The influence of anthropomorphic cues in retailing: The moderating effect of the vice versus virtue products

Abstract In retail environments, consumers are constantly exposed to in‐store marketing communication activities. However, relatively little is known about the attribution of human traits to this communication tool. The current research focuses on how anthropomorphizing retail cues such as dump bins influences consumer behavior and the moderating effect of the vice‐virtue character of the displayed products. Using eye‐tracking technology in an ecological shopping environment, we tracked shoppers' gazes through the store and analyzed their visual attention. Results show that attaching anthropomorphic forms to dump bins positively affects attitudes toward the displayed products. In addition, we demonstrate that displaying a vice product in an anthropomorphic dump bin increases both attitude toward the product and purchase intention, compared to the display of a virtue product. These findings suggest that anthropomorphism has an empathy‐helping underlying psychological mechanism that, when applied to retail communication activities, can contribute to justifying the purchase of vice products.