The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at http://www.emeraldinsight.

com/researchregister

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at http://www.emeraldinsight.com/1361-2026.htm

ACADEMIC PAPER

The effect of consumer perceptions of store attributes on apparel store preference

School of Human and Consumer Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA, and College of Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Keywords Clothing, Retailing, Stores and supermarkets Abstract Consumer perceptions of retail store attributes for a set of particular stores were examined to determine their effect on store preference. Respondents rated 13 stores. Four variables were found to affect store preference using forward stepwise logistic regression: type of clothing desired in stock, outside store appearance, shopping hours, and advertising. Significance of the effect of store attributes on store preference varied by store type. In addition, associations between customer perception of store attributes, education and age were observed. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.

Effect of perceptions on store preference 371

V. Ann Paulins

Loren V. Geistfeld

Retail store attributes affect store choice and purchases (Hansen and Deutscher, 1977-1978; Berry, 1986; Zemke and Schaaf, 1989; Leszczyc and Timmermans, 2001). Increasingly, store-based retailers face competition from catalogs, television shopping networks, and the Internet as well as from one another. As new retail formats continue to develop and secure their positions in the market, knowledge of what attributes attract customers to stores is more important than ever. To remain competitive, store-based retailers must be prepared to implement changes ranging from updating the de cor to changing the product mix to moving to a different location. Successful implementation of such changes requires a clear understanding of what attributes affect consumers' store preferences. The primary focus of this study is identification of those store attributes affecting store preference. While this study focuses on women's apparel stores, it is our belief that the underlying concepts are not unique to women's apparel. Research from the past 25 years has been surveyed to identify key store attributes. The volume of attributes identified and the related research findings suggest that all retail store attributes are not equally important in affecting store choice. The importance of a particular store attribute may vary by store type as well as by customer characteristics. Building on this body of research, this study considers three questions:

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management Vol. 7 No. 4, 2003 pp. 371-385 # MCB UP Limited 1361-2026 DOI 10.1108/13612020310496967

JFMM 7,4

372

(1) Which attributes affect store preference? (2) To what extent do consumer perceptions of store attributes vary by customer characteristics? (3) To what extent do consumer perceptions of store attributes vary by type of retailer? While previous research focused on one or two of these questions, this study considers all three and seeks to introduce a model that can be used by retailers who wish to analyze their fit between store attributes offered and customer desires. Related research Previous research has identified a diverse set of store attributes (Table I). Many of these attributes have been identified and studied by more than one researcher. Table I presents attributes using terminology that was presented by previous researchers. In addition to identifying store attributes, previous research has examined the extent to which these attributes affect store choice. Bearden (1977) found that atmosphere, location, parking facilities, and friendliness of salespeople affect store choice. In an effort to determine how consumers organize their shopping trips when faced with an increasingly enlarged set of retail formats, Leszczyc and Timmermans (2001) found that consumers tended to choose a variety of stores, and overall preferred to shop at specialty stores. Furthermore, consumers were increasingly likely to select a single store when prices were lower, parking costs were less, better assortments were offered, travel time was reduced, and checkout lanes were shorter. Shim and Kotsiopulos (1992) examined whether attributes affecting store choice are related to retail store type. They found that the importance of store attributes to store preference varies by store type. Lee and Johnson (1997) found that customer expectations of store attributes also differ according to store type. They observed that customers did not expect much customer service at discount stores while they expected extensive service from specialty stores. Jolson and Spath (1973) noted that customer habits or routines are determinants of store choice, and Bellenger et al. (1977) identified two distinct groups of consumers: (1) those who are economically motivated; and (2) those who are recreational shoppers. Supporting these notions, Van Kenhove et al. (1999) identified situational conditions as significant determinants of the importance of store attributes on store choice. Situational conditions are the reasons consumers seek to buy products or services. They found that time constraints, gift buying versus personal shopping, and context of the shopping occasion (vacation, routine purchase, special event, etc.) all may affect the impact of store attributes on store preference, as well as store choice itself.

