validity: Pearson correlation with AVE square root value.

		Vis-	Aud-	Tac-	Gus-	Olf-	Spa-	Aut-	Kin-	Acc-	Ten-	Ent-	Sho-	Mal-
OMI (sensory attributes)	Visual	0.798
	Auditory	0.268	0.783
	Tactile	0.329	0.292	0.781
	Gustatory	0.347	0.267	0.391	0.859
	Olfactory	0.315	0.251	0.356	0.381	0.806
OMI (structural features)	Spatial	0.383	0.326	0.382	0.389	0.439	0.751
	Autonomy	0.325	0.280	0.348	0.333	0.314	0.417	0.802
	Kinesthetic	0.289	0.353	0.303	0.216	0.250	0.316	0.229	0.872
Mall Management Dimensions	Accessibility	0.353	0.235	0.252	0.263	0.240	0.317	0.335	0.207	0.749
	Tenant Mix	0.345	0.298	0.285	0.424	0.324	0.404	0.385	0.336	0.338	0.754
	Entertainment	0.294	0.346	0.409	0.322	0.378	0.398	0.383	0.305	0.394	0.367	0.774
Shoppers’ Experiences		0.490	0.423	0.519	0.539	0.510	0.572	0.489	0.418	0.442	0.537	0.555	0.832
Mall loyalty		0.376	0.317	0.287	0.239	0.256	0.371	0.390	0.295	0.299	0.330	0.315	0.462	0.783

Note: The bold diagonal number is the AVE square root value.

is the AVE square root value, and the rest are the correlation coefficients. For Visual, the AVE square root value is 0.798, more significant than the maximum value of the absolute value of the correlation coefficient between the factors, 0.490, implying that it has good discriminant validity. Similarly, the discriminant validity of the other factors is good, which means that the scale of this analysis has good discriminant validity.

4.5.3. Model Fit

According to

Table 8. Model Fit.

Index	Expected Value	Actual Value	Fitting Results
Absolute fit index
CMIN/DF	<3	1.357	Acceptable
GFI	>0.8	0.881	Acceptable
AGFI	>0.8	0.857	Acceptable
RMSEA	<0.08	0.032	Acceptable
Comparative fitting indicators
NFI	>0.8	0.879	Acceptable
IFI	>0.8	0.965	Acceptable
TLI	>0.8	0.959	Acceptable
CFI	>0.8	0.965	Acceptable
Parsimonious fitting index
PNFI	>0.5	0.766	Acceptable
PCFI	>0.5	0.84	Acceptable

, most of the model fitness indicators, such as CMIN/DF, GFI, AGFI, RMSEA, NFI, IFI, TFI, CLI, PNFI, and PCFI, meet the criteria in the validated factor analysis models of this study, so the model fitness is good.

4.5.4. Pearson Correlation

From

Table 9. Pearson Correlation.

		Vis-	Aud-	Tac-	Gus-	Olf-	Spa-	Aut-	Kin-	Acc-	Ten-	Ent-	Sho-	Mal-
OMI (sensory attributes)	Visual	1
	Auditory	0.268 **	1
	Tactile	0.329 **	0.292 **	1
	Gustatory	0.347 **	0.267 **	0.391 **	1
	Olfactory	0.315 **	0.251 **	0.356 **	0.381 **	1
OMI (structural features)	Spatial	0.383 **	0.326 **	0.382 **	0.389 **	0.439 **	1
	Autonomy	0.325 **	0.280 **	0.348 **	0.333 **	0.314 **	0.417 **	1
	Kinesthetic	0.289 **	0.353 **	0.303 **	0.216 **	0.250 **	0.316 **	0.229 **	1
Mall Management Dimensions	Accessibility	0.353 **	0.235 **	0.252 **	0.263 **	0.240 **	0.317 **	0.335 **	0.207 **	1
	Tenant Mix	0.345 **	0.298 **	0.285 **	0.424 **	0.324 **	0.404 **	0.385 **	0.336 **	0.338 **	1
	Entertainment	0.294 **	0.346 **	0.409 **	0.322 **	0.378 **	0.398 **	0.383 **	0.305 **	0.394 **	0.367 **	1
Shoppers’ Experiences		0.490 **	0.423 **	0.519 **	0.539 **	0.510 **	0.572 **	0.489 **	0.418 **	0.442 **	0.537 **	0.555 **	1
Mall loyalty		0.376 **	0.317 **	0.287 **	0.239 **	0.256 **	0.371 **	0.390 **	0.295 **	0.299 **	0.330 **	0.315 **	0.462 **	1

** p < 0.01.

, the correlation analysis was first used to examine the relationships between visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, olfactory, spatial, autonomy, kinesthetic, accessibility, Tenant Mix, entertainment, and shoppers’ experiences, respectively. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to indicate the strength of correlations between visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, olfactory, spatial, autonomy, kinesthetic, accessibility, Tenant Mix, entertainment, and shoppers’ experiences, and the results showed that all 11 items showed significant correlations with shoppers’ experiences, with correlation coefficient values greater than 0.

