• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.841-852
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• 1999

The purpose of this study is to examine the differences between the patronage consumers of the department stores and those of the non-patronage consumers in shopping orientation importance of the store attributes and self-image. Additionaly differences of the two groups are examined according to the demographic variables and the general apparel purchase behavior such as shopping frequency transportation etc,. The questionnaire were administered to 500 women living in Seoul and data were analyzed by frequency percentage factor analysis T-test and {{{{ chi ^2 }}-test. The results were as follows : 1) Significant differences were found in two groups according to shopping orientation. Namely the patronage consumers of the department stores enjoy shopping itself and have a tendency to purchase the clothing in vougue. Also they have more confidence in shopping and show higher store-loyalty that those of the non-partronage consumers. 2) Significant differences were found in two groups regarding importance of the store attributes. The patronage consumers of the department stores place more importance in information service/convenience provided by the department store than those of the non-patronage group while they less consider the product price and assortment. 3) The patronage consumers of the department stores pursue he self-image which reflects sexy and sophisticated image.

• East Asian Journal of Business Economics (EAJBE)
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.69-80
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• 2021

Purpose - This study investigated the development process of the Chinese distribution industry and analyzed the current status of China's offline and online distribution industries under the development process of the Chinese distribution industry. In addition, the current status of offline distributors in China and representative companies were analyzed as case studies. Research design, data, and methodology - This study analyzed the overall environment of the Chinese distribution industry by using literature data. Then, this study conducted a case analysis using RT Mart and Jingdong, major companies in the distribution industry. Result -The main research results of this study show that the Chinese distribution market has already matured, and retailers are fiercely competing to secure sales and operating profits through various methods such as finding new management methods, improving awareness and customer loyalty by expanding the number of stores. Conclusion -Recently, the characteristic of China's distribution industry is that the boundaries of distribution are breaking down. Chinese retailers are taking strategies to expand the scope of services by erasing the boundaries of distribution. In other words, distribution companies are promoting a borderless distribution strategy in which consumers purchase products online and offline without restrictions on time and space. In addition, small stores in residential areas are on the rise compared to large-scale stores in the city center. The existing distribution industry operates various types of distribution stores to prepare for the post-COVID-19 crisis.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.209-222
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• 2012

This study tests a model that physical environment for shopping experience consist of the emotional responses of consumers and the effect of it's behavioral reactions. Specifically, this study have discussed how to perceive the attractive environment for customers, how to induce positive feelings or negative, how to form a switching barriers, how to lead loyalty. This findings can be summarized as follows. The results show that the models fit the data well and that nearly all of the hypothesized relationship construct are supported. First, attractive physical environment of the store had an significant effect on positive emotions to customers. Second, positive emotions that customers response about physical environment of store have an significant effect on switching barriers and loyalty. Third, the switching barriers formed in the consumer's mind to store have a significant effect a positive loyalty. The results present that attractive physical environment of stores have been thought to be key to switching barriers and customer loyalty.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.57-64
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• 2018

Purpose - As the importance of salesperson attitudes and behaviors enhancing customer perception and loyalty have increased, many retail companies put emphasis on internal marketing activities. The issue also has captured the interest of academics, but most of the previous research tends to be limited to investigating antecedents of salesperson job satisfaction and commitment. Based on the consumer-brand relationship concepts, this study aims to examine the effects of the salesperson-brand relationships on customers' service evaluation and store loyalty. Research design, data, and methodology - In a structural equation model, it is hypothesized that salesperson brand identification influences salespersons' brand trust and affect, which are the two dimensions of consumer-brand relationships. Salespersons' brand trust and affect are expected to increase salespersons' customer orientation, which in turn influences customers' service evaluations and store loyalty. To test this hypotheses a set of data collected from department stores in Seoul is utilized. Results - First, it was found that salesperson brand identification is a significant antecedent to salespersons' brand trust and affects, the two dimensions of salesperson brand relationships. Second, salespersons' brand trust and affect were found to enhance salespersons' customer-oriented behaviors. Third, salespersons' customer orientation showed a significant effect on customers' service evaluation. When a salesperson makes more effort to provide useful information for fulfilling customer needs, customers evaluate the salesperson's service more positively. Finally, customers' service evaluation had a positive impact on customers' store loyalty. Conclusions - This study provides significant academic and practical implications. First, based on the theory of consumer-brand relationships, the concept of salesperson-brand relationships was introduced and found to be an effective motivator of salespersons' customer oriented attitudes and behaviors. Therefore, the two dimensions of brand relationships, brand trust and affect, should be considered as the critical factors both in developing theoretical research and improving long-term company performance. Also, internal marketing activities should focus on maximizing employees' brand identification. That is, retail companies need to put emphasis on sharing their brand values and personality with internal customers to strengthen the brand relationships with salespersons and to enhance customer responses.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.255-269
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• 2014

