Interpersonal service quality,self-service technology (SST) service quality,and retail patronage

The main purpose of this study is to examine how two components of interactive service quality (interpersonal service quality and self-service technology service quality) are related to retail patronage. This study also aims to identify the moderating effects of individual characteristics. The results indicate that two components of interactive quality are greatly related to retail patronage intentions. The moderating effects of technology anxiety, need for interaction, and age are also partially supported. To increase retail patronage, it is very important to focus on improving self-service technology service quality as well as interpersonal service quality. The results from this study also provide retail managers with a detailed understanding of how individual characteristics influence retail patronage intentions.     

Gender differences in the linkage of online patronage behavior with TV-and-online shopping values

The main purpose of this study is to investigate gender differences in the linkage of online patronage behavior with multi-channel shopping values in context of TV-and-online retailing. Data collected from 226 respondents in Taiwan are tested against the research model using the partial least squares (PLS) approach. The empirical result shows that utilitarian and hedonic TV shopping values have indirect positive effects on consumer online patronage intention through their associated online counterparts. Additionally, both utilitarian and hedonic TV shopping values are found to influence their associated online counterparts more strongly for men than for women. The findings of this study provide several important implications for the research and practice of multi-channel retail service.     

Influences of retail brand trust,off‐line patronage,clothing involvement and website quality on online apparel shopping intention

This study examines the influence of retail brand trust, off‐line patronage, clothing involvement, and website quality on online apparel shopping intention for young female US consumers. Data for this study were collected from 200 young female consumers who completed an online survey. Participants were asked to select one of three pre‐determined apparel retail brands that they have either had experience with or were familiar with. Respondents were then asked to keep their selected retailer in mind when completing the questionnaire and were also asked to briefly visit the retailer's website shopping for a shirt or blouse. Factor, correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to test our hypotheses. Retail brand trust, off‐line patronage, clothing involvement and two factors of website quality (usability and information quality, visual appeal and image) were found to significantly influence online apparel shopping intention. Off‐line patronage was the strongest predictor of online shopping intention. Implications for multi‐channel apparel retailers were discussed based on these findings.     

Determinants of retail patronage: A meta-analytical perspective

The retail patronage idea includes such key concepts as store choice and frequency of visit. In this study, the authors synthesize previous empirical studies through a formal, critical review of retailing literature. The meta-analysis suggests that various predictors (e.g., service, product selection, quality) are strongly related to shoppers’ retail choice, whereas others (e.g., store attitude, store image) are important antecedents of shopping frequency. However, the relationships between the predictors and retail patronage vary according to the study characteristics (e.g., experimental vs. other designs). The authors offer implications for retailing research and practice.     

Displayed emotions to patronage intention: consumer response to contact personnel performance

The impact of service on consumers' brand attitudes and patronage intentions serves to stress its importance to service marketers. This study further investigates previous research by proposing an integrative model that examines the hierarchical influence underlying emotions displayed by service personnel and the subsequent effect on consumer behavioural intention in the retail service context. Results indicate that service personnel-displayed emotion hierarchically influences consumers' emotions, satisfaction with service personnel, brand attitude, and patronage intention. Findings also reveal that brand attitude plays a critical mediating role. This work discusses implications for retail service firms and marketing executives, in addition to providing direction for future research.     

Image and consumer attraction to intraurban retail areas: An environmental psychology approach

This study suggests that intraurban retail area patronage decisions are influenced by the image of the area. A model of environmental behaviour is derived from the extant literature and tested empirically. An approach to measuring consumer perceptions of retail area image is proposed. The research finds significant relationships between product and store range and quality, visual amenity, customer service and consumers’ willingness to patronise a retail area. Affect, or consumers’ liking of the area, mediates the impact of retail area image on consumer behaviour. The value of this approach is that retailers and regulatory bodies may be able to explain and predict the effects of changes to retail environments on consumer patronage decisions.     

