Risk perception as a determinant of in-home consumption

Groups of consumers who were exposed to equal opportunities to purchase from a catalog but exhibited contrasting purchase behaviors were compared in terms of their risk perception. The findings substantiate the importance of perceived risk and inclusive vs. exclusive perceived error tolerance strategies as factors influencing in-home consumption behavior.     

Defining and measuring recreational shopper identity

The concept of recreational shopper identity, a dimension of the consumer—s self-concept, is contrasted with simple shopping enjoyment, which has characterized most past research on recreational shopping. Two survey studies investigate recreational shopper identity in a clothing shopping context. In Study 1, the Recreational Shopper Identity (RSI) Scale is validated with a sample of 561 adult consumers, demonstrating that recreational shopping is experienced as a true leisure activity. In Study 2, involving 354 adult consumers, the RSI Scale is used to identify three groups of shoppers who differ in the degree to which they incorporate recreational shopping into their self-concepts. Recreational shopping enthusiasts are found to engage more extensively in a range of retail shopping behaviors, to spend more money shopping (i.e., they are not just browsers), and are more “multi-channel” than other shoppers, reporting higher levels of Internet, catalog, and TV home shopping as well as traditional “brick-and-mortar” shopping.     

洋溢对网络消费者行为的影响研究

以洋溢（flow）采描述消费者在网络购物中感知到的愉悦体验,从消费者认知的角度构建网络消费者行为模型,探讨哪些网站属性可诱发消费者产生洋溢感;同时探讨令人愉悦的购物体验是否与传统环境一样,能够提高消费者的再购买意图。运用结构方程建模的方法进行实证分析,结果表明网站属性中的系统质量对形成洋溢感作用较大,拥有洋溢感能够提高网络消费者的再购买意图。     

近十年国内购物旅游研究综述

自20世纪90年代末以来,我国购物旅游得到不断发展,对其研究也在逐渐增多。通过文献整理,将研究内容归为供给角度的文化视角下购物旅游商品开发和经济视角下购物旅游市场开发研究;需求角度的购物者的感知风险、满意度、行为和体验等研究;供需角度的双向研究以及购物旅游相关方向研究。由此可见,未来购物旅游的研究视角会不断创新且研究方法将会更加注重定性与定量相结合,研究领域也将不断的细化。     

Technology and the customer interface: What consumers want in the physical and virtual store

For companies to realize the benefits of recent innovations in customer interface technology, they need to understand the value consumers place on technology as part of the shopping process. A national survey of 2,120 online consumers was conducted to explore how people want to shop in both online and in-store environments and determine how interactive and conventional media work together to move consumers through the purchase process. The study investigated 128 different aspects of the shopping experience, from common elements to recent innovations. The results indicated that consumers are generally satisfied with the convenience, quality, selection, and value provided by retailers today. They are less satisfied with the level of service provided, the availability of product information, and the speed of the shopping process. The findings suggest that new technologies can enhance the shopping experience, but applications must be tailored to the unique requirements of consumer segments and product categories. Raymond R. Burke is the E. W. Kelley Professor of Business Administration at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and the founding director of the school’s Customer Interface Laboratory. His research focuses on understanding the influence of point-of-purchase factors and new retailing technologies on consumer shopping behavior. Prior to joining Indiana University, he served on the faculties of the Harvard Business School and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He has consulted for a number of leading manufacturers and retailers, and his virtual shopping technology is used by market research firms around the world. His articles have appeared in various professional journals, including theHarvard Business Review, theJournal of Consumer Research, theJournal of Marketing, andMarketing Science. He is also coauthor ofADSTRAT: An Advertising Decision Support System.     

Developing a deeper understanding of post-purchase perceived risk and behavioral intentions in a service setting

Researchers and service providers have realized that a disproportionate share of a firm’s sales and profits come from a relatively small number of loyal customers that repeatedly purchase the firm’s services. In many service settings, such as health care, repeated interactions between the service provider and the client are necessary for service delivery. While service quality is certainly important, it is also important that customers’ perceptions of perceived risk are taken into account and that customers perceive a degree of control over the services provided. We develop a conceptual model of linkages between the physical environment of the service, perceived control over the service and service quality and, demonstrate through two empirical studies, how these factors affect perceived risk and post-purchase behavioral intentions. Both studies were conducted in health care settings. In the first study, we collected data using a mail survey of 192 patients after their treatment from a regional hospital. In the second study, survey data were collected from 101 patients of a specialized clinic providing alternative therapies within a major hospital. Our results provide confirmation that the favorable physical environment of the service setting enhances perceived control and perceptions of service quality. Moreover, perceived control and perceived quality of the service provider reduces post-purchase perceived risk. Finally, post-purchase perceived risk reduces behavioral intentions, while perceived quality of the service provider enhances behavioral intentions. Authors contributed equally to the research.     

