Albert

Albert J. Della Bitta, University of Rhode Island
Kent B. Monroe, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
ABSTRACT - This study attempts to expand the scope of previous research on consumers' reactions to retail
comparative price advertising. A large factorial experiment with multiple response measures examined the
influence of several variables on consumers' perception of value from retail sale advertisements. The size of sale
discount was found to have an interesting effect on consumers' perceptions of value. Also, the method of
presenting sale information significantly influenced perceptions.
[ to cite ]:

Albert J. Della Bitta and Kent B. Monroe (1981) ,"A Multivariate Analysis of the Perception of Value From Retail
Price Advertisements", in Advances in Consumer Research Volume 08, eds. Kent B. Monroe, Advances in
Consumer Research Volume 08 : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 161-165.

Advances in Consumer Research Volume 8, 1981 Pages 161-165

A MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF THE PERCEPTION OF VALUE FROM RETAIL PRICE ADVERTISEMENTS

Albert J. Della Bitta, University of Rhode Island

Kent B. Monroe, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

ABSTRACT -

This study attempts to expand the scope of previous research on consumers' reactions to retail comparative price
advertising. A large factorial experiment with multiple response measures examined the influence of several
variables on consumers' perception of value from retail sale advertisements. The size of sale discount was found
to have an interesting effect on consumers' perceptions of value. Also, the method of presenting sale information
significantly influenced perceptions.

INTRODUCTION

The issue of consumers' response to price has stimulated considerable research interest in the past decade
(Monroe 1973, 1977; Olson 1977). However, much of this inquiry has been directed at the price/"quality"-
perception question. Except for the concept of unit pricing, one area receiving relatively little attention is the issue
of presenting price information to consumers. This is unfortunate since numerous alternatives exist for presenting
prices, and such information is an integral component of much retail advertising. Consequently, research into the
price presentation area could have significant implications for managerial and regulatory decision-making.

Several schemes are useful for conceptualizing the problem. Jacoby and Olson (1977) have viewed price
perception from the S-O-R perspective. Here stimulus variables (S) are the actual cues presented to the
consumer where organismic variables (O) include those factors internal to the individual influencing the
acquisition, processing, and derivation of subjective meaning from objective stimuli. These O-variables could
include properties such as price awareness, subjective standards of reference and attitudes. The interaction of
acquired stimuli and organismic conditions leads to responses (R) by the individual.

Clearly, presentation of an offered price qualifies as an S-variable which can significantly influence a consumer's
perception of the offer. However, it should also be clear that the consumer's experiences and the context of an
offering can influence perception of the offered price. Thus, price experiences over tine and the prices of other
products may be internalized as an O-variable to influence price perceptions. To illustrate, adaptation-level theory

and empirical evidence suggest that the consumer's price experience forms a specific and quantifiable standard
of reference for judging subsequent prices (Della Bitta and Monroe 1974; Nwokoye 1975).

In addition to such internalized influences, a variety of factors surrounding the price presentation (store setting,
medium used to convey price information, etc.) form a context for judgment. Besides these general contextual
variables, a given price presentation may be comprised of a set of more specific contextual cues also capable of
influencing the meaning derived from the offered price. Walton and Berkowitz (1980) have classified these cues
into comparison and semantic categories. Comparison cues are prices the advertiser references in order to
provide a basis for Judging the offered price. This may be a prevailing price in the market, the manufacturer's
suggested selling price, or the retailer's regular selling price. Semantic cues involve phrases describing the price
("very low"), price reduction ("significantly reduced") or amount of savings involved ("super savings"). Of course,
some semantic phrases are emotionally laden while others are more neutral.

From a managerial and public policy viewpoint, a valid concern is how strongly price presentation formats
influence buyers. The managerial concern is to present price information in a favorable manner while hopefully
not misleading consumers about the nature of the offering. From a public policy perspective, the concern is over
misleading and/or deceptive practices. In fact, in 1958 and 1964 the FTC issued a set of guides for presentation
of retail price information.

Relevant Research

Whet is significant to note is the paucity of directly applicable research evidence to guide managers and policy
makers. However, the few relevant studies available do provide some perspective. Fry and McDougall (1974)
investigated buyers' perceptions of advertised sale and regular prices. Although the study probably suffered from
experimental demand effects, the authors concluded that acceptance of advertised regular prices tended to vary
inversely with the size of discounts. However, acceptance of the sale price as the "lowest price in town" varied
directly with discount magnitude.

Barnes (1975) varied price and semantic information in a simulated newspaper advertised "sale" for unbranded
products. Each presentation was ranked on a priori basis by Barnes in terms of the amount of its information
content. The ranking (high to low) was disclosure of: (1) both regular and sale price, (2) sale price and the
discount expressed in percentage terms and (3) only sale price. Newspaper and store type were also varied in
the experiment. Dependent measures were believability of the advertisement, perceived value for the money and
motivation to act. Results indicate a significant information treatment effect, with presentation format (1) above
having the greatest influence on the dependent measures. Although this result is consistent with Barnes' a
priori ranking of information content, one should note that such a ranking may not be valid in all circumstances. In
some situations consumers may find an expression of the magnitude of the price reduction (e.g., percent off) to
be more useful than knowing the specific sale price.

