Does Consumer‟s Retail Format Choice Decisions Distinguish among 4Cs of Marketing? Evidence from a Research on Jeans wear Retailing

Abstract

PURPOSE: To understand consumer’s perceptions on 4 Cs of marketing (Customer solution, Customer Cost, Convenience, and Communication) and their impact on retail format choice decisions in buying jeans. This study found evidence on rarely explored research question i.e. ‘Which 4 Cs of Marketing differs among customer’s retail format choice decisions in buying jeans. DESIGN / METHODOLOGY / APPROACH: The data was collected through structured questionnaire by random mall intercept method using simple random sampling technique from 505 customers in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. A valid Discriminant model was developed to test the predictors of 4 Cs of retail attributes across two retail formats (Departmental Stores &Shopping malls). The data was analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. FINDINGS: Findings indicated that the classification accuracy in analysis, holdout and cross-validated sample is able to correctly classify the 4 Cs of marketing across the two retail formats.Out of the 4Cs of retail marketing attributes studied, ‘Convenience and Cost’ related attributes, differ significantly across the two retail formats (Departmental Store and Shopping malls), while for ‘Communication and Customer solution’ no significant impact was found on customer’s retail format choice decisions in buying jeans. RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS: Findings from this study,aid retailers, marketers and manufacturers in understanding customer paradigm shifts in buying patterns across emerging retail formats and direct them in altering 4 Cs of marketing to serve customers better, hence increasing the overall marketing efficiency. LIMITATIONS: Despite efforts taken to represent all sections, it is appropriate to conduct such studies geographical segment-wise to be more accurate, secondly retailers’ perceptions were not considered and thirdly unorganized retail was not taken in this context. ORIGINALITY / VALUE –The researcher could not come across any studies on retail marketing attributes in specific category like jeans wear retail, especially in Indian context and hence this study would add more value in understanding customer’s buying behavior across emerging retail formats.