Supermarketization: investigating determinants of customer choice in emerging markets

Abstract

The study aims to investigate the determinants that influence consumer choice of retail formats for different grocery shopping tasks. Total customer value is decomposed into the dimensions posited by Sheth’s theory of consumption values and empirically tested through a PLS model. The study contributes with an assessment of the total customer value including variables never associated with this value. It also extends Sheth’s theory by elaborating on the social dimension. The findings propose practical implications to marketing executives regarding consumer purchasing behavior and leading with highly competitive contexts, largely commoditized retail markets as differentiating factors and sources of competitive advantage.