Merchandising/Marketing/Retailing: Management

Scale Development of Consumer-Focused Technology Features Important to Shopping Experiences in Small Retail Businesses

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Abstract

Readily available technology applicable within small retail stores, such as smart phones and tablets, provides consumers the power to co-create their retail experience, compare offerings, and make purchase decisions in rapid time (Vannucci & Pantano, 2020). Use of in-store technologies influence consumer satisfaction, patronage intention, and positive word-of-mouth (WOM) (Fuentes-Blasco et al., 2017; Kowatsch & Maass, 2010), but research generally focuses on large retailers’ applications. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to develop a valid and reliable scale capturing consumer-focused technology features applicable to shopping experiences in small retail businesses. Of four emergent factors, two were significantly related to technology behavioral intentions: smartphone (social media interactions/enriched store experience) and video (enriched product use/brand background knowledge). To enhance competitive capabilities through use of common technology, small retailers should focus on engaging customers via social media on their smartphones and the effective use of in-store video screens.

Keywords: small business, technology, retail, Scale development

How to Cite:

McKinney, S., Schumm, C. Z., Niehm, L. S., Fiore, A. M., Olson, E., Hurst, J. L. & Shane-Nichols, A., (2020) “Scale Development of Consumer-Focused Technology Features Important to Shopping Experiences in Small Retail Businesses”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 77(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.12128