Keiser and Krum (1976) compared consumers' reactions to sale advertisements of different forms. In one, only
sale price was shown while in a second condition both regular and sale prices were presented with the semantic
phrase "one-half price sale." The authors report that the second condition influenced more subjects to perceive a
"true price reduction" although the difference was not significant. Perceived truthfulness and willingness to
purchase were also not significantly different between the two treatment groups. The possibility of confounding
effects in this study should also be mentioned. In the presentation that disclosed both regular and sale prices, the
former was set artificially high to examine consumers' reactions to overstated price savings. This element, not in
the other treatment condition, may have introduced a bias into the study.

Sewall and Goldstein (1979) queried 114 catalog store shoppers about their understanding of comparison
(reference) prices used by catalog showroom retailers. They found that the vast majority clearly understood the
meaning of reference price information. Also, 58 percent of the respondents understood or were explicitly
skeptical (discounted the credibility) of such reference prices and regarded them as useful in their comparative
shopping activities. It should also be noted that subjects can be influenced by such comparative information more
than conscious responses to surveys might suggest.

Blair and Landon (1979) examined the effects of reference prices in retail advertisements for a TV and food
processor using adult women in a shopping mall setting. One condition contained only the offered price while
another presented the offered price, suggested list price and claimed savings. Results indicate that without
reference price information subjects generally estimated savings et between 10 to 12 percent. However,
advertisements with reference prices (and discounts from 16 to 36 percent) produced significantly larger
perceptions of savings. Also the perceived credibility of claimed savings varied inversely with the magnitude of
the claim.

Walton and Berkowitz (1980) reported a study of the effect of reference price, presentation format and several
other contextual variables on consumers' price perceptions. Three products (aspirin, fan and camera) were
tested at two discount levels (20% and 40%) and four information presentation formats: (1) "regular price"/"sale
price", (2) "total value"/"sale price", (3) "compare at"/"our price", and (4) "x percent off"/"now only". Several
dependent measures were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance. Two particularly interesting findings
are: (1) reference price effects varied across products, and (2) price information format was significant for
cameras only. Here the "percent off" format (4) consistently received the lowest mean rating on all dependent
measures.

Although informative, the major problem with previous studies is the lack of consistent findings. For example,
Barnes' found the regular/sale price format to yield the greatest perception of value for the money. Although
Walton and Berkowitz did not find this to be the case, they did observe a significant difference between the
"percent off" format and all others. The two studies also show a similar contrast regarding the influence of
information treatments on subjects' willingness to purchase. In addition, while Blair and Landon found the
regular/sale price format to influence perceived savings, Walton and Berkowitz were unable to distinguish this
influence from two other presentations. Discrepancies also appear between the findings of other studies.

Differences in test conditions may explain some of these divergent findings. Studies have varied in terms of the
discount levels, information formats and dependent measures used. Further, they have tested different product
classes, branding conditions and price levels. Additional research that accounts for some of these contextual
influences is warranted.

THE STUDY

This study investigated the influence of specific price presentation formats on consumers' perceptions. The focus
was on a sale situation that consumers might confront in a retail setting.

Research Method

Prior to the experiment, content analysis of major metropolitan newspapers and catalog advertising revealed the
frequency with which various components of sale information were employed. Four components were chosen for
investigation based on their frequency of occurrence: regular (non-sale) price, sale price, percentage price
reduction, and absolute dollar amount of price reduction. Because previous research suggests that the influence
of price presentation format could be effected by the price level and discount size, these factors were also
incorporated.

A 2 x 5x 8 factorial experimental design was used. The respective factors were comprised of two price levels, five
discount levels (10% to 50% in 10 percentage point increments) and eight presentations of regular price (RP),
sale price (SP), percent off (PO) and amount off (AD) information. The specific treatment levels are (1) SP; (2)
RP, SP; (3) RP, AO; (4) RP, PO; (5) RP, SP, AO; (6) RP, SP, PO; (7) RP, AO, PO; (8) RP, SP, AO, PO.

A calculator was used as the experimental product because of its familiarity and potential interest to college
students who were employed as subjects. Two specific models were used et regular suggested price levels
prevailing in the market at the time ($120 and $50). The 400 participating subjects were randomly assigned (five
per cell) to the 80 treatment conditions. All subjects were instructed to assume that they sew the provided
advertisement which described the product and exposed then to the price presentation format. They were then
asked to read the advertisement and respond to a series of dependent measures and personal
background/debriefing questions.

The majority of price investigations have only examined s single dimension of buyers' response to price.
However, since price presentations have potential for affecting a variety of buyer reactions, single variable
studies forego opportunities to explore the potential richness of buyers' multidimensional responses to price
presentations (Engel, Blackwell and Kollat 1978; Jacoby 1978; Wind and Denny 1974). This study focused on
three response variates: perceived savings, perceived value for money at the sales price and perceived
acceptability of the offer. These variables were selected because of a desire to concentrate attention on the
perceived worth construct identified in other work (Szybillo and Jacoby 1974; Walton and Berkowitz 1980) and
the attention given to the three variables in over nine previous investigations. Each of the three dependent
variables was measured on a seven-point equal-interval scale anchored by descriptive phrases appropriate to the
variable involved.

Analysis and Results

Preliminary analysis revealed that the three dependent variables exhibited substantial intercorrelations (r > .58).
The three variables were also evaluated for internal consistency using Cronbach's (1951) alpha criterion. The
resulting alpha value of 0.81 is quite large for this type of basic research (Nunnally 1967), suggesting high
consistency among the response variates.

