A multi-attribute approach to understanding shopping behavior

Abstract

This paper attempts to explain shopping center choice behavior in the Peoria area using Attribute Salience, Determinant Attribute Analysis and Factor Analysis. Thirteen shopping center selection attributes were developed by interviewing about 3000 Peoria shoppers and a review of the relevant literature. Attribute Salience and the Determinant Attribute Analysis indicated almost the same attributes to be relatively important and determinant: availability of parking, quality of merchandise, variety of merchandise, distance from home and atmosphere of shopping area. The factor analysis model in all 4 cases extracted a merchandise-atmosphere index and a convenience index, indicating that the basic assumptions of the traditional gravitational models which use shopping center square footage and distance as proxy variables for utility and disutility should be reconsidered.