Preferences Of Shoppers Research Articles

Is the Veil of Ignorance more than a Thought Experiment? An Empirical Application to Grocery Shopper Preferences during the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, grocery shoppers face a moral dilemma: to go inside the store or to use online alternatives, such as curbside pickup or home delivery to limit physical interaction. The veil of ignorance, a hypothetical state of mind, is an experimental tool used to nudge people toward the social welfare option during a decision-making process. We empirically test the effect of the veil of ignorance on grocery shopper preferences by implementing an online choice experiment with 613 U.S. consumers. Subjects who are veiled by ignorance about the state of the COVID-19 pandemic are not willing to pay significantly more for curbside pickup or home delivery than (unveiled) subjects in the control group. We also find heterogeneous effects by vaccination status. Consistent with limited evidence in the prior literature, the veil of ignorance is seemingly unable to induce moral choice behavior in real-world scenarios.

Is Organic Certification Important to Farmers’ Market Shoppers or Is Eco-friendly Enough?

This study examines consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for organic and eco-friendly peaches, Prunus persica L., over conventional peaches in Utah. Data were collected at farmers’ markets across Utah, including actual peach purchases coupled with an in-person survey and analyzed using logit models. The results show that farmers’ market shoppers are willing to pay a premium for organic and eco-friendly peaches of $2.10 and $1.41 per pound, respectively. The importance of selected sustainability attributes positively impacted shopper preferences for eco-friendly peaches, while attitudes and lifestyle were associated with stronger shopper preferences for organic peaches. The distinct differences between shoppers who prefer organic and those who prefer eco-friendly, as well as the disparity in premiums, imply that growers should strongly consider their markets and cost of production differences when choosing organic certification over other less expensive differentiation schemes.

Traditional trade in India: the resilient retailer and implications for POS (point of sale) strategies

PurposeThis paper aims to provide marketers with a blueprint for designing winning point of sale (POS) strategies at the final moment of truth. It focuses on traditional trade (kirana stores), the most critical distribution channel in emerging markets such as India, and outlines a four-pillar strategy of shopper marketing for traditional trade.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on and draws from experience and expertise built in the course of many years of specialized, on-field research in the area of shopper insights in India. It is supplemented with secondary research on retail and shopper trends in India and other developing markets.FindingsThe paper examines how traditional trade in India has evolved to meet the challenges of changing shopper preferences amidst the advent of modern trade. Keeping the common goal of serving customer and shopper needs effectively and efficiently, the paper details a four-pillar strategy of shopper marketing for traditional trade centered around segmenting store clusters; mining shopper insights at the store; leveraging the shopkeeper; and adopting a scientific, organized process of testing and redeploying POS initiatives.Originality/valueThis paper provides marketers and sales professionals with a structured and cohesive approach to designing POS strategies for traditional trade. While the paper is developed for the Indian market, the principles can also be easily adopted across other emerging markets where traditional trade is a dominant channel.

Atmospheric harmony in the retail environment: Its influence on store satisfaction and re‐patronage intention

AbstractTo trigger positive consumer responses, retailers spend large sums of money on arousing and entertaining store environment designs that do not always produce the desired positive consumer reactions. The current research provides a theoretical framework that offers an alternate explanation for shopper preferences regarding retail environments. Drawing on consumers' need for an environment that promotes understanding, this study indicates the importance of communicating a coherent store environment to effect store satisfaction and re‐patronage intention. Harmonious store environments facilitate understanding and comprehension; they enhance information processing and pleasure judgment. One laboratory experiment and one field experiment tested the proposed research framework. Insights from evolutionary and aesthetic psychology, consumer behavior research, and the Asian practice of Feng Shui all guided the manipulation of music and aesthetic design variables to create atmospheric harmony. The findings of both studies suggest that harmonious store environments increase pleasure and positively impact shopping satisfaction and re‐patronage intent, as mediated by shopping value. These findings offer a new perspective for creating pleasant store environments. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Determinants of Shopping Mall Attractiveness: The Indian Context

Abstract This paper identifies the main attributes that lead to shoppers’ patronage of a shopping mall in the Indian context. The review of literature identifies sixteen salient attributes which converge into the following four main dimensions that can be considered as determinants of shopping mall attractiveness: (1) merchandising (2) variety & selection (3) milieu & facilities, and (4) convenience. The study is important to both practitioners and academics who have an interest and a stake in shopping centres and their patronage. The new found spending power of Indian consumers coupled with the heavy investments in shopping centres makes this study critical for retail practitioners, academics and researchers. This research has shown a fair degree of convergence between the preferences of shoppers in India and shoppers in other parts of the world in the context of shopping mall attribute evaluating criteria. This has important implications for future research.

