Retail managers’ preparedness to capture customers’ emotions: a new synergistic framework to exploit unstructured data with new analytics

Although emotions have been investigated within strategic management literature from an internal perspective, managers’ ability and willingness to understand consumers’ emotions, with emphasis on the retail sector, is still a scarcely explored theme in management research. The aim of this paper is to explore the match between the supply of new analytical tools and retail managers’ attitudes towards new tools to capture customers’ emotions. To this end, Study 1 uses machine learning algorithms to develop a new system to analytically detect emotional responses from customers’ static images (considering the exemplar emotions of happiness and sadness), whilst Study 2 consults management decision-makers to explore the practical utility of such emotion recognition systems, finding a likely demand for a number of applications, albeit tempered by concern for ethical issues. While contributing to the retail management literature with regard to customers’ emotions and big data analytics, the findings also provide a new framework to support retail managers in using new analytics to survive and thrive in difficult times

Does social exclusion influence multiple channel use? The interconnections with community, happiness, and well-being

This paper examines how social exclusion affects consumer use of multiple shopping channels (traditional stores, online by computer and mobile retailing by cell phone) and how these choices affect consumers' happiness and wellbeing. The findings from an online survey (n = 1368) in the United States indicate that socially-excluded people spend more time shopping by all three channels, with the most significant being the cell phone. The latter channel is also more significant for younger respondents and for those who report a mobility/disability issue. Time spent on traditional store shopping and shopping by cell phone both have significant positive effects on happiness and wellbeing. Shopping by cell phone significantly ameliorates the negative effects of social exclusion on happiness and wellbeing for consumers with mobility/disability issues. The paper also includes practical implications for retail marketing managers' and policy makers' communication strategies

Preferences of smart shopping channels and their impact on perceived wellbeing and social inclusion

This study examines consumers’ interactions with retailers via three different shopping channels. Two of the channels are “smart” (technological) channels, comprising (i) where consumers shop using a computer and (ii) where consumers shop using a mobile phone. These two channels are compared with (iii) the traditional store channel. The paper explores the effect that consumers’ interactions with these channels have on their wellbeing, with a focus on individuals who perceive themselves as being socially excluded, for example, lacking access to goods, services and information. We make a connection between social exclusion and channel contribution to wellbeing for multiple channels, through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The online survey findings (n=1368) indicate that for each channel, there is a higher contribution to wellbeing for that channel for people who are more socially excluded. Social exclusion can have many underlying causes, but channel contributions to wellbeing remain for consumers suffering financial stress and also those with mobility disability. For the mobile phone channel, the positive channel contributions to wellbeing are greater for younger than for older people. The paper outlines the implications for scholars and practitioners

The effect of digital signage on shoppers' behavior: the role of the evoked experience

This paper investigates the role of digital signage as experience provider in retail spaces. The findings of a survey-based field experiment demonstrate that digital signage content high on sensory cues evokes affective experience and strengthens customers’ experiential processing route. In contrast, digital signage messages high on “features and benefits” information evoke intellectual experience and strengthen customers’ deliberative processing route. The affective experience is more strongly associated with the attitude towards the ad and the approach behavior towards the advertiser than the intellectual experience. The effect of an ad high on sensory cues on shoppers’ approach to the advertiser is stronger for first-time shoppers, and therefore important in generating loyalty. The findings indicate that the design of brand-related informational cues broadcast over digital in-store monitors affects shoppers’ information processing. The cues evoke sensory and affective experiences and trigger deliberative processes that lead to attitude construction and finally elicit approach behavior towards the advertisers

The pandemic consumer response: a stockpiling perspective and shopping channel preferences