Attribute Advertising Delivery Displays Dressing rooms Fashionability and appropriateness of merchandise Merchandise information Merchandise quality Store appearance Parking Post-transaction satisfaction Pricing strategies

Researcher(s) Berry (1969), Jolson and Spath (1973), Marks (1976), Stephenson (1969) Jolson and Spath (1973), Lee and Johnson (1997) Bawa et al. (1989); Iyer (1989); Jolson and Spath (1973) Grise and Havner (1990), Lee and Johnson (1997), Mazurshky and Jacoby (1985) Berry (1969), Bearden (1977), Dommermuth and Cundiff (1967), Fisk (1961), Jolson and Spath (1973), Marks (1976), Mazursky and Jacoby (1985), Rich and Portis (1964), Schiffman et al. (1977), Shim and Kotsiopulos (1992), Stanforth and Lennon (1997), Stephenson (1969) Mazursky and Jacoby (1985) Berry (1969), Mazursky and Jacoby (1985) Marks (1976), Sirohi et al. (1998) Bearden (1977), Jolson and Spath (1973), Leszczyc and Timmermans (2001), Mazursky and Jacoby (1985) Fisk (1961), Coppett (1988) Bawa et al. (1989), Bearden (1977), Berry (1969), Fisk (1961), Iyer (1989), Jolson and Spath (1973), Leszczyc and Timmermans (2001), Mazursky and Jacoby (1985), Sirohi et al. (1998), Stanforth and Lennon (1997) Berry (1986) Berry (1986), Dotson and Patton (1992), Jolson and Spath (1973), Lee and Johnson (1997), Mazursky and Jacoby (1985), Shim and Kotsiopulos (1992) Berry (1969), Bearden (1977), Dotson and Patton (1992), Fisk (1961), Jolson and Spath (1973), Lee and Johnson (1997), Leszczyc and Timmermans (2001), Marks (1976), Mazursky and Jacoby (1985), Reynolds and Beatty (1999), Rich and Portis (1964), Shim and Kotsiopulos (1992), Sirohi et al. (1998), Stephenson (1969) Berry (1969, 1986), Bearden (1977), Jolson and Spath (1973), Kaufman and Lane (1994), Mazursky and Jacoby (1985), Shim and Kotsiopulos (1992), Stephenson (1969) Jolson and Spath (1973), Mazursky and Jacoby (1985) Mazursky and Jacoby (1985) Bearden (1977), Berry (1969), Fisk (1961), Jolson and Spath (1973), Mazursky and Jacoby (1985), Schiffman et al. (1977), Stephenson (1969)

Effect of perceptions on store preference 373

Rest rooms Return policy and adjustments Sales personnel

Store atmosphere Store hours Store layout Store location

Table I. Store attributes

Demographic characteristics of customers such as age, income level, education, and location of residence also affect store choice (Moore and Mason, 1969; Robarts, 1969; Bellenger et al., 1977; Bawa et al., 1989). Forsythe and Bailey (1996) found that age, marital status, occupational status, and consumer

