In-store Retail Research Articles

Consumer Behaviour through the Eyes of Neurophysiological Measures: State-of-the-Art and Future Trends.

The new technological advances achieved during the last decade allowed the scientific community to investigate and employ neurophysiological measures not only for research purposes but also for the study of human behaviour in real and daily life situations. The aim of this review is to understand how and whether neuroscientific technologies can be effectively employed to better understand the human behaviour in real decision-making contexts. To do so, firstly, we will describe the historical development of neuromarketing and its main applications in assessing the sensory perceptions of some marketing and advertising stimuli. Then, we will describe the main neuroscientific tools available for such kind of investigations (e.g., measuring the cerebral electrical or hemodynamic activity, the eye movements, and the psychometric responses). Also, this review will present different brain measurement techniques, along with their pros and cons, and the main cerebral indexes linked to the specific mental states of interest (used in most of the neuromarketing research). Such indexes have been supported by adequate validations from the scientific community and are largely employed in neuromarketing research. This review will also discuss a series of papers that present different neuromarketing applications, such us in-store choices and retail, services, pricing, brand perception, web usability, neuropolitics, evaluation of the food and wine taste, and aesthetic perception of artworks. Furthermore, this work will face the ethical issues arisen on the use of these tools for the evaluation of the human behaviour during decision-making tasks. In conclusion, the main challenges that neuromarketing is going to face, as well as future directions and possible scenarios that could be derived by the use of neuroscience in the marketing field, will be identified and discussed.

Testing the effectiveness of anti-theft wraps across product types in retail environments: a randomized controlled trial

Anti-theft wire-wraps were tested on three high-theft product categories (cordless electric drills, weight loss supplements, and skincare products) in retail stores to estimate protective effects across product categories. This study sampled 56 retail locations, stratified into high, medium, and low-inventory loss (also referred to as shrink or shrinkage) stores. Treatment was assigned randomly within strata to retail locations. Each retail location contained anywhere from 9 to 11 different product lines, categorized into three general product categories. The unit of analysis used in this study was the individual product type nested within individual stores (product type per store) and retailer category. A nested mixed effects model design for repeated measures was used to identify the effects of the treatment on retail loss. Four models were fitted: one for overall retail loss, and one for retail loss for each of the three product categories (i.e., cordless electric drills, weight loss supplements, and skincare products). The interaction effects between treatment and time were only significant at p < .05 for cordless electric drills, but nonsignificant for the other product categories used in this study, and for overall retail loss. Our results demonstrate the effects of anti-theft wraps on in-store retail loss vary by product category. The tested treatment was conditionally efficacious. While experimental research designs have successfully tested the effectiveness of anti-theft technology in retail environments, these results may not always be generalizable across product types. Further research exploring variable anti-theft treatment effectiveness and mechanisms of action across asset types is necessary to more efficiently reduce theft events.

What kind of in-store smart retailing for an omnichannel real-life experience?

Smart retailing is currently presented by many consultants and some researchers in innovation as the solution for generating an omnichannel experience that benefits customers and retailers alike. But does the type of in-store technology promote different forms of omnichannel experience? Are retailers able to control the omnichannel experience of their customers by acting on the experiential context of their stores? Based on 107 bibliographic references in marketing, innovation, and information systems, this synthesis highlights four forms of omnichannel experience, depending on whether they are triggered by the customer or controlled by the retailer and perceived as integrated in terms either of marketing or of technologies. When the retailer tries to exert too much control over the various forms of omnichannel experience, some of them cease to be truly omnichannel and are reduced to little more than a single-channel (store or website) experience.

Yours ethically

PurposeCorporate social responsibility (CSR) is increasingly considered a central tenant of marketing strategy and a source of competitive advantage within the retail sector. As such, it may affect a supermarket’s customer, employee, and other stakeholder attitudes and behaviours. This research explores how a supermarket’s involvement in CSR activities may influence employee engagement and how this may manifest itself in positive employee behaviours. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the role of CSR and its impact on employee engagement and consequently, employee propensity to exhibit intervention behaviours to prevent in-store retail crime.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a phenomenological approach through semi-structured in-depth interviews with shop-floor employees of a national supermarket chain.FindingsFindings suggest that external and internal CSR practices of supermarkets are important in shaping organisational engagement behaviours among employees. Additionally, heightened employee engagement may have a significant impact on employee propensity to engage in shoplifting prevention behaviours. A conceptual model is developed based on these findings.Practical implicationsRetail managers should fully communicate CSR practices to employees to increase employee engagement and consequential shoplifting intervention prevention behaviours.Originality/valueThe contribution of this paper is twofold. First and from a theoretical perspective, it offers both a conceptual foundation and empirical-based evaluation of CSR and its impact on employee engagement and specifically, shoplifting prevention behaviours. Second and from a pragmatic perspective, the conceptual model derived from this research may aid retailers in developing and communicating CSR strategies that engage employees and consequently lead to shoplifting prevention behaviours.

