Price,quality, and grocery shopping behaviour

Female grocery shoppers were segmented using cluster analysis; subsequently, segment profiles were developed using discriminant analysis. Identified shopper segments were found to distinguish clearly between various money-saving tactics and to rely on such tactics to varying degrees. Also, they were found to differ in terms of preference, behavioural and demographic characteristics.     

Polish and Belgian consumers' perception of environmentally friendly behaviour

The aim of this study was to design a method for evaluating the importance that consumers place on the characteristics of environmentally friendly (EF) products and on consumer EF behaviour. Attitudes and opinions of consumers regarding the EF value of the different aspects of consumer behaviour – purchasing, using and disposing of goods – were measured. The perception of EF behaviour was analysed for Belgian and Polish consumers, a Western and an Eastern European country. The cultural, economic and political differences between Belgium and Poland may imply that their consideration of EF behaviour is different. The perception of consumers about buying, using and disposing of EF products does not necessarily indicate their own EF behaviour, but it gives an indication of what consumers think is EF behaviour. On the basis of the results, policy‐makers and industry can diagnose the consumers' perceived cost–benefit relationship of EF consumer behaviour. An evaluation of what consumers think is EF can be made for the two countries. Marketers, government and EF organizations can draw on our research results when developing EF products and/or advertising campaigns.     

Physicians' perceptions of consumers' attitudes: satisfaction,quality and selection criteria

A mail survey of physicians from Sacramento, California, elicited information on perceptions of consumer satisfaction, service quality for 10 types of service providers including physicians and the importance ratings of 12 choice criteria for the selection of a physician by consumers. The two most important selection criteria for physicians as perceived for consumers by physicians were ‘consumer's previous experience with provider’ and ‘reputation/recommendation’. The results are compared with an earlier consumer survey.     

The effect of ambient scent on consumers' perception,emotions and behaviour: A critical review

Abstract

The effect of olfactory stimuli on consumer behaviour has received little attention in marketing and retailing literature compared to other atmospheric cues. Researchers report ambiguous findings and shortcomings of measurement approaches. Based on a critical literature review, a field experiment in a regional shopping mall investigates the effectiveness of ambient scent. Before-and-after surveys of randomly selected shoppers in experimental and control groups were conducted and different experimental designs simulated. Those designs not controlling either extraneous variables or attitudinal differences between the control and experimental group reveal a positive effect on factors operationalising mall perception and consumers' emotions. The design controlling both sources of bias indicates no impact of ambient scent on the dependent variables. None of the behavioural variables were affected in any case. This paper questions prior findings on the effectiveness of ambient scent in a shopping-mall environment and calls for more rigour in investigating the effectiveness of atmospheric stimuli in general.     

Antecedents of rural and urban consumers' propensity to outshop and product specific outshopping behaviour

Retail sector survives in the face of severe competition caused especially by outshopping activity. Outshopping involves residents—urban or rural—of one area travelling to another area, usually larger retail developments, to buy goods. This practice is of special concern to retailers particularly when consumers outshop even if the product is available locally. This study aims to understand how psychographics influence the propensity to outshop among urban and rural consumers, and more specifically to find out which products they purchase. It analyzes a quota sample of 298 usable responses from urban and rural areas of northern Gujarat. A structured questionnaire was administered through survey approach. From an exploratory analysis, six factors were extracted and regressed with a propensity to outshop among consumers, followed by the analysis of variance to determine which products were outshopped by consumers. The study demonstrates that rural consumers’ propensity to outshop is influenced by factors such as outlet prone, local involvement, and time saving opinions, urban consumers’ propensity to outshop is influenced by travelling oriented, outshopping interests, and time saving opinions. Additionally, rural consumers outshop for sports goods and flooring materials, while urban consumers outshop for children's clothing and fancy items for women’s use. This study can help retailers to tailor-make their communication strategies for rural and urban consumers. In addition, it can contribute significantly in understanding the retail flow for specific product categories, which in turn, can help retailers in designing marketing mix strategies for expanding their customer base.     

