A comment on patterns of store choice and customer gain/loss analysis

We explore patterns of store choice and shopping behavior in the domain of women’s specialty clothing stores. Based on previous research, four exploratory research propositions are examined to note patterns in customer loyalty to their “favorite” stores and the incidence of shopping at competing stores. We conduct a vulnerability analysis to note which stores have customer segments most vulnerable to marketing efforts of competitors. Our findings suggest customers in the women’s specialty clothing market do not exhibit 100 percent loyalty to the favored retailer, and the share of trips to the favored retailer is generally constant among stores. The primary implications to retail managers are that they should be most concerned withincreasing the customer franchise base (those naming the retailer’s store as “favorite”) rather than focusing on increasing thefrequency of shopping trips among those customers that comprise the current franchise base.     

Information content and consumer readership of print ads: A comparison of search and experience products

This study builds on past research involving the economics of advertising information (Nelson 1970, 1974) to examine the interplay between advertisers' provision and consumers' readership of information. The authors focus on the prepurchase verifiability of advertising claims in three product categories: search products, experience shopping products, and experience convenience products. They use a broader measure of the information content of advertising than in past research, together with Starch readership scores for a sample of ads from nine U.S. magazines. The results show that the relationship between information provision and readership is positive for search products, negative for convenience products, and nonsignificant for shopping products. Average information levels are significantly higher in ads for shopping products than for convenience and search products. These findings suggest that advertisers may be underinforming consumers when promoting search products. George R. Franke (gfranke@cba.ua.edu) is a professor and Reese Phifer Fellow of Marketing at the University of Alabama. His Ph.D. is from the University of North Carolina. His research interests include public policy, ethics, advertising, and research methodology. His previous research on the information content of advertising includes articles that received best-paper awards from theJournal of Advertising and theJournal of Public Policy & Marketing. Bruce A. Huhmann (bhuhmann@nmsu.edu) is an assistant professor of marketing at New Mexico State University. His Ph.D. is from the University of Alabama. His research interests include advertising, consumer behavior, and international marketing. His primary stream of research focuses on verbal and visual appeals in advertising. He has also coauthored a study on sources of information used in consumer decision making. He has published articles in theJournal of Consumer Research, theJournal of Advertising, theJournal of Health Care Marketing, theAsia Pacific Journal of Management, and in other journals and conference proceedings. David L. Mothersbaugh (dmothers@cba.ua.edu) is an associate professor and Board of Visitors Research Fellow in marketing at the University of Alabama. His Ph.D. is from the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests include advertising, rhetorical language, consumer knowledge, search and decision making, e-commerce, and services marketing. He has publications in journals such as theJournal of Consumer Research, theJournal of Retailing, theJournal of Business Research, and theJournal of Consumer Affairs, as well as in various conference proceedings.     

中国比较购物网站混合分层聚类分析

比较购物网站作为一种专业化的垂直搜索引擎,可以对各大购物网站的商品信息进行搜集和整理,方便消费者快速找到性价比高的商品,节省大量的购物时间。论文搜集了目前中国现有的28家比较购物网站,综合考虑各种影响因素,设计了7个评价指标。基于这些指标,用混合分层聚类的方法将比较购物网站聚为三类。由聚类结果可以看出,帮5买是目前我国最大的比较购物网站。最后,指出了目前我国比较购物网站发展过程中存在的一些问题,并针对问题提出相应建议。     

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.     

Computer assisted purchasing

Today's supermarket shoppers need information on the “best” buys in terms of low prices, shopping convenience, and traveling cost. A survey of literature shows that there is no existing system which provides this information to the shoppers. In this paper we propose an urban supermarket shopping information system. First, a design program for the development of such a system is delineated. Then, two “shopper strategy models” are developed. The first model gives the best strategy to buy predetermined food items for weekly shopping. The second model is shopper activated and allows specification of food items, preference for stores and constraint on shopping time.     

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.     

