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Cause for pause in retail service: a respond, reimagine, recover framework

Nitha Palakshappa (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand)
Sarah Dodds (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand)
Sandy Bulmer (School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand)

Journal of Services Marketing

ISSN: 0887-6045

Article publication date: 24 March 2022

Issue publication date: 7 June 2022

885

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many consumers to pause and rethink the impacts of their consumption behavior. The purpose of this paper is to explore changes to consumers’ preferences and shopping behavior in retail using a sustainable consumption lens to understand the long-term effects of the pandemic on retail services.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 participants to gain insights into shopping behaviors and preferences during the pandemic and to investigate changes in attitudes or behaviors toward sustainable consumption as a result of the pandemic. Data analysis involved an iterative inductive process and subsequent thematic analysis.

Findings

The results reveal a strong move toward sustainable and conscious consumption with three key changes occurring as a result of the pandemic, including changes in consumers’ ethos, move to purpose-driven shopping and drive to buy local and support national.

Practical implications

This paper reveals insights into consumer shopping behaviors and preferences that can potentially counter the collapse of “normal” marketplace activities in the face of the current global pandemic by providing a framework for how retail services can respond, reimagine and recover to move forward long term.

Originality/value

This study uncovers the importance of services marketing in endorsing and promoting sustainable consumption by shaping subtle shifts in conscious consumption as a way to recover from a global pandemic and move to a “new” service marketplace.

Keywords

Citation

Palakshappa, N., Dodds, S. and Bulmer, S. (2022), "Cause for pause in retail service: a respond, reimagine, recover framework", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 36 No. 4, pp. 584-596. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-05-2021-0176

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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