Can copycat private labels improve the consumer’s shopping experience? A fluency explanation

A top priority among retailers is enhancing the consumer’s shopping experience. With the number of private label products increasing at the same time retailers are shedding slower moving products, understanding how private labels impact the consumer’s experience at the retail shelf becomes critical. While one might think that private labels, in particular those that look similar to their national brand counterparts (i.e., copycat private labels), may hinder the shopping experience by making it more difficult for consumers to choose a product, we find the exact opposite. Adopting a fluency perspective, we show that when copycat private labels are included in a shelf set, consumers with high knowledge of the category experience greater choice ease, and as a result they subsequently evaluate their chosen product more favorably. Importantly, the choice ease and evaluations of novice consumers are found to be unaffected. Consequently, this research provides insights for retailers and manufacturers on how and why copycat private labels positively impact an important aspect of the consumer’s shopping experience (i.e., choice ease).     

Examining retail image before and after a repositioning strategy

This research examines changes in management's and consumers' perceptions of retail image during implementation of a major repositioning strategy. A prominent retail chain abandoned an older store in a strip shopping center of a southern SMSA, and built a larger one in a new regional shopping mall. Consumers and store management personnel provided image data for the old and new stores three months before and after the changeover. It was found that while consumers' and management's images significantly changed during the repositioning strategy, the magnitude of management's image change was significantly greater than consumers'. Management perceived greater changes than did consumers in parking, store classification, merchandise quality, style and assortment, return policy, and store layout and decor. Conversely, consumers experiented a greater image change on pricing and credit policy. The major implication for retailers is that problems can arise if management and consumers do not experience commensurate image shifts during repositioning. Fine tuning in advertising, personal selling, product strategy, and the physical environment (e.g., decor, parking) may be necessary to compensate for differential image shifts following a major repositioning strategy. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A00BV035 00002     

网购认知与顾客抱怨行为的关系研究

在网络购物过程中,顾客会因各种产品质量问题而感到不满意,从而产生抱怨行为。基于此,文章在网络购物背景下,分析顾客抱怨行为的影响因素,通过层级回归方法,重点探讨网购认知与顾客抱怨行为的关系。研究发现网购认知与顾客抱怨行为倾向之间存在正向关系,网购认知越高,顾客抱怨行为倾向越高。并且网购认知对向卖方抱怨、私下抱怨以及向第三方机构抱怨等三类抱怨行为均存在较大影响。因此电子商务企业应加强顾客抱怨管理,提升顾客满意度。     

我国家电零售业处于转折发展时期

我国零售业最近二十五年的发展,都是以企业为主导,消费者始终处于被动接受的状态,专家与行家引领着行业的发展。自从有了电子零售,消费者逐渐由被动变主动,这也使零售商越来越关注消费者的体验。本文以笔者亲身经历的购物体验为素材,对我国家电连锁与电子零售的缺陷进行细致分析,并提出改进建议。     

Analysis of risk and risk-reduction strategies—A multiple product case

This study investigated both the amount of risk that consumers face in a new car purchase situation and the different types of strategies that they use to reduce that risk. The findings revealed that owners of different makes of cars perceive varying amounts of risk to be associated with the purchase of a new car. However, no significant differences in the overall amounts of risk associated with the different purchase situations were found. Also it was found that different strategies for reducing the risk were utilized by the different car ownership groups.     

How consumer shopping orientation influences perceived crowding, excitement, and stress at the mall

While a few researchers have started to chip away at the notion that retail density is always negative, extant studies do not empirically address the question of why some shoppers respond negatively to a specific level of density while others respond positively. We examine this issue by drawing upon field theory (Lewin 1939) to shed light on how shoppers vary in terms of deeper motives (McClelland 1953) to seek control or intimacy with others in retail mall settings, and whether these motives influence shopping orientations. Shopping orientation is then hypothesized to affect perceptions of crowding, and, in turn, subsequent affective responses to the mall shopping experience. Moreover, we examine whether individual differences (gender and age) can help retailers segment those with different shopping orientations and the motives that influence these orientations. We found that task and social shopping orientations were influenced by deeper motives for control and intimacy. The causal relationships between shopping motive, shopping orientation, and consumers?? affective responses of stress and excitement were also discovered. Finally, we address theoretical and managerial implications of our results.     

我国网络团购发展中存在的伦理问题及其对策研究

近几年,随着我国网络购物的发展,网络团购也作为一种新的购物模式逐渐发展起来,网络团购因物美价廉等优势逐渐成为最受欢迎的网购模式.网络团购给网络消费者带来实惠的同时也引起了大量的伦理道德问题,夸大宣传、虚标原价、货不对板等问题频频受到网民消费者的投诉.通过对我国网络团购发展现状的描述,分析我国网络团购发展中存在的突出伦理道德问题,针对这些问题提出相应的解决对策.     

