Professional Documents
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Department of Marketing, Nance College of Business Administration, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, BU453, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, United States
School of Business, Central Connecticut State University, 1615 Stanley Street, New Britain, CT 06050, United States
Department of Marketing, Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, United States
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Article history:
Received 1 April 2006
Received in revised form 1 April 2007
Accepted 1 January 2008
Keywords:
Brand-driven retail
Female consumers
Decision-making
Qualitative research
In-depth interviews
a b s t r a c t
This article is a theory-building exploratory study conducted to investigate how female shoppers make meaning
in a branded-retail store shopping experience. This study extends research on retail consumers' decision-making
and the retail shopping experience using hermeneutic phenomenology. The authors conducted in-depth
interviews with respondents, who were self-identied customers of a leading intimate apparel retailer. The
results suggest that consumers' retail shopping decision-making incorporates a complex set of interactive
components that are brand-driven and simultaneously affect and are affected by the interaction of in-store
shopping and retail setting. The ndings show a rich understanding of the consumer decision-making process is
achievable by including the actual in-store experience, consumers' prior contextual experiences and expectations
regarding retail visits.
2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
The breadth of products, brands and retail channels available to the
American consumer continues to increase. Retail stores display tens of
thousands of SKUs in a variety of categories; displaying all brand
extensions requires multiple shelves and even multiple aisles. The range
of brands, line extensions and product information has complicated
consumer decision-making strategies. Research on consumer decisionmaking in a retail context has focused on two primary approaches; the
shopping, selection and decision processes and in-store retail atmospherics. Regarding customer shopping, selection and decision-making,
researchers such as McDonald (1998) and Michon, Chebat, and Turley
(2005) focus on customer characteristics, including demographics,
shopping attitudes, emotions, and budget to help explain the decisionmaking process. With respect to retail atmospherics, researchers
examine store atmospherics such as fragrance, music, brightness,
texture, color, temperature and smoothness and their impact on
consumer perceptions (Greenland and McGoldrick, 1995; McGoldrick
and Pieros, 1998; Turley and Chebat, 2002; Turley and Bolton, 1999;
Terblanche and Boshoff, 2005).
Gobe (2001) acknowledges the emerging importance of brand in the
retail experience. This paper extends that view and posits a similar view
in terms of decision-making and the resulting interaction. Most research
examines retail atmospherics in isolation. Although the results are
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7. Data analysis
The authors chose thematic analysis for this study. It provides a
fast and convenient means for nding meaningful themes within
large amounts of text. Themes are allowed to emerge from the data.
The techniques imposed reveal the relative importance and interrelationships among themes.
Of great importance is the concept of essence, and the ways in which
the research captures it by way of thematic reection (Van Manen,
1990; Husserl 1982). A theme, according to Van Manen (1990, p. 87), is
the experience of meaning, a simplication and summary of the notion,
the form of capturing a phenomenon. The concept of theme is the
needfulness to make sense, the openness to do something and the
process of insightful invention, discovery and disclosure. In terms of
how theme relates to the notion of what is being studied, theme is (1)
the means to get at the notion; it describes the content of the notion and
it is always a reduction of a notion (Van Manen, 1990, p. 88).
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9. Trustworthiness
The authors maintained trustworthiness by adhering to the
standard for competent and ethical practice (Seidman, 1998) and by
respecting the participants' privacy. All names (Table 1) and interview
sites remain private. Internal and external audits were performed
continuously throughout the research. Member checks gauged the
credibility of the authors' interpretations against the view of those
sharing their stories. Colleagues reviewed interview transcripts and
interpretive summaries in peer debriengs. To ensure objectivity
and recognizability in interpretation, multiple stories from the
same person, conducted at different times were triangulated when
appropriate.
10. Findings
The retailer has a multiple set of brand-driven emotional and social
consumer benets. The brand is much more than just its product
forms, the brand is the in-store shopping environment, the in-store
shopping experience and the post store shopping experience (e.g.
carrying branded shopping bags through a mall). It provides brandcentric emotional value before during and after purchase.
10.1. Emergent categories and themes axial coding
Three major themes surfaced related to decision-making, shopping and consumption of the retailer's brand and products. Fig. 2
includes this nding.
11. Theme I: product/brand emotional signicance
This element emerged as the dominant theme in consumers'
self-reported decision-making. There are two sub categories, fun
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11.1. Fun
Table 1
Proles of women in the study.
Pseudonym
Age
Occupation
Cathy
Rachel
Margaret
Helen
Ann
Laura
Robin
Julie
Amy
Hilary
Sandy
Stacy
Suzanne
Cindy
Becky
Heather
Miranda
27
23
43
21
34
38
19
26
21
29
24
22
20
31
22
26
28
Graduate student
Dental hygienist
Legal secretary
Student
Lawyer
Realtor
Student
Librarian/graduate student
Student
Teacher
Artist
Student
Student/part-time waitress
Graduate student
Student
Physician's assistant
Storeowner
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about being hip, looking stylish, and feeling unique. Lingerie enables
consumers to express their style, knowledge, taste, and values.
Although participants are not driven primarily by a desire for status
or empty infatuation with a brand name, that does not mean they care
nothing for the messages that the brand delivers about their
individual style. Participants know they can say a lot about themselves
through their choice of specic brands and types of goods. Participants
are careful to align themselves with the retailer's brand because they
have a genuine afnity for it and feel it is a good match for their own
individual style.
