ABSTRACT
This study explores the influence of geodemographic settings of commercial centers, customer attractions in shopping malls, and route to shopping of urban shoppers. The present research analyzes retailing patterns in urban areas in reference to customer orientation strategies, product search behavior, and enhancing value for customers. Interrelationship among urban retailing, marketplace ambiance, conventional shopping wisdom of customers, long-term customer services, and technology-led selling processes are also addressed in the study based on an empirical survey. Broadly, this study makes contributions to the existing research in urban retailing about shopping attractions, routes to shopping, and establishing customer-centric strategies.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This article was developed out of the research project conducted by Rajagopal, Professor of Marketing (EGADE), ITSEM, Mexico City Campus on consumer behavior in urban shopping locations under the aegis of Research Group on Consumer Behavior and Competitiveness, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education–ITESM, Campus Santa Fe, Mexico, during 2008–2009. The author expresses sincere thanks to Dr. Jorge Vera, Professor of Marketing, ITESM-CCM, and coordinator of the research group for extending administrative support to this project.
Notes
1. The goodness-of-fit statistics of the Tucker-Lewis index (TLI)—also known as the Bentler-Bonett nonnormed fit index (NNFI), comparative fit index (CFI), and incremental fit index (IFI)—tend to range between 0 and 1, with values close to 1 indicating a good fit. The TLI (NNFI) has the advantage of reflecting the model fit very well for all sample sizes. It was observed in past empirical studies that these indices need to have values above 0.9 before the corresponding model can even be considered moderately adequate.