PERCEPTION OF RETAIL MARKETING - EMPIRICAL STUDY ON FORMATS

Does the impact of perceived retailer attributes on store image vary between retail formats? Of course, researchers would say! But studies analysing different retail formats simultaneously are relatively rare, and widespread Western European expectations could differ in emerging markets. Based on 2,825 interviews of Romanian consumers and a structural equation model, we show surprising impacts of retailer attributes perception on store image for five formats, and differences compared with the expectations. For example, consumers' assortment perception dominates the image of discounters, while price perceptions of discounters do not differ from hypermarkets or supermarkets. The results provide first managerial implications, especially for Western European firms, which dominate the dynamic market.