Voice of the Region: How Salesperson Accents Affect Souvenir Purchase Behavior

Abstract

Accent, as a regional linguistic variant, influences consumer attitudes and decisions. However, it remains unclear whether tourists react more positively to salespersons with (vs. without) local accents when purchasing souvenirs. Drawing on signaling theory, we examine whether, how, and when a salesperson’s local accent affects tourists’ purchase behavior for souvenirs. Through six scenario-based experiments and one field experiment, our findings reveal that salespersons with local accents significantly increase tourists’ purchase intentions. The perceived fit between salespersons’ marketing communication and souvenirs serves as the psychological mechanism driving this effect. Notably, the “local accent effect” is significant only for souvenirs with high local relevance and when salespersons are dressed in casual attire. Our study unveils a new pathway that influences souvenir purchases—salespersons’ local accents—and expands the signaling theory by demonstrating its explanatory power for auditory signals in the souvenir shopping context.