The impact of consumers' time constraint and conspicuous consumption behaviour on the throwaway society

In highly competitive economies, productivity is always increasing as entrepreneurs, driven by the profit motive, strive to build a better mousetrap. Over time, this has given consumers a wealth of material goods. However, within this type of economy, the consumers need to consume all that is produced or else there will be distortions in the labour markets. However, as it turns out, we are able to consume all that is produced by having transitioned into a throwaway society, but there are environmental consequences associated with the replacing of malfunctioning household products instead of repairing and reusing these products. There are a number of factors responsible for causing consumers to replace a malfunctioning household product as opposed to repairing the product for reuse. The research in this paper will focus on two of these factors. The first factor is the time constraint that consumers are faced with and the second factor is conspicuous consumption. This research uses the results of an international survey conducted in seven different countries at different stages of economic development. The survey was conducted between November, 2015 and December, 2016. The results show that both the time constraint factor and the conspicuous consumption factor are significant in determining that if a consumer will look to replace a malfunctioning household product as opposed to repairing the product for further reuse. Furthermore, as more nations continue to develop economically and their GDP per capita grows, then the environmental impacts resulting from an increasing throwaway society by those nations will yield more hazardous environmental consequences.     

Combining verbal analysis protocol and wireless audiovisual observation to examine consumers' supermarket shopping behaviour

The study investigates the benefits of using a verbal analysis protocol combined with wireless audiovisual observation technology to collect information about consumer behaviour in real‐life environments. A sample of consumers (n = 36) were given a task to select food products in 11 different categories in a supermarket. Combining methods enabled simultaneous collection of multiple forms of qualitative and quantitative data by recording data simultaneously from different perspectives: the consumer's visual range; the wider shopping environment, to provide context; the consumer's verbalizations. Qualitative data on extrinsic and intrinsic factors that affect decision making and quantitative data on product selection time were taken as an example of rich and real‐time data obtained using the combined methods. Audiovisual material was analysed by Usability Test Software 2.0, verbal analysis data were sorted by a database programme and quantitative data were processed using SPSS 17.0. The study design provided sensitive verification of the nature of consumer interaction with the shopping environment: e.g. during the product selection time (average 23 ± 10 s/product), the interaction with the environment varied between individuals and among products selected. The approach represents a useful technique to enable the value of consumer input to direct innovation in consumer‐oriented product development. It also offers new perspectives to consumers and authorities and related organizations to understand shopping behaviour and the role of critical factors behind the food choices at the supermarket.     

How does past behaviour stimulate consumers' intentions to repeat unethical behaviour? The roles of perceived risk and ethical beliefs

Repeated unethical behaviour by consumers is a serious challenge for participants in business transactions, including consumers, retailers, and those responsible for market supervision. Due to the inherent risk of such behaviours, we examine perceived risk to uncover the psychological mechanism by which consumers consider past behaviour (PAB) when deciding to repeat unethical behaviour. We divide perceived risk into two categories, material risk (MAR) and nonmaterial risk (NMR), based on two kinds of ethical evaluation and explore their mediating effects in the process through which PAB influences consumers' intentions to repeat unethical behaviour (CIRUB). We check the moderating effect of consumers' ethical beliefs on the relationship between PAB and CIRUB. We use survey data from four typical ethical scenarios to test the proposed structural relationships. Direct positive effects of PAB on consumers' intentions are observed in all four scenarios. NMR has stable, positive mediating effects in all scenarios. MAR is found to have negative mediating effects in two scenarios (switching price tags and using an expired coupon) and a positive effect in one scenario (copying software). However, no effect is observed in the benefiting from a cashier's mistake scenario. Finally, ethical beliefs are proven to positively moderate the relationship between PAB and consumers' intentions in the first two scenarios, but not the last two. This study also discusses the implications of the findings and offers suggestions for future research.     

Impact of product-specific variables on consumers' post-consumption behaviour for apparel products: USA

Abstract Companies spend valuable resources developing and distributing products to please the consumer; however, products that do not match consumer performance expectations during post-purchase use often result in consumer dissatisfaction. This situation can lead to redress-seeking behaviour and negative repurchase behaviour. Understanding factors influencing consumers' post-purchase behaviour can provide retailers with information to make accurate purchasing decisions and improve interpretation of the post-return data. This study examines product-specific variables for apparel purchases and their relationship with post-consumption behaviour. Product cost and product type were found to be related to redress and repurchase behaviour among dissatisfied consumers. Implications for apparel retailers and consumer educators are discussed.     

