Influence of hedonic and utilitarian values in determining attitude towards malls: A case of Indian small city consumers

Abstract

Mall development, which was restricted to the bigger cities in India, is now making inroads to the mini-metros and smaller cities of the country. Change from traditional retailing formats to an organized multi-assortment format is expected to transform Indian consumers shopping behaviour. This research article examines the influence of hedonic and utilitarian shopping values on consumers attitudes towards malls in the smaller cities of India. Emotional and rational shopping motives are supposed to govern the consumer's attitude towards malls. The research was conducted in five mini-metropolitan cities in Northern India (n = 325). ANOVA and multiple regression tests were administered to analyze the data. The results show that the hedonic and utilitarian values of small city consumers influenced their attitude towards malls. Results also showed the influence of age in consumers attitudes towards mall attributes. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.