This study confirmed structural causal relations among concepts such as characteristics of service-offer, satisfaction, trust, affective commitment, and loyalty and surveyed mediating roles of affective commitment. The results are as follows. First, Customized service and service reliability influenced satisfaction while service competency did not. Service reliability affected trust while customized service and service competency did not. Second, satisfaction influenced trust and affective commitment but not loyalty while trust affected affective commitment and loyalty. Third, affective commitment influenced loyalty through the mediating role. The results mean that the seller-buyer relationship is a dynamic relationship. Finally, we discussed the role of affective commitment and the strategies of affective commitment development, and suggested future studies.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.45-55
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• 2022

Purpose: Consumers' experience of functional attributes is remembered, and the experience lowers the cost of consumers' input from their point of view and reduces uncertainty. It also plays an important role in consumers' positive emotions and responses. Accordingly, if information search costs are reduced in terms of the costs perceived by consumers about restaurants, a strategy differentiated from other companies can be established. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of functional congruence of restaurant stores on information search cost reduction, positive/negative emotions, and loyalty. Research Design, Data, and Methodology: This study investigated functional congruence, information search cost reduction, and positive/negative emotions. The structural relationship between loyalty was analyzed. To verify this, a research hypothesis was established based on previous studies and a research model was constructed. The questionnaire items were modified and used according to the current study, based on previous studies. The data were collected using the questionnaire method from 187 people who had dining out experience. Frequency analysis was performed to confirm demographic characteristics. Reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the collected data were verified. The research model was analyzed with a structural equation modeling (SmartPLS 4). Results: The findings show that functional congruence had significant positive effects on information search cost reduction and positive emotion, but no significant effect on negative emotion. Information search cost reduction had significant positive effects on positive emotion/negative emotion but did not significantly affect loyalty. Lastly, both positive and negative emotions had significant positive effects on loyalty. Conclusion: Based on transaction cost theory, this study found how functional congruence and information search cost reduction influence consumers' emotions. The functional attributes of restaurants were perceived by customers as information, thus uncertainty was decreased. Finally, appropriate management strategies and implications of functional congruence and information search cost in the restaurant were suggested.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.97-120
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• 2017

This study attempted to examine how Chinese consumers' brand authenticity of Korean cosmetic brands are related to brand loyalty through brand aura. In other words, this study observed how Chinese consumers' brand authenticity, which includes product, employee and corporate authenticity related to Korean cosmetic brands, influence on the consumers' brand loyalty through brand aura. To this end, we surveyed Chinese consumers visiting Korean cosmetic brand shops in department stores, discount stores and large shopping malls in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou in China. A total of 400 surveys were used in the empirical analysis. The results of empirical analysis confirmed that product, employee, and corporate authenticity of Chinese consumers have for Korean cosmetic brands positively influenced on brand aura. Furthermore, results showed that Chinese consumers' brand aura of Korean cosmetic brands had a positive effect on brand loyalty. The results of this study provide implications to help Korean cosmetic companies gain a competitive edge in the Chinese cosmetic market by understanding Chinese consumers' authenticity of their brands and building brand images and using differentiated marketing strategies that can induce brand aura.

• The Korean Journal of Franchise Management
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.19-29
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• 2018

Purpose - Due to the increase in coffee consumption and competition, domestic coffee franchise companies are currently entering the overseas market. Therefore, coffee franchise companies are pursuing a variety of marketing strategies to meet customer needs and gain competitive advantage in overseas markets. From this perspective, overseas franchise companies need to ensure that their servicescapes meet the needs of their overseas customers. For these purposes, the study is to identify the impact servicescapes on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty focused on Global Coffee Franchise Company "C", which extended its business worldwide in Mongolia. Research design, data, and methodology - The data were collected from customers who had visited the stores of 'C' company in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 435 valid questionnaires collected through online survey coded and analyzed using frequency, confirmatory factor analysis, correlations analysis, and structural equation modeling with SPSS 24 and SmartPLS 3.0. Result - Firstly, seating comfort, facility aesthetics, and cleanliness, ambient conditions among servicescapes influenced customer satisfaction. Secondly, servicescapes didn't affect the loyalty directly. Third, customer satisfaction had positive effect on loyalty. Fourthly, cleanliness which was ranked lower in Korea had a great effect on customer satisfaction in Mongolia. Fifthly, IPMA(Importance-performance map analysis) shows that the importance of servicescapes is higher for women than for men, and facility aesthetics for female and cleanliness is the most important for male. Conclusions - The results of this study show that there is a positive (+) effect on customer satisfaction in order of cleanliness, ambient conditions, aesthetics, and seating comfort. Therefore, franchise companies considering or advancing into Mongolia should consider importance in order of cleanliness, ambient conditions and aesthetics when entering Mongolia market. For example, franchise managers should select Monday as a "clean day," and all merchants should spend all of their open hours and keep their stores clean in accordance with the head office manual. In addition, franchise managers need to hire a VMD (visual merchandising) experts to build up a physical environment that will effectively highlight the space-specific display of the store so that Mongolian local customers can have a satisfactory climate and aesthetics. And, the IMPA analysis between servicescapes and customer satisfaction shows that women are more susceptible to servicescapes than men. Especially, in the case of women, the importance of esthetics is high, but the performance is low. Thus, if the aesthetics are actively improved, customer satisfaction can be effectively increased.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.101-108
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• 2015