An exploration of the influence of food labels on South African consumers' purchasing behaviour

New labelling legislation in South Africa is expected to help consumers sustain a healthy lifestyle through the food choices they make. This study was undertaken to explore a sample of South African consumers' reasons for reading labels and the influence of food labels on their purchasing behaviour. The study was conducted using focus group discussions held with label reading consumers in Potchefstroom in the North West Province of South Africa. Findings suggested that these participants read food labels to assess the nutritional value, personal benefits, health attributes and product quality. Various purchasing influences were also identified, suggesting that consumers are in some cases motivated by food labels to purchase a product, or may be unresponsive to the label or indifferent by being aware of the information but not reluctant to buy a product that does not indicate essential information. Several indirect consideration factors such as situational factors (e.g. family), extrinsic (e.g. price) and intrinsic (e.g. taste) may contribute to the purchasing behaviour of some consumers. These findings are useful to propose a perceptual model of the way in which food labels influence purchasing behaviour of a sample of South African consumers and explain the role of food labels in the purchasing decision of label‐reading consumers. This information is especially significant for new packaging and labelling initiatives as it highlights the reasons why label‐reading South African consumers read label information.     

Are consumers' perceptions of price–quality relationships well calibrated?

Past research has shown that, to varying degrees, consumers tend to believe price is an indicator of quality, even though there is in fact often very little correlation between objective measures of price and quality (PQ). Moreover, consumers have been observed to be poorly calibrated in their knowledge of precisely which categories exhibit the strongest association between PQ for products. Given the profound changes that have occurred in consumer markets, such as the rise of the Internet and the flood of product quality information now readily available online, the present work seeks to update this line of research. Specifically, it seeks to determine if changes in the marketplace have affected (1) consumers' perceptions of the PQ relationship; and (2) consumers' PQ calibration. Data from two sources were collected and compared: (1) Subjective ratings of the PQ relation for various common products, collected using a questionnaire format in a survey of 313 US consumers; and (2) Objective estimates of the actual PQ association of the same products, gathered from independent third‐party information providers who report both prices and rank‐ordered quality measures for each. Results indicate that consumers today (1) continue to perceive a modest positive relationship between PQ (more so for durables, less for non‐durables); and (2) are modestly calibrated for durable products. But they are much less well calibrated in the realm of non‐durables, where consumers expect a positive link between price and quality in precisely those product categories in which the relationship is actually negative. Relative to past research, the calibration of consumers has apparently ‘flipped’ from non‐durables to durables today. Potential explanations for this result include (1) the rise of the Internet as an information source for quality ratings of durables; (2) a higher level of perceived risk for durable goods purchases; (3) a greater tendency for durables to exhibit a positive correlation between actual quality and price; and (4) the rising quality level of private label brands, which may render prior price–quality perceptions for non‐durables outdated or obsolete.     

Assess the impact of subjective norms of consumers' behaviour in the Greek olive oil market

The objective of the research was to highlight the role that socio-economic and spatial attributes of consumers – households exert on their choices regarding not only the supply modes but also the price they are willing to pay for different categories of olive oil. Regarding WTP for different olive oil labels, consumers are willing to pay premiums only for olive oils being processed by either private companies or cooperatives, with the latter to gain 34% of them in case they would decide to change the olive oil they usually purchase. The most important consumer profile is the young educated consumer one.     

Price and quality decisions by self-serving managers

We present a theory of price and quality decisions by managers who are self-serving. In the theory, firms stress the price or quality of their products, but not both. Accounting for this, managers exploit any uncertainty about the cause of market outcomes to credit positive results to the dominant, “strategic” factor and blame negative results on the other—as doing so is psychologically rewarding. The problem with biased attributions, however, is that they prompt biased decisions. We motivate this argument with evidence from one experiment and then develop a model to understand the cost of the bias under different market conditions. Counter to intuition, we find that firms in a competitive setting can profit from the self-serving nature of their managers.     

Ethnicity,body shape differences and female consumers' apparel fit problems

This research compared body shapes, measurements, ratios and fit problems of 234 African (109) and Caucasian (125) women. A three‐dimensional (3D) full‐body scanner generated virtual body images from which circumferential, width, protrusion and height measurements were extracted. Thereafter, circumferential and height ratios were computed. Drop values of key circumferential measurements were used to classify participants' bodies that were later visually confirmed and adopted. Results revealed that triangle, hourglass and rectangle were the three most predominant shapes among African and Caucasian women. There was a significant association between the three most predominant body shapes and ethnicity. There were significant differences in some body measurements and ratios, most of which were observed between African and Caucasian triangle as well as some of the other body shapes and the Caucasian hourglass used in the apparel industry. The differences especially between Caucasian hourglass and the other body shapes may be resulting in the persistent fit problems reported by some of the predominant body shapes at some of the selected body parts. This study therefore concluded that multicultural markets need to identify characteristics of all prevalent shapes within a population in order to minimize apparel fit problems.     

