Consumer shopping value for retail brands

Purpose - To examine whether consumers value the in-store experience that retailers provide as part of the store as brand concept. Design/methodology/approach - A sample of young adult consumers (N = 188) was surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical techniques (MANOVA, post hoc tests) were used to evaluate the data. Findings - Statistical models indicate that consumers expect both hedonic and utilitarian value to be present when shopping in the store as brand context. Research limitations/implications - The findings are useful because they confirm significant differences in consumer perceptions of hedonic shopping value across several retail brands. Therefore, customers appear to recognize the uniqueness among the in-store experience that retailers are working hard to achieve. This delivery of value, then, seems to be an effective source of differentiation. Practical implications - The results of this study indicate that retailers using a "store as the brand" strategy should continue to invest in creating a specific, unique shopping experience for their target customer. However, retailers should always be mindful that regardless of the excitement and fun delivered in the shopping experience, consumers appear to expect utility including the right merchandise, in the right place, at the right time, and at the right price. Originality/value - This paper undertakes an empirical examination of consumer value for the broader concept of the retail brand (apparel) that encompasses the entire consumer shopping experience associated with the context.