Purpose - The convenience store business sector in South Korea has contributed to economic growth and job creation, and the growth potential of this market segment remains very high. In addition, service value is a more important factor than price in determining purchase intention. Research in the convenience store market is relatively very low compared to other retail sectors. In particular, research on service quality for the convenience of retailers who examine and analyze customer behavior and service quality factors used in the convenience store side of the situation is very inadequate. We have investigated the relationship of store service quality, service satisfaction, and store loyalty. In addition, we have examined the way service value moderates the relationship among these variables. Research design, data, and methodology - The questionnaire was developed using modified and supplementary questions based on the KD-SQS and RSQS models. The study suggested a theoretical model composed of 15 hypotheses on the relations between theoretic variables, and surveys conducted with consumers in discount stores in the Seoul and Gyunggi Metropolitan area in order to verify the hypotheses. We used the SPSS/PC statistical packages to analyze the results. The number of surveys used was 227. Moreover, a structural equating model was also used to analyze the reliability and validity of the composing elements and to verify the suggested hypotheses. Results - The overall results of this study are as follows. First, all service quality elements have a significant effect on service satisfaction. Second, all service quality elements have a significant effect on store loyalty. Third, service satisfaction has a significant effect on store loyalty. Finally, when the participants were divided into high and low service value the results of the multiple regression analyses showed that only the relationship between policy of service quality and satisfaction, and human interaction and policy of service quality and loyalty were significant. The implications are discussed based on the findings of the study. Conclusions - First, through direct hypotheses testing, we confirmed that the convenience service quality positively impacts the service satisfaction and loyalty of buyers. In particular, the reliability, origin benefit, and promotion were found to have more influence on satisfaction and loyalty of consumers of a convenience store. Further, for the service quality of the convenience for the consumer loyalty, greater human interaction was a high-value and statistically significantly higher than the degree of improvement in consumer loyalty. This underscores the importance of education and human services management of employees working in a convenience store. In particular, frequent changes in personnel generate results that negatively impact loyalty with customers. These results may lead to a serious problem in the economics of the store. Therefore, it should enhance the value of services through the establishment of training and compensation for employees. In addition, a certain educational level is required as well as a basis for compensation and retention.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.79-88
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• 2012

Purpose - The objective of this paper is to suggest that a company's CRM activities have an effect on customer loyalty in the Korean retail industry. Typically, Korean customers use large local marts with convenience in the absence of any other choice. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on the fact that customers do not break away from their preferred retail stores, either owing to their stringent loyalty (the lie loyalty) or difficulty in turning to alternative choices. Research design, data, methodology - By surveying a sample of 200 hyper-markets through a questionnaire, and excluding dubious and missing responses, I obtained 181 samples to be included in the empirical analysis. The survey was conducted for two weeks during October 2011. AMOS and SPSS18 statistical packages were used for conducting statistical analysis for this study. This paper was developed using the concept of customer equity on CRM, which is known to have a positive impact on customer loyalty through the satisfaction and switching-barrier parameters. The hypothesis of this paper is that customer equity is composed of relationship equity, value equity and brand equity, and that the relationship equity variable has positive effects on the value equity and brand equity amongst other types of customer equity. Moreover, customer equity influences customer loyalty through parameters including customer satisfaction and switching costs in the Korean retail industry. Results - According to the results of the analysis, it was confirmed that relationship value had a positive effect (+) on all variables, including the perceived QoS (Quality of Service), store brand images, economic value, and store convenience. It was also confirmed that the assumption that the perceived QoS (Quality of Service), economic value, and store convenience had a positive effect on customer satisfaction was shown to be statistically significant, with a p-value below 0.05. Only the store brand value variable had an effect on the switching-cost variable with respect to the causal sequence of the variables, including the perceived QoS, store brand value, economic value, and store convenience. The remaining variables did not seem to influence the switching-cost variable. On the other hand, another effect showed that customer satisfaction had a statistically significant influence on the switching-costs variable. Moreover, the customer satisfaction and switching-cost variables also had a statistical influence on customer loyalty. Conclusions - The CRM activities had an influence on various variables (including perceived QoS, perceived economic value, store brand value, and store convenience) pertaining to customer values. Customer satisfaction and switching-cost had some effects on customer loyalty as a parameter. This confirms that stringent loyalty exists with respect to customer loyalty in the retail industry. The fact that the variable had such a statistically significant influence on the switching-cost and store brand equity variables means that consumers react to the reputation of a brand, confidence about the store, and quality confidence. The implications of this study in the retail industry should be further extended to devise strategies for customer retention.