In cases where multiple response measures are correlated, separate univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA)
runs on each dependent variate can lead to incomplete and/or inappropriate conclusions (Green 1978; Tatsouka
1971; Wind & Denny 1974). For this reason a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) procedure as
summarized in Table 1 was selected. Wilks' Lambda is an appropriate statistic for examining differences among
group centroids when two or more dependant measures serve as the joint set of evaluation criteria, The
distribution of the F-statistic is proportional to the distribution of Lambda and is employed as the test statistic.

A first point of interest in Table 1 is that all interaction terms are nonsignificant. This allows direct assessment of
main treatment effects as opposed to examining the influence of treatments at individual values of the other
factors.

TABLE 1

SUMMARY OF MANOVA RESULTS

As shown in Table l, price level treatments did not produce a significant difference in subjects' perceptions.
However, examination of the group centroids suggests some tendency for subjects to perceive leas value for the
money in the more expensive model of the test product.

Table 1 also reveals that discount size and information treatments generated significant differences in subjects'
perceptions. For these situations it is appropriate to engage in further analysis to isolate the nature of the
differences. While a variety of techniques can assist in this exploration (Green 1978; Hair et. al. 1979; Tatsuoka
1971) these data were further analyzed using a simultaneous confidence interval approach to multiple
comparison rests (Mortises 1976). This approach to follow-up tasting for a MANOVA is highly conservative since
it holds a maximum alpha level for all possible comparisons of a given type. Therefore, the actual alpha level on a
given test can be quite small, requiring a considerably large value for the computed test statistic. For this reason,
and the exploratory nature of the research, differences that approached significance at the five percent probability
level are discussed along with those that actually achieved significance.

FIGURE 1

MEAN RESPONSES TO DISCOUNT TREATMENTS

As can be seen in Figure 1, the general pattern of the three dependence variables is to increase as the
magnitude of the discount increases. Significantly higher savings were perceived at the 50, 40 and 30 percent
discount levels than at the 10 percent level. The 50 percent level also produced significantly higher perceptions of
savings than the 20 percent treatment condition.

Larger discounts also increased the general level of perceived offer accept, ability and value for money at the
sales price. As Figure 1 shows, the one exception is at the 20 percent discount level where, relative to the 10
percent level, perceived offer acceptability and value for the money dropped slightly. In fact, the only group
differences that approached or achieved significance on these measures were the difference in responses to the
20 percent and 50 percent-off treatments.

Since the information format treatment produced significant differences these responses were also explored
through construction of simultaneous confidence intervals. Mean response patterns for the three dependent
measures are presented in Figure 2. Information treatments have been arranged on the X-axis so that responses
are generally increasing with movement along the axis. Also, since information treatments differed in non-
quantitative aspects, their presentation on the X-axis represents categories of a factor rather than values of a
continuous variable.

FIGURE 2

MEAN RESPONSES TO INFORMATION TREATMENTS

The difference between responses to information treatment one ("sales price" only) and three ("regular price and
amount off") was accepted as significant for the perception of savings measure. As shown in Figure 2, treatment
condition three accounted for a higher level of perceived savings. It also produced a nearly significantly greater
perception of offer acceptability than did treatment one, and it accounted for the second largest mean difference
on the perceived value for money measure. Further, the difference between mean responses to treatment four
("regular price and percent off") and three ("regular price and amount off") approached significance for perceived
value for money with treatment three producing higher responses.

It is also useful to examine the pattern of responses as the character of information changes while the number of
inputs in the advertisement remains constant. Figures 3 and 4 portray mean responses to two and three
informational inputs respectively. As Figure 3 shows, the pattern of responses to two inputs is quite consistent
across the three dependent measures. The highest responses are under conditions of "regular price and amount
off" information. This was followed by responses to the "regular price and sales price" treatments while the
"regular price and percent-off" treatment generated the lowest level of perceptions.

FIGURE 3

MEAN RESPONSES TO TWO INFORMATION TREATMENTS

FIGURE 4

MEAN RESPONSES TO THREE INFORMATION TREATMENTS

Figure 4, where responses to three informational inputs are portrayed, again shows a quite consistent pattern
across the dependent measures. However, this pattern is not consistent with responses shown in Figure 3 where
provision of "amount off" information as the second input led to the highest level of mean responses. That is, for
three informational inputs the provisions of "amount off" information in conjunction with "regular price" and "sales
price" tended to depress responses below those obtained when "percent off" information was presented with
"regular price" and "sales price" information.

DISCUSSION

This experiment was designed to investigate how individuals respond to comparative price advertisements under
various conditions. The conditions involved different original price levels, discount magnitudes and formats for
presentation of price information. Response measures were perceived savings, value for the money at the sale
price and offer acceptability.

Price level ($120 vs. $50) did not have a statistically significant effect on subjects' perceptions. However, there
was a tendency to perceive more value for the money in the less expensive unit. This may suggest that the lower

priced-lined unit more clearly matched the perceived needs of subjects than the higher priced model which
contained more sophisticated features.

The magnitude of price discounts did produce significant differences in perceptions. Although all three dependent
measures showed a very similar pattern of responses, the perceived savings variate accounted for most of the
significant difference. This result closely resembles, and further confirms, the findings of Walton and Berkowitz
(1980) regarding the effects of price discounts.

