Aisles of life: outline of a customer-centric approach to retail space management

The article argues that well-established principles of urban design are highly relevant for retail management and applicable in regards to a much needed customer-centric turn in space management within retailing management. In particular, supermarkets, hypermarkets and larger retail chains are governed by a space management tradition that heavily draws on principles of utilitarianism and instrumental rationality. Yet, any physical retail space accommodates a separate and distinctive, but not independent, social space which must equally be addressed if attractive retail spaces are to be grasped, created and maintained. In fact, the standardized and repetitive design of many larger retail environments such as supermarkets appears to build on uncontested traditions of space management and tenacious myths about consumer behaviour and preferences that are challenged as urban design studies are consulted. In reference to current urban design research, the article concludes by suggesting five propositions and measurements for the customer-centric quality of retail spaces that take as a starting point the appreciation of the social space that any retail space management presupposes.     

Physical and social atmospheric effects in hedonic service consumption: customers' roles at sporting events

This study examines the comparative effects of physical and social atmospherics in a hedonic service context. This article focuses on other customers as the social factors in the service environment and distinguishes three dimensions: density, appearance, and behaviour. The main purpose of this article is to highlight the relevance of other customers as the atmospheric factors of the servicescape. The findings of our empirical study suggest that in addition to the perceived physical properties, favourable perceptions of other customers – particularly, their behavioural patterns – exert a strong positive influence on favourable overall affective responses. These responses, in turn, have a positive impact on customers' on-site spending and positive word-of-mouth behaviours.     

Trade show boothscapes

Abstract

Trade shows continue to be second only to personal selling in business-to-business promotion. Exhibitors around the world seek to attract the proper attendees into their booths (stands), but design advice for accomplishing exhibitor goals is lacking. Designs intended to appeal to attendees indiscriminately only crowd booths with nonbuyers. Given the diversity of exhibitor goals, attendee motives and potential booth designs, exhibitors need to carefully weigh competing design elements. The theoretical underpinnings of retail atmospherics, service escapes and prior trade show research are juxtaposed with observations from a very large international industrial trade show. A variety of observations and interviews with marketing managers provide data from small to large exhibitors. A framework is proposed linking various design elements to specific exhibitor goals and attendee roles.     

日本的《天店法》及对中国零售业规制的启示

本文通过对日本《大店法》在不同阶段对日本零售业的规模、国际化程度及立地所产生的影响分析,提出中国有必要借鉴日本的经验,通过立法对零售业进行规制,以限制大店过度竞争,保护居民生活环境,合理利用工地等资源。     

The inter-store mobility of supermarket shoppers

The allegiance of a particular customer, and the distribution across customers of strength of affiliation to a store are important indicators of store health. It is therefore important to understand the extent and determinants of shopper mobility among competing retailers. While shoppers often patronize many stores, they typically have a primary affiliation to a “main store” that captures the majority of their purchases. We examine, in detail, the tendencies of shoppers to transition away from the current main store and adopt another in its place. That is, rather than study all types of store switching behavior, we focus on the decision to change primary allegiance. The model is established in a discrete time hazard framework and estimated as random-effects probit. Data from 548 households taking 88,945 shopping trips among five stores are used to calibrate the model.We find that state dependence is prevalent with nearly three quarters of the shoppers showing progressive attachment to their current main store. Interestingly, this finding is not simply driven by location (i.e., because shoppers are captive to a single store based on geographical distance). More likely, shoppers are unwilling to give up the benefits of store-specific knowledge of assortment, layout and prices. Second, the decision to transition from a current main store is not influenced by temporary price promotions on a common basket of items: Shoppers will cherry-pick, but this alone does not cause them to change primary allegiance. The majority of transitions occur across competing stores of the same price format, which suggests “format loyalty” is an important aspect of shopper behavior. After controlling for unobserved heterogeneity, we find little relationship between observable demographics and the transition probability. We do, however, find that shoppers who spend more per trip are less likely to change main stores, as are less frequent shoppers. Implications for retail management strategy are discussed.     

感知差异化对零售店顾客惠顾与支付意愿影响机理研究

本文在零售顾客感知归类模型的基础上构建了顾客感知差异化对惠顾与溢价支付意愿影响机理的理论模型,并通过大规模调查,运用结构方程及回归分析对该模型进行检验.研究结果显示感知差异化与享乐性价值、功用性价值、店铺印象存在正相关关系,而享乐性价值、功用性价值、店铺印象与惠顾意愿、溢价支付意愿的关系受到场所依赖的部分中介作用.本文还发现在高顾客介入情境下,功用性价值对场所依赖的影响程度削弱,店铺印象对场所依赖的影响增强.     

The impact of store flyers on store traffic and store sales: a geo-marketing approach

This paper analyzes the impact of the composition of a retailers’ weekly store flyer on store performance. The paper presents and tests propositions on how a store flyer’s size, its average discount size, and the allocation of store flyer space to category and brand types, affects store traffic and sales. The moderating impact of location variables—socio-demographics of trading area inhabitants, characteristics of the store and competition—is also discussed and empirically tested. The outcomes provide key insights for retailers with regard to the financial ramifications of store flyer competition.     

沼气储粮技术研究初探

利用沼气储粮既提高了气源的利用率,开辟了一条沼气利用的新途径,又获得了良好的社会效益和生态环境效益。本文着重探讨了沼气储粮技术。     

Store equity: reformulation of store equity dimensions

ABSTRACT

With the growing importance of retailers and the realization that brands are among retailers’ most valuable assets, store equity has become a management priority. Store equity has been recognized as a key element that helps retailers build a sustainable competitive advantage. In this context, this study presents a conceptual model of store equity and identifies key dimensions that contribute to its formation. A comprehensive review of studies within the area of store equity was conducted to compare and analyze the dimensions of store equity as discussed in the existing literature. The findings show that store equity consists of two main dimensions: store awareness and store image, which comprises merchandise, atmosphere, and convenience. In addition, important areas for future research on store equity and related topics are highlighted.     

Sales employees’ polychronicity and sales-service ambidexterity: Mediation of work engagement and moderation of store manager support

Sales employees are encountered with increasing job demands and volatile changes in the retail environment. In particular, the adoption of smart technologies in the retail sector has pressurized sales employees to be versatile and agile in the new marketplace. In this sense, performing multiple tasks within a limited time frame has become an important quality required for sales employees. Grounded in the job demands-resources model, we proposed that sales employees’ individualized resource (i.e., polychronicity) would be positively related to their sales-service ambidexterity though work engagement. We further posited that an organizational resource (i.e., store manager support) synergistically interacted with polychronicity to predict work engagement and subsequent sales–service ambidexterity. To test propositions, we collected multilevel data from 292 sales employees in 43 home-furnishing stores in India. Results demonstrated that the positive association among work engagement, polychronicity, and sales–service ambidexterity was more pronounced when store manager support was high than when it was low. These findings offer implications to overcome challenges faced by retail stores by indicating factors predicting sales–service ambidexterity in retail.