This research aims to investigate the factors that can influence consumer behavior related to visiting supermarkets by focusing on the case of Foodland supermarket in Bangkok to identify an effective strategy to attract consumers. Data were collected from customers who visited 3 branches of Foodland supermarket in Bangkok in October 2015, as well as from questionnaires distributed online. The findings of this research show that consumers' motivation to visit the Foodland supermarket consisted of several factors, which also influence the perception of the store.
The results are expected to make it easier for Foodland supermarket stores to improve their products and services and create sustainable benefits by improving their strategy to attract consumers. This research will analyze how the Foodland supermarket in Bangkok can attract customers to shop in its store and can compete with other supermarkets. Thus, the most important research question is "What are the key factors that stimulate consumer behavior to shop at Foodland supermarket stores in Bangkok?".
The questionnaires were randomly distributed among respondents who had or never visited the Foodland supermarket. The completed 100 questionnaires show a representative sample of customers who have and have not had an experience at the Foodland supermarket in Bangkok.
Research Advantage
LITERATURE REVIEW
Theoretical
- Consumer Behavior
- Purchase Decision Process
- Determinants of Retailer
- Consumer Satisfaction
The consumer's perception of retail space will show the distance and time customers spend traveling and shopping in the store. Historically, retailers have focused on price advertising to gain customer loyalty, a strategy that is increasingly questionable (Joseph & Gordon, 1974). Image advertising uses pictures and words to help customers perceive the store experience, while informational advertising provides more details that can influence purchasing decisions.
The services offered, such as ease of return, delivery, credit, can determine the image of the store. However, Loblaws addresses customer concerns by providing excellent customer service that meets their needs. These physical features can also indicate the image or character of the store, which will increase the likelihood that customers will choose to purchase the merchandise from the retail store.
Furthermore, store decoration can elicit emotional responses from customers, for example satisfaction and encouragement, which influence time and money to be spent in the store. Some people try not to go to a particular store because they do not want to be compared to the store's clientele (Rick, 1999).
Research Framework and Hypothesis
- Research Framework
- Hypotheses
H3: Relatively low price has a positive relationship with customer satisfaction with visits to Foodland supermarket stores. H4: Advertising related to Retail operations has a positive relationship with customer satisfaction for visits to Foodland supermarket stores. H5 Helpful sales staff has a positive relationship with customer satisfaction for visits to Foodland supermarket stores.
H6: Additional service offered has a positive relationship with customer satisfaction to visits in Foodland supermarket stores. H7: Appropriate Physical Store attribute has a positive relationship with customer satisfaction towards visits in Foodland supermarket stores. H8: Regular store customers have a positive relationship with customer satisfaction to visits in Foodland supermarket stores.
METHODOLOGY
Research Design
Population and Data Collection
Research Instrument
- Constructs Measurements
- Questionnaire Design and Question
The department intends to evaluate customer perceived value on each factor that influences a visit to Foodland supermarket. There is such a wonderful environment and atmosphere such as cleanliness, lighting, music and so on. 3.9.1) Overall customer satisfaction of Foodland supermarket 3.9.2) Persuade friends or family member to visit Foodland supermarket 3.9.3) Welcome to come back to visit in Foodland supermarket 4.
DATA ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH FINDINGS
- Research Finding
- Respondents
- Demographic Information of Respondents
- General Information of Respondents
- Specific Information
- Correlation Coefficients Analysis
- Multiple Regressive Analysis
- Model Summary
- Anova
- Regression Analysis
- Hypotheses Conclusion
Finally, the status of the respondents is shown in the pie chart in Figure 4.5. In addition to data on consumer behavior when visiting a Foodland supermarket, the summary is classified based on 108 respondents who have experience visiting a Foodland supermarket, and then adjusted to 100%. The number of respondents who visit the Foodland supermarket on weekdays and weekends was almost the same.
Family or Friend is the most popular channel through which consumers can get information about Foodland supermarket. The specific questions gathered information about the customer's assessment of each dimension of factors influencing consumer behavior to visit Foodland supermarket. With a score of 4.25 being the highest average score among all the influencing factors, it could be seen that customers perceived the value of the store assortment factor that Foodland supermarket provides more than other factors such as location, physical store attributes, sales staff, Price and Service , of which the average scores were around 3.01-4.01.