JFMM 7,4

374

shopping enjoyment affect the amount of time spent shopping. As would be expected, shopping enjoyment was positively related to time spent shopping. Age was negatively associated with time spent shopping for females. Although income was not identified as a significant variable, consumers with professional careers spent less time shopping than non-professional consumers. Previous studies have analyzed various aspects of store attributes and their relationship to shopping behaviors. This study was undertaken to generate comprehensive information about the effect of store attributes on customer store preferences. Furthermore, we seek to provide a method for individual stores to use to examine the appropriateness of the store attributes they offer. Methodology Market area A Midwestern US city with a population of approximately 21,000 was selected as the market to be studied. The size of the city, store locations, and transportation options make all of the stores accessible to the general population. The city, home of a mid-sized university, is relatively isolated from other retail markets, which are 45 minutes to two hours away by car. It has a modest shopping mall and several free-standing apparel stores located in the downtown and outlying areas. Because subjects were asked to assess their perceptions of attributes of specific apparel stores in a market, it was important for them to be aware of the stores. This could occur first-hand through shopping experiences, via promotional materials such as newspaper and radio advertisements, or through word-of-mouth. In a market of this type, it is likely that most residents are aware of most stores. At the time the study was conducted there were 13 stores carrying women's apparel. Of the 13 stores, two were department stores, four were discount stores, and seven were specialty apparel stores. One of the specialty stores was a national chain; the remaining six were small independent shops. All 13 stores were included in this study. The market itself represents an ``American small town'' that may or may not be typical of other markets. This study could, however, be replicated in any market, with the results making a valuable contribution to that market and toward the question of whether the results of this study can be generalized. Questionnaire A questionnaire was developed to determine the degree to which respondents find the specific stores desirable places to shop, and their perceptions of store attributes. Prior to its implementation, a pilot version of the questionnaire was tested on a convenience sample to identify errors and misleading or difficult instructions and to assess overall clarity. The final questionnaire was modified slightly in format then printed in two versions with subjects receiving the different versions alternately. One version included six of the stores and the other included the remaining seven. This was so that all 13 stores were

represented in the study without having a prohibitively long questionnaire. Each questionnaire version included one department store and two discount stores. Pilot study participants did not participate in the final study. For each store in the questionnaire, subjects were asked whether the store was a desirable place to shop and were instructed to evaluate 14 store attributes on a five-point scale (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree). The second question allowed for analysis of perceptions of store attributes to be studied. The set of attributes included: advertising, appeal of clothing in the store, displays, dressing rooms, ease of location of merchandise, layaway plan, outside appearance, parking, prices, rest rooms, return policy, sales assistance, shopping hours, and store location. Attributes were primarily selected from those previously identified and listed in Table I. Delivery was not included because none of the stores in the study offered delivery. Layaway plan was added to the survey because it was observed as a standard attribute offered at stores in this area. The attribute ``appeal of clothing in the store'' was created with the expectation that customers would respond to whether they liked (found appealing) the clothing in the store. Such items as perceptions of quality, fashionability, and appropriateness of merchandise might be considered as consumers responded to this question. Atmosphere was not included because it is an attribute comprising more specific attributes such as displays, dressing rooms, sales personnel, and outside appearance. Sample and data collection Adult women were the target group of consumers for this study; only women aged 18 and older were solicited to complete the questionnaire. Subjects were selected from a telephone directory using a systematic sampling technique, with a goal set of 200 usable surveys (100 of each version). At the point in time that the number of needed surveys was received, telephone calls were discontinued. Telephone calls were used to identify qualified females to whom a questionnaire would be sent. On reaching a female, the interviewer asked if she were 18 years of age or older, and whether she had shopped for apparel for herself in the specified market within the past six months. Individuals meeting these screening criteria were asked to respond to the mailed questionnaire. Those agreeing to complete the mailed questionnaire were asked additional questions concerning education, age, and income. The demographic data were later matched with the returned questionnaire. Results Sample characteristics Questionnaires were sent to 312 women, with 207 usable questionnaires returned (response rate of 66.3 percent). The demographic characteristics of the respondents are presented in Table II. More than 85 percent of the respondents were college graduates or attended college. Respondents spanned the range of age categories from 18-23 to 60 or

Effect of perceptions on store preference 375

JFMM 7,4

Demographic variable Education College graduate Attended college High school graduate Attended high school Did not attend high school Age (years) 18-23 24-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60 or over Income ($) Under 10,000 10-20,000 20-30,000 30-40,000 Over 40,000 No response

