Retailing and services marketing

The department has a research unit that specifically operates in this area called the Australian Consumer. It looks at how and where they are produced, marketed, distributed and consumed. Product offers can range from physical products, like packaged goods, to intangible products, such as financial services or travel. An important aspect is how consumers experience product offers before, during and after access or consumption.

The department has a research unit related that specifically to operates in this area called the Australian Consumer and Retail Studies unit (ACRS; previously: Australian Centre for Retail Studies). The ACRS is a commercially based unit within the department with extensive expertise in consumer, retail, and services expertise. It conducts research for major domestic and international organisations and organises industry events. Find out more about ACRS.

Research activities in retailing and services marketing focuses on the following themes:

consumer shopping behaviour
customer loyalty and satisfaction
financial services
health services
international retailing
loyalty programs
online services and online customer value analysis
price perceptions
product and store brand names
service-scapes and service encounters
store atmosphere and the retail experience.

Our research in retailing and services marketing has been published in several A* and A ranked journals.

Recent papers

Comparing the Effect of Store Remodeling on New and Existing Customers

Journal of Marketing

Authors: Professor Tracey Danaher, Professor Peter Danaher

Abstract
Although retailers invest millions of dollars in redesigning, refreshing, and remodeling their stores, it is unclear that such large investments are worthwhile. Prior research has indicated that remodeling has only a short-term effect. However, a previously unexplored area is its effect on those who visit the store for the first time after it is remodeled (new customers) versus those who had visited before the remodeling (existing customers). This study contrasts the effect of store remodeling on new and existing customers in two field experiments with stores that underwent a major remodeling. Treatment and control stores are used in both experiments. The authors measure sales before and after the remodeling for new and existing customers; in one store, they also measure customers' psychological responses. In both cases, sales increased after the remodeling effort. However, sales for new customers are significantly higher than sales for existing customers after the remodel, and this difference persists for a year. Higher sales to new customers are primarily due to more new customers being drawn to the remodeled store, their higher spend per visit, and their subsequent increased visit frequency.

Where, When and How Long: Factors that Influence the Effectiveness of Mobile Pho

Journal of Marketing Research

Authors:

Peter J. Danaher, Monash Business School
Michael S. Smith
Kulan Ranasinghe
Tracey S. Danaher (previously Dagger), Monash Business School

Abstract
The use of coupons delivered by mobile phone, so called "m-coupons," is growing rapidly. In this study we analyse consumer response to m-coupons for a two-year trial at a large shopping mall. About 8,500 people were recruited to a panel and then received 3 text message m-coupons whenever they "swiped" their mobile phone at the mall entrances, with downstream redemption recorded. Almost 144,000 m-coupons were delivered during the trial, comprising 38 stores that supplied 134 different coupons. We find that an important feature of m-coupons is where and when they are delivered, with location and time of delivery significantly influencing redemption. Also important is how long they are valid (expiry length), because redemption times for m-coupons are much shorter than for traditional coupons. This suggests that their expiration length should be shortened to help signal time urgency. Nevertheless, traditional coupon features, like face value, still dominate m-coupon effectiveness, as does the product type, with snack food coupons being particularly effective.

Place attachment in commercial settings: A gift economy perspective

Journal of Consumer Research
2014

Authors: Debenedetti, Alain, Harmen Oppewal (Monash Business School), Zeynep Arsel

Abstract
Place attachment is one's strong emotional bond with a specific location. While there are numerous studies on the topic, the literature pays little attention to commercial settings. This is because they are seen as too insipid to rouse attachment. Consumer research, however, suggests otherwise. To address this disparity, the authors investigate how people develop, experience, and act on place attachment in commercial settings. Findings from consumer in-depth interviews and self-reports conducted in France reveal that place attachment develops through perceptions of familiarity, authenticity, and security and evolves into experiences of homeyness. Consumers find these encounters of homeyness extraordinary and respond by engaging in volunteering, over-reciprocation, and ambassadorship toward the place. The authors further theorize these findings through a gift economy perspective and identify a tripartite exchange between the consumer, the proprietor of the place, and selected people from the consumer's social network.

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Mobile coupons: What to offer, to whom, and where?

European Journal of Marketing
2015

Authors: Khajehzadeh, Saman, Oppewal, Harmen (Monash Business School), Dewi R. Tojib (Monash Business School)

Abstract

Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the redemption of promotional offers in a mobile service context. It specifically studies how mobile coupon redemption depends on the type of product offered, the convenience of accessing a retailer and the consumer's shopping motivation. Retailers increasingly use mobile coupon services as a complementary channel to send promotional offers to consumers.

Design/methodology/approach
Two studies examine how the three factors interact in determining coupon redemption. Both involve a scenario-based experiment. Participants are over 750 members of an online panel in the USA.

Findings
The results show that when the retailer offers a hedonic product, consumers' shopping motivation matters more, whereas when the retailer offers a utilitarian product, consumers' location dominates their redemption intentions.

Research limitations/implications
One limitation of this research is the use of hypothetical scenarios. Although this limitation was addressed by conducting a quasi-experiment, future research could be carried out using a field experiment.

Practical implications
Results suggest that in a mobile channel, personalization of promotions is more important for utilitarian shoppers than for hedonic shoppers.

Originality/value
Drawing on the theories of regulatory focus and preference for the status quo, this paper posits that mobile coupon redemption is determined by whether the offer requires consumers to divert from their focal shopping motivation (i.e. their status quo). The authors explain this difference by showing the mediating role of regulatory fit.

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How in-store educational and entertaining events influence shopper satisfaction

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services
2015

Authors: Sands, Sean (Monash Business School), Harmen Oppewal (Monash Business School), Michael Beverland

Abstract

While recent years have seen an increased use of educational and entertaining events within the store environment, little seems known about how consumers value such events. This study investigates how the staging of education and entertainment-focused in-store events impacts on consumers' value perceptions, arousal levels and store satisfaction. It is hypothesized that such events have a positive effect on store satisfaction but that their effects are moderated by a shopper's motivational orientation. Findings from a scenario-based experiment among 786 shoppers from two retail categories (hardware and computer stores) provide support for this. The findings show that task-oriented consumers derive more value and satisfaction from an education-focused event than from an entertainment-focused event, while recreation-oriented consumers appreciate either type of event. The study findings imply that providing education themed events is a safer option for retailers than providing entertainment-focused events because education satisfies a wider range of shopper needs. Shoppers overall derive pleasure from entertainment but task-oriented shoppers tend to also see it as a hindrance to the convenience of shopping, with the result that for these shoppers the hosting of entertainment-focused events may result in reduced store satisfaction levels.

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