The results of additional services that respondents were interested in provided in Table 4.2. It could be concluded that more than half of the respondents were interested in additional services, which were respectively membership card 75%, delivery of food processes 63.9% and line official account 50%. According to the Pearson correlation, the coefficients between the eight influencing factors and customer satisfaction in the Foodland supermarket as indicated in Table 4.3 were statistically significant at a 95% confidence level.
For a moderate correlation between influencing factors and customer satisfaction (r is between 0.4-0.7), there are Location, Assortment, Advertising, Sales People, Service, Physical Store and Store customer. Reference to the ANOVA result is given in Table 4.4, it can be concluded that at least one of the influencing factors is statistically significant (F = 24.139, p-value = .000). Location convenience has a positive relationship with customer satisfaction for visits to Foodland supermarket stores.
CONCLUSION AND LIMITATIONS
- Background and Important of the Research
- Summary of the Findings
- Recommendation and Implementations
- Limitations
The results of this study reveal that Foodland supermarket has various factors that make them constantly operate the stores in high competition with other retail stores such as convenience stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets and department stores. The respondents believe that Foodland supermarket could provide a product range with the responsiveness of assessment with the highest average score of 4.25, due to the diverse range of edible products and imported goods which were related to the main activities of the consumers. In terms of price, Foodland supermarket has a reasonable price compared to their product quality, but not low compared to competitors and rarely has promotions or discounts.
This suggests that customers of the Foodland supermarket are not price sensitive, but pay more attention to product quality and freshness. Although the Foodland supermarket provides many services to support the convenience of the customers, such as assembling gift baskets according to customer lists or various facilities such as wheelchairs, transporting products to customers' cars, the supermarket still scores quite low because the customers are not aware of the services. There is no single channel to get in touch with their consumers to inquire about information such as promotion, special.. events or new arrival products and to monitor consumer behavior when experiencing service or purchasing goods at Foodland supermarket.
Nowadays, Foodland supermarket stores have broadcast their advertising only on radio and billboards, although most consumers are familiar with the well-known motto "Think about the food, think about the food" and the published information about the freshness of the products. theirs, but from the point of view of customers, it is not attractive enough and is not perceived in the mind of the consumer for the various advertisements of the Foodland supermarket. Therefore, in order to create more customer satisfaction and achieve the goals of retail image development in the supermarket type, Foodland supermarket should focus on high correlation factors that have an impact on customer satisfaction. However, for other factors, which have less influence on customer satisfaction, which were not mentioned much in this research, it is recommended that Foodland supermarket does not ignore them to maintain its quality with the increase of competition in the same time.
Because this study focused on one supermarket chain to collect survey data in only a few branches of the Foodland supermarket in Bangkok, the results may not be accurate enough to reflect the perception of all consumers regarding the factors of the Foodland supermarket supermarket that influence their willingness to visit stores. The number of respondents may not be wide enough to summarize the result of the influencing factors of Foodland supermarket. However, it could be adapted to the Foodland supermarket as the products sold are not much different from other supermarkets, even though the Foodland supermarket has a rather traditional store image.
For accurate data analysis of the influencing factors of Foodland supermarkets, the data should be collected more frequently from customers of each branch spread throughout Bangkok. Moreover, further research will be more effective to improve Foodland supermarket to become the supermarket chain leader in Thailand. By collecting data from other supermarkets such as Tops supermarket, Gourmet market or Villa market and then comparing it with Foodland supermarket to gain more insightful information from other supermarkets, which allows Foodland to improve its store features and improve their strategies for attracting customers can improve. more consumers.
APPENDICES
Appendix A: QUESTIONNAIRE
- Screening questions
- General questions
- Specific questions
- Factors 1 2 3 4 5 IV. Advertising
- Demographic questions Q1. Gender
Please rate the questions below to the level of your agreement about factors that influence your decision to buy and visit Foodland supermarket. [5 = Strongly agree – 1 = Disagree]).
Appendix B: Summary Descriptive Data of Influencing Factors for Visiting Foodland Supermarket