Covid-19 has changed consumer behaviour, probably forever. Initial consumer stockpiling led to stockouts, threat and uncertainty for consumers. To overcome shortages, consumers expanded their use of channels and many consumers started buying online for the first time. In this paper, we aim to address important research gaps related to consumer behaviour during the pandemic and especially stockpiling. Our paper starts by presenting the findings of our pre-study, which used social media to elicit or confirm potential constructs for our quantitative models. These constructs complemented the protection motivations theory to explain stockpiling behaviour, forming the basis for study 1, the stockpiling preparation stage and study 2, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic disruptor on customer service logistics and lockdown shopping channel preferences. For studies 1 and 2 we gathered data via a UK online panel-structured questionnaire survey (n = 603). Results confirm that consumer-driven changes to supply chains emanate largely from consumer uncertainty. Lockdown restrictions led to consumers feeling socially excluded, but enhanced consumers’ positive attitudes towards shopping online and increased consumers’ altruism. In response, consumers stockpiled by visiting physical stores and/or ordering online. Lockdown restrictions led to feelings of social exclusion but, importantly, stockpiling helped to minimize consumer anxiety and fear and even increase wellbeing

The role of brand attachment strength in higher education

This paper examines the effect of brand attachment and its antecedents on commitment, satisfaction, trust and brand equity in the context of Higher Education Institutions. The findings from an online survey with students and recent graduates (n=605) in the United States indicate that brand meaning is the main antecedent of brand attachment strength that affects satisfaction, trust, and commitment as well as brand equity. The effect of the brand attachment antecedents on satisfaction is stronger for current students whereas the effect of brand attachment antecedents on commitment is stronger for recent graduates. The effect of attachment strength on brand equity is also stronger for recent graduates. The paper also highlights practical implications for higher education managers and policy makers

Website design quality and usage behavior: Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology

Firms gain many benefits from well-designed websites. But which elements of website design quality really matter, and how do these elements influence usage behavior? With the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) as the theoretical foundation, this paper proposes that website design quality is a multi-dimensional construct with a higher-order structure that, when successfully incorporated into the UTAUT model, outperforms existing models. Results are based on a survey of 216 users of Internet banking. Findings indicate that the technical, general content and appearance dimensions of a website are most important for users. These dimensions are significantly related to usage behavior directly and indirectly. A halo effect may influence overall evaluation of a website because the dimensions of website design quality are interrelated. The implication is that improvements to the appearance of a website should enhance the overall evaluation of the site, leading to greater usage intentions

Value co-creation through multiple shopping channels: the interconnections with social exclusion and wellbeing

This study examines consumers’ value co-creation via several shopping channels including a traditional out-of-home shopping channel and “smart” channels where consumers use a computer, a mobile phone or social media. It focuses on the effect that value co-creation has on consumers’ shopping behaviour as well as on the perceived contribution of a shopping channel to their wellbeing, with a focus on individuals who perceive themselves as being socially excluded, particularly by mobility disability. The project was carried out in the USA using an online survey (n=1220). Social exclusion has a positive statistically significant effect on respondents’ self-connection with all channels; for many socially excluded respondents the shopping channel has an important role in their lives. Self-connection with the channel has a positive effect on value co-creation and there is a positive relationship between value co-creation and the perceived contribution of the channel on wellbeing. When consumers help other individuals in their decision making they not only create value for the retailer and for other customers but also contribute positively to their own wellbeing. Importantly, for smart shopping channels where consumers use a computer or a mobile phone, the impact of value co-creation on the perceived contribution of these channels to consumer wellbeing are stronger for shoppers with a mobility disability than for those without such a disability

A cross-national study of evolutionary origins of gender shopping styles: she gatherer, he hunter?

The authors investigate gender shopping styles across countries and explore whether differences between male and female shopping styles are greater than differences in shopping styles between consumers across countries. The study develops a conceptual model to test Eagly and Wood's (1999) convergence hypothesis. Applied to shopping, this predicts that men and women should become more similar in shopping styles as traditional gender-based divisions in wage labor and domestic labor disappear. The results of a survey on shopping behavior across 11 countries indicate that men and women are evolutionarily predisposed to different shopping styles. Counter to the convergence hypothesis, differences in shopping styles between women and men are greater in higher-gender-equality countries than in lower-gender-equality countries. Empathizing—the ability to tune into someone's thoughts and feelings—mediates shopping style more for women, while systemizing—the degree to which an individual possesses spatial skills—mediates shopping style more for men. Results suggest that gender-based retail segmentation is more strategically relevant than country-based segmentation. The authors discuss the implications of their findings for international marketing theory and practice