A Study to Understand the Factors that Play Major Role in Influencing the Loyalty Behaviour of Shoppers towards Department Based Brick-and-Mortar Fashion Retailers with Special Reference to Pune City, India

&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The major objective of this study is to understanding the factors that influence the loyalty behaviour of customers towards brick-and-mortar departmental fashion retailers in Pune city. The study has been conducted by keeping one of the leading departmental stores in reference, but the findings of the study are generalized and can be applied to other fashion retailers of similar or non-similar formats. Fashion is one of the fastest growing categories and continues to grow at exponential growth rate due to increased fashion awareness and aspirations. Today we can see that fashion products account for a substantial percentage of the products sold across a broad range of merchandise categories. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Research on fashion retailing has been based on varying conceptual definitions of the construct and has focused primarily on in-store retailing. A number of researchers have made important contributions to understanding of loyalty behaviour of shoppers towards fashion retailers. Therefore, the consumer behaviour of an important sector of the millennials is worth to be researched. Here the researchers are trying to understand the variables that influence shoppers' loyalty behaviour which is nothing but the “preferential” behaviour of the shoppers towards a specific retailer’s stores. During this research the researchers found that, some of the major influencing factors are shopping atmosphere-ambience, fashion image of the retailer (retailer as a brand), fashion image of the Private Labels, and the effectiveness of the loyalty programme offered by the retailer.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Understanding the role of regulatory focus in e-tailing activities

Purpose Regulatory focus theory has been studied in an in-store retailing context. Although an in-store retailing differs from an e-tailing in terms of the factors such as absence of products, physical human interactions and store atmospherics, the application of regulatory factors in an e-tailing context is limited. This study aims to examine the moderating role of regulatory focus orientations in consumer e-tailing activities. Design/methodology/approach A laboratory experiment with 297 participants was conducted to test the theoretical propositions. Statistical techniques such as t-test were used to analyse the data. Findings Results show that a consumer online purchase intentions, product review and spreading positive word of mouth vary from promotion-focused individuals to prevention-focused individuals. Results also show that there is no difference in spreading negative word of mouth between promotion-focused and prevention-focused individuals after encountering an unpleasant shopping experience. Finally, results show both the regulatory focus-oriented shoppers are encouraged by sales promotions. Originality/value Arguably, this is the first study to examine how consumers’ regulatory orientations moderate their e-tailing activities. The results of this study have implications for both academicians and managers.

Retailer licensing and tobacco display compliance: are some retailers more likely to flout regulations?

ObjectivesTo assess retailer compliance with a licensing scheme requiring tobacco retailers to list their business details with the government, to examine whether listed retailers are more likely to comply with...

The Effect of the Growth of Business to Consumer E-commerce on the Packaging Industry in the United States

Packaging is an essential component in the storage and transportation of goods, and businesses should optimize it for their supply chains. Business to consumer (B2C) e-commerce, which is a noticeably growing industry, has different supply chains and market characteristics than traditional in-store markets. Therefore, B2C needs to change its packaging to accommodate a growing understanding of customers and supply chains in the e-commerce market. This study reviewed how the rapidly growing e-commerce market has affected the packaging industry in the United States. E-commerce has significantly affected the overall packaging industry to satisfy changing customer desires. E-commerce supply chains require more packaging materials, due to more severe distribution environment than for the supply chains of traditional in-store retailers. At the same time, customers have critical concerns for e-commerce packaging regarding wastes, recyclability, accessibility, and visibility. Various packaging sectors, including manufacturers, online retailers, carriers, and associations have collaboratively responded to the changes in customer desires and the supply chain environment. Optimized and innovative packaging technologies and systems will enable the e-commerce industry to add value to its supply chains.

An Overview of Retailing

The retailing as a process is least understood in India. Broadly the organized retail sector can be divided into two segments, In-store Retailers, who operate through fixed point of sale outlets and designed to attract a high volume of walk-in customers, as referred to as the brick-and-mortar formats, and the Non-store Retailers, who reach out to the customers at their homes or offices through direct selling, telemarketing and E-commerce. Until 2011, Indian central government denied foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, forbidding foreign groups from any ownership in supermarkets, convenience stores or any retail outlets. Even single-brand retail was limited to 51% ownership and a bureaucratic process.

