• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.209-237
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• 2012

1. Research Purpose Consumers rely on various clues to evaluate their decision to patronize a retail store, and store brand is one of them (Dodds 1991; Grewal et al. 1998). As consumers find ever increasing variety of contact points connecting them to specific store, the value of experiential shopping as a means of increasing store's brand equity warrants greater attention from scholars of retail management. Retail shopping values are credited for creating not only cognitive experiences like brand knowledge but also emotional experiences such as shopping pleasure and pride (Schmitt 1999). This may be because today's consumers place emphasis on emotional values associated with shopping pleasure, lifestyle brought to life, brand relationship, and store atmosphere more than utilitarian values such as product quality and price. Many previous literature found this to be true (Ahn and Lee 2011; Mathwick et al. 2001). This brings forth important research issues and questions regarding the roles of shopping experiential values and brand equity with regard to consumer's retail patronage choice. However, despite this importance, research on this area remains quite inadequate (Hwang 2010). For this reason, this study aims to verify the relationships among experiential shopping values, retail store brand equity and tries to link that with customer loyalty by surveying large-scale discount store shoppers in Korea and China. 2. Research Contents In order to carry out the research objective, this study conducted comprehensive literature survey on previous literature by discussing major findings and implications with regard to shopping values and retail brand equity and store loyalty. For data collection, researcher employed survey-based research method where data were collected in two major cities of Korea (Seoul) and China (Bejing) and sampling frame was based on patrons of large discount stores in both countries. Specific research questions raised in this study are as follows; RQ1: How do Korean and Chinese consumers differently perceive of shopping values regarding shopping at large-sclae discount stores? RQ2: Are there differences in consumers' emotional consumption propensities? RQ3: Do Korean and Chinese consumers display different perceptions of brand equity towards large-scale discount stores? RQ4: Are there differences in relationships between shopping values and brand equity for Korean and Chinese consumers? For statistical analysis, SPSS17.0, AMOS17.0 and SmartPLS were employed. 3. Research Results The data collected through face-to-face survey conducted in Seoul and Bejing revealed appropriate data validity and reliability as a result of exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis and reliability tests, andh SEM model yielding satisfactory model fitness. The result of the study may be summarized by three main points. First, as a result of testing differences in consumption dispositions, Chinese consumers showed higher scores in aesthetic and symbolic dispositions, whereas Korean consumers scored higher in hedonic disposition. Second, testing on perceptions toward brand equity of large discount stores showed that Korean consumers exhibited more positive perceptions of brand awareness and brand image than Chinese counterparts. Third, the result of exploratory factor analysis on the experiential shopping values revealed different factors for each country. On Korean side, consumer interest value, aesthetic value, and hedonic value were prominent, whereas on Chinese side, hedonic value, aesthetic value, consumer interest value, and service excellence value were found salient. 4. Research Implications While many previous studies on inter-country differences in retailing area mainly focused on cultural dispositions or orientations to explain the differences, this study sets itself apart by specifically targeting individual consumer's shopping values from an experiential viewpoint. The study result provides important theoretical as well as practical implications for large-scale discount store, especially the impotance of fully exploring the linkage between shopping values and brand equity, which has significant influence on loyalty. Therefore, the specific implications deriving from the result shed some important insights upon the consumption values based on shopping experiences and brand equity. The differences found in store shoppers between the two countries may also provide useful insights for Korean and Chinese retailers who plan to expand their operations globally. Related strategic implications derived from this study is the importance of localizing retail strategy which is based on the differences found in experiential shopping values between the two country groups. Especially the finding that Chinese consumers value consumer interest and service excellence, whereas Koreans place importance on hedonic or aesthetic values indicates the need to differentiate the consumer's psychographical profiles when it comes to expanding retail operations globally. Particularly important will be to pursue price-orienated strategy in China in consideration of the high emphasis on consumer interests and service excellence, but to emphasize the symbolic aspects of brand equity in Korea by maximizing the brand equity associated with aesthetic values and hedonic orientations. 5. Recommendations This study focused on generic retail branded discount stores in both countries, thus making it difficult to tease out store-specific strategies based on specific retail brands. Future studies may benefit fro employing actual brand names in survey questionnaire to verify relationship between shopping values and brand-based store strategy. As with other studies of this nature, this study needs to strengthen the result's generalizability by selecting respondents from a wider spectrum of respondents.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.265-276