The moderating role of demographic variables on customer expectations in airport retail patronage intentions of travellers

The international airport retail business is expanding annually, yet most research into traveller’s experience with the aviation industry have centred on aeronautical features. The study gathered information that would guide the understanding of airport customer retail expectations. Specifically, the study examines the effects of product-relevant factors, market-relevant factors, and perceived service quality on retail patronage intentions, taking into account the moderating role of demographic variables. The purposive sample of three hundred and thirty (330) travellers that were selected at the Kotoka International Airport Terminal 1 and 2 (KIA T1&2) in Accra, the capital of Ghana. The findings show that product-relevant factors, market-relevant factors and overall service quality significantly influence airport retail patronage intention. The effect demographic variables was noticeable among older and high-income consumers. Building on previous studies, we find that product-relevant factors, market-relevant factors, and perceived service quality function as viable signals that drives customer expectations.     

The influence of social capital on local retail patronage in an urban setting

Local retail stores are currently facing intense competition from both online retailers and large chain stores. An understanding of local retail store patronage (i.e., patronage of retail stores in one's own community) is essential to the survival and growth of local retailers. Drawing on Social Capital Theory, we theorize and show with store-level survey data the influence of social capital (community attachment and reciprocity) on local retail store patronage in a large urban setting. We find that the impact of social factors differs for residents within the community compared to those outside of the community. We also demonstrate the importance of social factors in comparison to non-social factors. These findings contribute to the literature by extending the impact of social capital on local retail store patronage beyond rural settings, providing insight into urban consumers' decision to patronize local retail stores, and highlighting the impact of community boundaries. These findings also generate practical recommendations for local merchants and stress the importance of building reciprocal relationships with local customers as well as varying communications across community boundaries.     

Using online data for offline decisions: A geostatistical approach for evaluating the patronage potential of a baby-care retailer

Even though the online channel is generally not bounded by space, much insight can be derived from examining the variation in online patronage across retail space. In this paper, we propose the use of a Bayesian approach utilising the integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) within its framework to estimate the risk ratios as well as probabilities of online patronage. To this end, we used publicly available data (such as household access to broadband connection, population figures and business location data) in combination with online transaction data from a focal retailer to estimate and identify which locations (i.e., postcodes) have the highest probabilities of patronage from online customers of the retailer. The three covariates adjusted for were presence of a competitor, average income at the postcode level and internet access at the postcode level; of these, internet access was found to be the most significant influencing factor on online patronage of the retailer. Overall, the resultant spatial maps provide useful predictions of how the estimated risk ratios and exceedance probabilities vary across the geographic market and the implication on opening a new offline outlet and targeting customers are discussed.     

A study of e‐retailing management: analysing the expectations and perceptions of Spanish consumers

This article analyses various elements that influence the purchasing behaviour of online consumers. These elements include the aesthetic aspects of a web site and the interactive processes that take place at the time of purchase. The study analyses the expectations and perceptions of a sample of Spanish online customers. On the basis of these attitudes, the sample of respondents is segmented. In addition, the main factors that determine online service satisfaction are identified. The segments of respondents are then positioned with respect to these identified factors in online service quality. The analysis thus allows differentiation of both customers and service quality. The paper concludes with recommendations for online retailers who wish to operate a successful ‘virtual’ retail outlet.     

Managing a Global Retail Brand in Different Markets: Meta-Analyses of Customer Responses to Service Encounters

This study investigates how retailers can leverage their brand to shape customers’ satisfaction with service encounters. It develops and tests hypotheses about how brand, store, and consumer factors moderate customer responses to experience clues during retail service encounters. Six meta-regression analyses synthesize and compare results from 842 satisfaction equations describing customers’ encounters with a global retailer operating 400 stores in 32 countries. The results show how customers weigh their perceptions of service encounters differently depending on brand, store, and consumer factors. In markets where customers believe the retailer has high holistic brand quality, they place less weight on experience clues within the store. In markets where customers believe the retailer’s service brand promise, they place more weight on in-store experience clues. In markets where the retailer promises utilitarian value, customers weigh functional experience clues more heavily. In markets with an online purchasing channel, the effect of experience clues common to offline and online store environments is magnified, and unique clues are diminished. In addition, customers heavily weigh experience clues that fit their goals. In general, retail success factors include high brand quality (which makes customers more forgiving), a service brand promise that is mirrored in the store image (which makes customers attend to the experience clues aligned with them), and the careful monitoring and managing of retail touchpoints (to customize experience clues to each market). In this way, retailers can use customer-based strategies to effectively design and manage their global retail brand in different markets.     

