An investigation into the influence of situational components in hospitality retailing

Although the importance of situational influences on consumer behaviour has been recognised for some time, little research has been conducted into their effects in hospitality retailing. Over the past decade the Irish theme pub sector has enjoyed extensive growth, which recent studies attribute to the situational components inherent within the environment. This study sought to identify and evaluate the situational components that influence consumers within Irish theme pubs and to gauge the influence of each of the dimensions of an established situational model on customer behaviour among gender and age cohorts. A three phase, mixed method research design was used and respondents were selected from six Irish theme pubs in Melbourne. The study found that both physical and social situational components have a significant influence in attracting, serving and satisfying the needs of consumers.