Store Image Perceptions in International Retailing: an Empirical Comparison of IKEA’s

It has been found that customers in the home market perceive the retailer’s store image more positively than customers in the host market, even though this study has found that the retailer’s store image is generally perceived very positively by customers in both examined markets. In addition, this thesis has found that there is a significant difference in how IKEA’s management and customers perceive its store image. It can also be concluded that IKEA management perceived store image more positively than customers. This thesis suggests several practical implications for international retailers, in addition to supporting the bulk of existing theory in this area as well as somewhat filling identified research gaps not sufficiently addressed by previous research