Generation Y female and male decision-making styles in Iran: are they different?

In the early 2000s the Iranian government liberalized investment regulations and many foreign companies entered this high potential market where end-user consumers mainly comprise young people. Unfortunately, there are few studies of shopping behavior. This study compares Generation Y female and male consumer decision-making styles to offer guidelines to Iranian and overseas marketers. Sproles and Kendall's Consumer Styles Inventory (CSI) was adopted. The results show some differences between female and male decision-making styles, suggesting that gender affects shopping behavior. Identification of new traits suggests that CSI cannot be applied without considering socio-cultural factors.     

UK Consumer Decision-Making Styles

The importance of market globalisation and the consequent interest in international marketing has prompted a surge of work examining cross-cultural consumer behaviour. As part of this trend, this paper examines the generalisability of Sproles and Kendall's (1986) Consumer Styles Inventory (CSI) in an extension of their work in the UK. Most of the original US traits were found in the UK, with the addition of new store-loyalty and time-energy saving traits. However, some problems were encountered with the CSI's reliability and validity. Extending the original study, the research also identified meaningful and distinct decision-making groups which suggests a possible use of the CSI in segmentation. Implications for scale development, segmentation and cross-cultural research are discussed.     

Sustaining shopping momentum in retail malls using real-time messaging

Retail malls thrive not only on foot traffic they attract but also on buyers spending at multiple retailers in the mall. While the importance of shopping momentum, i.e., buyers continuing to shop, is known, few studies have examined how mobile promotions can incentivize buyers to sustain their shopping momentum in a mall. This study examines how a mall operator targets buyers in its loyalty program with a real-time message (RTM) to encourage them to sustain their shopping momentum and spend more at the next retailer. We use a quasi-experimental design and show that the RTM has a stronger effect on heavy than light buyers. Specifically, moderate and heavy buyers are more likely to respond favorably to RTMs by sustaining shopping momentum and increasing spending at the next retailer. In contrast, the RTM has no effect on shopping momentum of light buyers, and if they continue to shop, they lower their subsequent spending. The study has important implications for retailers using mobile applications to target buyers with relevant real-time promotions to achieve desired outcomes.     

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.     

Singapore's Internet shoppers and their impact on traditional shopping patterns

This study examines the demographic and psycho-graphic characteristics of Internet shoppers, the present Internet users’ habits and attitude and the attitude of those who have made actual purchases via Internet before. It also attempts to give an indication of the impact on traditional shopping patterns. The data is obtained by conducting surveys on local consumers. Hypotheses were formulated and tested using statistical techniques like Pearson Correlation, Factor Analysis, Reliability Test, Independent Sample t-Test, Cross Tabulation and Chi-Square. The study found that Internet buyers and non-Internet buyers have some distinctive demographic and psychographic profiles. The findings also suggest that e-commerce does not have a significant impact on traditional shopping patterns due primarily to Singaporeans’ preference for real life shopping.     

Shopping orientations of US males: A generational cohort comparison

Male shoppers are recognized as an important and distinctive market segment. While initial steps to categorize and classify male shoppers have been taken, the majority of existing empirical research considers male shoppers as a single, homogeneous market segment. Recognizing that our understanding of male shoppers can be improved by identifying smaller, more homogeneous sub-segments, this exploratory study uses Generational Cohort Theory (GCT) as a framework to examine the shopping orientations of US men across four different generational cohorts: the Silent generation, the Baby Boomers, the 13th Generation, and the Millennials. The findings of this study support the use of GCT as a market segmentation tool for male shoppers and provide insight to help retailers understand how men in the four cohort groups approach shopping. Specifically, the findings suggest that male shoppers in the Millennial generation exhibit significantly higher levels of shopping enjoyment, recreational shopping tendency and market mavenism than males in the other generational cohorts.     