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was 1) to find out the consumer patronage mix of department and fashion outlet stores, 2) to compare the clothing and price attitudes among store patronage groups and 3) to compare the importance of the stores' attributes among the store patronage groups. The subjects were 381 female consumers in the Seoul and Gyeonggi areas. Questionnaires were used to collect the data. The data was analyzed by frequency, factor analysis, ANOVA, Duncan's Multiple Range Test and Cronbach's Alpha. The results were as follows. First, clothing purchasing attitudes of the total respondents were classified by three factors: fashion/confident oriented, appearance oriented, and brand-name oriented. Also, clothing price attitudes were composed of three factors: price/quality-prestige inference, discount/low price pursuit and benefit/value pursuit. In addition, the importance of the store's attributes was composed of five factors: convenience/service, concern of fashion outlet store, brand-name/fashionability, awareness of fashion outlet store, and practical advantage of the store. Second, the department store patronage group was significantly different from the fashion outlet store patronage group in clothing attitude, price attitude, and the importance of the store attribute. Third, the responses of the department store patronage group were significantly different from those of the fashion outlet store patronage group in product reliability and awareness of the fashion outlet store.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.51-61
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• 2012

This study seeks to understand how the choice of a coffee shop is related to a customer's loyalty and which characteristics of a shop influence this choice. It considers large-sized coffee shops brands whose market scale has gradually grown. The users' choice of shop is determined by price, employee service, shop location, and shop atmosphere. The study investigated the effects of these four properties on the brand attitudes of coffee shops. The effects were found to vary depending on users' characteristics. The properties with the largest influence were shop atmosphere and shop location Therefore, the purpose of the study was to examine the properties that could help coffee shops get loyal customers, and the choice properties that could satisfy consumers' desires The study examined consumers' perceptions of shop properties at selection of coffee shop and the difference between perceptual difference and coffee brand in order to investigate customers' desires and needs and to suggest ways that could supply products and service. The research methodology consisted of two parts: normative and empirical research, which includes empirical analysis and statistical analysis. In this study, a statistical analysis of the empirical research was carried out. The study theoretically confirmed the shop choice properties by reviewing previous studies and performed an empirical analysis including cross tabulation based on secondary material. The findings were as follows: First, coffee shop choice properties varied by gender. Price advantage influenced the choice of both men and women; men preferred nearer coffee shops where they could buy coffee easily and more conveniently than women did. The atmosphere of the coffee shop had the greatest influence on both men and women, and shop atmosphere was thought to be the most important for age analysis. In the past, customers selected coffee shops solely to drink coffee. Now, they select the coffee shop according to its interior, menu variety, and atmosphere owing to improved quality and service of coffee shop brands. Second, the prices of the brands did not vary much because the coffee shops were similarly priced. The service was thought to be more important and to elevate service quality so that price and employee service and other properties did not have a great influence on shop choice. However, those working in the farming, forestry, fishery, and livestock industries were more concerned with the price than the shop atmosphere. College and graduate school students were also affected by inexpensive price. Third, shop choice properties varied depending on income. The shop location and shop atmosphere had a greater influence on shop choice. The customers in an income bracket of less than 2 million won selected low-price coffee shops more than those earning 6 million won or more. Therefore, price advantage had no relation with difference in income. The higher income group was not affected by employee service. Fourth, shop choice properties varied depending on place. For instance, customers at Ulsan were the most affected by the price, and the ones at Busan were the least affected. The shop location had the greatest influence among all of the properties. Among the places surveyed, Gwangju had the least influence. The alternate use of space in a coffee shop was thought to be important in all