African Journal of Business Management Vol. 5(31), pp.12319-12324, 7 December, 2011 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/AJBM DOI: 10.5897/AJBM11.902 ISSN 1993-8233 ©2011 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Customer shopping experience in malls with entertainment centres in

D. Anuradha 1,2 and Hansa Lysander Manohar 3

1Department of Management Studies (DOMS), ANURADHA, Chennai, . 2Vel Tech High Tech Dr. Rangaraja Dr. Sakunthala Engineering College, , Chennai, India. 3Department of Management Studies (DOMS), Anna University, Chennai, India.

Accepted 25 July, 2011

The purpose of this paper is to assess customer shopping experience in malls with entertainment centres in Chennai. This research aims to explore the shopping experience of customers’ visit at malls with entertainment centres due to the availability of large scale entertainment centres. The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight of the role of external and internal variables in influencing the choice of Mall and shopping behavior. The data for this study are from face-to-face mall intercepts of shoppers in two malls with entertainment centres (City Centre Mall and Mall of Chennai). The survey was conducted among 93 shoppers including both shopping malls. The analysis concludes that shopping centres with entertainment facilities has an increasing emphasis on customer visit to the malls. The results suggest that the shoppers consider theatre as an added advantage to visit the mall, whether or not they visit the theatre. Also, the customers mostly visit Apparel store, followed by food services, leather stores, fashion stores, consumer service, professional services, electronic stores, departmental stores, home ware and so on. The findings will help the owners of shopping malls to meet the needs of the visitors of shopping malls. It also serves as an encouragement to the store owners in shopping malls to cater for the needs of the shoppers.

Key words: Shopping experience, mall, entertainment, shopping behaviour.

INTRODUCTION

Today the word ‘Mall’ has become a part of people living According to the report by Northbridge Capita, Indian in metro and big cities. Mall culture is mushrooming retail industry is expected to grow up to US $833 billion across the country’s landscape at a faster pace. Few by the year 2013 and reach US $1.3 trillion by the year years before people felt that malls are for upper middle 2019 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 10%. In class people but now mall mania is common among all India the consumer spending pattern has enormously people. Also that earlier people had to make a choice increased and in the last few years, the consumer among shopping stores or movies but today all that is spending in India has raised up to 75%. As a result of available under one stop shop with a good shopping increase in disposable income, Indian retail industry is experience. Today people believe that the malls are the expected to grow. In fact, malls play a major role in con- best place to shop or hang out. sumers’ lifestyle (Terblanche, 1999). They have become not only a centre for shopping but also a community centre for social and recreational activities (Ng, 2003). Stores, food courts, restaurants, cinemas, children’s play *Corresponding author. E.mail: [email protected]. areas, interactive entertainment, social use areas, relaxation spaces and promotional areas are now major Abbreviations: CAGR, Compound annual growth rate; CDM, components of any mall (Terblanche, 1999). It has a consumer decision-making. multiple role in modern culture, with a constant change 12320 Afr. J. Bus. Manage.