Percentage

376

36.3 49.6 12.1 1.5 0.4 47.8 8.9 14.6 8.8 8.2 11.8 48.7 14.0 5.7 7.1 20.8 3.7

Table II. Demographic profiles of respondents

over, with nearly half of the respondents being in the 18-23 age category. About 50 percent of the respondents indicated an annual income of less than $10,000. All of these demographic data reflect consistency with the population according to the most recent census. The non-respondents were overwhelmingly consumers who attended college (68 percent), were age 18-23 (64 percent), and earned less than $10,000 per year (63 percent) characteristics that mirrored the respondents. Attributes affecting store preference Forward stepwise logistic regression was used to identify (predict) attributes affecting store preference. This regression technique builds a model one variable at a time and indicates those variables that are statistically significant to the model. Forward stepwise logistic regression allows one to determine the extent to which the various store attributes affect the probability of a respondent desiring to shop at a particular store. A separate logistic regression was done for each store so that comparisons could be made among the stores, and to demonstrate that individual stores could assess consumers' perceptions of their store attributes, then build a model indicating those store attributes that contribute significantly to consumers' desires to shop there. The regression models provided the log likelihood that a consumer desires to shop at a particular store (dependent variable). This estimate depended on the

coefficients (B) of the significant variables in the model. If there were no significant coefficients in the model, effects of the independent variables on store preference could not be determined. For significant independent variables in the model, the magnitude of the coefficient (B) represented the increase in log likelihood that consumers would shop at a given store when consumers agreed with the corresponding independent variable statement on the questionnaire. Independent variables were demographic attributes (education, age, income) and perceptions of store attributes (advertising, in-store displays, outside appearance, prices, type of clothing, hours, return policy, sales assistance, dressing rooms, layaway plan, location, parking, rest rooms, ease of finding merchandise). The results of the regressions for the 13 stores are summarized in Table III. The independent variable ``has the type of clothing I like'' had a statistically significant effect on store desirability for eight of the 13 stores. Outside store appearance significantly affected store desirability for three stores, shopping hours significantly affected store desirability for two stores, and advertising significantly affected store desirability for one store. All statistically significant store attributes increased the likelihood that consumers perceived a store to be a desirable place to shop. Extent to which customer perceptions of store attributes vary by customer characteristics The associations between demographics (education, income, age) and attribute perception are reported in Tables IV-VI. The cells of the tables reflect the
Store Specialty Specialty Specialty Specialty 1 2 3 4 Significant variables Has the type of clothing I like None Has the type of clothing I like Has the type of clothing I like Convenient shopping hours None Has the type of clothing I like Has the type of clothing I like None None Has the type of clothing I like Looks nice on the outside Has the type of clothing I like Looks nice on the outside Has the type of clothing I like Good advertising Convenient shopping hours. Looks nice on the outside. B 4.14 2.52 4.15 2.35 4.79 3.12 3.69 2.30 1.81 3.14 1.87 2.43 2.02 1.58 Wald 14.69 7.43 13.83 4.03 17.41 10.46 12.20 11.32 6.63 7.52 6.82 8.46 6.14 4.19 Significance 0.0001 0.0064 0.0002 0.0447 0.0000 0.0012 0.0005 0.0008 0.0100 0.0061 0.0090 0.0036 0.0132 0.0407

Effect of perceptions on store preference 377

Specialty 5 Specialty 6 Specialty 7 Department 1 Department 2 Discount 1 Discount 2 Discount 3 Discount 4

Table III. Statistically significant results from store stepwise logistic regressions (dependent variable: desirable place to shop; independent variable; perceived store attributes)

JFMM 7,4

Store attribute Good advertising Nice in-store displays Looks nice on outside Reasonable prices Has the type of clothing I like Convenient shopping hours Flexible return policy Helpful sales assistance Pleasant dressing rooms Useful layaway plan Is close to other stores Good parking Adequate rest rooms Easy to find what I am looking for Average of percentages

No high school diploma Very large Very large Very large Large Large Very large Very large Very large Very large Very large Very large Large Large Very large 96

Education level High school Attended graduate college Large Large Large Moderate Low Large Very large Large Large Large Large Large Moderate Large 82 Moderate Large Large Large Low Large Very large Large Large Large Large Large Moderate Large 81