Secondly, the correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between shoppers’ experiences and mall loyalty. The correlation coefficient value between shoppers’ experiences and mall loyalty was 0.462, which means shoppers’ experiences and mall loyalty have a positive correlation.

4.6. Structural Equation Modelling

In this study, a causal model was developed to assess its structural links, as shown in Figure 2. The data collected from the questionnaire were imported into AMOS28, and the fitted parameters of the model obtained by applying the excellent likelihood method are shown in

Table 10. Model Fit.

Index	Expected Value	Actual Value	Fitting Results
Absolute fit index
CMIN/DF	<3	2.315	Acceptable
GFI	>0.8	0.696	Reject
AGFI	>0.8	0.662	Reject
RMSEA	<0.08	0.061	Acceptable
Comparative fitting indicators
NFI	>0.8	0.777	Reject
IFI	>0.8	0.86	Acceptable
TLI	>0.8	0.85	Acceptable
CFI	>0.8	0.859	Acceptable
Parsimonious fitting index
PNFI	>0.5	0.731	Acceptable
PCFI	>0.5	0.808	Acceptable

. As can be seen from the table, the displayed values of most of the fitted parameters meet the standard requirements. However, GFI, AGFI, and NFI do not meet the judging criteria, so the model needs to be revised by increasing the two–two correlations between the independent variables, whereby the model fit is enhanced, and the revised model fit is shown in

Table 11. Modified model fit (independent variables two-by-two pull correlation).

Index	Expected Value	Actual Value	Fitting Results
Absolute fit index
CMIN/DF	<3	1.373	Acceptable
GFI	>0.8	0.878	Acceptable
AGFI	>0.8	0.855	Acceptable
RMSEA	<0.08	0.032	Acceptable
Comparative fitting indicators
NFI	>0.8	0.876	Acceptable
IFI	>0.8	0.963	Acceptable
TLI	>0.8	0.957	Acceptable
CFI	>0.8	0.962	Acceptable
Parsimonious fitting index
PNFI	>0.5	0.773	Acceptable
PCFI	>0.5	0.849	Acceptable

. As can be seen from the table, the displayed values of most of the fitted parameters meet the standard requirements, indicating that the model fits very well. Hence, the structural equation model has an excellent fitting effect for the sample data obtained from the questionnaire.

From the path coefficient plot in

Table 12. Path factor table.

Path		Standard Estimate	Estimate	S.E.	C.R.	p
OMI(sensory attributes) →Shoppers’ Experiences	Visual→Shoppers’ Experiences	0.124	0.143	0.052	2.729	0.006
	Tactile→Shoppers’ Experiences	0.130	0.161	0.061	2.629	0.009
	Auditory→Shoppers’ Experiences	0.073	0.089	0.055	1.621	0.105
	Gustatory→Shoppers’ Experiences	0.160	0.174	0.054	3.217	0.001
	Olfactory→Shoppers’ Experiences	0.123	0.138	0.054	2.548	0.011
OMI(structural features) →Shoppers’ Experiences	Autonomy→Shoppers’ Experiences	0.082	0.115	0.066	1.744	0.081
	Spatial→Shoppers’ Experiences	0.154	0.178	0.062	2.870	0.004
	Kinesthetic→Shoppers’ Experiences	0.084	0.086	0.045	1.910	0.056
Mall Management Dimensions →Shoppers’ Experiences	Accessibility→Shoppers’ Experiences	0.078	0.070	0.039	1.819	0.069
	Tenant Mix→Shoppers’ Experiences	0.135	0.129	0.048	2.697	0.007
	Entertainment→Shoppers’ Experiences	0.147	0.132	0.044	3.013	0.003
Shoppers’ Experiences→Mall loyalty		0.549	0.597	0.064	9.363	***

***: p < 0.001 is a very high significance level.

, the seven paths “Visual, Tactile, Gustatory, Olfactory, Spatial, Tenant Mix, Entertainment→shoppers’ experiences” all have positive values, and all reach the significance level (p < 0.05). They indicated that these paths had a significant positive impact. The four paths “Auditory, Autonomy, Kinesthetic, Accessibility→shoppers’ experiences” did not reach the significance level (p > 0.05), indicating that these paths did not have a significant effect. For the path “shoppers’ experiences→Mall loyalty,” the standard path coefficient was 0.549 and reached the significance level (p < 0.05), indicating that this path had a significant positive effect.