Searching for the best price: An experimental look at consumer search effort

Certain factors may influence the extent to which consumers are willing to expend effort bargaining with retailers in order to gain additional pre-purchase information. One factor could be the consumer's favorable or unfavorable orientation toward the bargaining process itself. Another factor could be consumer expectation as to whether bargaining is permitted by retailers. A third factor might be whether a consumer's actual participation in bargaining encourages, or discourages, additional search activity. This research reports the results of a shopping simulation experiment which suggests that greater search effort is associated with individuals who are favorably predisposed toward retail bargaining and/or expect bargaining to be appropriate in a given situation.     

度假酒店顾客信息搜寻行为影响因素研究

度假酒店产品的特殊性决定了顾客在其购买决策过程中会表现出不同于实物产品购买的信息搜寻行为。在文献综述的基础上,提出了度假酒店顾客信息搜寻行为影响因素模型,并通过网络调研和实地调研收集了334份有效问卷,利用SPSS 17.0和AMOS 17.0进行统计分析,验证了研究假设,修正了研究模型,并得出了以下主要结论：影响度假酒店顾客信息搜寻行为的主要因素为搜寻态度、卷入程度、感知收益,而产品知识、搜寻成本、感知风险对顾客信息搜寻行为的影响不显著;不同的顾客群体在信息源的选择上存在不同的偏好。     

A proposed model of external consumer information search

An enduring interest in consumer behavior is the investigation of external prepurchase information search. Past research has identified a large number of factors that have been found to influence the extent of information search. The purposes of this article are to summarize the external information search literature and then develop a more parsimonious model of information search. Specifically, we propose that the effects of these antecedents of information search are mediated by four variables: ability, motivation, costs, and benefits. This model integrates the psychological search literature by incorporating ability and motivation to search for information and the economic paradigm that centers on the perceived costs and benefits of information search. Propositions are developed based on this comprehensive model for future testing. Jeffrey B. Schmidt recently became an assistant professor of marketing at Kansas State University after completing his Ph.D. at Michigan State University. His research interests include new product development and international product strategy. His work has appeared in theJournal of Product Innovation Management andJournal of Business and Industrial Marketing as well as in various conference proceedings. He received his Ph.D. from Indiana University. His research interests include consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction and issues involving consumer knowledge. His work has appeared in theJournal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, andJournal of Product Innovation as well as in various conference proceedings.     

网购服务补救质量对顾客行为意向的影响研究

文献表明服务补救质量与顾客的后续行为之间存在着显著的相关关系,但在网购情境下这种关系是否存在还未得到充分检验。论文从交互质量、程序质量、信息质量和结果质量四个维度衡量网购服务补救质量,构建了网络购物服务补救质量对顾客行为意向的影响模型,并对模型进行了检验。结果发现,网购情境下服务补救质量对顾客满意度和行为意向均有显著的影响,且顾客满意度在服务补救质量影响顾客行为意向的过程中起到了中介作用。     

A comparison of conflict issues in Canadian shopping centres and franchise systems

Franchise systems and shopping centres have each become dominant forces in modern retailing. While the former has received considerable attention in the academic literature, very little research has been directed to shopping centres. This paper examines selected behavioral concepts found in each type of system as perceived by parallel sample of Canadian shopping centre tenants and franchisees. While no major differences were detected concerning the extent of conflict between the two settings, the power bases employed by shopping centre managers were found to be quite different than those employed by franchisors.     

Extending the concept of shopping: An investigation of browsing activity

In many previous studies of consumer behavior, shopping has been equated with buying. This research examines the concept of browsing—the examination of a retailer’s merchandise without a current intent to buy. Results indicate that for the product classes of clothing and personal computers, browsing is related to perceptions of relevant dimensions of the retail environment. In addition, heavy browsers are more involved with the product, are more knowledgeable, and are more likely to be opinion leaders than are other consumers. Suggestions for future research are also noted.     