College graduate Moderate Large Large Large Low Large Large Moderate Large Very large Large Moderate Moderate Large 75

378

Table IV. Percentage of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with store attribute statements, by education level

Notes: Trivial, 0-25 percent, low: 26-50 percent, moderate: 51-75 percent, large: 76-94 percent, very large: 95-100 percent; read table as follows: a very large proportion (95-100 percent) of respondents with no high school diploma perceive stores as having good advertising (agree or strongly agree with statement)

percentage of respondents indicating agreement or strong agreement with a store attribute statement. Response rates have been divided into five categories: trivial (0-25 percent), low (26-50 percent), moderate (51-75 percent), large (76-94 percent), and very large (95-100 percent). Cell percentage reflect evaluations for all stores. In general, consumers tend to be more critical of store attributes as education increases (Table IV). Respondents from different income levels tended to perceive store attributes similarly (Table V). The age effect (Table VI) is less clear. Extent to which consumer perceptions of store attributes vary by type of retailer The extent to which consumer perceptions of store attributes vary by store type is presented in Table VII. Table cells reflect the percentage of respondents indicating agreement with a given store attribute statement by store type. Attribute ratings for discount stores exhibit the most variability, with the percentage of agreement ranging from trivial to very large. Consumer perceptions of amenity services for discount stores (displays, dressing rooms) rate low, while consumer perceptions of value and convenience at discount stores (price, hours, return policy, layaway) rate high. Only a trivial number of

Store attribute Moderate Large Large Large Low Large Very large Large Large Very large Large Moderate Moderate Large 80 Large Large Large Moderate Low Very large Very large Moderate Large Very large Large Large Moderate Large 74 Large Very large Very large Large Low Very large Very large Very large Very large Large Moderate Moderate Moderate Large 84 Large Large Large Large Low Large Very large Large Large Very large Moderate Moderate Moderate Large 77

Under $10,000

$10,000-$20,000

Annual income level $20,000- $30,000 $30,000-$40,000

Over $40,000 Large Large Large Large Low Large Very large Large Large Very large Large Large Low Moderate 77%

Good advertising Nice in-store displays Looks nice on outside Reasonable prices Has the type of clothing I like Convenient shopping hours Flexible return policy Helpful sales assistance Pleasant dressing rooms Useful layaway plan Is close to other stores Good parking Adequate rest rooms Easy to find what I am looking for Average of percentages

Notes: Trivial: 0-25 percent, low: 26-50 percent, moderate: 51-75 percent, large: 76-94 percent, very large: 95-100 percent; read table as follows: a moderate proportion (51-75 percent) of respondents with annual income under $10,000 perceive stores as having good advertising (agree or strongly agree with statement)

Effect of perceptions on store preference

Table V. Percentage of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with store attribute statements by income level

379

380

JFMM 7,4

Store attribute Moderate Large Large Large Low Large Very Large Large Large Very large Large Moderate Moderate Large 80 Moderate Large Large Large Low Large Very large Moderate Large Large Large Moderate Moderate Large 78 Large Large Large Moderate Low Large Very large Large Large Large Large Moderate Low Moderate 76 Large Large Large Moderate Low Large Very large Large Large Large Moderate Large Moderate Moderate 76

Good advertising Nice in-store displays Looks nice on outside Reasonable prices Has the type of clothing I like Convenient shopping hours Flexible return policy Helpful sales assistance Pleasant dressing rooms Useful layaway plan Is close to other stores Good parking Adequate rest rooms Easy to find what I am looking for Average percentages

Notes: Trivial: 0-25 percent, low: 26-50 percent, moderate: 51-75 percent, large: 76-94 percent, very large: 95-100 percent, read table as follows: a moderate proportion (51-75 percent) of respondents age 18-23 perceive stores as having good advertising (agree or strongly agree with statement)

Table VI. Percentage of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with store attribute statements by age 18-23 24-29 30-39 Age category 40-49 50-59 Large Large Large Large Low Large Large Large Large Large Large Large Moderate Moderate 79 60 and over Large Large Very Large Large Low Very Large Very large Large Large Very large Large Large Large Large 83