4.7. Moderating Role 0f Motivation Orientation

As can be seen from

Table 13. Hierarchical moderated regression-effect of shoppers’ experiences on loyalty intentions.

	Model 1	Model 2	Model 3
Constant	4.455 ** (66.146)	4.455 ** (66.260)	4.423 ** (69.550)
Shoppers’ Experiences	0.662 ** (9.820)	0.655 ** (9.696)	0.675 ** (10.586)
Motivational orientation		0.101 (1.492)	0.112 (1.751)
Shoppers’ Experiences × Motivational orientation			0.425 ** (6.711)
n	358	358	358
R2	0.213	0.218	0.306
Adj. R2	0.211	0.214	0.300
F	F = 96.432, p = 0.000	F = 49.494, p = 0.000	F = 52.103, p = 0.000
△R2	0.213	0.005	0.088
△F	F = 96.432, p = 0.000	F = 2.225, p = 0.137	F = 45.040, p = 0.000

Dependent Variable: Mall loyalty. ** p < 0.01 t statistics in parentheses.

, the moderating effect is divided into three models, with Model 1 including the independent variable (Shoppers’ experiences). Model 2 adds the moderating variable (Motivational orientation) to Model 1, and Model 3 adds the interaction term (the product of the dependent and moderating variables) to Model 2.

The purpose of Model 1 is to investigate the effect of the independent variable (Shoppers’ experiences) on the dependent variable (Mall loyalty) without the interference of the moderating variable (Motivational orientation). As can be seen from the table above, the independent variable (shoppers’ experiences) shows significance (t = 9.820, p = 0.000 < 0.05), implying that the shopper’s experience has a significant effect on its relationship to mall loyalty. The interaction term between shoppers’ experiences and the interaction term of Motivational orientation showed significance (t = 6.711, p = 0.000 < 0.05), implying that shoppers’ experiences have a significant impact on mall loyalty when the moderating variable (Motivational orientation) is at different levels of the magnitude of the effect being significantly different. Figure 3 shows that the positive impact of Shoppers’ experiences on Loyalty Intention is much more substantial for consumers with a hedonistic motivational orientation.

5. Discussion

The retail industry has undergone a significant transformation in recent years. What was once a mere transactional process has now moved towards creating customer experiences. According to [91], shoppers no longer view malls as places to purchase goods but as destinations where they can have fun and fulfill their desire for positive experiences. As a result, shoppers now place more excellent value on the overall experience they receive at these locations than on the products they buy [92]. This shift in consumer behavior has prompted retailers to pay closer attention to their customers’ emotions, personalities, and motivations when studying shopping behavior and mall patronage [93]. The traditional retail model has evolved from one centered around utilitarian consumption to one that fosters a holistic perspective. While the idea of an ‘experience’ may be subjective, retailers need to develop a rational framework to address the changing needs of their customers.

Therefore, it is paramount for owners and mall management to consider the variables that contribute to the overall shopping experience by developing a more comprehensive approach to customer experiences. This will ensure that they meet the evolving needs of their customers by providing them with a holistic and enjoyable shopping experience.

The results of testing the hypotheses of this study are reported in

Table 14. Summary of hypotheses testing.

	Hypothesis Statement	Result
OMI (sensory attributes) →Shoppers’ Experience	H1: Visual in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.	Accepted
	H2: Tactile in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.	Accepted
	H3: Auditory in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.	Rejected
	H4: Gustatory in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.	Accepted
	H5: Olfactory in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.	Accepted
OMI (structural features) →Shoppers’ Experience	H6: Autonomy in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.	Rejected
	H7: Spatial in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.	Accepted
	H8: Kinesthetic in mental imagery positively influences shoppers’ experiences.	Rejected
Mall Management Dimensions →Shoppers’ Experience	H9: Accessibility exerts a positive impact on shoppers’ experiences.	Rejected
	H10: Tenant mix is positively related to shoppers’ experiences.	Accepted
	H11: Entertainment has a positive impact on shoppers’ experiences..	Accepted
Shoppers’Experience →Mall loyalty	H12: Shoppers’ experiences have a positive impact on mall loyalty.	Accepted
Moderating Role 0f Motivation Orientation	H13: Shoppers’ experiences have a stronger effect on loyalty for hedonic than utilitarian motivational orientation.	Accepted

.