Action control,proxy control,and consumers' evaluations of the service exchange

This article adopts a consumer's point of view, and extends current literature that models the relationships between consumers' control perceptions, service providers' fair behaviors, and consumers' satisfaction with the exchange. Perceived control is disassembled into action and proxy control and their differential actions in the service exchange discussed. This article models, for the first time, the joint effects of perceived control and service provider behaviors on consumer satisfaction by explicitly connecting service‐provider fair behaviors to consumers' perceptions of control. The results from two repeated‐measures experiments provide support for the hypotheses. Specifically, a multivariate analysis of the data demonstrated main effects for the experimental manipulations on perceived control, perceived fairness, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. An interaction effect between perceived control and perceived fairness was also evident in one experiment. Future research and managerial implications are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effects of ethical sales behaviour,expertise, corporate reputation,and performance on relationship quality and loyalty

This analysis examines the influence of ethical sales behaviour, salesperson expertise, service performance, corporate reputation, and corporate performance on relationship quality and its consequences from multi-level perspectives in order to identify the nature of mix relationships at different levels. A survey with 505 qualified observations from financial institutions' customers in Taiwan was conducted. A structural equation modelling approach was used. Ethical sales behaviour, salesperson expertise, service performance, corporate reputation, and corporate performance, that is, the antecedents of relationship quality, have significant effects on relationship quality. Relationships exist between salespeople and customers, but customers also establish relationship with the retailers themselves. Satisfactory relationship quality has positive effects on commitment and loyalty. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

Energy efficient household appliances in emerging markets: the influence of consumers' values and knowledge on their attitudes and purchase behaviour

This research integrates both motivational and cognitive approaches to better understand consumers' purchase behaviour of energy efficient household appliances in emerging markets. A unique values, knowledge, attitudes and behaviour model was developed, and then validated by obtaining data from Vietnamese consumers which yielded 682 usable responses. The findings confirm that consumers with stronger adherence to egoistic values are more likely to develop negative attitudes towards environmental protection, and they tend to formulate positive attitudes towards individual inconvenience associated with the purchase of energy efficient appliances. In contrast, biospheric and altruistic values facilitate consumers' purchase behaviour by enhancing their attitudes towards environmental protection, and by also reducing their attitudes in relation to individual inconvenience. Interestingly, consumers with high knowledge about energy efficient appliances tend to believe that the purchase of such products is important for environmental protection, and they are likely to negate the perception of inconvenience associated with the purchase. Attitudes were found to be significant determinants of both purchase intention and behaviour. The implications for policymakers, marketers and other stakeholders are discussed and future research directions presented.     

Older consumers' Tv home shopping: Loneliness,parasocial interaction,and perceived convenience

This study examined factors that affect consumer satisfaction with TV shopping by investigating both convenience‐ and emotion‐related variables. Data were obtained from 295 online surveys with TV home shoppers who were 60 years and older. The structural model revealed (1) a positive effect of lack of shopping mobility on loneliness and perceived convenience of TV shopping, (2) a positive effect of loneliness on parasocial interaction, and (3) positive effects of parasocial interaction and perceived convenience on satisfaction with TV shopping. Results provide implications for TV shopping networks and producers. Parasocial interaction can be utilized to enhance the consumer experience by alleviating older consumers' loneliness, which ultimately leads to their satisfaction. Furthermore, convenience benefits of TV shopping can be emphasized to attract older consumers who have limited shopping mobility. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Employee behaviour and relationship quality: impact on customers

This paper examines relationship quality as a multidimensional metaconstruct comprising three dimensions; satisfaction, trust and commitment. The role of relationship quality in its nomological network with service orientation as an antecedent construct and consumers' positive behavioural intentions, perceived switching costs and activism as the consequences is explored. Survey data from 728 travellers are used, employing structural equations modelling to test this conceptualisation. It is found that service orientation affects relationship satisfaction and trust, and that the latter influences satisfaction and commitment. In turn, satisfaction, trust and commitment have a positive impact on positive behavioural intentions, trust has a negative impact on activism, and commitment a positive one on perceived switching costs. The implications of this conceptual and empirical understanding of relationship quality are discussed and directions for future research presented.