Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine those factors that influence shoppers to shop in malls in Enugu metropolis. Specifically, the study sought to examine the influence of distance on shoppers' patronage of shopping malls in Enugu metropolis, evaluate the influence of convenience on shoppers' patronage of shopping malls in Enugu metropolis, to ascertain the influence of customer services on shoppers' patronage of shopping malls in Enugu metropolis, determine the effect of socialisation on shoppers' patronage of shopping malls in Enugu metropolis and evaluate the influence of exploration on shoppers' patronage of shopping malls in Enugu metropolis. Survey method was adopted for this study. Adults 18 years and above were the target population. A sample size of 596 was used for the study. Data was gathered using a well-structured questionnaire. Five hypotheses were tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The test was run on AMOS version 25.0 with maximum likelihood estimation. Findings revealed that distance does not have a significant influence on shoppers’ patronage of shopping malls in Enugu metropolis. In contrast, convenience had a significant influence on shoppers’ patronage of shopping malls in Enugu metropolis. Also, customer Service does not have a significant influence on shoppers’ patronage of shopping malls in Enugu metropolis. Socialization had a significant influence on shoppers’ patronage of shopping malls in Enugu metropolis. Lastly, exploration had a significant influence on shoppers’ patronage of shopping malls in Enugu metropolis. The study concludes that distance and customer service are not major factors that stimulate shoppers’ patronage. Factors like convenience,socialization and exploration are important factors determining shoppers’ patronage in Enugu metropolis. The study recommends that the management of the shopping malls should direct their resources toward constant improvement on the mall facilities that attract shoppers to the mall.
Highlights
The decision to patronize a mall usually starts with a set of characteristics or attributes that consumers consider important
Out of the 596 customers captured in the survey, 107 of them did not return the copies of the questionnaire served to them. 489 others returned theirs
Distance does not have a significant influence on shoppers’ patronage of shopping malls in Enugu metropolis. This finding is in line with the finding of Hansen and Solgaard (2004) that the negative effect of distance on store choice behavior was remarkably larger when store choice behavior was measured as frequency than when store choice behavior was measured as budget share
Summary
The decision to patronize a mall usually starts with a set of characteristics or attributes that consumers consider important. Consumers use these attributes to determine which mall can cater to their needs (Hassan, Muhammad and Bakar, 2010). One can analyze mall shopping patronage as repeat visits or mall loyalty and as a function of actual buying behavior. When customers are dissatisfied with the features of a shopping mall or the quality and variety of commodities, they will buy fewer or no items resulting in no waste of time. One can view purchasing frequency as an indication of mall patronage (Rousseau and Venter, 2014)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