Comparing Sugary Drinks in the Food Retail Environment in Six NYC Neighborhoods

Obesity is a national public health concern linked to numerous chronic health conditions among Americans of all age groups. Evidence suggests that discretionary calories from sugary drink consumption have been a significant contributor to excess caloric intake among both children and adults. Research has established strong links between retail food environments and purchasing habits of consumers, but little information exists on the sugary drink retail environment in urban neighborhoods. The objective of this assessment was to compare various aspects of the sugary drink retail environment across New York City (NYC) neighborhoods with disparate self-reported sugary drink consumption patterns. In-store retail audits were conducted at 883 corner stores, chain pharmacies, and grocery stores in 12 zip codes throughout NYC. Results showed that among all beverage types assessed, sugary drinks had the most prominent presence in the retail environment overall, which was even more pronounced in higher-consumption neighborhoods. In higher- versus lower-consumption neighborhoods, the mean number of sugary drink varieties available at stores was higher (11.4 vs. 10.4 varieties), stores were more likely to feature sugary drink advertising (97 vs. 89 %) and advertising at multiple places throughout the store (78 vs. 57 %), and several sugary drinks, including 20-oz Coke® or Pepsi®, were less expensive ($1.38 vs. $1.60). These results, all statistically significant, indicate that neighborhoods characterized by higher levels of sugary drink consumption expose shoppers to sugary drinks to a greater extent than lower-consumption neighborhoods. This builds upon evidence documenting the association between the environment and individual behavior.

Borders’ ‘Concept Store’

Borders, the US bookstore chain, was for a time a credible competitor to the even bigger chain, Barnes & Noble. However, as the digital revolution in publishing moved forwards in the early 2000s, Borders made numerous unfortunate managerial decisions, unwittingly putting itself on a course towards collapse. Overexpansion and unsustainable debt were in the background, and ill-considered in-store retailing techniques in the foreground. This article reports on a visit to a representative Borders ‘concept store’, in Massachusetts, where nearly every department in the store had been adapted from traditional bookselling methods to exploit the digital side of bookselling and publishing. And yet nothing worked well enough to capture the attention of shoppers. The store—and by extrapolation the nationwide chain—essentially self-destructed, leaving a gaping hole in American bookselling.

Consumer shopping value: An investigation of shopping trip value, in-store shopping value and retail format

Although delivering value is the key for retailers to create new competitive advantages, the literature on consumer shopping value is fragmented and findings are inconsistent. This study aimed to understand consumer shopping value in-depth by examining consumer shopping processes and experiences in two retail formats: mass merchandisers and department stores. This study conceptualizes consumer shopping value as having two components: shopping trip value and in-store shopping value. Shopping trip value is originated by fulfillment of general shopping motivations, and in-store shopping value stems from retail elements that create in-store shopping experiences that consumers have in specific retail contexts. Five shopping trip value dimensions and six in-store shopping value dimensions are identified from the in-depth interviews. The findings highlight how consumer shopping value is a complex and context specific construct.

Female consumers: Decision-making in brand-driven retail

This article is a theory-building exploratory study conducted to investigate how female shoppers make meaning in a branded-retail store shopping experience. This study extends research on retail consumers' decision-making and the retail shopping experience using hermeneutic phenomenology. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with respondents, who were self-identified customers of a leading intimate apparel retailer. The results suggest that consumers' retail shopping decision-making incorporates a complex set of interactive components that are brand-driven and simultaneously affect and are affected by the interaction of in-store shopping and retail setting. The findings show a rich understanding of the consumer decision-making process is achievable by including the actual in-store experience, consumers' prior contextual experiences and expectations regarding retail visits.

The effects of in-store themed events on consumer store choice decisions

Retailers are increasingly using in-store events to provide shoppers with unique experiences that will enhance shopping value and help differentiate their stores from competitors. However, relatively little is known about how consumers respond to experiential retail events in terms of their store choice decisions. The purpose of this research was to find out how in-store retail events affect consumers in terms of their store choice decisions. The paper presents findings from a discrete choice experiment that manipulated the presence of different types of in-store themed events in a do-it-yourself (DIY) category. Participants were 312 randomly recruited residents of Melbourne, Australia, who had recently shopped at a hardware store. The experiment was implemented as a mail-back survey. Using logit models the authors assess the effects of the in-store events along with those of various traditional store attributes, including store appearance, price image and distance, on consumer store choice decisions.

Retail Health Clinics: How the Next Innovation in Market-Driven Health Care is Testing State and Federal Law

The emergence of in-store retail health clinics (RHCs) has sparked a debate that pits quality of care concerns against the advantages of consumer choice in the marketplace for health care. RHCs appear in pharmacies, grocery stores, and big-box retailers like Wal-Mart, offering basic health care services on a walk-in basis that are administered primarily by nurse practitioners (NPs). Proponents of these clinics hail their pro-market effects: convenience and cost-savings associated with consumer-driven health care; lower prices from increased competition between providers; and increased access to basic health care. Critics of RHCs raise concerns that quality of care is hindered by the lack of physician oversight, disruption of the “medical home,” and the conflicts of interest arising from prescribing drugs at pharmacy-housed clinics.