The results show that, except for auditory, the sensory attributes of Octomodal Mental Imagery (OMI) all positively influence the shopper’s experience. Growing evidence shows modern consumers are involved in sensory marketing and the experience economy. Visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and gustatory atmospheres strongly influence shoppers’ perceptions and behaviors [94]. One study [95] argues that consumers experience brands, products, and service landscapes through sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste, highlighting the importance of sensory cues and stimuli. The influence of retail ambiance as an environmental stimulus and sensory cues on shopper behavior is evident [96].

Although previous research has demonstrated that all five senses strongly influence shopping behavior, this thesis empirically demonstrates that the auditory aspect of mental imagery is not significant for shoppers’ experiences. This is an exciting finding, which may be due to several reasons:

• Previous studies have focused on the sensory experience of the shopping process. In contrast, the present study’s OMI emphasizes the consumer’s reliance on imagining tasting previous experiences after returning from shopping [28,29], evaluating the reconstruction of shopping experiences that occurred in the past (imagination) and expectations of future experiences [26]. This may be an important reason for the insignificance of the auditory-to-shopping experience in OMI.
• Interference of multisensory stimuli: In the shopping environment, in addition to auditory stimuli, there are multiple sensory stimuli, such as visual, tactile, and olfactory stimuli. These stimuli may compete, leading to distraction, reduced attention to, and reduced memory of auditory stimuli. Therefore, the memory effect of auditory stimuli may need improvement.
• Psychological adaptation effect: Shoppers may gradually adapt to the sounds in the shopping environment, seeing them as the norm and no longer making them an essential part of the shopper’s experience. This psychological adaptation effect may decrease shoppers’ perceptions of auditory influence, thus making the relationship between auditory and shoppers’ experiences insignificant.
• The effect of information overload: Shopping malls are often filled with various sound sources, such as music, advertisements, and shouts from salespeople. This large number of sound stimuli may lead to a perceptual information overload for shoppers, making it difficult for them to associate specific sounds with the shopper experience. Thus, despite its presence in the shopping environment, auditory perception does not significantly impact shoppers’ subjective perceptions.
• The frequent use of headphones (listening to music to make phone porridge) by young people while shopping may also contribute to the insignificance of auditory to shoppers’ experiences in OMI.

Only spatial among the three components of the structural attribute of OMI positively affected shoppers’ experiences. Additional Autonomy and Kinesthetic do not significantly impact shoppers’ experiences. The OMI is the most recently proposed scale, and there may be issues of non-applicability and validity in different domains [22]. They also mentioned in their article that “the current study cannot conclude the validity and reliability of the kinesthetic constructs. Therefore, future studies and CMB analyses should examine this construct in further detail to decide whether to include it in the scale.” Another part of the construct has a “not applicable” problem in the application domain. This indicates the absence of the item in the mental imagery [22].

Accessibility in the management dimension is not significant for shoppers’ experiences, and an appropriate tenant mix and entertainment positively influence shoppers’ experiences. Previous studies [14,20,34] have also found that entertainment experiences are essential in shaping optimistic shoppers’ experiences [97]. Apart from atmospherics and entertainment potential, proper tenant management attracts shoppers to malls. Hence, a mall needs to establish an appropriate tenant variety as it deals with the core benefit regarding the shoppers’ experiences [35], which could generate more patronage for the mall [1,43].

Although several previous studies [20,98,99] confirm that accessibility has a positive impact on the shoppers’ experiences, the study by [1] found that the convenience variable was not significant in terms of shoppers’ willingness to patronize, as today’s shopping malls are proliferating, all extremely accessible outside, all offer ample parking facilities inside, and essentially complete in terms of brands. Consumers also have many choices. This competition may have reduced the impact of accessibility on shoppers’ experiences. When consumers can easily access other shopping venues, accessibility may no longer be a significant factor in determining the shopper’s experience.

This study found that shoppers’ experiences positively influence mall loyalty, where motivational orientation moderates the relationship; it is more vital for consumers with hedonistic motivational orientation than those with utilitarian motivational orientation. A study [63] found that favorable shopper experience evaluations significantly positively influence loyalty intentions. This shows that positive consumer appraisal could result in positive consumption-related behaviors such as repurchase intentions [100]. It [63] also found that the positive impact of shoppers’ experiences on loyalty intentions is much more substantial for consumers with a hedonistic motivational orientation.