Store attribute

Discount

Store type Department Large Very large Very large Large Large Very large Very large Large Very large Very large Very large Very large Large Large 94

Specialty Moderate Large Large Moderate Moderate Large Large Large Large Large Large Moderate Low Large 76

Good advertising Large Nice in-store displays Low Looks nice on outside Moderate Reasonable prices Very large Has the type of clothing I like Trivial Convenient shopping hours Very large Flexible return policy Very large Helpful sales assistance Moderate Pleasant dressing rooms Low Useful layaway plan Very large Is close to other stores Large Good parking Large Adequate rest rooms Moderate Easy to find what I am looking for Moderate Average percentages 72

Effect of perceptions on store preference 381

Notes: Trivial: 0-25 percent, low: 26-50 percent, moderate: 51-75 percent, large: 76-94 percent, very large: 95-100 percent, read table as follows: a large proportion (76-94percent) of respondents perceive discount stores as having good advertising (agree or strongly agree with statement)

Table VII. Percentage of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with store attribute statements by store type

respondents agreed with the statement that they liked the clothing at discount stores. Consumers exhibit greater consistency with respect to department store attributes where the percentages were either large or very large. Specialty stores, while not exhibiting the extremes associated with discount stores, rank lower than department stores with respect to consumer perceptions of store attributes. Department stores, on average, rate higher than discount and specialty stores with respect to store attributes. It is helpful to consider store type differences for each attribute. This comparison focuses on those instances in which the percentage categories for a given attribute across the three store types are not contiguous. For example, trivial and moderate, as well as moderate and very large, are not contiguous. This occurs for seven of the 14 store attributes; namely, nice in-store displays, looks nice on outside, reasonable prices, has the type of clothing I like, pleasant dressing rooms, good parking, and adequate rest rooms. Discount stores are seen as being inferior to department and specialty stores with respect to store displays. The difference between discount stores and department and specialty stores is even more pronounced with respect to whether stores have the type of clothing respondents like. Very few respondents perceive discount stores as ranking highly on this store attribute. Discount stores differ from department stores with respect to perceptions of

JFMM 7,4

382

external appearance and with respect to whether dressing rooms are perceived as being pleasant. Discount stores fare poorly relative to department stores in both instances. Consumer perception with respect to reasonableness of prices is particularly interesting. Discount stores are perceived by a very large proportion of respondents to have reasonable prices while only a moderate proportion of respondents perceive specialty stores to have reasonable prices. However, a large proportion of respondents believes that department stores have reasonable prices. Research by Shim and Kotsiopulos (1992) supports these findings with respect to price. They reported that price was negatively associated with specialty stores and positively associated with discount stores; price made specialty stores unattractive while price made discount stores more attractive. There are two store attributes exhibiting differences between department stores and specialty stores: (1) good parking; and (2) adequate rest rooms. A moderate proportion of the respondents believes that specialty stores offer good parking while a very large proportion of respondents believes this to be the situation for department stores. Bearden (1977) reported that downtown stores typically lack location and parking facilities. In the market area studied, most downtown stores, where parking is usually difficult to find, are specialty stores. Adequacy of rest room facilities is highly perceived by a low proportion of respondents for specialty stores, while a large proportion of respondents believe department store rest rooms are adequate. Generally, discount and department stores provide in-store rest rooms. Specialty stores usually do not, which is the likely cause of the perception that they provide less adequate rest rooms. Discussion Whether or not a store has the type of clothing a customer likes affected store preference most significantly. This suggests that an appealing merchandise selection is a key reason why a particular store is a desirable place to shop. Stores ``losing touch'' with their customers through inappropriate merchandise selections will lose customers. Outside store appearance affected store preference for three discount stores. This finding could be extrapolated to any ``free-standing'' store, which the department and specialty stores were not. This suggests that free-standing stores should pay attention to external appearance; if it is not attractive, customers will not want to enter. Customer education influences perceptions of some store attributes. As education increases, customers tend to be more critical of store attributes. Those store attributes with particularly pronounced differences between highly educated and less educated consumers were advertising, return policy,

