Regulatory focus as a moderator of retail shopping behaviour

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of regulatory focus orientation on several aspects of consumer retail shopping behaviour such as shopping values, impulsiveness, shopping duration, repurchase intention and word-of-mouth communication. Theoretical propositions were developed banked on relevant literature. A structured questionnaire is used to collect data across several retail formats (n = 300). Statistical techniques such as MANOVA and t-test were used to analyse the data. Results reveal that promotion-focused shoppers report higher levels of hedonic shopping values, and impulsiveness, whereas prevention-focused shoppers report higher levels of utilitarian shopping values, shopping duration, repurchase intention and word-of-mouth communication. Discussion of the results and their theoretical and managerial implications, limitations of this study and its future research scopes are further discussed.