Abstract :

This article has been written with a primary question: ‘With so many choices available in the apparel industry, what drives customers to a particular branded store?’ Although there are various reasons, the store format remains to be an important one, according to extant literature. When brands select their distribution channels, they face the dilemma of choosing a retail format. The study aims to find out which store format (Exclusive brand store or Multi-brand store) is preferable by the consumers and the factors affecting this choice. A survey of 155 people from Bangalore, who have access to branded stores, was conducted and various tests were performed. The results showed that most of the consumers prefer MBO over EBO. The 12 factors identified were reduced into two groups using factor analysis, out of which the attributes relating to the store have more impact on the consumer’s decision than attributes relating to the merchandise.

---

Keywords :

Apparel, Consumer Preference, Exclusive Brand Store, Multi Brand Store, Retail Store Format

---

References :

1. Behera, M. P. & Mishra, V. (n.d.). Impact of Store Location and Layout on Consumer Purchase Behavior in Organized Retail. Anvesha-The Journal of Management, 10(1), 10-21.
2. Channar, Z. A., Panhwar, I. A., Bhatia, J., Rajput, M. & Fatima, M. (2015). Impact of Ambiance on the Customer Purchasing Behavior. Global Management Journal for Academic & Corporate Studies, 5 (2), 147-157.
3. Dash, M. & L., A. (2016). A Study on the Impact of Visual Merchandising on Impulse Purchase in Apparel Retail Stores. International Journal of Marketing and Business Communication, 5(2).
4. Khare, A., Achtani, D. &Khattar, M. (2014). Influence of price perception and shopping motives on Indian consumers’ attitude towards retailer promotions in malls. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 26 (2), 272 – 295.
5. Khare, M. (2017). Single-Brand Retail Store or Multi-Brand Retail store for Information Technology Industry- The Seller Perspective. Cyber Times International Journal of Technology & Management, 11 (1).
6. Kotni, D. P. (2016). Impact of Store Layout Design on Customer Shopping Experience: A Study of FMCG Retail Outlets in Hyderabad, India. Proceedings of Annual Australian Business and Social Science Research Conference held in Crowne Plaza Hotel, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, 26 – 27 September, 2016.
7. Kumar, D. M. (2015). Knowledge about Multi-Brand Outlets with Special Reference to Clothing Industry. The International Journal Of Business & Management,3 (1), 100 – 103.
8. Kumar, R. (2015). Store Choice: Understanding the Shoppers’ Preference in Selecting an Apparel Multi-Brand Outlet. The IUP Journal of Marketing Management, 15 (1), 36-48.
9. Kureshi, S., Sood, V., & Koshy, A. (n.d.). An In-depth Profile of the Customers of Single Brand Store in Emerging Market. South Asian Journal Of Management, 15 (2), 82 -99.
10. Thomas, S. (2013). Linking customer loyalty to customer satisfaction and store image: a structural model for retail stores. Springer, 40 (1-2), 15 – 25.DOI 10.1007/s40622-013-0007-z
11. Turhan, G. (2014). Building Store Satisfaction Centred on Customer Retention in Clothing Retailing: Store Design and Ease of Shopping. International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science, 3 (1).
12. Waerden, P. V. D., Borgers, A. &Timmermans, H. (1998). The impact of the parking situation in shopping centres on store choice behaviour. GeoJournal, 45 (4), 309 – 315.
13. Zulqarnain,H Shahzad, M. & Zafar, A. U., (2015). Factors that Affect the Choice of Consumers in selecting Retail Store. International Journal of Multidisciplinary and Current Research, 3.