International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Volume 119 No. 12 2018, 2527-2536 ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version) url: http://www.ijpam.eu Special Issue ijpam.eu

Evaluation of in Store Attributes Relating to Shopping Malls 1Aarathy K. Sudhakaran and 2A. Anis 1Department of Commerce and Management, Amrita school of Arts and Sciences, Amritapuri Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, , . [email protected] 2Department of Commerce and Management, Amrita school of Arts and Sciences, Amritapuri Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kerala, India. [email protected]

Abstract Instore attributes constitute a predominant role in determining the consumer shopping experiences. In this era, shopping malls plays a crucial role in the life of a consumer. Due to the growing competition faced by retailers, the importance of evaluating the instore attributes are relevant. This study tries to understand the attributes leading to the consumer shopping experiences. The study uses extended literatures and has used convenience sampling, samples are collected from 250 consumers shopping from the major malls in . The study tries to bring out the instore facilities used and its impact on consumer shopping experiences. The study tries to project the major determining factors in shopping mall evaluations and the consumers shopping experiences in relation to instore attributes. Key Words: customer experience, instore attributes, customer satisfaction.

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1. Introduction Now a days shopping centres play a noteworthy part in the way of life of the general population living in the country that had hugely altered the types of spending actions. These days shopping centres are found in every single circle and corner, not only that individuals trust the shopping centres is the relevant destination to swing on. Malls aren’t meant just for purchase thus far in addition a residence for social and leisure experiences. The errands centre is a combination of different vendors and business specialist organizations inside and all-around arranged, planned as well as gathering structures. Shopping inspiration uncovers the overall feeling of buyers to the demonstration of errands. The feelings might be noted in the case of purchaser’s basic leadership process which includes examples of selection, valuation, and choice. Retailers and shopping centres use fragrance, music, enhancement, or design and temperature for better administration. These factors strongly affect customers view of the shopping centres appearance and also their behaviour. The effect of the physical condition on shopper’s behaviour has gained critical consideration from specialists. Carnal condition of a shopping centre comprises of growth, illumination, ventilating and chilling, washrooms, presentation, size, casing and commerce. The environment of a marketing system has a notable effect in the brains of shopping centre purchasers shimmering the reactions, also a part of practical motivation in deciding the reactions. It is argued that the in-store shopping experience (ISE) at store level consists of a variety of different dimensions that can be controlled by the retailer. N.S. Terblanche and C. Boshoff (2001) 2. Review of Literature “A study on influence of shopping motivation, mall atmosphere and value relationship with reference to Mega mal in ” (J. Chithralega)2013. In this study he describes that Customers are staying in shopping centres for numerous factors that motivates them. The factors that leads to motivation includes Visual gratitude, alteration, Community bond, Surfing, and Suitability. This study recommends that there is a straight association among errands inspirations and general mall skill value such as Hedonic assistances, Serviceable assistances, epistemic assistances and Boarder thought. For this he steered a pilot training by finding replies from 210 shopping centre patrons.

“The shopping mall as consumer habitat” (Peter H Bloch, Nancy M Ridgway, Scott A Dowson)1994. A large bounded errands centre depicts noteworthy establishments fashionable culture, buyers' behaviour in shopping centres that is unexpectedly under valid. The study discovers the interrelationship of consumers' in relation with shopping centres because shopping destinations are discovered with the idea of locale pinched from environmental arts. The experiential learning of customer behaviour towards numerous shopping centres which surrounds the malls are conferred here. Precisely, the study discovers alterations in mall locale bustle outlines and also recognizes mall associated shopping arrangements that are beneficial in illumination of the transformations.

“Atmospheric effects on shopping behaviour: A review of the experimental evidence” (L W Turley, Ronald L Milliman) 2000.This review focusses on the research directed over the centuries on the properties of facility-based

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environmental suggestions, or “interferences”, on the customers behaviour. We study the related literature done, based on a complete table of the practical studies in this area that focuses on the various findings related with the surveys. This study directs that atmospheric variables encourages a wide variety of consumer valuations and behaviours. In addition to discussion the results and supports of the literature flow, the study realizes by detecting gaps in the literature and signifies the likely approaching areas for atmospheric linked exploration.