Female consumers: Decision-making in brand-driven retail

This article is a theory-building exploratory study conducted to investigate how female shoppers make meaning in a branded-retail store shopping experience. This study extends research on retail consumers' decision-making and the retail shopping experience using hermeneutic phenomenology. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with respondents, who were self-identified customers of a leading intimate apparel retailer. The results suggest that consumers' retail shopping decision-making incorporates a complex set of interactive components that are brand-driven and simultaneously affect and are affected by the interaction of in-store shopping and retail setting. The findings show a rich understanding of the consumer decision-making process is achievable by including the actual in-store experience, consumers' prior contextual experiences and expectations regarding retail visits.     

What beliefs underlie decisions to buy groceries online?

Online grocery shopping has become increasingly popular in many countries due to Covid-19. Although there is plenty of research on consumer adoption and use of online grocery shopping, only a few studies focus on understanding the underlying beliefs of experienced buyers. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour and following its recommendations, the present study set out to explore the actual beliefs that underlie attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control to buy groceries online among those who have been doing it regularly for a longer time. A structured qualitative approach, in this case an elicitation study, was applied to uncover the shared ideas, modal salient beliefs, among a group of experienced buyers (n = 14). The study found that time-saving and convenience, which for many meant avoiding the discomfort of in-store shopping, combined with assisted meal planning and simultaneous ordering were considered important for experienced online shoppers. This suggests that further assistance in the planning to order process may be welcome, including more proactive prompts and suggestions. The quality of perishable goods was still a concern after months of online shopping, along with a limited product range, which for some had meant less variation in meals. Suboptimal user interface and delivery-related inflexibility caused some concern. Retailers in the grocery business stand before major capital expenditure if they wish to expand their online offerings and services. The study at hand provides valuable initial insight into what drives consumer behaviour in this respect.     

Behavioral changes of multichannel customers: Their persistence and influencing factors

This study addresses how behavioral changes following a new channel's adoption persist over time, and how their patterns vary among customers. We verify the roles of individual behavioral traits reflecting self-selection, marketing exposure, and loyalty in explaining these differences. Based on the elaboration likelihood model and attitude commitment theory, we develop hypotheses to predict these traits' effects on customers' membership in a particular segment with a unique post-adoption behavioral pattern. A latent class model is developed to empirically identify various customer segments and connect behavioral traits to the probability of segment membership. The results reveal that only 25% of the sample exhibits permanent behavioral changes, and most of these tend to buy from numerous stores with intense cross-buying. Approximately 43% of customers who temporarily changed their behaviors were strongly inclined to use multiple shopping channels and spend substantial amounts on hedonic products. The remaining 32% who did not change their purchases appear to be frequent buyers. We also discuss the work's implications for managing multichannel customers.     

Retail buyer segmentation based on the use of assortment decision factors

The purpose of this study is to provide detailed information about apparel retail buyers' buying behaviors based on their use of assortment decision factors. After interviews with five retail buyers and merchandisers, surveys were conducted in Seoul, South Korea for this exploratory study. Apparel retail buyers, merchandisers, and retail store owners, who are involved in assortment planning and buying, participated in the survey (N=378). Results of factor analysis created seven assortment decision factor groups. Based on the factor groups, four cluster groups were the best cluster result: (1) Least Factor Use Buyers, (2) Traditional Factor Use Buyers, (3) Consumer-Oriented Buyers, and (4) Most Factor Use Buyers. Because this study used convenience and snowball sampling methods in one country, the findings cannot be generalized to the general population of apparel retail buyers and merchandisers. However, the study provides researchers with planning factors and cluster information for retail buying behavior. The results offer insight to buyers for their decision-making by organizing assortment decision factors from the most to the least important, especially for younger buyers, who need guidance about assortment planning. Although assortment planning and trade-off decisions are known to be extremely important to retail success (e.g., Kok et al., 2008), no previous study identified a typology of retail buyers on the basis of their consideration of assortment decision factors. This study adds new information and confirms the application of traditional assortment decision factors from 1980s and 1990s to post-2008 era.     