Agricultural and food wholesale and retail trade in the intra-community trade

The paper focuses on the evaluation of the contemporary situation of two economic sectors in the frame of the European Union, namely the wholesale and retail of agricultural and food products. For these industries, the structural profile with the indicators of turnover, value added and employment was elaborated. Hereafter the costs, productivity and profitability indicators ranking of the top 5 Member States were compared to the EU-25 averages. After a 3.1% increase in the turnover index in 2000, the evolution of sales for the agricultural wholesaling sector recorded a series of small increases and decreases in the turnover, ranging from – 0.6% in 2002 to 1.5% in 2004. Between 2000 and 2005, the agricultural wholesaling sector generally recorded a slower rate of expansion for turnover than the wholesale trade average. The specialised in-store food retailing sector generated EUR 120.4 billion of turnover in 2003. The wealth creation of the specialised in-store food retailing was valued at EUR 23.8 billion; equivalent to 6.5% of the retail trade and repair total, while this activity employed 1.4 million persons, some 9.0% of the retail trade and repair workforce. Half (49.9%) of the turnover in the specialised in-store food retailing sector in the EU was generated by enterprises selling fruit, vegetables, meat, fish or bakery products.

Evaluating the comparative efficiency of e-tailing ventures using Data Envelopment Analysis

As advancement in internet technology continues to revolutionise retail business practices, a growing number of entrepreneurs explored online retail sales outlets by establishing dot-com ventures. Following this trend, many established in-store retailers also jumped onto the dot-com bandwagon. However, in the wake of dot-com bubbles and industry-wide mergers/acquisitions, many e-tailers failed to survive. Even those who survived the increasing competition were pressured to dramatically enhance their financial efficiency. In an effort to help e-tailers enhance productivity and price leverage in the increasingly competitive retail market, this paper aims to develop a meaningful set of financial benchmarks that will dictate best practices and shape up the e-tailing business model.

Determinants and Outcomes of Customers' Use of Self-Service Technology in a Retail Setting

Retailers are increasingly turning toward self-service technologies (SSTs) aimed at improving productivity and service quality while cutting costs. The authors identify a process model to understand the antecedents and consequences of SST usage by customers in an in-store retail setting. The model was validated on a combination of survey and observational data. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, reliability, and fun were identified as key drivers of customer attitude toward the SST. Customer attitude toward the SST predicted the actual usage of technology. The effects of SST usage on the actual time spent by customers in the store were studied. The authors investigate the impact of SST usage on customers' perceptions of waiting time and, consequently, on their level of satisfaction with the shopping experience. Finally, the moderating effects of age, education, and gender are analyzed. The current study evaluates the benefits of SST introduction for both customers and retailers.

Leisure Shopping Behavior and Recreational Retailing: A Symbiotic Analysis of Marketplace Strategy and Consumer Response

ABSTRACT This article focuses on identifying the drivers which influence consumers' leisure shopping behavior and measure customer value in terms of levels of satisfaction in reference to Mexico. The discussions in the article explore the role of in-store recreational infrastructure and retail selling strategies in swaying the leisure shopping and driving store loyalty by developing sustainable customer value to gain competitive advantage at the self-service stores.

Inertia or Change? Try Continuous Renewal!

<h3>Objectives</h3> To assess retailer compliance with a licensing scheme requiring tobacco retailers to list their business details with the government, to examine whether listed retailers are more likely to comply with a point-of-sale (POS) display ban and other in-store retailing laws and to explore variations in compliance between different retailer types and locations. <h3>Method</h3> An audit of 1739 retailers in New South Wales, Australia, was used to assess compliance with tobacco retailing legislation. Auditors actively searched for and audited unlisted retailers and all listed retailers in 122 metropolitan and regional postcodes. Multivariate generalised linear regression models were used to examine associations between compliance and retailer type, remoteness and demographic characteristics (socioeconomic level, proportion of population under 18 years and proportion born in Australia). <h3>Results</h3> One unlisted tobacco retailer was identified for every 12.6 listed tobacco retailers. Unlisted retailers were significantly more likely than listed retailers to breach in-store retailing laws (p&lt;0.001). Compliance with the POS display ban was observed in 91.3% of tobacco retailers, but compliance with all retailing laws was only 73.4%. Retailers in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas had lower compliance than those in high socioeconomic areas. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Some tobacco retailers did not list their business details with the government as required, even though there was no financial cost to do so. Unlisted retailers were more likely to violate in-store regulations. The results suggest licensing schemes can be useful for providing a list of retailers, thus facilitating enforcement, but require a system to search for, and respond to, unlisted/unlicensed retailers.