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Abstract
We approach Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a process in which particular CSR
activities impact on consumers’ store evaluation and trust. We hypothesize that consumers
classify CSR activities along two dimensions: (1) the beneficiary of the activity and (2) the
intrinsic contribution of the retailer, implying that consumers are interested in who reaps the
benefits of the activity and how much the retailer invests in the activity. This
conceptualization is confirmed in two field studies with 823 and 486 consumers. These
field studies also show that consumers who perceive more CSR have more trust in the store
and that their overall evaluation of the store is higher. Furthermore, it is shown that even
though CSR affects both outcomes, the effect on trust is stronger than the effect on store
evaluation. Our research indicates that CSR is particularly suited to build trust. Economic
activities, on the other hand, are better for obtaining a good store evaluation.