Attractiveness Of Shopping Centres Research Articles

Proposing a new model for shopping centre attractiveness assessment by a Combination of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Additive Ratio ASsessment (ARAS)

ABSTRACT This research paper presents a new framework by combined usage of Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) and Additive Ratio ASsessment (ARAS) for assessing shopping centre attractiveness. This study is organized in two phases. In the first phase, aiming to develop attractiveness of shopping centres in tourism destinations, and based on a sequential steps procedure, a comprehensive list of shopping centre attractiveness measures was compiled from literature review, and in a two-step survey, research model is developed by SEM, including five dimensions of (1) appearance, (2) internal atmosphere, (3) products, (4) human interactions and, (5) shopping convenience. At the end of this phase, the weight of each dimension was calculated based on high order factor loadings derived from SEM findings. In the second phase, by use of ARAS, the attractiveness of six shopping centres was assessed and ranked, based on the extracted dimensions. This article methodologically takes contribution from a combination of SEM-ARAS, while SEM was used for causal relationships and assigning weights for the ARAS input. The shopping centre attractiveness measurement provides a reliable model for local, regional and national authorities to boost shopping tourism in tourism destinations.

A segmentation study of Mexican consumers based on shopping centre attractiveness

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify shopping centre attractiveness dimensions from the point of view of the Mexican shopper and then segment shoppers according to these perceptions of attractiveness.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through a survey of 1,500 regular shopping centre consumers from the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (MAG), Mexico. This research study was carried out from January to April 2010. Five of the largest shopping centres, including a lifestyle centre, a community centre, a regional shopping centre, and a small regional shopping centre participated voluntarily in this research study.FindingsThe attractiveness attributes of six shopping centres were identified through a factorial analysis: mall essence, popularity and promotional programs, personal service, recreational options, internal atmosphere, and external atmosphere. Also, a cluster analysis of these factors revealed three types of consumers with significantly different perceptions of shopping centres: serious, enthusiast, and basic. The outcomes were validated by a multiple discriminant analysis. Multiple discriminant results suggest that the dimension of popularity and promotion programs is the first to be distinguished among segments, followed by internal and external atmosphere.Practical implicationsFrom a managerial perspective, the study provides practical advice to managers in order to support marketing and positioning strategies for their shopping centres, focusing on a particular segment of consumers.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the body of research on shopping centre attractiveness and shopper segments by providing information regarding Mexican consumer perceptions of shopping.

Central place practice: shopping centre attractiveness measures, hinterland boundaries and the UK retail hierarchy

Christaller's (Central Places in Southern Germany (translated by Baskin C (1966)), Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1933) well-known and much criticised ‘central place theory’ was based on classical, arguably unsustainable, economic assumptions such as the uniformity of consumers and travel. Nevertheless, it has been claimed that the emergence of shopping areas in UK towns could largely be explained in terms of central place principles (Retail Location: A Micro-Scale Perspective, Aldershot, Avebury, 1992). Brown drew support from the example of the retail hierarchy of Cardiff (UK, Store Location and Store Assessment Research, Chichester, Wiley, 1984): a town centre core radiating progressively further out with greater numbers of district centres, neighbourhood centres and finally local centres. Christaller's theory was based on rigid ‘laws of distribution of central places’ and ‘laws of settlement’ which ‘often determine[d] with astonishing exactness, the location of central places’ in southern Germany. Guy considered that for useful application to UK retail, a more flexible interpretation was needed and that strict economic assumptions could be relaxed in a more pragmatic approach. The ‘classical’ approach fails to account for the positions and hinterland (or catchment area) boundaries of modern out-of-town regional shopping centres. Except in defining the components of places at various levels in the hierarchy, Christaller did not even consider the attractiveness of shopping areas in consumer choice. A number of other authors have investigated various measures to define positions in the retail hierarchy. In the Cardiff example, Guy used retail sales floor area as a surrogate measure. Systems have been proposed based on numbers and status of retail outlets (The New Guide to Shopping Centres of Great Britain, Hillier Parker, London, 1991; Shopping Centres, Mintel, London, 1997; J. Property Res. 9 (1992) 122–160; J. Property Res. 9 (1985) 122–160). This paper evaluates the authors’ empirically based measurement system for attractiveness that can be applied to out-of-town as well as in-town shopping centres. The approach adapts previous simple systems based on retailer counts. These have been combined in attractiveness measurements applied to definitions of position in the hierarchy. Results support the prediction of central place hinterland boundaries based on the authors’ attractiveness measures and adaptation of (The Law of Gravitation, Knickerbocker Press, New York, 1931) ‘Law’. The data fit exemplar published empirical data on shopping centre hinterlands more closely than do the commonly used drive-time isochrones.

SCATTR: an instrument for measuring shopping centre attractiveness

Focuses upon shopping centre developments through joint venture enterprises. By adapting the process proposed by Churchill to develop measures of marketing constructs, an instrument to assess perceived attractiveness of joint venture shopping centres in China is formulated. The proposed instrument (SCATTR) contains 21 attributes in five dimensions and exhibits high internal consistency and validity. The purpose of this instrument is to provide China’s joint venture shopping centres with an indication of their performance as well as an avenue to gain more knowledge about consumers in China. Concludes that the SCATTR instrument is a reliable and valid tool to assess the attractiveness and performance of shopping centres as perceived by consumers.