Comparison of consumer reactions to price-matching guarantees in internet and bricks-and-mortar retail environments

The present study investigates consumer responses to price-matching guarantees (PMGs) in the Internet environment and contrasts them with their responses in a traditional bricks-and-mortar retail environment. The effect of store reputation on consumer responses to price-matching policies is also investigated in both Internet and bricks-and-mortar retail settings. Two studies using a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects full factorial experimental design with two levels of PMG presence (PMG present, PMG absent), two levels of retail environment (Internet, bricks-and-mortar), and two levels of store reputation (no/low reputation, high reputation) were conducted. In study 1 reputation was manipulated using store names, while in study 2 the reputation was manipulated using store characteristics. The findings of two studies suggest that consumer reactions to price-matching guarantees, such as store price perceptions, postpurchase search intentions, and willingness to claim a refund if a lower competitive price is found, differ across the two purchase environments.     

Retail store visitation and the cost-value hypothesis: An application of the AID algorithm

This paper provides insights into the cost-value implications of retail store visitation. It does this by relating the extent of retail store visitation to both consumer characteristics and situational variables in the context of a specific type of major appliance purchase. The assessment was based on the usage of the Automatic Interaction Detector (AID). This algorithm determines what variables and categorees within them combine to produce the greatest discrimination in group means by the dependent variable (the number of retail stores visited). An interpretation of AID-revealed binary splits suggests support for the cost-value hypothesis of retail store visitation.     

Consumer involvement in retail store positioning

The concept of consumer involvement in products and issues and its theoretical importance in attitude change strategy have been discussed in the past. This paper reports empirical findings relating to retail store perceptions and preferences, using involvement as a moderator variable.     

Improving retail manpower planning with a quasi-subjective waiting line model

One of the most fruitful approaches for increasing marketing productivity is through more efficient manpower planning. This is particularly true in the labor intensive sectors of marketing such as retailing, particularly the retail department store. Waiting line models offer a high degree of potential for more effective manpower planning in the retail department store. The department store, however, presents a particular set of problems which make applications of waiting line models to manpower planning fairly complex. This complexity stems from two major sources: 1) consumer shopping behavior and 2) sales personnel management practices. This article discusses these problems and presents a model by which they can be handled for retail department stores. A detailed example illustrating the model's application is also provided.     

On the meaning and measurement of religiosity in consumer research

The role of religiousness as a variable in models of consumer behavior is not well-established. Research findings in this area tend to be sparse and conflicting, and measurement issues have yet to be addressed. This article reports on an empirical investigation of religiosity in a causal modeling framework. The results suggest that religiosity is a viable consumer behavior construct in that it (1) did correlate with the life-style variables selected; (2) contributed directly to the model along with sex, age, and income; and (3) was successfully operationalized through multiple measures.     

Validating the retail store image concept

The perceived images of seven retail firms encompassing several lines of trade are presented in this paper. To determine these images, data on store attributes and the importance of these attributes were collected from a random sample within selected census tracts of a Southwestern city. The linear compensatory multi-attribute model approach of product attitudes was extended to that of store patronage. The ability of these image models to predict attitudes towards the retail outlets as well as patronage behavior is investigated. In addition, the power of importance weights in these models is statistically examined.     

When customers disappoint: A model of relational internal marketing and customer complaints

The objective of this study is to examine internal marketing relationships and their influence on salesperson attitudes and behaviors in retail store environments. The authors investigate the moderating role of customer complaining behavior on the nature of these relationships. Specifically, they examine the relationship between organization-employee and supervisor-employee relationships and their association with salesperson job motivation and commitment to customer service. Customer complaints are expected to have differential moderating effects on the relationship between organizational and supervisory support and these salesperson outcomes. Our hypotheses were tested using a sample of 392 retail employees within 115 stores of a national retail organization. The model was partially supported. Theoretical and managerial implications are explored.     

Institutional positioning: A dynamic concept for retailing strategy

The importance of retail image, i.e., consumers' perceptions of retail institutions, is well known to retailers and to marketers alike. The popularity of the issues surrounding the actual measurement of consumer perceptions of various stores is evidenced by the large number of studies published during the last 15 years. A review of the published research, however, teveals that this increased interest in retail image research has not been matched with an increase in methodological sophistication. The indication is that, with few exceptions, retail image research has not progressed very far in the past 10 years. The major weaknesses of the current retail image studies are discussed, and suggestions for improving the quality and usefulness of image research are outlined.     

Information seeking on competitors and perception of competition by food store managers

The dynamics of competition from the store manager's point of view has been neglected. This study was designed to investigate the perception of competition and competitive information seeking by food store managers. Competition was analyzed in relation to a set of independent variables suggested by concepts of retail competition and organization theory. The data was based on a questionnaire administered to 55 food store managers. It was predicted and found that the perceived competitive interdependency between two stores was related to the degree of perceived similarity between the stores. The results support the concept of competition for differential advantage. The frequency of information seeking on competitors was related to organizational variables, particularly the store managers concept of his job, but not the degree of perceived similarity between competing stores.     

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     

How European retailers view American imported products: Results of a product image survey

With the dimensions of international trade widening each year, and the oil generated U.S. balance of payments deficit unacceptably high, the need for American firms to export their products to overseas markets has never been greater. Formulation of a successful export marketing strategy for the European Community can be greatly assisted by gaining some insight into how the consumers and businessmen in the various European member nations view American products. With this in mind, a total of 163 retail store managers in Britain and France were asked to rate products “made in the U.S.A.” on each of 13 product image dimensions, and to “vote” for which of the 3 countries offered the products of greatest value in 6 different consumer product categories. The results offer some useful insights for U.S. firms seeking to tap the potential consumer markets in Britain and France.     