“Social planning for mall redevelopment: An Australian case study” (Rob White & Adam Sutton)2010. The research deals with learning the work commenced within Melbourne connecting a shopping centre re-expansion scheme. The study converses about the behaviour of errand malls, ingesting position as well as non- profitable collective events. It also designates about arrangement and expansion of strategies that offer advanced and communally liberal involvements with respect to the communal nature of shopping centre. The reputation of such places endorsing happenings on the root of communal enclosure, of fashioning a safe, friendly ether, and of creating unnoticeable welcoming categories of mall organization, is also emphasized.

Hemant Syal (2011) research paper titled “Retailing in India: Future Perspective” published in IJRFM Volume 1, Issue 8 (December 2011). This review shades an oral portrait in awaiting merchandizing affluent which is to transpire in future. For some years extraneous vendors have the appeal of an organizer who normalize the agricultural business and the preference of syndicate patron’s over the nation. The opposition may support in raising the superior facilities of the prevailing vendors and the buyer approval of Indian civilization. The self-employment perception will become extinct thus justifiable trivial businesses shall be attached to the immense cuffs. This study provides an indication on deliberate growth of merchandizing bazaar that has finalized the centuries.

Arpita Khare (2011) studied in her paper titled “Influence of hedonic and utilitarian values in determining attitude towards malls: A case of Indian small consumers”. Explains about sensitive, balanced errands that are made-up to administer the patron’s defiance to the shopping centre. Mainly the study is directed in different five cities in the Northern part of India. The data were analysed using ANOVA and multiple regression analysis and their outcomes demonstrate the tight-fisted in addition to productive estimations among the little city shoppers which impacted the state of mind to the shopping centres. The findings reveal the impact of phase in purchaser’s states of mind towards shopping centre qualities.

Kavita Kanabar (2012) in her paper titled “Change in consumer behaviour in Surat with introduction of Mall”. The present day systematized merchandizing had a sudden raid or military advance on the study area (Surat) and its obvious in hypermarkets as well as in huge shopping centres which offers errands, theatre and diversions for having food in the same place. This also shows that fundamentally in the errand centres, the customers wish to eat at florets, and provide entertainment for themselves by way of films at multiplex theatres or even hangout on the relaxation corners. Most of the people are interested in attending the trials, elevations, oppositions and for different merchandise unveilings which will be planned in the shopping centre and probably most of them employ their

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free spell along with relatives and colleagues in the malls. Finally, the shopping centre culture is achieving heights and nowadays customers are echoing their appointments for sequential consumptions, which shows the rise of constant clients in shopping centres.

Anne W Magi (2003) in her paper “Share of wallet in retailing: the effects of customer satisfaction, loyalty cards and shopper characteristics”. The consumers patronise multiple outlets in retailing and it is also important that how customers divide their purchase among the outlets and wise versa. The research study portraits that the satisfaction of the customers possess optimistic(unsure), upshot on the share, whereas the economic shopping orientation of consumers has an adverse thru impact on the share. The financial positioning of patrons, their status of private affiliation with supply personnel, and their level of mutual buying capacity controlled the outcome of fulfilment of benefactor portion. Lastly, the study provides an assorted nutrition for the inspiration of constancy cards on the behaviour of consumers. 3. Research Methodology and Hypothesis Development

The study was focused on district, Kerala. Ernakulam is considered as a major consumer hub in Kerala state. The major shopping malls in Ernakulam were considered while doing the survey. 250 samples were collected from the major shopping malls in . The shopping malls selected were Lulu mall, Oberon mall, centre square and Reliance shopping mall. Convenience sampling method was used to fetch information through questionnaire.

Hypothesis:

H1: Visual merchandising strategy of the shopping malls increases the overall shopping experience of the customers.

Visual merchandising refers to the various strategies that can be seen inside and outside the shopping malls like display, decorations etc to attract the customers. This hypothesis is trying to test the visual merchandising influence on the consumer shopping experience.

H2: Visual appeal of the shopping malls enhances the relaxation and comfort zone facilities provided to the customers.

