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Retail store loyalty is essential to the survival and success of a retailer. The intangible benefits provided by the social exchange in-store influence the way consumers consider their relationships with the retailer. However, its relationships with social proximity and cultural factors are not clear. Therefore, this article investigates the effects of specific cultural dimensions on loyalty behaviour, as well as the mediating role of social proximity on the relationship investigated.

This research is based on an empirical investigation undertaken in Thailand with a sample of 636 respondents. Two retail chains were investigated (Big C and Tesco). Structural equation modelling was used to test the research model and a series of research hypotheses.

The results reveal that uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation have positive direct effects on loyalty, while collectivism does not. Furthermore, social proximity significantly mediates the effects of collectivism and long-term orientation on customer loyalty. These findings show that Thailand is a specific emerging market in which retail chains should adapt their loyalty programme accordingly.

The cultural differences could be used for segmentation strategy for retailers to engage customers in a relationship with the hypermarket. Social proximity is an efficient lever to build loyalty in Thailand. In addition, retailers could utilise certainty and steadiness message as a way to build shopper loyalty.

This research underlines the social, human dimension that consumers seek, which is opposed to the online purchase. Specifically, this study highlights the mediating role of social proximity between the relationship of cultural variables and loyalty in the retail context. Additionally, this research displays the direct and positive effects of culture on retail loyalty. That is, this paper enhances how culture and shopper-retail staff interaction can be managed to achieve store loyalty.

The purpose of this paper is to study whether the consumer’s perceptual processing style impacts consumer preference. Specifically, whether consumers with local perceptual processing style in emerging Asian countries are more likely to perceive that Asian skincare brands are suitable for them, compared with emerging Asian consumers with global perceptual processing.

An experiment was conducted with 249 Asian female respondents in an emerging Asian market. The Navon letter – a hierarchical letter – is used to classify the respondents’ perceptual processing style. The Navon stimulus used is a big letter H made up of small letter Ls. Those who saw letter H (L) at first glance were classified as consumers with global (local) perceptual processing style. ANCOVA was used to analyze the main effect of global/local perceptual processing style on product preference, as well as to test the moderating effect of age.

The results suggest that consumers with local perceptual processing style are significantly more likely to perceive that Asian brands are suitable for them, compared with respondents with global perceptual processing style. Additionally, the covariate “age” is not the covariate between global/local perceptual processing and skincare preference.

Managers can apply the findings to their targeting and communication strategies. First, it will be advantageous for managers marketing Asian skincare products to target Asian consumers with local perceptual processing style. For managers marketing Western skincare products in Asia, it will be better to target Asian consumers with global perceptual processing style. In terms of communication strategy development, managers marketing Asian skincare products to Asian consumers are recommended to encourage local perceptual processing, while managers marketing Western skincare brands to emerging Asian consumers should encourage global perceptual processing.

The value of this paper is that it applies the perceptual processing style to explain consumer decision-making in the context of consumers in emerging Asian countries. It also highlights a new perspective that helps managers craft targeting and communication strategies that help make their products to be perceived as a better fit or to facilitate consumer processing style so the product becomes a preferred choice.