Avatars as salespeople: Communication style, trust, and intentions

Interactions with retail salespersons in stores contribute to building trust and profits. Within the largely impersonal Internet, an interactive animated character or avatar, playing the social role of an online sales assistant, should provide a potent source of social presence and so have the potential to replace some of these interactions. This investigation tests whether avatars with social- or task-oriented communication styles contribute to user trust and patronage intentions. Further tests explore the moderating effects of product/service type. The study includes an online experiment and survey, involving 636 participants, mainly from North America, Oceania and Europe, allocated randomly to different treatments.Task-oriented communications contribute to trust, which in turn contributes to patronage intentions, especially for search goods/services. Social-oriented communications also contribute directly to trust and to patronage intentions, most strongly for credence goods/services. The authors recommend a three-fold approach to avatar implementation, involving requirements captured to define appropriate appearance, role, interaction style and content for the task. Conclusions include further suggestions for development and research.     

新零售企业多渠道整合服务质量对重购意愿的影响--顾客涉入度的调节作用

采取线上线下多渠道整合的零售模式已成为新零售企业主流模式,顾客重购意愿是新零售企业重要竞争力之一,也是衡量多渠道整合服务实施效果的重要标准。通过构建以顾客体验为中介的多渠道整合服务质量对重购意愿影响概念模型,引入顾客涉入度作为调节变量,经过调查分析384名在同一新零售企业线上线下渠道有购物经历的消费者,研究结论如下:多渠道整合服务质量对重购意愿有显著积极影响;多渠道整合服务质量对顾客体验有显著积极影响;顾客体验对顾客重购意愿有显著积极影响;顾客体验在多渠道整合服务质量与重购意愿之间起部分中介作用;顾客涉入度在多渠道整合服务质量与顾客体验关系中起正向调节作用。研究结论拓展了多渠道整合服务质量对重购意愿影响的内在机理,明确了顾客体验在其中的重要中介作用,探明了顾客涉入度在多渠道整合服务质量影响顾客体验过程中的重要调节作用。新零售企业既可以通过多渠道整合服务质量提升顾客重购意愿,也可以通过极致的顾客体验提升重购意愿,而且通过加强顾客涉入度管理可有效提升顾客体验与重购意愿。     

从购物动机到商店选择:中国西北消费者的购物行为探索(英文)

虽然中国已经成为世界上最大的消费者市场,但是有关中国消费者的购物行为研究还没有广泛开展,特别是针对中国内地的购物人群而言。本研究探索的是中国西北消费者的购物经历。深度采访显示,那些被访者更多地展现出一种消费者角色,这种角色能够同时满足个人和社会地位需求的购物特征。除此之外,在选择零售商店(购物)时,商品、商店和服务标准也是重要的影响因素。本文为研究中国消费者的商店购买行为提供了参考文献资料,同时也为零售商拓展中国西北市场提供了非常有价值的观点。     

The effect of self-checkout quality on customer satisfaction and repatronage in a retail context

Self-service technologies (SSTs) are defined as technological interfaces that enable customers to produce a service without direct employee involvement. Among various SSTs, self-checkouts are being tested by grocery stores across the world. However, while most studies focus on SST adoption, there is limited research on its impact on service quality, customer satisfaction, and retention. Our study investigates consumers’ assessments of self-checkout in a retail outlet, and its influence on post-usage intentions. The study presents a causal model in order to determine (i) whether consumers evaluate service quality for self-checkout based on five different attributes: speed, ease-of-use, control, reliability, and enjoyment; (ii) whether the evaluation of service quality differs according to demographics and usage frequency; and finally (iii) if service quality delivered by self-checkout relates to overall customer satisfaction and retail patronage. We conclude that successful use of self-checkout may "tie" consumers to a provider, representing a feature that differentiates a retailer from competitors.     