The influence of college students' shopping orientations and gender differences on online information searches and purchase behaviours

Using the data collected from a survey of 1277 US college students, this study investigated college students' shopping orientations, and examined the relationships between their shopping orientations and searches for information about and purchases of apparel products online and the differences between male and female students in their shopping orientations, online information searches and purchase experiences. Seven shopping orientation constructs were identified: shopping enjoyment, brand/fashion consciousness, price consciousness, shopping confidence, convenience/time consciousness, in‐home shopping tendency and brand/store loyalty. Results showed that participants' shopping orientations were significantly related to their searches for information about and purchases of apparel items online. In addition, male and female participants showed significant differences in their shopping orientations, online information searches and purchase experiences. This study provided suggestions for apparel e‐tailors to develop effective marketing strategies to reach their target market, for consumer educators and for educators in the retail merchandizing area to prepare their students for future careers.     

Customers on the web are not all created equal: the moderating role of internet shopping experience

Consumers' previous shopping experience has been found to be an important influence on future shopping intentions. Prior internet shopping experience, however, has been largely overlooked as a moderator of attitudes and online-retail outcomes. Specifically, key influences on online retail buying behavior such as site reputation, advertising likeability, site security and hedonic and utilitarian shopping values can be expected to have differential effects on intentions to repatronize an e-commerce website based on the level of internet shopping experience by prospective buyers. This study proposes and tests an integrated model in which level of prior internet shopping experience is treated as a moderator of relationships among attitudinal variables and repatronage intentions with the variable attitude toward the site as a mediator of buying intentions. Findings are consistent with the proposed model with an interesting exception. Perceptions of site security were in the opposite direction of the model prediction. Managerial and theoretical implications are provided for consideration.     

Generational and family structural differences in male attitudes and orientations towards shopping

New evidence suggests Millennial men are assuming the role for household shopping at a growing pace. This study employs the generational cohort theory to examine differences among male shoppers. Specifically, exploring the variables of family structure and social class relative to male enjoyment of their shopping experience through an online questionnaire. ANOVA and logistic regression were used to analyze the data of 443 respondents. The results show significant differences in the impact of family structures across generations. Present social class and the social class during ones upbringing lead to key differences in Millennials in terms of entertainment facilities and willingness to wait on purchases.     

Like or want? Gender differences in attitudes toward online shopping in China

While previous studies indicate that female consumers display less trust for online shopping than males do, there is little research to addresses the reasons behind this difference. Our study applies a combination of both self‐report and the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to compare the cognitive and affective components of attitudes in men and women toward online shopping in China. Although female participants showed no significant difference from male participants in affective attitudes toward online shopping in the self‐report condition, females associated online shopping more frequently with unpleasant adjectives and off‐line shopping with pleasant adjectives in the indirect IAT condition. The opposite pattern was found for the male group. This finding indicates a wanting but disliking attitude toward online shopping among the female consumers in China, which provides a unique theoretical contribution to consumer behavior theory and helps to enhance e‐marketers’ market targeting and segmentation effectiveness in China.     

Consumers’ personality and compulsive buying behavior: The role of hedonistic shopping experiences and gender in mediating-moderating relationships

Although existing research suggests that personality plays an important role in explaining compulsive buying behavior, there is still potential space to diagnose the theoretical mediational mechanisms underlying these effects or the extent to which these relationships vary across different consumer demographic groups. Indeed, the role of specific personality traits on hedonistic shopping experiences and compulsive buying still awaits an in-depth examination and clarification. Thus, the present research contributes to existing knowledge by: (1) examining hedonistic shopping experiences (HSE) as a mediating mechanism on compulsive buying (CB); and (2) investigating the role of gender as a moderating variable. Using a sample of 363 adults and data derived from the US market, we confirmed the role of hedonistic shopping experiences, a central trait, in mediating the effects of cardinal traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness and agreeableness), on compulsive buying, a surface trait. Specifically, neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience exerted a more indirect and positive influence on compulsive buying, while conscientiousness and agreeableness showed a stronger direct and negative relationship with hedonistic shopping experiences and compulsive buying. In addition, neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience were a stronger driver of compulsive buying for women than for men, while conscientiousness and agreeableness jointly decreased the importance of hedonistic shopping experiences, and more strongly inhibited compulsive buying for women than for men. The research findings offer important theoretical, public policy and marketing implications.     