It is interesting to examine the character of savings perceptions across levels of price discounts. Significant
differences occurred between the 10% and 30-50% levels and between the 20% level and 50% level. However,
response differences between the 30%, 40% and 50% levels were not significant. This result might be
attributable to subjects being suspicious of the larger discount offers. However, a separate question asked
subjects to indicate the degree to which they suspected the truthfulness of the advertised prices. No significant
differences in the perceived credibility of offers was detected across discount levels. Therefore, the argument that
subjects' suspicions accounted for different responses to discount levels is not strongly supported. Conversely, it
is interesting to observe that the threshold of significant differences in perceived savings occurs in the
neighborhood of the 15% price reduction that many retailers believe must be achieved to attract consumers to a
sale.

The method of presenting sale price information produced significant differences in subjects' perceptions.
However, the nature of these differences appears to be complex, Presentation of only sales prices produced
significantly lower perceptions of savings than did the presentation of regular price and dollar amount-off
information. This result is consistent with Blair and Landon's (1979) finding that presenting only sale price led to
significantly lower perceived savings than presenting reference price information with the sales price. It is also
interesting to note that the average perceived savings response to all conditions employing reference price
information (4.56) exceeded the average response to presenting sales price only (3.94). This shows further
consistency with Blair and Landon's findings. Additionally, although the difference was not significant, format six
that presented regular price, sale price and relative price reduction information led to greater perceptions of
savings than when only sales price was presented. This mirrored Keiser and Krum's (1976) findings for these
information presentation conditions.

Although price information formats did not significantly influence perceptions of offer acceptability and perceived
value, the pattern of these responses closely reflected the perceived savings responses just described. Again,
results are consistent with Barnes' (1975) findings where presentations using regular and sales prices produced
significantly higher perceptions of value than expressions involving only sales price (with semantic phrase) or
sales price with relative price reduction information.

When examining the effect of various price presentation formats while controlling for the amount of informational
inputs, no significant differences occurred, although a rather inconsistent trend of responses was observed. For
two informational inputs, presenting regular price and price reduction information in absolute terms yielded the
highest response levels across all three variates, followed by presentation of regular and sales prices. Presenting
regular prices and the discount expressed in percentage terms yielded the lowest response levels. However, for
presentations involving three inputs the regular price, sale price, per-cent-off format generally yielded the highest
response levels, while the regular price, percent-off, amount-off format was only marginally higher than the
regular price, sale price, amount-off format. No clear response pattern emerges from this analysis especially
when comparisons between two and three informational inputs are attempted. Therefore, results suggest that
while a variety of presentations involving more information than just current sales price may favorably influence
consumers' perceptions of savings, offer acceptability and value for money, the relative effectiveness of these
inputs is presently unclear. Further research is needed across additional subject pools, product categories and
price presentation formats.

REFERENCES

Barnes, James G. (1975), "Factors Influencing Consumer Reaction to Retail Newspaper 'Sale' Advertising," in
Edward Mazze (ed.) 1975 Combined Proceedings, Chicago: American Marketing Association, 471-477.

Blair, Edward A. and Landon, E. Laird, Jr. (1979), "The Effects of Reference Prices in Retail Advertisements,"
Working Paper, University of Houston.

Document Information:
Title: Store choice behaviour in an evolving market
Author(s): Piyush Kumar Sinha, (Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad,
Gujarat, India), Arindam Banerjee, (Indian Institute of Management,
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India)
Citation: Piyush Kumar Sinha, Arindam Banerjee, (2004) "Store choice
behaviour in an evolving market", International Journal of Retail &
Distribution Management, Vol. 32 Iss: 10, pp.482 - 494
Keywords: Consumer behaviour, India, Retail marketing, Shopping, Stores and
supermarkets
Article type: General review
DOI: 10.1108/09590550410558626 (Permanent URL)
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Abstract: The objective of this study is to identify, at a macro level, the drivers
of store choice in various product categories, in the context of the
evolving retail industry in India. The paper attempts to correlate the
distinct store features as perceived by respondents with the true
motivations of various consumers in patronising various stores. In the
process it provides insight as to whether the average Indian consumer
values the new store dimensions offered by retailers as a part of the
new formats emerging in the market place. The framework evolved
for evaluating effectiveness of newer store formats is necessary since
it has a major impact on the overall profitability of the retailing
business. Suggests that customers in a developing market such as
India do not require the service paraphernalia offered by many of the
new store formats emerging in the market and notes that this may cast
a serious doubt over the retail revolution, which has taken shape in the
Indian markets lately. Some hypotheses about the evolution of the
retailing business in India, which requires further investigation, are
suggested.
13


Title: Buying behaviour of consumers for food products in an emerging
economy

Author(s): Jabir Ali, (Centre for Food and Agribusiness Management, Indian
Institute of Management, Lucknow, India), Sanjeev Kapoor, (Centre
for Food and Agribusiness Management, Indian Institute of
Management, Lucknow, India), Janakiraman Moorthy, (Indian
Institute of Management Calcutta, Kolkota, India)

Citation: Jabir Ali, Sanjeev Kapoor, Janakiraman Moorthy, (2010) "Buying
behaviour of consumers for food products in an emerging economy",
British Food Journal, Vol. 112 Iss: 2, pp.109 - 124

Keywords: Consumer behaviour, Food products, India, Retailing

Article type: Research paper



Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the Director, State Agricultural
Marketing Board, Government of Uttar Pradesh for funding the
project “Feasibility study of Apna Bazaar in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow”.
The authors are also grateful to the editor and two anonymous
referees for their valuable inputs and comments for improving this
paper.

