An empirical analysis of the factors raising the interest in new shopping destinations

The relationship among the factors in the rising interest in new alternatives is empirically investigated in the context of shopping destination choice behavior. The hypothetical causal relationship is that the rising interest in new alternatives requires both active information search and considerable benefit, which is supported by the results of the mixture structural equation models using a data set containing revealed shopping behaviors and attitudes toward shopping destinations in the Tokyo metropolitan area: a lower level of satisfaction with the current choice set incites external information search for all subjects; however, the benefit of adding new alternatives affects the interest in new alternatives only in the group that engages in active information search.     

Simulated Attention-Tracking Methodologies: An Examination of Measurement Efficacy

This study introduces and examines a simulated attention-tracking methodology as an emerging technique to improve the study of in-store shopper behavior and decision making. To assess the viability of this new methodology, we examine its efficacy in producing consumer behavior data consistent with results predicted by the marketing literature. Empirical data across five grocery categories are used to examine the influence of personal, product, and situational differences on external information search. Findings show that the attention-tracking methodology is able to demonstrate expected results in almost all cases. The methodology is also able to provide a more complete view of external information search through tracing the observed search behavior preceding decision making. This proof of methodology responds directly to calls in the marketing and retailing literature to test new and emerging methodologies in support of research on in-store marketing and shopper behavior. Findings also provide managers with a methodology to examine the actual impact of marketing actions intended to capture shoppers’ attention at the retail shelf and to influence behavior.     

Shopping trip behavior: An empirical investigation

The purpose of this article is to describe shopping trip behavior empirically using shopping trip data. A better understanding of this aspect of the purchase process can assist in generating testable hypotheses as to how the shopping trip decision may influence other choice decisions.     

Person–place congruency in the Internet Banking context

This study proposes and empirically validates a model that incorporates the interaction effects of consumer's shopping orientation (utilitarian/recreational) and attitudes towards the online store atmospheric qualities (information related cues, navigation cues, aesthetic cues) on online shopping behavior. The use of an underutilized technique for detecting interaction effects unveils the superiority of interaction effects over direct effects in explaining online shopping behavior. Results reveal significant interaction effects during the information search stage but not during the purchase stage. Furthermore, the interaction effects were significant only for utilitarian shoppers but not for the recreational ones. The results signify the distinctive nature of online shopping compared to the offline one, and the need for retailers to distinguish online and offline store atmosphere management.     

Vision (im)possible? The effects of in-store signage on customers’ visual attention

We used two eye-tracking field experiments to investigate the extent to which in-store signage is used during navigation and decision making, and how the viewing of signage influences customers’ visual attention and choice behavior. One hundred and seventy-five customers at a grocery store were exposed to signage stimuli while carrying out predefined shopping tasks. Experiment 1 shows that attention toward signage is affected by customers’ levels of store familiarity and in-store search stage (navigation vs. decision making). Experiment 2 demonstrates that signage has a considerable impact on the direction and magnitude of customers’ visual attention during decision making.     

Antecedents and Implications of Expiration Date Search Effort

When consumers search for and check expiration dates, the risk of purchasing and consuming a stale and denigrated quality product reduces. Since checking expiration dates has a significant impact on consumers' purchase and consumption decision making, the authors investigate what motivates consumers to search for expiration dates while shopping for and before consuming perishable grocery products. This research adapts and extends the information search model (Schmidt and Spreng 1996) by providing new insight on information search as not only a prepurchase but also a consumption stage activity. Findings suggest that expiration date search effort is influenced by perceived risk, time pressure while grocery shopping, and the motivation of checking expiration dates. These findings provide several implications for consumers and policymakers.     

The fluent online shopping experience

Consumers increasingly use various Internet-enabled devices for online shopping; thus, a critical topic for both research and practice is the visual characteristics of the information presented in this medium. This study builds on fluency theory within an environmental psychology framework. Specifically, this research examines how consumers' perceived fluency of the verbal online information affects their perceived cognitive effort and positive affect within a choice context. The experimental results show that (1) perceptual fluency affects both cognitive effort and positive affect experienced during online shopping and (2) cognitive effort and positive affect influence judgments about the perceived decision quality of the choice made. This research is notable in its simultaneous (as opposed to consecutive) examination of the relationship among the three dimensions of processing fluency (perceptual fluency, positive affect, and cognitive effort) and their impact on consumers' choice satisfaction with an online shopping task.     