The role of gender and work status in shopping center patronage

Substantial research in marketing has examined the impact of store atmospherics on retail store patronage [Baker Julie. Parasuraman A. Grewal Dhruv. Voss Glenn B. The Influence of Multiple Store Environment Cues on Perceived Merchandise Value and Patronage Intentions. Journal of Marketing. 2002; 66 (April):120-41]. In addition, research has examined the effect of gender and work status on social influence and role expectations within the context of shopping center patronage [Evans Kenneth R. Christiansen Tim. Gill James D. The Impact of Social Influence and Role Expectations on Shopping Center Patronage Intentions. Academy of Marketing Science Journal. 1996; 24 (Summer): 208-18]. This research extends previous research and examines the differential effects of gender and work status characteristics on the relationship between shopping mall characteristics (including atmospherics) and consumer shopping center patronage. The results of a study of 1015 shoppers demonstrate that there are few significant differences between models for men and women, and even between women who work outside the home and those who do not. Implications and directions for future research are derived.     

Testing Retail Marketing-Mix Effects on Patronage: A Meta-Analysis

Retailers have always worked to establish close relationships with customers through the retail marketing mix. Thus, the literature has a long tradition of testing the effects of various instruments on retail patronage. This meta-study synthesizes prior research into one comprehensive framework. We use 14,895 effect sizes reported by more than 239,000 shoppers from 41 countries extracted from 350 independent samples, to test the impact of 24 marketing-mix instruments on retail patronage. Specifically, we investigate the direct and indirect effects of these instruments on store satisfaction, word of mouth, patronage intention, and behavior. Product and brand management related instruments display the strongest effects on most outcome variables, whereas price, communication, service and incentive management instruments affect only selected outcomes. Distribution management turns out to be of secondary importance. However, the effectiveness of these instruments depends on the specific shopping context (food/non-food, shopping frequency, single store/agglomeration, hedonic/utilitarian), the retail environment (gross domestic product, country innovativeness, retail sales share, retail employment, Internet era), and the employed method (participant type, study design, data source). Specifically, we reveal most differences for hedonic shopping environments and developed countries. Also, the store’s advertising and atmosphere have gained importance in the Internet era, while purchase incentives, in-store orientation, and store location have lost relevance. This study contributes to a synoptic understanding of the comparable effectiveness of retail marketing instruments on retail patronage. It offers insights into the effectiveness of marketing-mix instruments and provides guidance on whether and when to invest in them. It also presents an agenda for future research on marketing-mix instruments.     

Outlet patronage in on-the-go consumption: An analysis of patronage preference drivers for convenience outlets versus traditional retail outlets

This study investigates patronage preferences of consumers who purchase and consume food and beverages while they are on-the-go (on-the-go consumption). The focus is on the drivers of patronage preferences for convenience outlets versus traditional retail outlets. A literature based model of patronage preferences is developed in this paper. It is tested based on data collected from a Dutch online sample (n=669) through binary logistic regression. The results reveal that significant relationships exist between patronage preferences in on-the-go consumption and the assortment offered as well as the opportunity to consume products without effort. Moreover, significant relationships between patronage preferences and consumers' time pressure as well as their health orientation exist. Consumers' income and their place of residence allow for limited inferences only. Based on the findings managerial recommendations are developed and avenues for further research are pointed out.     

Influences of online store perception,shopping enjoyment,and shopping involvement on consumer patronage behavior towards an online retailer

Online apparel retailers have adopted various types of image interactivity technology (IIT), such as close-up pictures or zoom-in functions, mix-and-match functions, and 3D virtual models to enhance consumers’ online shopping experience. The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of level of IIT on consumer perception of online retail environment, shopping enjoyment, shopping involvement, a desire to stay, and patronage intention. Significant structural relationships between these research variables were found, supporting a pleasure-oriented conceptual model of consumer patronage behavior in the online retailing environment. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

A psychological examination of attachment insecurity,loneliness, and fear of missing out as drivers of retail patronage among emerging adults

Recent consumer literature has shown that attachment insecurity (i.e., anxious, avoidant) enhances individual's motivations for retail shopping. We extend that literature using attachment theory to explain how attachment insecurity, loneliness (i.e., social, emotional), and fear of missing out (FoMO) affect retail patronage. We posit that these three negatively valenced psychosocial conditions generally incline emerging adult consumers toward retail patronage to resolve their relational deficits. Based on results from partial least squares-structural equation modeling (n = 509), we find support for most of our hypotheses. The study presents previously unavailable knowledge about antecedents of FoMO and multiple negative psychosocial drivers of retail patronage. We provide a foundation for future scholarship to examine more broadly how attachment, loneliness, and FoMO impact consumer behavior. Managerial and theoretical implications are also provided.