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a marketing
strategy for a modern food/grocery market based on consumer
preferences and behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach – A total of 101 households having
sufficient purchasing power were personally surveyed with a
structured questionnaire. These households are spread across the
well-developed Gomtinagar area of Lucknow city. Simple statistical
analysis such as descriptive statistical analysis, frequency
distribution, cross tabulation, analysis of variance, and factor analysis
to assess the consumers' preferences for food and grocery products
and market attributes were carried out.

Findings – The preferences of the consumers clearly indicate their
priority for cleanliness/freshness of food products followed by price,
quality, variety, packaging, and non-seasonal availability. The
consumers' preference of marketplace largely depends on the
convenience in purchasing at the marketplace along with the
availability of additional services, attraction for children, basic
amenities and affordability. Results suggest that most of the food and
grocery items are purchased in loose form from the nearby outlets.
Fruits and vegetables are mostly purchased daily or twice a week
due to their perishable nature, whereas grocery items are less
frequently purchased.

Research limitations/implications – This paper analyses the buying
behaviour of the consumers under survey with respect to food and
grocery items. These consumers are in a relatively advantageous
position in terms of purchasing power and awareness of health and
nutrition.

Practical implications – The results may help the food processors and
outlet owners to understand a diversified set of preferences for
products and market attributes, so that they can make better
decisions in the emerging organized food and grocery retail
environment.

Originality/value – The topic is relatively less researched in emerging
markets especially where organized retail is still in its early stages
14


Title: Country of Origin Effect on U.S. Consumers’ Brand Personality Perception of
Automobiles from China and India

Author(s): Marc Fetscherin, (Assistant Professor of International Business and Marketing
at the Crummer Graduate School of Business (Rollins College)), Mark Toncar,
(Youngstown State University, Marketing Department, Williamson College of
Business Administration, Youngstown, OH, United States,)

Citation: Marc Fetscherin, Mark Toncar, (2009) "Country of Origin Effect on U.S.
Consumers’ Brand Personality Perception of Automobiles from China and
India", Multinational Business Review, Vol. 17 Iss: 2, pp.111 - 128

Keywords: Automobile, Brand personality, China, Country of origin, Emerging
markets,India


DOI: 10.1108/1525383X200900012 (Permanent URL)


Abstract: Chinese and Indian car manufacturers are entering developed markets. The
question arises how they will be perceived by consumers from those
countries. Using the multi-dimensional brand personality scale, this paper
provides an explorative study of the country of origin effect on U.S.
consumers’ brand perception of automobiles from China and India. Our
multivariate analysis of variance shows differences in terms of brand
excitement, brand competence, brand sophistication, and brand ruggedness.
Our results indicate that the Chinese car is perceived to be more daring, up-
to-date, and outdoorsy than the Indian and U.S. car; more intelligent,
successful, and upper-class than the Indian car; and more charming than the
U.S. car. The U.S. car is perceived as more successful than the Indian car.
14

The changing roles of pharmacists in
community pharmacies: perception
of reality in India
Subal C. Basak,
J. W. Foppe van Mil,
Dondeti Sathyanarayana

Look Inside Get Access

Abstract
Aim of the review To summarise the state of community pharmacy in India including: the provision of
patient care, pharmacy education, the pharmaceutical market, healthcare delivery, community
pharmacy services, the professional role of community pharmacists, and future
developments.Method Medline, Scirus, and Google Scholar databases and the journals “Indian
Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences” and “Indian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy” were searched up to
the end of December 2008. In addition to these, other available sources were used to identify relevant
articles.Results India has a fast growing pharmaceutical industry sector and a need for well educated
pharmacists. Domestic sale of medicines is estimated to be $5 billion during 2006 and increasing. The
supply of medicines to the population is undertaken by privately owned community pharmacies and
sometimes also by hospital pharmacies. Community pharmacists are involved only in dispensing
medicines. Community pharmacists have an opportunity to improve healthcare of the population,
particularly of the disadvantaged section of the society that does not have the resources to visit clinics
(both the poor and rural population). However, important barriers to the provision of pharmaceutical
care exists, including lack of proper education and training of pharmacists, weak implementation of
existing laws, and lack of recognition of the pharmacy as a profession by the other healthcare
professionals. Conclusion The healthcare services in community pharmacies, currently insignificant,
must undergo reforms to meet the changing needs of modern medicines users. The pharmacist’s role
in patient care is expected to grow as professional and educational standards develop. Although
pharmacists’ contributions to health care are not yet recognized, there is every reason to be optimistic
toward making patient care in community pharmacy setting a success. For this, the educational
system for pharmacists has to be adapted.

15

13

Original Article

Journal of Retail & Leisure Property (2010) 9, 75–87. doi:10.1057/rlp.2009.27

Customer expectations of store attributes: A study of
organized retail outlets in India
Piyali Ghosh1, Vibhuti Tripathi2 and Anil Kumar3

Correspondence: Piyali Ghosh, School of Management Studies, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology,
(Deemed University), Allahabad, India. E-mail: piyali2602@gmail.com

1
is a lecturer with School of Management Studies, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, India. She
has earned her PhD from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad and MBA from University of
Allahabad. She has been teaching courses on Human Resource Management, Business Ethics and Economics. Her
research interest lies in Human Resource and Entrepreneurship. She has co-authored a book on Managerial
Economics, besides 15 research papers published in national and international journals and 10 research papers in
various conferences.

2
is a lecturer with School of Management Studies, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad. She has
earned her PhD from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad and MBA degree from Devi Ahilya
Vishwvidyalaya, Indore. Her research interest is in Brand Management, Retail Management and Consumer Behavior.
She has over 5 years of industrial experience in Sales and Retail Operations, 3 years of core research and 3 years of
teaching. She has 15 research papers to her credit, published in national and international journals.