sales assistance, and parking. In this particular study, the findings for income are suspect given the fact that students dominate the sample; they often have access to greater purchasing power than their income suggests (higher percentage disposable income). Discount stores are poorly perceived with respect to in-store displays, external appearance, having the kind of clothing liked, and having pleasant dressing rooms. However, they are positively perceived with respect to having reasonable prices. This suggests that customers are willing to sacrifice some store attributes as long as they receive lower prices. Enhancing convenience and environmental attributes could be counter-productive at discount stores if higher prices were a result. While it would be inappropriate to argue that discount stores should be oblivious to convenience and atmospheric attributes, they should focus on these vis-a -vis other discount stores and not specialty and department stores. Specialty stores are not well perceived in this market with respect to reasonableness of prices, parking, and rest room adequacy. Implications and conclusion Discount stores, in particular, should be alerted to the findings of this study, which suggest that customers are willing to swap store services for lower prices. Discount retailers, however, should proceed cautiously and keep in mind that the appeal of merchandise to customers is overwhelmingly influenced by store desirability. Discount stores that are promoting designer names and fashion-forward merchandise seem to be on the right track, but consumer perceptions regarding the lack of appealing merchandise at discount stores continues to be an obstacle to overcome. Retailers should be sensitive to the education levels of their customers. The more educated the customer base, the more selective one's customers may be. While education levels are independent of family income and individual purchasing power, this is an area that would benefit from further exploration due to the market surveyed. For customers seeking apparel merchandise, the type of clothing preferred by the customer is a key attribute contributing to store preference. Customer expectations of merchandise selection differ among store types, and customer expectations likely play a large role in satisfaction with store selection. Apparel store retailers may benefit from application of the disconfirmation theory that relates consumer satisfaction as a function of how well expectations fit with actual experiences. Customers who have been pleased, primarily with the merchandise selection but also with other key store attributes, will continue to express shopping preference for retailers whose attributes meet or exceed their expectations. The authors suggest that future research with respect to store attributes be conducted to explore the ability retailers have to measure their store attributes in a manner that is consistent with consumer perceptions. The individual regression models generated in this study offer insight into the specific store attributes that affect store preferences for unique stores, and therefore the

