Store Spatial Crowding

What it measures

A three-item scale measuring how cramped and spatially restricted a shopper perceives a store to be, based on the arrangement of shelves and counters rather than the density of other shoppers. Albrecht et al. (2017) developed it drawing on spatial crowding subscales from Machleit, Kellaris, and Eroglu (1994).

Response format

7-point Likert (1=strongly disagree, 7=strongly agree)

Scale items

• There was not enough space between the shelves in the store.
• The arrangement of the shelves and counters in the store did not allow the customers enough space for shopping.
• The store was not designed to be spacious.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Alphas were .89 (Study 1a) and .95 (Study 1b). This scale focuses on physical space constraints from the store's design rather than human crowding. Companion scales address store layout confusion, shopping stress, and in-store goal reengagement.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Albrecht, C.-M., Hattula, S., & Lehmann, D. R. (2017). The relationship between consumer shopping stress and purchase abandonment in task-oriented and recreation-oriented consumers. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 45(5), 720–740.

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