Attitudes Toward Shopping

Considerable research has been done on people's attitudes toward shopping. Such attitudes have a big impact on the ways in which people act in a retail setting. Retailers must strive to turn around some negative perceptions that now exist. Let us highlight some research findings. Shopping Enjoyment: In general, people do not enjoy shopping as much as in the past. So, what does foster a pleasurable shopping experience--a challenge that retailers must address? Many shoppers enjoy bargain hunting ("I get a thrill out of finding a real bargain"), recreational browsing ("window shopping"), being pampered by salespeople (difficult for retailers to accomplish in this era of self-service and cost cutting), and the opportunity to get out of the house or office. Attitudes Toward Shopping Time: Retail shopping is often viewed as a chore: "Consumers now attempt to limit the time they spend shopping. Time-pressed by family and work responsibilities, they spend fewer hours cruising the mall in search of the perfect item, and look to get what they need as quickly as possible. This trend has been dubbed 'precision shopping.' The upside of precision shopping is that consumers spend more money each time they visit a store." Shifting Feelings About Retailing: There has been a major change in attitudes toward spending, value, and shopping with established retailers: "The same shopper who buys commodity goods at a BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. may also buy expensive apparel at Nordstrom. This shift does not appear to be transitory, but rather seems to define a more enduring pattern of the sameness of malls, with their closed-in windowless feel and identical cast of retailers and food court vendors." Why People Buy or Do Not Buy on a Shopping Trip: It is critical for retailers to determine why shoppers leave without making a purchase. Is it prices? A rude