• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.1-22
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• 2005

The major objectives of this study are twofold. The first is to discover which in-store tactics influence store performance when a retailer implements category management in variety enhancer and fill-ins categories. The second is to analyze how and why specific in-store tactics achieve better or worse performance than other in-store tactics across categories. The data were collected using scanner data and direct observations in 'A' discount store which is one of the representative discount stores in Korea. The in-store tactics were measured by product assortment, temporary price discount, price and non-price promotion, and shelving. The store performance was measured by sales and gross margin return on inventory investmant(GMROI). Empirical results analyzed by multiple regression were as follows: In variety enhancer category, the significant factors affecting sales were product assortment, temporary price discount, price promotion, and shelving. Non-price promotion also influenced GMROI positively but product assortment impacted on GMROI negatively. In fill-ins category, the significant factors affecting sales and GMROI were product assortment and shelving. However, the other factors such as temporary price discount, price promotion, and non-price promotion had no significant influence on both sales and GMROI. This paper presents a number of theoretical and managerial implications of the empirical results and concludes by addressing limitations and future research directions.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.85-94
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• 2015

Purpose - This study attempts to examine the impacts of consumers' perceived service convenience of retailers on various service performance metrics such as service quality and customer satisfaction. It also tries to investigate differences in the importance of service convenience dimensions on service performance between a department store and a general super market. Research design, data, and methodology - The four hypotheses in this study were proposed and tested. Two hypotheses were on the causal relationships between service convenience dimensions and service performances (service quality and customer satisfaction). The other two hypotheses were on comparisons for the effects of convenience dimensions on service quality and customer satisfaction between department stores and general super markets. To test the hypotheses, three department store chains (Hyundai, Lotte, and Shinsegae department Store) and three general super markets (E-mart, Homeplus, and Lotte mart) were involved. Overall, 510 usable responses were used. The data were analyzed using regression analysis. Results - The results largely support the hypothesized relationships of the proposed model. The results show that access convenience, transaction convenience, benefit convenience, and post-benefit convenience have positive influences on service quality, whereas decision convenience, access convenience, transaction convenience, benefit convenience, and post-benefit convenience have positive effects on customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the results show that there are differences between department stores and general super markets in the effects of benefit convenience and post-benefit convenience on service quality as well as the effects of transaction convenience and post-benefit convenience on customer satisfaction. Conclusions - The concept of service convenience is important in retail environments but little is known about this topic in retail literature. Specially, while service convenience dimensions have different impacts on service performance in distinct retail environments, there has been little investigation or comparison between retail types as regards service convenience. This study is the first to test the differences between distinct retail types (department stores and general super markets) on the service convenience-service performance links. Managerially, the findings of this study suggest that the service convenience management of retailers is an important part of successful service performance management. Because it is most important that both department stores and general super markets enhance benefit convenience to improve service performance, managers of both store types need to invest their resources to reduce consumers' perceived time and effort expenditures to experience the retailer's core benefits. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that retail stores should spend human and financial resources to enhance customer perceptions of service convenience, while also considering what constitutes the service outcome in the consumer's mind. Furthermore, the findings suggest that managers need to use different service convenience management tactics in department stores and general super markets. Specifically, managers in general super markets should pay more attention to benefit convenience and transaction convenience to achieve better service performance whereas managers in department stores should concentrate on post-benefit convenience to create customers' positive evaluation.