Store image on consumers' buying behavior is very important factor for store marketing strategies, especially in changing environment of retail institutions. For the more, store preference, Patronage, and Loyalty are influenced by store image. The ana...
Store image on consumers' buying behavior is very important factor for store marketing strategies, especially in changing environment of retail institutions. For the more, store preference, Patronage, and Loyalty are influenced by store image. The analysis of store image and the establishment of store image positioning strategies are necessary conditions for differential benefits from competitors and contribute for market share and sales volume of retail stores.
This study has been made of theoretical review and empirical analysis.
In chapter 2, a review is made about theoretical background knowledges of store choice models in order to find the importance of store image. In chapter 3, store image and its positioning are reviewed through the prior researches and studies.
In Chapter 4, empirical survey is made, which puts emphasis on three department stores located at Jeonju city(Jeonju department store : A, Core department store : B Hanalum department store : C). The objects surveyed are 74 citizens and the hypotheses derived from theoretical studies are tested through statistical analysis. A summary of the empirical research is as follows.
1. Respondents belong to middle class, reach at department stores by public transportation vehicles, and spend about one hour on shopping activities with friends(neighbors) and family members.
2. Generally, B is more appealed than any others and general image of B is more attractive than those of A and C. The statistical difference among images of three department stores are significant.
3. Consumers rank (1) postpurchase services, quality and assortment of merchandise, salesman's kindness and information offering services when they choose the department stores. The consumers' evaluation of department store attributes about three department stores indicates significant differences statistically in location, quality and assortment, salesman's kindness and information offering, atmosphere, advertising and sales promotion, general services, physical attributes, and postpurchase services. Evaluation scores about B are more positive than those abut A and C.
4. The degrees of appealing of three department stores(A, B, and C) are explained 32%, 24%, and 38% respectively by the scores(importance of attributes x evaluation of attributes). The appealing of A is influenced by the image of postpurchase services and customer level, that of B is influenced by the image of salesman's kindness and information offering, and that of C is influenced by the image of postpurchase services, quality and assortment of merchandise, advertising and sales promotion with statistical significances.
This study has drawn some recommendations based on the empirical survey for the image positioning of the department.
1. Department stores in Jeonju can use publice transportation vehicles and words of mouth in order to communicate desired images, and pay attention to develop the community department store culture with additional events and active activities beyond selling products.
2. A and C should attempt to change and develop the unique images for themselves. Especially marketing resources should be allocated for better postpurchase services because consumers consider them for the most important factor in choosing department stores and are best appealed by that factor. Next important factor is quality and assortment of merchandise for image development and positioning of them.
3. B should develop the specific, unique, and differential image positoing strategies because conumers perceive the positive image ambiguously without concrete attributes. Positive image of B may come from the scale of economics and good physical building attribute by much funds.