6. Conclusions & Limitation

6.1. Theoretical Contributions

The present study contributes to the existing literature in several ways:

First, this study validates for the first time the effect of the Octomodal Mental Imagery (OMI) scale on shoppers’ experiences, and the results show that all of the sensory attributes in the OMI, except for auditory, positively influence shoppers’ experiences. In particular, sensory attributes such as visual, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory play an essential role in the shopper’s experience. In contrast, structural attributes, except for spatial, affected shoppers’ experiences, while the other two (autonomy and kinesthetic) did not have significant effects. As a result of this study, we have filled the theoretical gap between the OMI scale and shoppers’ experiences and validated the application of the scale to shoppers’ experiences. We also expand the theoretical framework of shoppers’ experiences and deepen the understanding of the influence of shopper mental imagery on shoppers’ experiences. This finding provides important theoretical implications and practical value to studying shoppers’ experiences and consumer behavior. It gives us preliminary insight into the potential application of the OMI scale developed by Khalilzadeh et al. in 2023 to consumer behavior in shopping malls. This study uniquely contributes to theoretical extensions and new ways of thinking about the shopper’s experience.

Second, this experimental study makes a further corrective contribution to previous research. The findings show that tenant mix and entertainment significantly impact shoppers’ experiences, directly affecting mall loyalty. At the same time, we observed a diminishing effect of accessibility on shoppers’ experiences. Again, this study provides empirical support for previous research demonstrating that shoppers’ experiences positively impact mall loyalty and that motivational orientation plays an important moderating role in this relationship.

This study is innovative in exploring the impact of the tenant mix, entertainment, and accessibility on shoppers’ experiences. At the same time, we reveal an essential link between shoppers’ experiences and mall loyalty. We broaden our understanding of shoppers’ experiences and consumer behavior by providing new empirical evidence and results. These findings provide new directions and insights for further research on the relationship between shoppers’ experiences and consumer behavior. They also provide managers with targeted guidance to help them better understand and guide consumer behavior.

In summary, this study broadens the understanding of the relationship between shoppers’ experiences and consumer behavior by providing a new theoretical perspective and research methodology. Also, our study provides new directions and insights for future in-depth exploration of the relationship between shoppers’ experiences and consumer behavior.

6.2. Practical Significance

This study has important practical implications and provides valuable guidance and insights for shopping mall managers and marketers. First, our findings suggest that some dimensions of OMI, tenant mix, and entertainment play a crucial role in shoppers’ experiences and mall loyalty. To attract more customers and build mall loyalty, it is critical to enhance the value of the experience offered to customers [101]. Managers can use the results of this study to improve the design and operation of shopping malls to enhance the shopper experience of their customers. In particular, in terms of mental imagery, the significant impact of marketing and service performance efforts can be tracked in more detail by creating pleasant and unique sensory experiences (especially the visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and gustatory dimensions) and optimizing spatial experiences (well-designed shopping spaces) [22]. In addition, managers should focus on a rational tenant mix to ensure a diverse and complementary store assortment that meets the needs and preferences of different customers, and provides a diverse range of entertainment facilities (enhancing the entertainment experience). These measures will enable shopping malls to attract more customers and enhance their loyalty, improve the competitiveness of shopping malls, and maintain sustainable development.

Second, the findings also reveal the moderating effect of motivational orientation on the relationship between shoppers’ experiences and mall loyalty. This provides valuable guidance for marketers to develop personalized marketing strategies based on customers’ motivations to enhance mall loyalty. Especially for hedonistic customers, customized marketing strategies and shoppers’ experiences can better satisfy their quest for fun and pleasure, thus enhancing their loyalty. By gaining a deeper understanding of customer motivation and targeting their needs, marketers can more effectively cultivate and maintain loyal customers and improve shopping malls’ performances and competitive advantages.

6.3. Limitations and Future Research Directions

As with all research, there are still some limitations to this study.

First, this study only included data from the Yangtze River Delta region of China, so the generalization of the findings may be limited. Future studies may consider expanding the sample to cover shopping malls in different countries and regions to enhance the validity of the findings.

Second, this study used a self-report survey method, which was influenced by subjective feelings and recall bias of the subjects. Future studies could biologically validate the OMI scale. For example, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) methods could be used to measure blood oxygen levels and electrical signal recordings to improve the validity of the study in a biological sense.

Furthermore, with the rise of online shopping, the sensory experience of physical shopping has been replaced by online shopping, and how mental imagery enhances shoppers’ experiences remains a crucial question. Past research has shown that expectations of experiences are more optimistic than expectations of physical purchases [102]. Future research should determine which aspects of shoppers’ experiences rely on mental imagery.