Urban versus suburban consumers: a contrast in holiday shopping purchase intentions and outshopping behavior

Abstract

Urban versus suburban shopping environments present unique opportunities and challenges for retailers. Retailers in both urban and suburban locations attempt to both attract outshoppers and retain their hold on shoppers in their immediate trade areas. To this end, it is incumbent on retailers to understand the dynamics underlying consumers’ decisions to shop in urban versus suburban retailing settings. This is especially important for consumer shopping behavior during the December holiday selling season which accounts for a disproportionate share of many retailers’ yearly revenues and profits. Reports on a three‐year study conducted in a major metropolitan area which addresses shopping behaviour, intentions, retail satisfaction and its antecedents between urban resident shoppers and suburban resident shoppers. Implications are presented for retailers who have chosen to emphasize strategically urban or suburban locations as well as for those retailers who have branch stores in both geographic locations.

Citation

Smith, M.F. (1999), "Urban versus suburban consumers: a contrast in holiday shopping purchase intentions and outshopping behavior", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 58-73. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363769910250778