Assessing Customer Preferences for Shopping Centers: Effects of Functional and Communication Factors

Miglė Černikovaitė,Lina Bivainienė,Valdas Dambrava,Žaneta Karazijienė

doi:10.3390/su13063254

Abstract

Retail companies operating in Lithuania are very important for the national economy. Domestic consumption has remained one of the most important drivers of Lithuania’s economic development. The objective of this article is to investigate the customer preferences and to identify selected factors of shopping centers in Vilnius, Lithuania. The study of Vilnius shopping centers is based on a complex model that integrates the following factors: shopping center goods and services, customer service, image factors, physical factors, situational factors and demographic characteristics of target consumers. Expert interviews aimed to determine the customer preference factors by perception of professional experts in relation to the phenomenon under study. The consumer survey questionnaire focuses on all the identified factors that determine the choice of a shopping center. This article identifies theoretical factors for the selection of retail shopping centers, reviews the market trends and peculiarities of Vilnius shopping centers, evaluates the factors for the selection and assess functional, emotional and communicational consumer preferences for the choice of Vilnius shopping centers.

Highlights

After summarizing the evaluation factors of shopping centers distinguished by researchers in the theoretical part of the article, Vilnius shopping centers were classified according to the data published by secondary sources and the shopping centers themselves
In order to identify the theoretical factors for the selection of retail centers, an analysis was performed, on the basis of which the selected factors were divided into six groups: goods and services, services, physical factors, situational factors, social and demographic factors and other influencing factors
These factors focus on the study of shopping centers but can be applied to the study of other types of retail stores

Summary

Introduction

There are many challenges arising for retail companies, especially shopping centers, related to the rapid growth of e-commence [1,2,3]. This sees an increase in logistic properties and a decline in demand for retail properties such as shopping centers [4]. The business environment with COVID-19 is changing, so supermarkets will have to offer added value to customers and will change, so sustainability and environmental aspects can become a shopping center exclusivity, attracting more customer flows in the future

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion