Store Format Characteristics Influence Consumer Decisions in the Structured Retail Industry

Abstract

The Indian retail sector is considered a promising industry, with major players competing for market share. Many consumers experience organized retail through stores like Big Bazaar, Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop, Westside, Shubiksha, and Reliance Fresh. Projections suggest that organized retail in India will grow from 4% of the total market in 2008 to 14-18% by 2015. This research aims to examine the key attributes of organized grocery stores to assess their influence on shoppers' store format preferences. Data was gathered through a questionnaire survey of 500 randomly chosen adult female grocery shoppers in Delhi, with a final sample of 153 respondents. The study's hypotheses focus on attributes such as store personnel, proximity convenience, in-store communication, price consciousness, store services, fast checkout, and store reputation. Chi-square tests were employed to evaluate these hypotheses. The findings offer retailers a comprehensive perspective to better understand their market.