Abstract
PurposeOffline retail stores have been working on improving their in-store customer experience; they have begun to realise the physical advantage they have over online channels. Especially sports products have a number of unique features, such as high emotional involvement or a sense of community; additionally, sports customers put emphasis on multisensory brand experience at the point of sale. This study examines the in-store customer experience (ISCX) in offline sports retail stores, taking into account the commercial uniqueness of sport.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study (focus groups; n = 16) and quantitative survey (cross-sectional survey design; n = 238) were conducted to measure ISCX in sports retail stores.FindingsThe results suggest that the customers' in-store experience has a significant influence on customers' satisfaction with the sports retailer and their likeliness to recommend the store to friends, which, in turn, is significantly affected by customers' satisfaction with the retailer. Moreover, social responses to actors involved in the service encounter, for example, the interaction with employees, play a significant role for the customer in-store experience. Accordingly, sports customers strive not only for functional benefits inherent in the interaction with customers and employees but also for social benefits.Originality/valueThis study extends the knowledge by (1) replicating the ISCX scale, (2) analysing ISCX in a sports retail environment and (3) examining the influence of ISCX on the Net Promoter Score. Moreover, the findings support managers' know-how about in-store setting and help to maintain the customer relationship.
Highlights
Mullin et al (2007) argued that sport products have several unique features: first, a high level of emotional involvement; second, a sense of community; and third, constantly changing and unpredictable preferences
The participants saw themselves as experts in the field, as one participant (Group A) demonstrated: “[. . .] Sport is a very important part of my life, I do a lot of sports and I see myself somehow as an expert”
The results of the study show that in-store customer experience (ISCX) has a significant influence on customers’ satisfaction with the sports retailer and their likeliness to recommend the store to friends measured by the NPS; in turn, this likeliness was significantly associated with customers’ satisfaction with the retailer
Summary
Mullin et al (2007) argued that sport products have several unique features: first, a high level of emotional involvement; second, a sense of community; and third, constantly changing and unpredictable preferences. Trends have an influence on sports retail customers and their behaviour They have become a considerable line of business. An excellent examples is the athleisure trend (sales volume of the US athleisure market in 2015: 44 billion dollar) (Eurostat, 2019): clothing designed for workouts and other athletic activities is worn in different settings, such as at the workplace, at school or at other casual or social occasions (Bielefeldt Bruun and Langkjær, 2016). Trends like this and the uniqueness of sports products. The context of sport and retailing is faced with several peculiarities distinguishing it from other lines of business; these peculiarities have to be taken into consideration when creating a positive customer experience (CX) in a sports retail store
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