Journal of Retailing 95 (4, 2019) 128–142

Increasing Shopper Trust in Retailer Technological Interfaces via Auditory

Confirmation
Ryann Reynolds-McIlnay a,∗ , Maureen Morrin b
a Oregon State University College of Business, 2751 SW Jefferson Way, Austin Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States
b Rutgers University-Camden School of Business, 401 Penn Street, Camden, NJ 08102, United States

Available online 21 November 2019

Abstract
This research examines the effects of sounds made by retail technological interfaces – self-checkout kiosks, credit card readers, mobile apps,
websites – at point-of-sale. We propose that such sounds, retail transaction auditory confirmation (RTAC), increase trust in technological interfaces
by providing auditory confirmation that stages of the checkout process have been successfully executed. Increased trust in technological interfaces
leads to positive downstream consequences in the form of satisfaction and purchase intention. Visual and auditory distraction in the retail environment
reduces trust, even when visual confirmation is provided, but synchronously provided audio-visual confirmation attenuates the negative effects of
environment distraction.
© 2019 New York University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

JEL classification: M310

Keywords: Retail environment; Sensory marketing; Sounds; Trust; Point-of-sale transaction; Multi-modal confirmation

In recent years, retailers have expressed increased interest in
enhancing the shopper’s experience, both in-store and online.
Several studies have looked at how various aspects of a store’s
atmosphere or a website’s sensory characteristics impact shop-
ping experiences (see Krishna 2012, and Krishna and Schwarz
2014 for reviews). Such efforts are seen as worthwhile as they
can make the shopping experience more enjoyable with soothing
music, pleasing colors, arousing odors, and reduced crowding.
At the same time, rapid technological advances have been made
in regard to shopping behavior, via the growth of online and
mobile shopping and the use of self-checkout kiosks in brick
and mortar stores. The impact of the sensory input emanating
from such technological innovations on shopper behavior has
received limited attention.
More specifically, the sounds that retailers’ devices and soft-
ware make during the shopping and checkout processes have
not been extensively explored, yet likely impact the shopping
experience in ways that have not previously been thought about
or tested. This research seeks to address this gap by examining
∗ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: ryann.r@oregonstate.edu (R. Reynolds-McIlnay).
the effects of sounds made by technological interfaces that pro-
vide confirmation about stages of the checkout process. We aim
to test whether such sounds significantly impact both shopper
satisfaction and purchase intention through their impact on trust
in the technological interfaces.
Previous research has demonstrated the critical role of shop-
per trust in the purchase process. Trust is especially important
if consumers experience vulnerability when conducting transac-
tions with retailers because they feel they are unable to control
access to their personal information (Chen and Dibb 2010).
Recent years have seen a proliferation of technological devices
used by retailers that interface with shoppers. For example, there
has been an increased use of self-checkout systems by major
retailers such as Walmart and Target. Self-checkout kiosks and
related technology have the ability to reduce retailers’ labor costs
and check-out wait times. Self-checkout systems also support
the shift to cashless payment (Global Market Insights 2018).
Yet not all shoppers may be sufficiently trusting of technological
advances in the retail space, whether in the form of self-checkout
kiosks, card readers, websites, or mobile apps. Shopper satisfac-
tion and behavior depend heavily on trust in the retailer (Rust,
Kannan, and Peng 2002), as consumers can perceive social,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2019.10.006
0022-4359/© 2019 New York University. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.