3
is a lecturer with DIT School of Engineering, Greater Noida, India. He has earned his MBA degree from Motilal Nehru
National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, and MSc in Computer Science from Jiwaji University, Gwalior. He is
teaching courses on Marketing Management, Marketing of Services and Strategic Management. His research interest
lies in Retail Management and Consumer Behavior.

Received 5 November 2009; Revised 5 November 2009.

Topof page

Abstract

The phenomenal growth of retail in India is reflected in the rapid increase in
number of supermarkets, departmental stores and hypermarkets in the
country. However, this unprecented growth trend has been challenged by the
shadow of the current economic slowdown, which has raised a fear of dip in
consumption and slowdown of growth for Indian organized retailers. At a time
when consumer spending is on decline, success will lie with those retailers that
can drive customer loyalty by responding to the demands of the discerning
consumer. This study is an attempt to address issues related to store attributes
and their relevance in the store selection process. Eleven variables (store
attributes) have been identified in this article based on theory and judgment.
Factor analysis has yielded three factors: Convenience & Merchandise Mix,
Store Atmospherics and Services. The factors identified and recommendations
made in the article would be of use to retailers in designing their outlets with
store attributes that would meet the expectations of shoppers and thus
motivate them towards store patronage decisions.

Keywords:

organized retail, store attributes, store selection, purchase patterns, store atmospherics

11

Buying behaviour of consumers for food products in an
emerging economy

Title: Buying behaviour of consumers for food products in an
emerging economy
Author(s): Jabir Ali, (Centre for Food and Agribusiness Management,
Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, India), Sanjeev
Kapoor, (Centre for Food and Agribusiness Management,
Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow,
India), Janakiraman Moorthy, (Indian Institute of
Management Calcutta, Kolkota, India)
Citation: Jabir Ali, Sanjeev Kapoor, Janakiraman Moorthy, (2010)
"Buying behaviour of consumers for food products in an
emerging economy", British Food Journal, Vol. 112 Iss: 2,
pp.109 - 124
Keywords: Consumer behaviour, Food products, India, Retailing

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the Director, State
Agricultural Marketing Board, Government of Uttar Pradesh
for funding the project “Feasibility study of Apna Bazaar in
Gomti Nagar, Lucknow”. The authors are also grateful to the
editor and two anonymous referees for their valuable inputs
and comments for improving this paper.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a marketing
strategy for a modern food/grocery market based on consumer
preferences and behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach – A total of 101 households
having sufficient purchasing power were personally surveyed
with a structured questionnaire. These households are spread
across the well-developed Gomtinagar area of Lucknow city.
Simple statistical analysis such as descriptive statistical
analysis, frequency distribution, cross tabulation, analysis of
variance, and factor analysis to assess the consumers'
preferences for food and grocery products and market
attributes were carried out.

Findings – The preferences of the consumers clearly indicate
their priority for cleanliness/freshness of food products
followed by price, quality, variety, packaging, and non-
seasonal availability. The consumers' preference of
marketplace largely depends on the convenience in purchasing
at the marketplace along with the availability of additional
services, attraction for children, basic amenities and
affordability. Results suggest that most of the food and
grocery items are purchased in loose form from the nearby
outlets. Fruits and vegetables are mostly purchased daily or
twice a week due to their perishable nature, whereas grocery
items are less frequently purchased.

Research limitations/implications – This paper analyses the
buying behaviour of the consumers under survey with respect
to food and grocery items. These consumers are in a relatively
advantageous position in terms of purchasing power and
awareness of health and nutrition.

Practical implications – The results may help the food
processors and outlet owners to understand a diversified set of
preferences for products and market attributes, so that they
can make better decisions in the emerging organized food and

grocery retail environment.

Originality/value – The topic is relatively less researched in
emerging markets especially where organized retail is still in
its early stages.
11

To Localize or to Standardize on the Web: Empirical Evidence
from Italy, India, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland

Title: To Localize or to Standardize on the Web: Empirical Evidence from
Italy, India, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland
Author(s): Nitish Singh, (California State University Chico), Olivier Furrer,
(University of Nijmegen), Massimiliano Ostinelli, (Politecnico di
Milano)
Citation: Nitish Singh, Olivier Furrer, Massimiliano Ostinelli, (2004) "To
Localize or to Standardize on the Web: Empirical Evidence from Italy,
India, Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland", Multinational Business
Review, Vol. 12 Iss: 1, pp.69 - 88
Keywords: E-commerce, Globalisation, Online consumers
DOI: 10.1108/1525383X200400004 (Permanent URL)
Abstract: With the growth of worldwide e-commerce, companies are
increasingly targeting foreign online consumers. However, there is a
dearth of evidence as to whether global consumers prefer to browse
and buy from standardized global web sites or web sites adapted to
their local cultures. This study provides evidence from five different
countries as to whether global consumers prefer local web content or
standardized web content. The study also measures how the degree of
cultural adaptation on the web affects consumer perception of site
effectiveness.
11

INFLUENCE OF SERVICE QUALITY ON CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION: APPLICATION OF SERVQUAL MODEL
Ravichandran Krishnamurthy, Dr, Tamil Mani b, Mr. Arun Kumar SivaKumar, Dr. Prabhakaran
Sellamuthu

Abstract

Financial liberalization has led to intense competitive pressures and private banks dealing in retail
banking are consequently directing their strategies towards increasing service quality level which fosters
customer satisfaction and loyalty through improved service quality. This article examines the influence of
perceived service quality on customer satisfaction. The article concludes that increase in service quality
of thebanks can satisfy and develop customer satisfaction which ultimately retains valued customers.

