The Potential Impact of Recreational Shoppers on Mall Intercept Interviewing: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Major changes are expected for shopping centers in the next several years as many highly competitive non-mall retailers are successfully targeting value-conscious and convenience-oriented consumers. This trend suggests that shopping centers may be loosing certain types of shoppers to these non-mall retailers. Given these changes, marketing researchers must begin to explore the implications this trend holds for users of mall intercept interviews. The authors discuss this trend and the current state of mall intercept interviewing, and report the [mdings of a study designed to investigate the types of shoppers who are interviewed in a shopping mall. Three hundred and three regional shopping center customers were selected and surveyed to test the study’s research questions. The results demonstrate the potential of mall intercept samples with an over-representation of recreational-type shoppers and surface several trade-offs associated with mall intercept interviewing. The authors provide suggestions for future research and emphasize the need for marketing research users and scholars to rethink the nature and purpose of mall intercept.

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Notes on contributors

Alan J. Bush

Alan J. Bush (Ph.D., Louisiana State University) is professor of marketing at the University of Memphis. Dr. Bush has contributed to the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Retailing, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Industrial Marketing Management, Psychology and Marketing, among others. In addition, he is co-author of the textbook, Professional Sales Management, published by McGraw-Hill Inc.

E. Stephen Grant

E. Stephen Grant (Ph.D., The University of Memphis) is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of New Brunswick. Dr. Grant’s research has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Marketing Education Review, Developments in Marketing Science, and elsewhere. In addition, he is co-author of a forthcoming textbook to be published by Richard D. Irwin, Inc. His current research interests include salesforce socialization, work commitments, and issues of international marketing education.