in its appearance. The concept of globalization has made consumers’ greater spatial convenience (2) the findings the customers expose to different types of brands. Also add support to the notion that the demise of the shopping that Indians travel abroad for work and business has strip could be linked to its inability to satisfy the needs of made them experience different lifestyle products and a convenience-oriented society and (3) while the services available there. This has led the retailers in India shopping strip may be at a competitive disadvantage in to develop quality of life in India with a provision of terms of spatial convenience, market mechanisms. modern retailing. And so, there are many malls upcoming Michon and Jean (2004) found that, French are less in Chennai trying to match international outlook (the list of likely than English shoppers to use the mall for other malls in Chennai is provided). The mall growth shows the activities than buying goods and services. Haytko and economic prosperity of the country. Baker (2004) explored the, adolescent girls’ experiences The growth in retailing has led to the competition in mall, their patronage behaviors and motivations. The between the malls and the decision of which mall to results indicate five characteristics of the mall choose since all the malls have apparent similarity in environment influenced the girls’ perceptions of their terms of stores. Considering the growing number of experiences: comfort, safety, retail mix, accessibility and malls, shoppers tend to be more selective. They are more atmosphere. likely to patronize malls that are more attractive and have Michon et al. (2005) explored the role of mall a wide variety of stores and merchandise that match their atmospherics and its interaction effects of the mall preferences (El-Adly, 2007). Therefore, it is essential for environment on shopping behavior. The results of the mall managers to know the extent to which their malls are study indicate that ambient odors positively influence attractive to their shoppers (Wong et al., 2001). However, shoppers’ perceptions only under the medium retail mall attributes that are attractive for some shoppers are density condition. Also that mood has little direct effect on not necessarily attractive for others. Therefore, the the perception of product quality. Wesley et al. (2006) purpose of this paper is to provide an insight of the role of explored consumer decision-making styles and mall external and internal variables in influencing the choice of shopping behavior using exploratory data analysis and mall and shopping behavior. the comparative method. The results reveal that gender is a prime antecedents associating with consumer decision-making (CDM) styles. The influence of CDM LITERATURE REVIEW styles on mall shopping consequences is subtle and indirectly influences activities during mall visits via Intensive efforts have been made to find the relevant influencing planned expenditure levels. Also that, studies carried out on customer shopping experience in demographics moderate the influence of consumer shopping malls with entertainment centres. Only a limited decision-making styles on planned expenditures. study is available in this field especially in India. A Preez et al. (2007), “Profiling male apparel consumers: summary of the literature reviewed is reported here. Lifestyle, shopping orientation, patronage behaviour and Machleit and Eroglu (2000) found that the broad range behaviour“. The results of the study revealed of emotions felt in the shopping context vary considerably that, male apparel consumers differ in terms of price, across different retail environments, as seen in Izard quality, selection of shopping mall and that they also (1977) and Plutchik (1980). The findings also indicate the media-oriented. Ofir and Itamar (2007), carried out a specific context of the shopping experience across the study title “The effect of stating expectations on customer retail environments. The Izard measure contains many satisfaction and shopping experience”, the findings of the negative emotion types and may be more appropriate for research suggest that, stated expectations tend not to be studies that look at the unpleasant, rather than the met and explicitly stating expectations influences the pleasant aspects of shopping. The Plutchik emotion types likelihood that post experience evaluations would be of expectancy and acceptance may also be particularly lower than they would have been had the participants not relevant in studies of salesperson interactions with the articulated their expectations. shopper. Michon et al. (2008) identified the influence of mall Taylor and Cosenza (2002) conducted a study to environment on female fashion shoppers’ value and examine the shopping choice behaviour of an important behaviour. The results indicate that mall atmospherics and viable segment of teen market called, “Later aged has no or little effect on the utilitarian value of low- or female teen”. The results revealed that typical later aged high-fashion oriented shoppers. Rajagopal (2009) has female teen made right choice especially for clothing focused on the impact of growing congestion of shopping products. Finally the group’s desire to stay and shop at mall in urban areas on shopping conveniences and shop- the local mall seemed to be a function of the mall ping behavior. The findings reveal that the perspectives composition and excitement. of shopping mall ambience and shopping satisfaction Reimers and Clulow (2004) conducted a comparative effectively become a measure of retailing performance, study on spatial convenience in shopping strips and customer attraction and propensity to shop for urban shopping centres. The findings yielded three important shoppers. insights (1) The shopping centre was found to offer The afore review gives an understanding that only Anuradha and Manohar 12321

limited systematic attempt has been made across the Table 1. world on the select dimensions of the shopping behavior of customers in shopping centres. This is so in India, where no study that focused directly on the issue, Reasons for visit to mall shopping experience in malls. Customer shopping experience in two malls that is, City Centre and Express avenue is understood by asking the Research problem identified customers to mark the reasons why they prefer a

The purpose of this paper is to assess customer shopping mall for shopping instead of independent outlet shopping experience in malls with entertainment centres The factors that influence the shopping experience at in Chennai. This research aims to explore the shopping malls with entertainment centres are presented in Table experience of customers at malls with entertainment 2. The reasons identified were (in the order of centres who visit them due to the availability of large preference): shopping ambience, availability of different scale entertainment centres and also, to provide an types of shops, entertainment offered at malls, parking insight of the role of external and internal variables in facility, ease of shopping, good product quality, pride and influencing the choice of mall and shopping behavior. prestige attached shopping. The different types of stores visited by shoppers in the mall apart from the entertainment centres like multiplex Objectives of the study theatre, snow bowling, video games are: apparel store followed by food services, leather stores, fashion stores, The study has the following objectives: consumer service, professional services, electronic stores, departmental stores, home ware and so on. 1. To study the profile of the shoppers Figure 1 illustrates the shopping model 2. To determine the relative importance of criteria which influence the overall attractiveness of mall 3. To assess the reasons for visiting the mall and their Internal variables affecting shopping experience at expenditure pattern shopping malls 4. To propose a model depicting shopping mall attractiveness The internal variables influencing shopping experience include: entrance, exterior display, architectural style, surrounding stores, address and location, parking METHODOLOGY availability, traffic and congestion, height, size and colour