This hypothesis tests the contribution of visual appeal to enhance the relaxation and comfort zone facilities.

H3: Friendliness of the associates has a positive impact on the visual appeal of the shopping malls on the consumers.

The friendly behaviour of the associates towards the consumers and visual appeal of the shopping malls are taken as variables to test their relationship

H4: Reasonable waiting time enhances the shopping experience of consumers.

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With the independent variable reasonable waiting time the impact on overall shopping experience is being tested. 4. Data Analysis and Findings The measurements of variables were done on scale ranging from 1 to 5 ranging from highly satisfied to highly dissatisfied.

Table 1: Age group

Table 2: Gender

Table 3: H1. Visual merchandising strategy of the shopping malls increases the overall shopping experience of the customers.

Visual merchandising strategy * Overall shopping experience Crosstabulation

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From the above analysis we found that visual merchandising strategy of shopping malls has a positive and significant impact on overall shopping experience. Since P value <0.05,df=16, the Hypothesis 1 is accepted.

Table 4.1:

H2. Visual appeal of the shopping malls enhances the relaxation and comfort zone facilities provided to the customers.

Visual appeal

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Table 4.2:

Relaxation and comfort Zone

The above result proves a significant impact of visual appeal of shopping malls on the relaxation and comfort zone . Since P value <0.05,df=16, the Hypothesis 2 is accepted.

Table 5:

H3. Friendliness of the associates has a positive impact on the visual appeal of the shopping malls on the consumers. Value Approx. Tb Interval by Pearson's R -.007 -.109 Interval Ordinal by Spearman Correlation .065 1.023 Ordinal N of Valid Cases 250

The above analysis shows that friendliness of the associates in the shopping mall has no impact on the visual appeal. From the table No.5 (r= -.109,p>0.01) (n=250) the Hypothesis 3 is rejected.

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Table 6:

H4. Reasonable waiting time enhances the shopping experience of consumers.

The above analysis shows a positive relationship between reasonable waiting time and shopping experience of customers. Since P value <0.05,df=16, the Hypothesis 4 is accepted. 5. Discussions The study focuses on instore attributes of a shopping mall. It has tried in bringing up the major attributes of instore facilities in a shopping mall and their impact on the shopping experience of the consumers. The existing empirical studies proves the importance of the store attributes on the consumer purchasing behaviour. The study shows responses of 138 males and 112 female customers. The study focuses on store attributes like visual merchandising, relaxation and comfort zones, easiness to reach the products, appropriate shopping hours, safety and security in transactions and visual appeal. The study has tried to bring out the impact of these attributes on the shopping experience of customers who are visiting shopping malls. With the help of analysis, the study is able to arrive at a conclusion that most of the attributes have a motivating and noteworthy effect of shopping experience on the shoppers. More specifically the study highlights the impact of various attributes on the shopping experience of consumers. References [1] P. Foroudi, S. Gupta, U. Sivarajah, and A. Broderick, “Investigating the effects of smart technology on customer dynamics and customer experience,” Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 80, pp. 271–282, Mar. 2018. [2] Chithralega, “A Study on Influence of Shopping Motivation, Mall Atmosphere and Value Relationship with Reference to Mega Malls in Chennai,” International Journal Of Marketing, Financial Services & Management Research, vol. 2, no. 6, pp. 145–156, Jul. 2013. [3] “The shopping mall as consumer habitat - ScienceDirect.”

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[4] L. W. Turley and R. E. Milliman, “Atmospheric Effects on Shopping Behavior: A Review of the Experimental Evidence,” Journal of Business Research, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 193–211, Aug. 2000. [5] W. Mägi, “Share of wallet in retailing: the effects of customer satisfaction, loyalty cards and shopper characteristics,” Journal of Retailing, vol. 79, no. 2. [6] Anderson, M., & Bolton, J. (2015). Integration of Sensors to Improve Customer Experience: Implementing Device Integration for the Retail Sector. In e-Business Engineering (ICEBE). In 2015 IEEE 12th international conference. [7] Grewal, D., Levy, M., & Kumar, V. (2009a). Customer experience management in retailing: An organizing framework. Journal of Retailing.

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