Qualitative Research on Cultural Center Customers' Shopping Behaviors and Image Building of the Department Store

Department store has actively expanded cultural center services by providing a series of educational courses in order to increase customer visits, enhance customer satisfaction, and ultimately increase sales. In this study, cultural center members' shopping behaviors and image building of the department store were explored through focus group interviews. Results generated from a total of 7 focus group interviews with female cultural center members in their 30's through 60's are as follows. First, the consumer group who attends courses for their own purpose is 45 to 55 year-old female customers who are actively involved in consumption at the department store for their own clothing, food and restaurant. They are not often engaged in impulsive either group shopping for clothing. They are satisfied with class quality compared to low tuition whereas dissatisfied with busy schedule of a lecture room and lack of special discount benefits for members. Second, the other consumer group who attends courses for their children is consumers in their 30's. They are charged in shopping for clothing for their husbands, children, and themselves. They are suffering time poverty due to nurturing their children, therefore, they want to shop more in the department store on the day of class. However, expensive kids-care facilities are barriers to do it. Convenience, familiarity and center of culture are important images of the department store, developed through frequent visits of these customers. Eight implications for marketing strategies were generated based on study results.