Store Image and Its Effect on Customer Perception of Retail Stores

This paper investigates the various aspects of store image, which affect the impression and preferences ofshoppers. It argues that the levels of customer preferences determine the influence of the setting of the store onits image. Studying customer perceptions on store image further enhances the knowledge of marketers;marketers can use this knowledge in acquiring more loyal customers and meeting their requirements in terms ofstore image. This study identifies the factors that are deemed to be the most important by customers and providesmarketers with awareness regarding the psychological elements of customers that influence their perception ofstore image. A survey was conducted on customers in shopping malls to identify the effects of the principalfactors of store image on customer perception. This study used path analysis as the principal analytical tool forconducting causal evaluations and investigated the significant effects of store image attributes (i.e., storeatmosphere, music, merchandise quality, service, price, and convenience) on customer perceptions. Resultsindicated that the perceptions of customers integrate all of the cues and messages they have received andexperienced in the store, in addition to their own perceptions of the importance of store image dimensions.This study investigates the effect of the significant factors of store image on customer perception in theMalaysian context.

Extended Shopping Experiences in Hypermarket

Hypermarkets were introduced as a self-service concept for grocery retailing in which the service provided is very limited. In line with the transformation in hypermarket retailing, the service that is offered has been improvised to enhance the overall shopping experience. Nowadays, hypermarkets are not just a place to purchase basic essential groceries for the household but also as a place for shoppers to spend time together with family and friends. In general, the hypermarket retailing concept has been upgraded and is comparable to a shopping centre. This research focuses on shopper preferences towards the enhancement of hypermarket shopping experiences in five main service categories: 1) banking services, 2) children’s playgrounds or indoor play-lands, 3) covered parking area, 4) food and beverage area, as well as 5) post office.

Factors Influencing the Purchase of Live Seafood in the North Central Region of the United States

This study assesses the preferences of shoppers of live seafood products in the North Central Region of the US accounting for heterogeneity in their preferences. The results suggest that quality assurance considerations and high incomes are factors that would increase the probability of higher expenditures on live fish/shellfish. The purchase of saltwater fish and shellfish also increased the probability of higher expenditures. The North Central Region produces freshwater seafood, and maintaining fish quality through the production process is important to this niche market. Shoppers also purchased live seafood frequently, signifying the importance of availability.

Impact of Consistency in Customer Relationship Management on E-Commerce Shopper Preferences

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in e-commerce is concerned with retaining the existing customers on a long-term basis, motivating them to come back to shop for more and to talk positively to their peers about the products and services provided. Fourteen items have been identified in a developed questionnaire to measure CRM factors in consistency of customer treatment. They are consistencies of: price-quoting, steps to execute a transaction, design of the shopping Web page, site navigation, promotions offered, indication of in-stock products, product variety, alternative product suggestions, fraud protection, presented guarantees involving the product, fairness of the site, help offered, return policies, and personal information. To determine the validity of the items, 100 e-commerce experts from academia were presented the questionnaire and asked to rate the importance of the individual items. The developed tool had a Cronbach's Alpha internal consistency value of 0.81. A multivariate analysis was conducted to cluster the aspects of consistency in CRM. For this purpose, two factors were identified: Technical and Customer Treatment Factors. The individual Cronbach's Alpha values were 0.84 for Treatment Factor and 0.74 for Technical Factor. The analysis indicated that the Technical Factor included the consistencies of shopping steps, site design, and navigation, while the Customer Treatment Factor included the consistencies of promotions, in-stock indication, product variety, fraud protection, presented guarantees, customer fairness, and return policies. Based on the analysis, 10 guidelines for Consistency in CRM were produced. The guidelines can be applied to Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-commerce sites as part of their CRM policy.

Human Aspects of Planning Shopping Centers

After a brief outline of the macro- and micro-model approaches to shopping, a perception and spatial behavior model is selected as a framework for the research study. The study aims to identify the variables constituting the mental image of a consumer's shopping environment and which of these variables are considered important in spatial choice. Statistically significant differences in the preferences of shoppers are found based on the type of township the shopper lives in, the purpose of the shopping trip, and the shopper's income group. Patterns of variation on consumer attitudes as to the perceived importance of various attributes are also established. The implications of the findings for the planning of shopping centers include the noting of the complexity of consumers' images of their shopping environment, and the relatively small part that variables which can be manipulated by planners play in consumer spatial choice.