Reviving small-sized retail: emotional experience and ethical perspectives as keys to customer repurchase intent

Abstract

ABSTRACT The paper aims to clarify the role of cognitive and emotional shopping experience in small-sized retailers and its impact on satisfaction and repurchase intention. Also, an ethical perspective of the shopping decision is analyzed. Based on prior studies, we develop a quantitative study (n = 390) in Spain, where small-sized retailers represent most of the retail industry. The advent of new retail formats -online and offline- puts pressure on the traditional ones to evolve. Accordingly, results demonstrate that consumers emotional experience and ethical perception have a very notable impact on repurchase intention. Many small-sized retailers base their strategy on experiential marketing, the goal is to enhance consumers positive in shop experience. The findings also reveal that traditional retailers purchase is linked to consumers’ ethical beliefs or perceptions. Facing a shopping decision, consumers ask themselves about the impact it has on society, environment, and nature. Small-sized traditional retailers are facing, consequently, a double challenge. On the one hand, to keep developing awareness of the paramount societal role of this type of retailer and, on the other hand, to provide consumers with shopping options that boost their needs.