Full Text: PDF

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

International Journal of Business and Management ISSN 1833-3850 (Print) ISSN 1833-8119 (Online)

Copyright © Canadian Center of Science and Education

To make sure that you can receive messages from us, please add the 'ccsenet.org' domain to your e-
mail 'safe list'. If you do not receive e-mail in your 'inbox', check your 'bulk mail' or 'junk mail' folders

11

Understanding consumer's attitude towards retail store in
stockout situations

Title: Understanding consumer's attitude towards retail store in stockout
situations
Author(s): Leela Rani, (Birla Institute of Technology and Science, BITS-Pilani,
Rajasthan, India), Sanal Kumar Velayudhan, (Administrative Staff
College of India, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India)
Citation: Leela Rani, Sanal Kumar Velayudhan, (2008) "Understanding
consumer's attitude towards retail store in stockout situations", Asia
Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 20 Iss: 3, pp.259 –
275
Keywords: Consumer behavior, India, Retailing, Stock control
Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to examine empirically how consumers'
attitude towards retail stores gets affected by situational, consumer,
store and product characteristic variables when they face out-of-stock

situations.

Design/methodology/approach – Survey method for data collection
was used. Data were collected from a sample of 1,207 retail customers
in India's unorganized retail sector across five product categories in
Varanasi, India.

Findings – Results showed that six of the independent variables
considered, namely, shopping attitude of respondent, store loyalty
(SL), perceived store prices, store distance, shopping frequency, and
brand loyalty (in order of importance of impact) significantly
influenced consumers' attitude towards retail store in out-of-stock.

Research limitations/implications – Data were collected only for five
product categories and for unorganized retail setting because of which
results and findings are not generalizeable to beyond these boundaries.

Practical implications – Implications of this for retailers and future
research are discussed.

Originality/value – Since attitudes towards retail outlets are very
important in determining future SL and subsequent profitability,
understanding of consumer store attitudes in negative events like
stockout is importantly for retailers. The paper provides crucial
insights to retailers by identifying independent variables that must be
considered while designing their operations.
11

Journal Article

Customers' perception and attitude Add to
marked
towards service quality in multinational
items
banks in India
Journal International Journal of Prices/Add
Services and Operations to Shopping
Management Cart

Add to
Publisher Inderscience Publishers
saved items
ISSN 1744-2370 (Print) Recommend
1744-2389 (Online) this article

Subject Materials and
Manufacturingand Operational
Management, Marketing and
Services

Issue Volume 10, Number 2/2011

Pages 199-215

DOI 10.1504/IJSOM.2011.042517

Subject Group Management and Business

Online Date Thursday, September 15, 2011

PDF (219.0 KB)HTML

Authors
1
Arpita Khare

1
Department of Management, LDC Institute of Technical Studies, 9, J.L. Nehru Road, George Town, Allahabad,
India

Abstract

The research attempts to understand the Indian customers' perceptions towards the service quality of
multinational banks. There have been several studies to understand the service quality in the banking sector.
With liberalisation policies initiated by the Indian Government, the multinational banks have been making
investments in the country. To be successful in the country, they would have to understand the expectations of
the Indian customers. The study tries to extend the existing SERVQUAL dimensions used by previous
researches and adopts it in Indian context. The SERVQUAL model was adopted and modified for the research.
Through a survey administered on Indian customers (n = 198), and their perceptions about service quality was
identified. ANOVA, post-hoc analysis and, multiple regression tests were used to analyse the data. The results
show that Indian customers' quality perceptions differ between the two genders and across age categories. The
multinational banks can use the results for planning their expansion and marketing strategies in Indian
subcontinent.

Keywords
service quality, multinational banks, service expectation, personal interaction, customer perceptions, India, bank
quality, banking industry, bank services, customer attitudes, liberalisation, perceived quality

11

Consumer receptiveness to international retail market entry

Title: Consumer receptiveness to international retail market entry
Author(s): Nicholas Alexander, (School of Management and Business, Centre for
Research in Marketing, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth,
UK), Anne Marie Doherty, (Glamorgan Business School, University
of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, UK), Jason M. Carpenter, (Department of
Retailing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina,

USA), Marguerite Moore, (College of Textiles, North Carolina State
University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA)
Citation: Nicholas Alexander, Anne Marie Doherty, Jason M. Carpenter,
Marguerite Moore, (2010) "Consumer receptiveness to international
retail market entry", International Journal of Retail & Distribution
Management, Vol. 38 Iss: 3, pp.160 – 172
Keywords: Competitive strategy, Consumer behaviour, Country of
origin, International trade,Retail trade
Article type: Conceptual paper
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a suggested
framework for improving the understanding of consumer
receptiveness to incoming international retailers. The consumer
perception of country of origin against consumer receptiveness index
(CRI) is proposed as a method to explore the receptiveness of
consumers in the host market to incoming international retailers.

Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews the international
retailing literature, highlighting the need for specific knowledge
regarding consumer receptiveness to incoming international retailers.
A method is proposed to explore how consumers in the host market
respond to incoming international retail firms.

Findings – The literature review indicates that the majority of the
extant work investigates the process from the perspective of the
internationalising retailer, while consumer receptiveness to the
international retailer has not been fully considered.