the cities under consideration. The customers at Ulsan were not affected by employee service, and they selected coffee shops according to quality and preference of shop atmosphere. Lastly, the price factor was found to be a little higher than other factors when customers frequently selected brands according to shop properties. Customers at Gwangju reacted to discounts more than those in other cities did, and the former gave less priority to the quality and taste of coffee. Brand preference varied depending on coffee shop location. Customers at Busan selected brands according to the coffee shop location, and those at Ulsan were not influenced by employee kindness and specialty. The implications of this study are that franchise coffee shop businesses should focus on customers rather than aggressive marketing strategies that increase the number of coffee shops. Thus, they should create an environment with a good atmosphere and set up coffee shops in places that customers have good access to. This study has some limitations. First, the respondents were concentrated in metropolitan areas. Secondary data showed that the number of respondents at Seoul was much more than that at Gyeonggi-do. Furthermore, the number of respondents at Gyeonggi-do was much more than those at the six major cities in the nation. Thus, the regional sample was not representative enough of the population. Second, respondents' ratio was used as a measurement scale to test the perception of shop choice properties and brand preference. The difficulties arose when examining the relation between these properties and brand preference, as well as when understanding the difference between groups. Therefore, future research should seek to address some of the shortcomings of this study: If the coffee shops are being expanded to local areas, then a questionnaire survey of consumers at small cities in local areas shall be conducted to collect primary material. In particular, variables of the questionnaire survey shall be measured using Likert scales in order to include perception on shop choice properties, brand preference, and repurchase. Therefore, correlation analysis, multi-regression, and ANOVA shall be used for empirical analysis and to investigate consumers' attitudes and behavior in detail.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.41-60
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• 2005

The purposes of this study were 1)to examine the conceptual structure of purchasing motives and information seeking of beauty service, 2)to find out the effects of purchasing motives on information seeking, and 3)to investigate the differences of purchasing motives and information seeking according to the demographic variables. The questionnaire was developed based on pretest and previous studies, and completed by 331 female consumers living in Seoul and Busan. Data were analyzed by factor analysis, Cronbach's a, regression analysis, Pearson's correlation, ANOVA, and Duncan test. The results are as follows; First, factor analysis showed that the purchasing motives of beauty services consisted of five factors, such as Fashionableness, Impulse purchase, Special event, Mood & Recreation, and Practical purchasing needs. And the information seeking for beauty services consisted of four factors, such as Mass media, Opinions of neighbors, Experience & Observation, and Sales hook. Second, mass media was effected by fashionableness, impulse purchase, special event, and mood & recreation. Experience & Observation was effected by fashionableness, special event, and mood & recreation. Sales hook was effected by fashionableness, and impulse purchase. Third, the dimensions of purchasing motives and information seeking of beauty service were significantly different according to age, marriage or unmarried, and duties.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.452-469
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to examine consumer's cognitive, affective and behavioral responses to in-store's servicescapes in restaurant by confirming the effect of service environment factors such as ambient, layout, interior and auditory on perceived service quality and image as cognitive responses, and the effect of perceived service quality and image on affective satisfaction as affective response, and the effect of affective satisfaction on repurchase intention as a behavioral responses. To this end, the research hypothesis was verified by structural equation model analysis using SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 20.0 statistical packages. The results of study are as follows. First, ambient environment, interior environment and auditory environment had significant influence on perceived service quality, but interior environment had no effect. Second, ambient environment and layout environment had a significant influence on the image, while the interior environment and auditory environment had no effect. Third, perceived service quality had a significant effect on emotional satisfaction, but had no effect on image and repurchase intention. Finally, image had a significant effect on emotional satisfaction and repurchase intention. Therefore, the marketing manager of the restaurant will need to plan and implement a service marketing strategy that will increase consumers' visit by enhance the perceived service quality level by improving ambient environment, layout environment and auditory environment, and increase image by improving ambient environment and layout environment.