Consumer religiosity and retail store evaluative criteria

Consumer religiosity, which includes the religious commitment and religious affiliation of consumers, may be a significant construct in explaining retail store patronage. The present study used several measures of religiosity to investigate the influence of this possible segmentation variable on consumer evaluation of the importance of various retail department store attributes. Support was found for the religious commitment construct but not for religious affiliation. The most consistent relationship found was between religious commitment and the importance placed by the consumer on sales personnel friendliness/assistance. Direction for future research is provided.     

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.     

Mobility as an influence on retail patronage behavior of the elderly: Testing conventional wisdom

While the marketplace potential of the elderly segment is tremendous, research with regard to what influences the elderly’s patronage behavior has, to date, been inconclusive. This article attempts to determine the effect lack of transportation mobility has on various patronage behaviors. The research reported here is based on a large national smaple of the elderly and incorporates the factors suggested by previous research. The study shows mobility is not a significant influence on the type of retail store frequented, but can influence switching patronage between stores of a given type. Additionally, it was found that mobility is related to the elderly’s psychographic profiles, convenience needs, and information source usage.     

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.     

General retail patronage loyalty as a determinant of consumer outshopping behavior

Consumer outshopping research has shown there are significant, but weak, relationships between consumers' attitudes toward local retailers and the degree to which they shop in local versus outlying areas. An alternative attitude measurement, retail patronage loyalty, is proposed and empirically evaluated. The loyalty scale was shown to be a stronger and more generalizable predictor of consumer outshopping behavior.     

Behavioral characteristics of the recreational shopper and implications for retail management

The success of a retail image is dependent upon the retailer's ability to appropriately match store attributes and benefits with target market characteristics. This study indicates that many consumers (recreational shoppers) shop for other than purely economic considerations. The results provide new evidence pertaining to the appropriate retail strategy for attracting such shoppers.     

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.     

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.     

Differences in retail store images within husband-wife dyads

Aggregate measures of purchasing influence generally produce similar results whether husbands or wives serve as the respondents. However, this study indicates that wives should not be used as surrogates for husbands in studies measuring retail store images. The findings of this study indicate that developing marketing strategies based on the images held by wives may not be successful in dealing with the male segment of the market. There is substantial within-couple variation in the evaluation of specific aspects of specific retail stores. However, both groups do appear to use similar evaluative criteria. The differences are in the evaluation of the store characteristics, not in the underlying criteria.     

Profitable positioning for retailers

This article has considered the nature and role of positioning among retailers. The positioning of retail stores was defined as the perceived image consumers have of one store in relation to competitive outlets within the same trading area. And profitable positioning for retailers was identified as a strategy for developing and projecting unique store images for increasing the retailer’s total profits.     

Trading stamps: Their role in today's marketplace

This paper addresses the issue—Are trading stamps a viable means of retail competition in an inflationary economy? A brief history of trading stamps is presented, followed by a current examination of the industry. The paper concludes by discussing the results of a recent survey of 200 shoppers designed to answer the following questions: (1) consumers' ranking of the importance of trading stamps as a supermarket patronage motive; (2) determination if consumers believe trading stamps produce higher food prices; and (3) would consumers prefer a two percent cash discount in lieu of trading stamps.     

A comparative analysis of multiattribute attitude models

In the consumer behavior context, multiattribute attitude models used to predict consumer choice in multiple criteria decision making situations have produced mixed results. Prediction of consumer behavior from attitudes, consequently, has been highly debated in recent years with researchers using beliefs-only, full, and extended multiattribute attitude models. The research underlying this paper was designed to compare the predictive superiority of the beliefs-only model, the full multiattribute attitude model, and a new representation identified as the combined multiattribute/determinant attribute attitude model. Data concerning patronage of fast-food chains were collected from a student panel for seven weeks. Predictive superiority was determined by average adjusted R² using the patronage behavior dependent variable. All models were tested in aggregated and disaggregated form.     

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.     

零售业态惠顾意向与决策型态关系研究

研究显示，消费者零售业态惠顾意向与决策型态部分存在显著的相关关系。年龄、性别、婚否、教育程度等因素对大型超市、网上商店和便利店的惠顾意向存在显著影响。     

The motivation for grocery store loyal behavior with marketing implications

Two different grocery shoppers can be equally loyal to the same supermarket but for entirely different reasons. For example, customer A may be loyal to a store because of convenience reasons while customer B may be loyal to the same store because he or she perceives that the store overall has very low prices. Because of these differences any attempt to segment the market based on store loyalty alone will be only partially effective. A more useful approach is to incorporate a motivation for patronage as well as a loyalty level in a market segmentation classification scheme. On data collected in Bangor, Maine, four types of grocery customers were identified and named price shoppers, convenience shoppers, involved shoppers, and apathetic shoppers. The particular advantage of the four group typology is that customers are defined in terms of response to marketing mix variables. Therefore, the implementation of or changes in marketing strategy is facilitated by the use of the typology.     

A factor analytic comparison of outshopping behavior in larger retail trade areas

Three patronage factors appear to motivate outshopping behavior across larger retail areas. The results are supported by research which has typically concentrated on smaller retail trade areas. This correspondence suggests a generalized outshopping behavior which may be attributable to the inability of retailers to completely satisfy all dimensions related to the shopping experience.     

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     

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.     

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。     

Three differential variables and their relation to retail strategy and profitability

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate three variables utilized frequently within the retail grocery industry to gain a differential advantage within a target market. These variables are Trading Stamps, Credit, and Delivery. Essentially, the study seeks to determine whether these differential variables are related to retail strategy and retail store profitability for a selected group of retail grocery stores belonging to a retailer cooperative. The study also seeks to determine if the utilization of the differential variables creates any profitability changes within the basic retailing strategy variables of the researched respondents.