The Relationship between task complexity and information search: The role of self‐efficacy

Prior research suggests the complexity of a product choice task is inversely related to the extent of consumers' external information search. The resource‐matching perspective holds that cognitive effort (e.g., external information search) is greatest when available cognitive resources (e.g., as determined by self‐efficacy) match the cognitive demands of a task (e.g., perceived task complexity). Within a brand‐choice context, the relationship between self‐efficacy and extent of information search appears nonmonotonic. In support of the resource‐matching perspective, consumers conduct the most extensive information search when their self‐efficacy matches perceived task difficulty. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Information seeking,external search and “shopping” behaviour: Preliminary evidence from a planned shopping centre

It has long been argued that consumers compare the wares of several retail outlets before the purchase of expensive or ego‐intensive goods. Yet the substantial literature on pre‐purchase information seeking suggests otherwise. Relatively little external search or “shopping” behaviour actually takes place. This discrepancy is attributable to the shortcomings of the pre‐purchase research tradition which relies largely upon retrospective interviewing and treats each product in isolation, despite the prevalence of multipurpose shopping expeditions. By unobtrusively observing the behaviour of shoppers in the Park Centre, Belfast, this paper demonstrates that consumers indulge in “shopping” activity, though much of this is incidental to the main purpose of the trip. Consumers appear to take the opportunity afforded by habitual or unavoidable “chore” shopping expeditions to gather, in an informal manner, information on the many and varied offerings of the marketplace.     

Gender Differences in Information Search and Comparison Shopping

Abstract

In entering the market of Central and Eastern Europe, it is important for marketers to understand how certain aspects of consumer behavior differs across consumer segments so that they can appropriately segment, target and position their products. A study was conducted to evaluate differences between males and females across the countries of Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania in terms of their information search and comparison-shopping behavior. The study also advanced a conceptual model that explains the effect of nationality and gender differences on information search and comparison shopping.     

Consumer product search and purchase behaviour using various retail channels: the role of perceived retail usefulness

The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of consumers' perceptions of retail usefulness for product information search and their previous purchase satisfaction on their frequencies of product information search and product purchase behaviours for apparel products. These relationships were investigated in five retail settings – Internet shopping, catalogue shopping, television shopping, local retail shopping, and non‐local retail shopping. One hundred seventy‐six students in a US Midwestern university provided usable responses. The results of causal model analyses showed that the proposed model fits the data well for all five retail channels. Consumers who perceived a certain retail channel more useful for product information search searched for product information more frequently via that retail channel, and purchased products more often via that retail channel. Consumers who were more satisfied with apparel purchases from a retail channel purchased the products more frequently via that retail channel. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

Consumer Shopping Styles and Online Shopping: An Empirical Study of Indian Consumers

ABSTRACT

The generalizability and applicability of the Consumer Shopping Inventory (CSI) scale on Indian sample in predicting online shopping behavior was examined. CSI scale has been adapted by researchers to validate its applicability in different countries. Results revealed new factors and different segments of consumers were identified by factor analysis. The findings posit that the original U.S. eight-factor model could not be confirmed completely on Indian sample. However, the study found support for five factors: quality-conscious shopper, fashion-conscious shopper, uninterested shopper, impulsive shopper, and brand-conscious shopper. Online shopping behavior was categorized under convenience, information availability, and cost factors. Demographic factors do not influence consumers' decision to shop online. Consumers shopping online frequently and Impulsive shoppers are likely to look at convenience factor of online shopping. Information availability was important for fashion-conscious shoppers, consumers frequently shopping online, and impulsive shoppers. Brand-conscious shoppers and quality-conscious shoppers were not likely to purchase online.     