Most of the previous research on malls with entertainment centers, of building. focused only on one mall, this study has attempted to conduct research across 2 different malls in Chennai. The data collection was conducted in two major malls in Chennai: Express Avenue and External variables affecting shopping experience at Citi Centre. Both the malls attract the urban middle income shopping malls consumers and they also fit commonly in terms of varieties of entertainment offered such as theatres, rides for children and The external variables influencing shopping experience shopping outlets. The survey instrument used is structured personal include: flooring/carpeting/painting, lighting/music/scent, interview questionnaire. Interview was conducted from a random merchandise, temperature, cleanliness, restroom and sample of mall shoppers from each of these malls. The data waiting area. collection was done at major exits of the mall to complete the questionnaire. The questions focus on the following areas: distance The dimensions according to which the consumers traveled to reach the mall, reasons for visit, whether the respondent evaluate the shopping experience at shopping malls with had visited the mall earlier, amount of time spent/would like to entertainment centres are: shopping ambience, layout of spend in the mall, opinion about the food court/theatre/stores, store, variety of shops, service offered at mall, design, opinion about the mall atmospherics, etc. In both malls, data were desire to stay in mall, if any. These dimensions describe collected between January and February 2011. The questionnaire was distributed among 115 shoppers who visited the mall; out of the factors to which the shoppers evaluate their shopping 115 questionnaire distributed, 93 completed questionnaires was experience at large shopping malls such as Citi Centre received. As such, the total sample size is 93. The collected data Mall and Express Avenue Mall with entertainment centres were using percentage, cluster and factor analysis. Likert’s scaling in Chennai. technique was used wherever necessary. Demographic profile of the respondents is summarised in Table 1. CONCLUSION, LIMITATIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR

RESULT AND ANALYSIS FUTURE STUDY

Profile of the shoppers The study enables us to conclude that, the shoppers visit shopping malls with entertainment centres for making use The profile of the sample respondents is summarized in of all facilities under one roof. This indicates that 12322 Afr. J. Bus. Manage.

Table 1. Profile of the shoppers.

Demographic Number Percent Age > 18 06 6 19-30 41 44 31-40 31 34 41-50 8 9 51-60 5 5 61 -above 2 2

Gender Male 41 44 Female 52 56

Marital status Single 62 71 Married 31 29

Purpose of mall visit Shopping 24 26 Get-Together with Friends/Relatives 21 23 Entertainment 27 29 To spend time 19 20 Business 2 2

Travel to the mall Bus 09 9 Bike 39 43 Car 32 34 Auto / Cal Taxi 12 13 Others 1 1

Shopping companion Alone 9 9 Companion 84 91

Shopping frequency ( per month) 0-1time 21 23 2-3 times 42 45 4-5 times 18 19 6-7 times 10 11 More than 8 times 2 2

Expenditure pattern at malls Less than 10,000 51 55 10,001-30,000 35 38 30,000-60,000 6 6 60,000-1,00,000 1 1 1,00,000 and above Nil -

Table 2. Factors influencing opinion on shopping experience at malls with entertainment centres.

Factors and Items Loadings Factor 1: Shopping ambience Pleasant atmosphere of this mall 0.78 Anuradha and Manohar 12323

Table 2. Contd.

Parking facility 0.84 Cleanliness, lighting and temperature 0.61 Address and location of the mall 0.91 Restroom and waiting area 0.80 Lift and other facilities 0.61 Factor 2: Layout of store Ease of locating the mall 0.65 Overall convenience of the mall 0.75 Ease of locating the stores 0.84 Easy access to restrooms 0.68 Easy access to food court 0.61 Easy to get around and shop 0.71 Factor 3: Variety of shops Number of stores in this mall 0.81 Quality of stores 0.84 Price offered by retailers in the store 0.62 Fashionability of merchandise 0.60 Factor 4: Service offered at mall ATM , Banking and other FOREX facilities 0.92 Quality of multiplex theatre 0.90 Children’s play area 0.61 Factor 5: Design Architecture is attractive 0.60 Attractively decorated 0.62 Factor 5: Desire to stay in mall Enjoy spending time in this mall 0.86 Felt a sense of adventure 0.81

Entrances E X T Exterior display E windows R Architectural style N A L Surrounding stores

V Address and location A R I Parking availability MALL ATTRACTIVNESS A B Activities in the mall

L Traffic and Congestion • Shopping E • S Socializing LEVEL OF Height / Size / Color • Movies of the building SATISFACTION • Eating • Walking • See the exhibits

I • Business N Flooring / Carpeting / T Painting E Lighting R N Music A L Scents

Merchandise V A Temperature R I Cleanliness A B Layout of the Stores L E Restroom and Waiting area S

Figure 1. Shopping model. 12324 Afr. J. Bus. Manage.

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