Chinese consumers' perception of hypermarket store image

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is first, to find out store image attributes valued by Chinese consumers in Beijing; second, to understand Chinese consumers' preference by comparing an international retailer with a domestic retailer; and third, to provide both international and domestic retailers with suggestions for store image improvement.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a three‐stage approach to collect the data. First, two waves of semi‐structured interviews were carried out, followed by a survey, concluding with another wave of interviews. The survey data were analyzed using SPSS.FindingsThe paper finds that there are 18 important attributes in building a hypermarket retailer's store image in China. Beijing consumers are more concerned with a retailer's reputation and services than with the price. In terms of store image dimensions, the paper concludes that store atmosphere is the most important, followed by service personnel and merchandise.Research limitations/implicationsThe research scope is limited to Beijing.Practical implicationsThe practical implications of the findings are that: store atmosphere is the most important store image dimension for Beijing consumers; Chinese consumers no longer look only for low prices; international hypermarket retailers hold better store image than domestic retailers; and corporate reputation is important for hypermarket retailers in China, followed by quality of goods and staff's service attitude.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to investigate Chinese consumers' perception of store image and top concerns when shopping at a hypermarket.