Shopping context and consumers’ mental representation of complex shopping trip decision problems

Depending on the shopping context, consumers may develop different mental representations of complex shopping trip decision problems to help them interpret the decision situation that they face and evaluate alternative courses of action. To investigate these mental representations and how they vary across contexts, the authors propose a causal network structure that allows for a formal representation of how context-specific benefits requirements affect consumers’ evaluation of decision alternative attributes. They empirically test hypotheses derived from the framework, using data on consumers’ mental representations of a complex shopping trip decision problem across four shopping contexts that differ in terms of opening hour restrictions and shopping purpose, and find support for the proposed structure and hypotheses.     

Consumer Data Analysis and Its Managerial Application for the Grocery Industry

Consumer data is collected to understand the heterogeneity of consumer behavior and store competition in grocery shopping. Marketing research techniques are used to analyze consumers’ decision processes and their preference models. Initial modeling results are aggregated to search for substantial clustering patters. The demographic profiles are also examined for clustering interpretations. The derived research results can assist grocery industry to better understand its customers and the competition within the industry. Also, Consumers’ perceptions of competing stores are collected to create perceptual maps. Strategic analysis is conducted by studying the relative positions of competing stores.     

The effect of shopping goals and in-store mobile device use on purchase outcomes in brick-and-mortar stores

The present study examines the effect of using a mobile device on search and evaluation by a shopper in a brick-and-mortar store. A conceptual model that proposes inter-relationships between shopping goals, the amount and type of in-store mobile device use, and purchase outcomes is developed. Data from a national quota sample of 1034 mobile shoppers is used to test hypotheses derived from the proposed model. The findings provide several new insights into the impact of in-store mobile device use on the consumer decision journey in a brick-and-mortar store. Depending upon the shopping goals of the consumer, the use of a mobile device by shoppers in a brick-and-mortar store can either decrease or increase search, lead to more deferred purchases or in-store-now purchases, and more online or physical store purchases. The study is among the first to model the pathway to purchase for mobile device assisted shoppers in brick-and-mortar stores.     

The effect of dynamic retail experiences on experiential perceptions of value: an internet and catalog comparison

The authors introduce cognitive continuum theory (CCT) as a theoretical framework to examine the effect of consumer shopping tasks and retail information display properties on consumer perceptions of experiential value. In this empirical investigation, the nature of a consumer’s shopping task is found to exert a direct influence on consumer perceptions of efficiency, economic value, and shopping enjoyment, all active dimensions of value. In addition, congruent interactions between shopping task and retail information display properties exert an enhancing effect on the reactive dimensions of value, as evidenced by perceptions of visual appeal, entertainment value, and service excellence. Future application of CCT is outlined and managerial implications are discussed.     

Consumers' product‐locating behavior: Exploring the application of signal detection theory

This study explores the application of signal detection theory to the analysis of consumers' product‐locating behavior. Two research questions are addressed: (1) whether characteristics of the shopping environment, including external memory aids and store layout, affect signal‐detection statistics and (2) whether the signal‐detection statistics can be predicted from subjective measures of shopping motivation and product familiarity. The experiments are conducted in a virtual store. The results show that (1) the signal‐detection statistics of sensitivity and response bias can be used to measure product‐locating behavior; (2) external memory aids significantly affect sensitivity; and (3) signal‐detection statistics are significantly associated with shopping motivation. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Consumers’ channel choice for university-licensed products: Exploring factors of consumer acceptance with social identification

This research investigated a modified-technology acceptance model (TAM) with two added antecedents (e.g., information search motivation and perceived risk) to examine whether online shopping channels would be adopted by college students, the main target market of university-licensed products (ULP). Moreover, this study tried to adopt the social identity theory to fit a modified TAM model to explain the role of identification with a university on the attitude toward shopping for collegiate products. This research surveyed college students from two large Midwestern universities and utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses in a conceptual framework. As expected from previous TAM research, two specific behavioral attributes explained students’ adoption of online channels. Moreover, the results showed that both information search motivation and perceived risk have significant positive effects on attitude toward shopping via online channels. Specifically, the students who have strong information search motivation from concerns about online shopping had a higher level of online channel purchase intention. In addition, the attitude toward ULP online shopping formed by the antecedents gave a different level of purchase intention about the multiple distribution channels. The results suggest that retailers in the ULP industry should build efficient multi-channel strategies by adopting online channels.