上海市消费者对猪肉质量安全风险的认知和信息搜寻行为分析

本文以上海居民在购买猪肉过程中的风险认知和信息搜寻行为作为研究样本,并对相关问题进行理论分析和实证研究。结果显示:(1)上海市猪肉购买者对食品质量安全风险的总体认知度较高(49%),对风险信息的需求程度也相当高(72.3%)。不同教育程度和性别的消费者对风险认知程度存在显著的差异;(2)新鲜程度(14.1%)、卖方信誉(11.5%)是消费者最常使用的信息,而电视(24.8%)和报纸(23.1%)是消费者最重要的信息渠道;(3)消费者比较信任那些具有权威性的信息发布主体,如政府部门(34.9%),而对一些大众化的信息发布主体,如大众媒体等(21.9%)的信任度较低;(4)产品特征、消费者个人特征、认知和购买经验对消费者的食品质量安全信息搜寻行为都有不同程度的影响。结合本文研究成果对我国的食品质量安全信息制度和管理体系建设提出建议,旨在提高我国的食品安全信息管制水平。     

Information source usage by prospective home buying consumers

Given the fact that millions of home properties are bought and sold each year, what are the methods by which Americans go about searching out prospective homes? This study endeavors to examine the use of information sources by prepurchase and postpurchase home searchers as they seek out prospective homes. Three prepurchase groups and one postpurchase group are used in this study in order to make this determination. The findings reveal that during each stage of home search and purchase, there are certain types of information sources that are relied on in home search. The study also reveals that certain other information sources are utilized for locating and in arranging for the purchase of a home.     

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.     

A note on the effectiveness of written versus aural two-sided messages in attitude change

This research sought to determine the difference between the persuasive power of a written two-sided message and an aural two-sided message. Attitudes toward picture phone shopping were measured before and after a persuasive two-sided message about picture phone shopping was given to two student groups. One group was given the message to read while the other listened to the message on tape. The nonparamentic Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine the significance of the difference between the attitude change produced by the written message versus the aural message. The effectiveness of the aural medium was superior to that of the written medium.     

审计意见购买研究：规范与实证的演绎

审计意见购买是一种审计合谋行为,是导致审计秩序失范的重要原因。其动因在于购买者利用信息不对称、公司治理结构的不完善和审计师的机会主义向审计委托人寻租以从中谋利。审计意见购买行为包括外部审计意见购买和内部审计意见购买两种情形,需要从意见需求方、意见供给方和外界支持环境三方面对其进行治理。对现有研究的梳理表明,对内部审计意见购买动机与行为以及结合中国情境探讨治理对策等方面进行研究是未来审计意见购买研究方向。     

基于物联网的快捷超市购物系统设计

现今的网络购物依然无法取代人们日常的超市购物活动。因此,通过在现有的电子商务购物平台基础上,结合二维码、射频识别等物联网技术,设计一套应用于传统生鲜超市的电子购物系统,可以帮助人们快速、便捷地完成传统超市购物的过程。该系统利用二维码存储商品订单信息,方便快捷,便于传递;利用射频标签标识用户商品,自动识别,便于查找。     

浅析网上购物的发展前景

互联网的广泛运用,使电子商务以及网络经济快速发展。网上购物作为一种新的购物方式,广泛被人们接受,网上购物市场呈现出一派蓬勃之势。但是,网民在网上购物的同时,也面临着网上购物领域损害消费者权益的种种问题。如何为消费者营造一个稳定有序的网络购物环境,成为人们生活中亟待解决的问题。     

Key aspects of organizational buying: conceptualization and measurement

Much research has been devoted to organizational buying. Unfortunately, few studies focus on the development of specific measures of organizational buying behavior. And although many concepts in the literature are useful for describing and discussing buying behavior, they often cut across other buying activities and therefore may not be empirically distinct. This research applies a combination of literature- and field-based approaches to develop four distinct constructs that underlie the numerous activities in which buyers engage: procedural control, proactive focusing, use of analysis techniques, and search for information. Measurement scales for these constructs are created and then evaluated through a survey of purchasing professionals. The procedure resulted in a set of constructs and measures that may be applied to several complex areas of organizational buying research. She received her B.A. and M.B.A. from Michigan State University and her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on the use of information in various decision contexts. She has published several articles in journals such as theJournal of Marketing, Journal of Business to Business Marketing, andHealth Marketing Quarterly. Her research has also appeared in the proceedings of several national conferences.