国家形象对消费者超市惠顾意向的影响研究

借鉴Fishbein合理行为模型的基本原理,探讨了国家形象和消费者超市惠顾意向的关系。结果表明,国家形象对济南消费者超市惠顾意向的直接影响并不显著,其间接影响也依国家而变。其中法国的国家形象对济南消费者惠顾家乐福超市的意向的间接影响最为显著,而中国的国家形象对济南消费者惠顾银座超市的意向没有显著的间接影响。济南消费者较多地惠顾银座超市的事实表明,中国消费者具有民族中心主义倾向;该结论提示我国本土大型超市,在制定营销策略时应该重视激发消费者的民族中心主义倾向。     

Retail space invaders: when employees’ invasion of customer space increases purchase intentions

This research fills a gap in the retailing literature regarding physical proximity while shopping. Most research in this area examines perceived crowding or social presence and largely ignores issues of distance. Using four studies we explore the impact of the physical proximity of an employee to a shopper. Contrary to common belief, we show that such encroachments can increase consumers’ acceptance feelings and their purchase intentions. We illustrate how these results are consistent with social identity theory. The results show a shopper can have higher purchase intentions the closer an employee physically gets to them due to an increase in feelings of acceptance. This result is strengthened when being included to an in-group is important to the shopper. The negative effects of feeling anxious in a purchase situation can also be buffered the closer an employee gets. Finally, the positive relationship of felt acceptance to purchase intentions is most critical when the product being purchased is perceived as less expressive. These results have important implications to our understanding of shopper behavior and reactions to physical proximity.     

The impact of services versus goods on consumers’ assessment of perceived risk and variability

With the development of service marketing concepts comes the need to test theory against consumer behavior. This study examines differences in perceived risk and variability between services and goods. In a controlled experiment whereby product stimuli were objectively placed along a goods-services continuum, data from consumers was collected focusing on six types of perceived risk and product variability. The findings of the study provide evidence that services evoke heightened risk and product variability perceptions.     

Perceived risk and the selection of a retail patronage mode

Consumers can select products from a wide variety of retail patronage alternatives. This article examines the amount of perceived risk that is associated with shopping at six different patronage modes. Department and specialty stores are generally considered low risk modes, while media advertisements represent the highest risk alternative. This research also examines the importance of various risk-handling tactics that may help the consumer deal with the perceived risk involved with the selection of a particular retail patronage mode.     

How do enhanced and unique features affect new product preference? The moderating role of product familiarity

Companies often introduce products with enhanced or unique features to compete with the dominant brands in the market. This paper examines the moderating role of product familiarity in consumer preferences of products with enhanced or unique features in two experimental studies. Study 1 (208 participants) operationalizes product familiarity at the product category level and Study 2 (168 participants) measures it at the individual level as one’s prior experience with the product. The findings of two experiments show that when consumers are unfamiliar with a product category, they prefer a product with enhanced features to one with unique features. In contrast, when consumers are experienced, they perceive a product with unique features more favorably than an enhanced one. Furthermore, this effect is due to consumer perceived differentiation of and performance uncertainty about new products with enhanced or unique features.

Effects of price framing on consumers’ perceptions of online dynamic pricing practices

The viability of online dynamic pricing, or differential pricing for the same product from the same seller, is still debatable given the contradictory findings reported in both modeling and behavioral price research. This paper examines tactical ways for online merchants to mitigate consumers’ negative reactions when adopting dynamic pricing strategies. In three experiments, we show that using various price-framing tactics, compared to no framing, can induce price-disadvantaged consumers to perceive their ostensibly similar transactions differently relative to their comparative other parties. As the degree of perceived transaction dissimilarity increases, price-disadvantaged consumers’ perceived price fairness, trust, and repurchase intentions are enhanced. We further compare different price framing tactics and demonstrate that they have different effects on consumers across different product price levels, customer segments, and framing formats. The paper concludes with theoretical and managerial implications of the research.     

Implementing an intended brand personality: a dyadic perspective

The authors examine the transformation of an intended brand personality (i.e., the way brand management would like consumers to perceive the brand??s personality) into a realized brand personality (i.e., the consumer??s actual perception of the brand??s personality). Drawing on the results of a dyadic empirical cross-industry study of 137 brand managers and 3,048 consumers, the authors show that the singularity of the brand personality profile, the competitive differentiation of the brand, the credibility of brand communication, consumers?? depth of product involvement, and consumers?? prior brand attitude all affect the degree to which the realized brand personality resembles the intended brand personality.