Actual and perceived consumer vigilance in the retail grocery industry

Economic theory suggests that price competition is in part driven by actively searching buyers. An exploratory study in a major midwestern grocery market revealed that executives responsible for pricing decisions overestimate the size of the price-driven shopping segment. The reasons behind this perception and its impact on pricing decisions are examined.     

Revised CSI and Australian consumers: incorporating ‘innovation’ and ‘automobile purchases’

The first objective of this study was to identify Australian consumers' decision-making styles for automobile purchases. Second, adding an innovation consciousness scale to the original consumer styles inventory (CSI) to assess Australian consumers' car purchase behaviour. Based on a sample of 214 respondents from Australian automobile consumers, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on Sproles and Kendall's (1986) CSI adapted for automobile purchases. As such, the validity of the CSI in the context of high-involvement purchases was tested. The results found that only two factors, ‘brand’ and ‘habitual consciousness’, of the original model were retained and other factors such as ‘investigation process’, ‘information search’, ‘value within budget’ and ‘innovation consciousness’ factors were confirmed for automobile purchase decision-making styles. ‘Innovation consciousness’ was proven to be one of the most reliable and valuable scales for automobile purchase decision-making styles in relation to Australian consumers. The paper also discusses suitable marketing strategies for automobile consumers in Australia. The current research should prove valuable not only to academic researchers but also to automobile companies/managers. The findings will also provide insight into how automobile companies could position themselves with respect to their marketing strategies in Australia.     

Retail market segmentation: the use of consumer decision-making styles,overall satisfaction and demographics

The objective of the current study was to determine segments of younger and older retail shoppers on the basis of the use of decision-making styles, overall satisfaction and demographic factors. To collect data for this study a structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of 894 urban shoppers residing in two cities in Botswana whose ages were between 18 and 64 years. The shoppers were intercepted in the shopping malls. The unique aspects of this study include the analysis of age differences in the factor structure of consumer decision-making styles as well as the investigation of hybrid segments of the general shopping public using consumer decision-making styles in conjunction with overall satisfaction and demographic factors. Eight decision-making styles emerged for both younger and older shoppers. However, only three styles being Time energy conserving, Perfectionism, and Habitual buying emerged in both age groups. The key findings also reflected that both younger and older shoppers were represented in three segments which were labelled as: uninhibited, functional and laid-back shoppers. Younger shoppers were also classified as recreational quality seekers whilst older shoppers were labelled as novelty–quality seekers. The use of decision-making styles varied significantly across the four segments in each age group. Further differences were observed based on overall satisfaction, education, marital status and income subject to the age group. These results represent a solid attempt to extend knowledge of shopping behaviour in a modern retail sector within a developing country, which is essential for retail mix development and positioning strategies.     

中国老年消费者购物决策风格的实证研究

本文首次将CSI量表用于测量中国老年消费者的购物决策风格。探索性因子分析与验证性因子分析发现,中国老年消费者具有四种购物决策风格,即品牌意识、娱乐享乐、眼花缭乱、追求完美的品质意识。ANOVA分析进一步揭示,中国老年消费者的购物决策风格因子在人口统计特征上具有统计显著性。     

Creating Retail Web Sites for Different Consumer Shopping Orientations

Abstract

As the number of Web sites continues to expand and consumers increase their use of the Internet, companies must find ways to convert visitors to buyers and boost return visits to their sites. Most sources that offer guidelines for developing Web sites assume that all Internet shoppers are the same. An examination of customers' shopping orientations would, however, indicate that this is unlikely to be the case. To develop a more effective Web site, it is important to consider the shopping orientations of the target market. This article describes five different shopping orientations and offers ways to address these differences when creating a Web site.