Do apparel store formats matter to Indian shoppers?
International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management
ISSN: 0959-0552
Article publication date: 5 August 2014
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore store choice behaviour of Indian apparel shoppers and analyses the factors influencing their choice of retail formats from an emerging market perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The research draws on a data set of 336 structured questionnaires with adult urban Indian respondents to understand their perceptions about organised and unorganised apparel store formats. The exploratory study uses a comprehensive list of demographics, shopping situations and format stimuli parameters along with two established psychographic scales to assess the extent of their effect on the store choice of apparel shoppers.
Findings
Factor analysis revealed five well defined store attributes influencing the apparel shoppers’ decision. The growing market for organised retail with a preference for multi brand stores is highlighted. The study establishes that the shoppers’ perception of single-brand stores is still going through a formative phase. Further at the micro level of the decision process, significant differences are established by a number of variables.
Research limitations/implications
The paper explores the store choice behaviour from a wider perspective that may be useful for future research on developing integrated store format choice models. However, the data used herein relates to a cross-section of shoppers in urban India due to the feasibility and convenience of studying relatively organised retail forms and structure of retail in an emerging market environment.
Originality/value
The paper attempts to enumerate befitting analyses of factors that influence the store choice behaviour of apparel shoppers by using apt format classifications that are specific to the emerging retail market scenario in India.
Keywords
Citation
Basu, R., K. Guin, K. and Sengupta, K. (2014), "Do apparel store formats matter to Indian shoppers?", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 42 No. 8, pp. 698-716. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-03-2013-0065
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited