Exploring in-store experience and store attractiveness in the South African fashion retail industry

Abstract

In order to understand the factors that affect customers' views and contribute to the allure of physical stores, this study explores the topic of in-store experience in the context of the South African fashion retail industry. Researchers have recently become interested in consumers' preference for experience-oriented purchasing over transaction-oriented methods. The importance of offering stimulating in-store experiences with a view to promote competitiveness is highlighted by this shift in customer preferences; this idea is prevalent in both academic research and corporate practice. While several studies have explored different facets of customer experience, these studies focused on discrete features like price, variety, or convenience, creating a vacuum in our knowledge of the phenomena. The present study uses a thorough and focused methodology to investigate how several factors interact to influence customer experience in the setting of South African fashion retail. Brick-and-mortar establishments are in danger of going out of business as the retail environment transforms, which is largely characterised by the emergence and popularity of online shopping platforms. This risk of this shift is especially evident in the fashion retail industry, as online shopping continues to be alluring. By examining how in-store experiences might improve the competitiveness of brick-and-mortar fashion businesses in South Africa, this study aims to close the gap in our present knowledge of the field. Sensory factors, which include both physical traits and design components, have been found to be crucial in determining how customers perceive physical establishments. This study, which builds on prior research, aims to objectively investigate the interactions between these components and dimensions to provide comprehensive in-store experiences. The study adopts Pine and Gilmore's (4E) construct, which captures the customer's subjective viewpoint on the instructive, entertaining, escapist, and aesthetic experiences provided by brick-and-mortar establishments. It aims to respond to the need for thorough, subjective empirical research on consumer experiences in this sphere. The results of this study further shed light on the reasons why customers choose physical fashion retail stores over e-commerce platforms, the types of experiences they have while shopping there, the benefits of in-person shopping, and the elements that make a physical fashion retail store attractive. Primary research was conducted to gather data directly from participants as the empirical component of this study. The empirical component used an exploratory research technique and a qualitative approach. The technique used for participant recruitment was non-probability convenience and judgment sampling. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted to gather the data. The data was analysed using the Morse and Field approach, and category and theme analyses were carried out using the qualitative data analysis program ATLAS.ti 23. Five themes emerged from the analysis, each with four to six subcategories. Due to the tactile and sensory elements associated with in-store shopping for fashion items, including fitting clothing items and engaging with the physical environment, this type of shopping environment is preferred by South African customers. These establishments can fulfil and even surpass customers’ purchasing expectations because they offer a hands-on experience, which provides both therapeutic as well as escape value. Participants favour the instant gratification and simplicity of returns that physical businesses offer, notwithstanding the convenience of online shopping. The atmosphere in these businesses, which includes the music, lighting, and cleanliness, has a salient impact on the shopping experience. Satisfaction is increased by thoughtful shop layouts and top-notch customer service. Participants also see value in things associated with brick-and-mortar shops such as having a variety of product options, opportunity to notice trends, promotions, and social interactions, highlighting the significance of a well-rounded and interesting shopping experience. These results point to the continued popularity of physical fashion retail establishments in South Africa and the imperative for merchants to satisfy shoppers' needs for an all-encompassing and joyful shopping experience. This study explored several subjects that require further investigation. To ensure that findings are applicable to a wider range of retail environments, future research can use other retail concepts as the research context, conduct quantitative studies, increase the size and diversity of the sample, use a probability sampling method, and collect data longitudinally.