University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business Zagreb
Abstract
The aim of the paper is to show preferences of young consumers for commercial chains, in relation to their marketing offers. The paper shows particular strategic behaviours of retail chains occurring in the sphere of shaping relationships with young consumers. It focuses
mainly on technological and marketing innovations. The methods applied to achieve the goal include a critical analysis of the literature on the subject, a direct study of young customers of retail chains operating in Poland, which focuses on their needs, and a profound case study showing marketing activities of retail chains targeted at young consumers. The recognition of the needs of target segments should lead to the creation of a commercial offer that satisfies
final customers. Young consumers are using new technologies in their everyday lives and this is the reason why retail chains are developing their offers by using IT solutions (Knežević, Delić, and Knego,2015). The process of buying by this segment of customers requires deeper reconstruction, due to changes in the process of defining sources of information and its evaluation. In addition, the place of shopping is changing and this has implications on retailers’ strategies
and ways of building competitive advantage. We may assume that in the course of next several decades it may happen that brick-and-mortar stores will perform the function of storehouses that hand over products, fi tting rooms, places for returning products and making complaints. Separation of the financial and the product stream is going to occur, since payment will take place only in the virtual world. The paper contributes to the theory of retail innovation strategies
and relationship marketing. It also contributes to the practice showing how global retailers should build relations with young consumers in creating online channel of sales.Cilj ovog rada je prikazati sklonosti mladih potrošača prema trgovačkim lancima i to u odnosu na marketing trgovačkih lanaca. U ovom radu opisuju se određena strateška ponašanja maloprodajnih lanaca u području stvaranja odnosa s mladim potrošačima. Pri tome se poseban naglasak stavlja na tehnološke i marketinške inovacije. Korištene metode uključuju kritičku analizu literature na ovu temu, izravnu studiju o mladim potrošačima maloprodajnih lanaca u Poljskoj koja se usredotočuje na njihove potrebe te studiju slučaja koja prikazuje marketinške aktivnosti maloprodajnih lanaca koje su usmjerene na mlade potrošače. Prepoznavanje potreba ciljnog segmenta trebalo bi dovesti do kreiranja trgovačke ponude koja zadovoljava krajnjeg kupca. Mladi potrošači koriste nove tehnologije u svakodnevnom životu te stoga maloprodajni lanci koriste IT rješenja za razvoj svoje ponude. Dosadašnja saznanja o procesu kupnje od strane ovog segmenta kupaca treba detaljnije istražiti zbog promjena u postupku definiranja izvora informacija i njihovog vrednovanja. Osim toga, mjesto kupovine se mijenja i to utječe na strategije maloprodajnih lanaca i na način stvaranja konkurentne prednosti. Možemo pretpostaviti da bi se tijekom nekoliko sljedećih
desetljeća moglo dogoditi da trgovine „od cigle i cementa“ postanu samo skladišta za preuzimanje proizvoda, garderobe, ili mjesta povrata proizvoda odnosno reklamacija. Dogodit će se odvajanje financijskog toka i toka proizvoda, jer će se plaćanje odvijati samo u virtualnom svijetu. Rad doprinosi teoriji strategija inovacija maloprodaje te marketinga odnosa. Također doprinosi praksi koja pokazuje kako bi globalni maloprodajni lanci trebali graditi odnos s mladim kupcima kroz online kanale prodaje