When consumers purchase brands that are meaningful to them
and align with their own activities and values, the combination can be
powerful (McAlexander et al., 2002). The retailer's brand becomes a
language, a method of self-expression and dialogue. There is more
complexity, interest, variation, and subtlety in the retailer's brand
than in competing products. For shoppers, the brand provides a rich
and broad vocabulary with which to speak.
12. Theme II: retail shopping experience
The next two themes separate the retailer from its competitors.
Whereas most intimate apparel brands have been concerned with
restricting distribution and limiting customer service (Dubois and
Paternault, 1995) as a form of creating and maintaining exclusivity,
the retailer has established the largest retail distribution network in
intimate apparel, and one of the largest overall. Despite its ubiquity,
the brand has increased the level of its customers' loyalty. Participants
explain that a superior retail experience, retail setting and excellent
customer service, enhances the brand experience.
Every time I pass (the store), I have to go in Margaret
It's just kind of like the place that you go Amy
12.1. Enjoyable shopping experience
Participants describe the shopping experience, particularly in the
store, as especially pleasing. It is an excursion they plan for, anticipate
and thoroughly enjoy. Most participants referred to other retail
options for intimate apparel less favorably, a comparison that further
heightens the retailer's value in consumers' minds.
There is something about the store (laughs) it's like a smile I have
on my face Cathy
Even if I have to paymore for itit's worth it to me. Suzanne
I enjoy being a customer there Ann
I would spend$50, $60, $70 without really thinking about it
because I want it for me. I want (the retailer's) things. Heather
12.2. Connecting with loved ones
Most participants started shopping at the retailer's stores as a
social activity with either family members or close friends. This
coming-of-age experience is further developed in adulthood by
including friends in shopping ventures or reminiscing about shopping
events. The brand experience is highly involving, serving as a campre
or town square of female consumerism. It is not surprising that men
are a rare sight in this retail store. It is a feminine haven, staffed by
women, catering to women.
I don't want to bring a guy in. just because they all get soyou see
those guys with their girlfriends that are so uncomfortable being in
the store. It's all women there, because women are the workers
Becky
Whenever it was valentine's dayor me and my boyfriend were
doing something, it was like alright, go to the retailer and you'd
get some cute underwearcause it's your boyfriend's birthday
Becky
It's a tradition type of thing that my mom and my oldest sister have
always bought the retailer Becky
You need to have what other people have; especially like my close,
close friendsthey all talk about it, too. Like, did you guys get the ...
catalogue? I feel like if I wasn't getting the catalogue, I'd be missing
out. Robin
They were all shopping there, they brought me there, they made
me feel like if you're going to get underwear you shop at the retailer
Sandy
I'd rather shop with my friends. It's really much more fun when
you're with your friends and you kind of laugh at things. If you see
something that's ridiculouslyskimpy, you kind of laughit sounds
ridicules, but you kind of bond in there Stacy
It sort of feels like a little club. I'm sure lots of women shop there,
but you kind of feel a little privilegedeven when you walk in the
mall and see someone with a the retailer bag, you go oh, she shops at
the retailer Sandy
My family always shops there for wedding gifts type things, bridal
showers. Always have to have things from the retailer Margaret
13. Theme III: retail environment
The retailer in this study has a thriving catalogue channel and
website, and the retail stores enjoy signicant success. Although
consumers shop on line, the emotional pleasure derived from
shopping at the physical location is extraordinary. All channels
reinforce brand value, but the retail stores appear to produce the
most signicant pleasure.
I do the catalogue and online equally. but not nearly as much as I
do the store Ann
The way it makes me feel when I wear the clothes and when I shop
there, and the service there denitely adds to the (the store)
experience. Miranda
A really, really good feeling. You get to leave the store smiling, or
laughing. That's got to be gooda general feeling of happiness
Cindy
I nd the store very fun. It's always bright and happy. The staff are
happyit's a fun experience shopping there Laura
It is a little more expensive I personally can justify spending .
for any sort of personal experience that you get that you wouldn't
get at sort of a department store Cindy
It's just very nice. It kind of has an upper classprestigious feel
Robin
13.1. Superior customer service
One of the signicantly differentiating qualities is the personalized
customer service. Participants appreciate and expect superior service.
Despite being part of a large chain, well-trained sales staff provide
attentive, but not overbearing pushiness. Being the only brand that
provides such exceptional service, helps establish the brand as a
premium service provider.
If you were to go into a department store, you probably wouldn't
have people helping you one on onemeasure you, nd the right
bra for you, looking for exactly the kind of bra you wantedhow
much coverage, and how thick, and how much padding Ann
They are very good at nding a problem and solving it Hilary
Their customer service is really good. But in a specic sense, that is
to say they are very helpful to their customers, but a lot of places can
be very attentive, but in a way that turns you offBut they are really
helpfulthey don't badger youthat's one thing that I think is key.
And when they do help youthey know their products very well
and they would help you, like, quickly Cindy
The way it makes me feel when I shop there, and the service
there denitely adds to the retailer experience. Cathy
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14. Conclusions
The importance of branding in the retail decision-making process
is scant in academic literature. The main nding in this study is that
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