Abstract

The optimal effective temperature for department stores was obtained by collecting temperature and humidity data in six such stores during one full year and by asking several members of the sales staff to give their preference at different periods of the year. Four of the stores gave very good agreement regarding the desirable effective temperature. One store had a different optimum, probably due to local differences in preference, and one store failed to indicate an optimum. This failure could be interpreted in terms of the average optimum derived from the other department stores. Recommendations for optimal effective temperatures for department stores are given. The evaluation of the store climate by the customers did not appear to differ greatly from that of the sales personnel.