Research limitations/implications – This paper does not present an
empirical study. The consumer perception of country of origin against
CRI is presented as a means to suggest and guide future research in
the area.

Practical implications – The paper makes a practical contribution by
suggesting a method to explore how consumers in the host country
receive incoming international retailers.

Originality/value – This paper is unique because previous research has
provided limited knowledge of consumer receptiveness to
international retailers.
11

Measuring perceived quality of health care services in India

Title: Measuring perceived quality of health care services in India
Author(s): Ritu Narang, (Department of Business Administration,
University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India)
Citation: Ritu Narang, (2010) "Measuring perceived quality of health
care services in India", International Journal of Health Care
Quality Assurance, Vol. 23 Iss: 2, pp.171 – 186
Keywords: Community health centres, Customer services
quality, India, Patients
Acknowledgements: The author duly acknowledges the partial support provided by
the funds made available under UGC- Major Research
Project, “Identifying business opportunities in rural health
care system” during 10th Plan for preparation of this paper.
Abstract: Purpose – The objective of this paper is to understand the
perception of patients towards health care services in
Lucknow based on the 20-item scale

Design/methodology/approach – The 20-item scale was
administered to 500 users of health care centres comprising a
tertiary health centre, a state medical university and two
missionary hospitals in Lucknow, India.

Findings – The scale was found to be reliable to a great extent
with an overall Cronbach alpha value of 0.74. “Health
personnel and practices” and “health care delivery” were
found to be statistically significant in impacting the
perception. Respondents were relatively less positive on items
related to “access to services” and “adequacy of doctors for
women”. The tertiary health centre was rated poorer than the
medical university and missionary hospitals.

Research limitations/implications – This tool may be applied
for qualitative assessment of the services of health care
programmes as well as health care centres of India.

Practical implications – The paper draws the attention of
health policy makers in considering the requirements and
opinions of patients to effect substantial change and
significant improvement in the quality of the health care

services for better and increased utilization of the services.

Originality/value – The paper fulfils the need of measuring
perceived quality of health care services and points out that
the improvement in health care services requires immediate
and urgent attention from policy makers.

11

Store choice behaviour in an evolving market

Title: Store choice behaviour in an evolving market
Author(s): Piyush Kumar Sinha, (Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad,
Gujarat, India), Arindam Banerjee, (Indian Institute of Management,
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India)
Citation: Piyush Kumar Sinha, Arindam Banerjee, (2004) "Store choice
behaviour in an evolving market", International Journal of Retail &
Distribution Management, Vol. 32 Iss: 10, pp.482 – 494
Keywords: Consumer behaviour, India, Retail marketing, Shopping, Stores and
supermarkets
Abstract: The objective of this study is to identify, at a macro level, the drivers
of store choice in various product categories, in the context of the
evolving retail industry in India. The paper attempts to correlate the
distinct store features as perceived by respondents with the true
motivations of various consumers in patronising various stores. In the
process it provides insight as to whether the average Indian consumer
values the new store dimensions offered by retailers as a part of the
new formats emerging in the market place. The framework evolved
for evaluating effectiveness of newer store formats is necessary since
it has a major impact on the overall profitability of the retailing
business. Suggests that customers in a developing market such as
India do not require the service paraphernalia offered by many of the
new store formats emerging in the market and notes that this may cast
a serious doubt over the retail revolution, which has taken shape in the
Indian markets lately. Some hypotheses about the evolution of the
retailing business in India, which requires further investigation, are

suggested.

11

Journal Article

Consumer reactions to retail out-of-stock: Add to
marked
replication into new contexts
items
Journal International Journal of Indian Culture and
Business Management Prices/Add
to
Publisher Inderscience Publishers Shopping
Cart
ISSN 1753-0806 (Print)
1753-0814 (Online) Add to
saved items
Subject Accounting and Finance, Arts and
Recommen
Culture, Business
d this
Administration, Economics,Entrepreneurs
article
hip, Innovation and SMEs, Information
Systems and Technology,Operational
Management, Marketing and
Services,Policy and Organisational
Management and Public Policy and Public
Services

Issue Volume 1, Number 3/2008

Pages 319-334

DOI 10.1504/IJICBM.2008.017788

Subject Group Computing and Mathematics

Online Date Tuesday, April 15, 2008

PDF (114.9 KB)HTML

Authors
1
Leela Rani

1
Management Group, Faculty Division 1, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, 1201-R, Pilani 333031,
Rajasthan, India

Abstract

This study empirically examines the impact of situational, consumer, store and product characteristic variables on
consumers' behavioural reactions in out-of-stock situations in retail. A survey method for data collection was used
with a sample of 1,207 retail customers in India's unorganised retail sector across five product categories in
Varanasi, India. Results showed that 11 out of 13 independent variables had a significant impact on at least one
of the three behavioural responses considered. As the data was collected only for five product categories and for
unorganised retail setting, findings are not generalisable beyond these limitations. Empirical research like this
helps to develop an understanding about the consumer behaviour which differs widely across settings. It is one of
the first studies in an unorganised retail in India. Study provides crucial insights to the retailers by identifying
independent variables that must be considered while designing their operations and strategies to fight out-of-
stock. Implications for the retailers and the future research are discussed.

Keywords
consumer behaviour, consumer reactions, India, out-of-stock, replication study, retail stores, unorganised retail

Albert

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

En vedette

En vedette (10)

Similaire à Albert

Similaire à Albert (20)

Albert