Effect of perceptions on store preference 383

JFMM 7,4

384

usefulness of the models will be enhanced when the unique stores can measure their customers' perceptions of store attributes consistently. Furthermore, application of similar studies in different markets and with different stores would provide opportunities to compare customer preferences of store attributes across markets. It is possible that attributes may differ among geographic locations, particularly for markets that are largely tourist customers versus regular customers, and for markets in urban versus rural areas.
References Bawa, K., Landwehr, J.T. and Krishna, A. (1989), ``Consumer response to retailers' marketing environments: an analysis of coffee purchase data'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 65 No. 4, pp. 471-95. Bearden, W.O. (1977), ``Determinant attributes of store patronage: downtown versus outlying shopping centers'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 53 No. 2, pp. 15-22. Bellenger, D.N., Robertson, D.H. and Greenberg, B.A. (1977), ``Shopping center patronage motives'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 53 No. 2, pp. 29-38. Berry, L.L. (1969), ``The components of department store image: a theoretical and empirical analysis'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 45 No. 1, pp. 3-20. Berry, L.L. (1986), ``Retail businesses are services businesses'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 62 No. 1, pp. 3-6. Coppett, J.I. (1988), ``Auditing your customer service activities'', Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 17, pp. 277- 84. Dommermuth, W.P. and Cundiff, E.W. (1967), ``Shopping goods, shopping centers, and selling strategies'', Journal of Marketing, Vol. 31, October, pp. 32-6. Dotson, M. and Patton, W., III (1992), ``Consumer perceptions of department store service: a lesson for retailers'', The Journal of Service Marketing, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 15-28. Fisk, G. (1961), ``A conceptual model for studying customer image'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 37 No. 4, pp. 1-8. Forsythe, S.M. and Bailey, A.W. (1996), ``Shopping enjoyment, perceived time poverty, and time spent shopping'', Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 185-91. Grise, K.A. and Havner, M.A. (1990), ``Customer service preferences'', FIT Review, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 16-22. Hansen, R.A. and Deutscher, T. (1977-1978), ``An empirical investigation of attribute importance in retail store selection'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 53 No. 4, pp. 59-72. Iyer, E.S. (1989), ``Unplanned purchasing: knowledge of shopping environment and time pressure'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 65 No. 1, pp. 40-57. Jolson, M.A. and Spath, W.F. (1973), ``Understanding and fulfilling shoppers' requirements: an anomaly in retailing?'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 49 No. 2, pp. 38-50. Kaufman, C.F. and Lane, P.M. (1994), ``Shopping 24 hours a day: a consumer need or a losing strategy?'', Shopping Center Research, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 81-160. Lee, M. and Johnson, K.K.P. (1997), ``Customer expectations for service at apparel retail outlets'', Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, Vol. 89 No. 4, pp. 26-30. Leszczyc, P.T.L.P. and Timmermans, H. (2001), ``Experimental choice analysis of shopping strategies'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 77 No. 4, pp. 493-509. Marks, R.B. (1976), ``Operationalizing the concept of store image'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 52 No. 3, pp. 37-46.

Mazursky, D. and Jacoby, J. (1985), ``Forming impressions of merchandise and service quality'', in Jacoby, J. and Olson, J. (Eds), Perceived Quality: How Consumers View Stores and Merchandise, Lexington Books, Lexington, MA, pp. 139-53. Moore, C.T. and Mason, J.B. (1969), ``A research note on major retail center patronage'', Journal of Marketing, Vol. 33, July, pp. 61-3. Reynolds, K. and Beatty, S.E. (1999), ```Customer benefits and company consequences of customer-salesperson relationships on retailing''', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 75 No. 1, pp. 11-32. Rich, S.U. and Portis, B.D. (1964), ``The `imageries' of department stores'', Journal of Marketing, Vol. 28, April, pp. 10-15. Robarts, A.O. (1969), ``A revised look at selected determinants of consumer spatial behavior'', in Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual Conference, Association of Canadian Schools of Business, Summer. Schiffman, L.G., Dash, J.F. and Dillon, W.R. (1977), ``The contribution of store-image characteristics to store-type choice'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 53 No. 2, pp. 3-14+. Shim, S. and Kotsiopulos, A. (1992), ``Patronage behavior of apparel shopping: Part I. Shopping orientations, store attributes, information sources, and personal characteristics'', Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 48-57. Sirohi, N., McLaughlin, E.W. and Wittink, D.R. (1998), ``A model of consumer perceptions and store loyalty intentions for a supermarket retailer'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 74 No. 2, pp. 223-45. Stanforth, N.F. and Lennon, S.J. (1997), ``The effects of customer expectations and store policies on retail salesperson service, satisfaction, and patronage'', Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 115-24. Stephenson, P.R. (1969), ``Identifying determinants of retail patronage'', Journal of Marketing, Vol. 33, July, pp. 57-61. Van Kenhove, P., De Wulf, K. and Van Waterschoot, W. (1999), ``The impact of task definition on store-attribute saliences and store choice'', Journal of Retailing, Vol. 75 No. 1, pp. 125-37. Zemke, R. and Schaaf, D. (1989), The Service Edge: 101 Companies that profit from Customer Care, New American Library, New York, NY. Further reading Fram, E.H. and Axelrod, J. (1990), ``The distressed shopper'', American Demographics, October, pp. 44-5. Zeithaml, V.A. (1985), ``The new demographics and market fragmentation'', Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49, pp. 64-75.

Effect of perceptions on store preference 385