面向消费者的现代卷烟营销体系IT融合

卷烟消费平台建设对消费者信息获取、分析及利用具有重要意义。马鞍山市烟草公司遵循信息收集、信息挖掘与分析、信息应用三大步骤,以信息交互系统、营销信息系统、营销决策系统、营销方案制定系统四个模块为主要建设内容,将＂微映e家＂,零售终端经营管理平台扩展延伸到卷烟消费者行为研究领域,在消费者数据挖掘和应用方面取得了显著的效果。     

Grocery retail loyalty program effects: self-selection or purchase behavior change?

In the retail sector, consumers typically patronize multiple outlets for a variety of products, which raises the important issue of how outlets can gain a greater share of consumer expenditures. One such way is to increase repeat purchases through loyalty programs. This article examines the impact of loyalty programs, which target existing customers, on repurchase behavior in grocery stores. It finds that heavier, more frequent customers of a store enroll in the loyalty program earlier; that buying behavior changes only slightly after buyers join the program; and that small changes in loyalty appear to erode 6–9 months after buyers join.     

零售业态的变革与选择

零售商业业态多元化是市场放开、市场竞争激烈化的必然结果。我国零售商业流通领域目前已呈现多种业态互相并存、互相竞争、互相配合的新格局。超市、便利店、仓储式超市等多种新型商业业态成为流通领域新的亮点。在这一格局下,科学合理地选择零售业态以赢得竞争优势显得十分迫切。业态选择应该转变观念,实行业态多元化;业态布局科学合理,不同行业、不同领域互相配合;多方面进行管理创新。     

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.     

Customer evaluation of retail salespeople utilizing the SOCO scale: A replication,extension, and application

Measuring retail salesperson performance is a critical, though relatively neglected research issue. We suggest that the SOCO scale may be an appropriate tool for measuring salesperson performance from the buyer’s perspective. Therefore, a replication of the SOCO scale was undertaken by having consumers evaluate retail salespeople. The SOCO scale items were slightly modified to fit the consumer sample and retail focus of the study. In addition, the number of points on the SOCO response scale was also reduced and the verbal anchors modified to better suit the needs of telephone surveys. Despite these changes, the properties of the scale were found to be strikingly similar to those reported in prior studies. It was recommended that retailers adopt the SOCO scale to measure salesperson performance.     

Single and multiple person household shoppers: A focus on grocery store selection criteria and grocery shopping attitudes and behavior

Responses of single and multiple person household food shoppers are analyzed to determine whether the two groups differ with respect to (1) those store criteria which are important in selecting a food store, (2) attitudes and behavior concerning the grocery shopping activity, and (3) various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Even though many similarities were found between the two groups of shoppers, some differences were observed. The implications of these similarities and differences are discussed, with emphasis given to their impact on retail food store management and strategic planning.     

基于山东半岛零售业自有品牌消费者行为意向的实证研究

当前我国零售业快速发展,零售企业间的竞争日趋激烈,发展自有品牌成为零售企业获取竞争优势的重要途径,对自有品牌的消费行为进行研究具有重要的现实意义。本文在总结国内外研究的基础上,从品牌认可、感知形象、感知质量、感知价格、价格意识及促销刺激六个方面探究其对自有品牌消费者行为意向的影响,并通过问卷调查对模型进行验证,以期为零售企业开发和推广自有品牌提供营销策略上的依据和借鉴。     

The influence of store environment on quality inferences and store image

The study reported here examines how combinations of specific elements in the retail store environment influence consumers’ inferences about merchandise and service quality and discusses the extent to which these inferences mediate the influence of the store environment on store image. Results show that ambient and social elements in the store environment provide cues that consumers use for their quality inferences. In addition, store environment, merchandise quality, and service quality were posited to be antecedents of store image—with the latter two serving as mediators—rather than components of store image (as they are typically treated in the store image literature). Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed, and future research directions are proposed. She received her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University. Her areas of interest include store environment, consumer behavior, and product/service quality. She has published articles in theInternational Journal of Research in Marketing and theJournal of Retailing. He received his Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. His areas of interest include pricing, consumer behavior, product/service quality, and customer satisfaction. He has published articles in a number of journals, including theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, andJournal of Retailing. He received his D.B.A. from Indiana University in 1975. His research interests focus on the measurement and improvement of service quality and on services marketing strategy. He is the recipient of several teaching and research awards. In 1988, he was selected as one of the ten most influential figures in quality by the editorial board ofThe Quality Review. His articles have appeared in theJournal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Services Marketing, andBusiness Horizons, among other publications. He is the author ofMarketing Research, a college textbook, as well as coauthor ofMarketing Services: Competing through Quality andDelivering Quality Service: Balancing Customer Perceptions and Expectations. He is also an active consultant to a number of major corporations.     

自有品牌与零售商竞争力研究

对零售商而言,自有品牌具有较高的毛利.自有品牌满足了价格敏感顾客的需求.第二、第三梯队制造商品牌对自有品牌的报复反应给消费者创造了更大的选择空间.自有品牌使得零售商从制造商品牌上获得更多利润,并使商店产生了差异性,使消费者产生了商店忠诚.因此,自有品牌是重要的竞争工具,是零售商获得竞争优势的重要源泉.