Conceptualising town centre image and the customer experience

Abstract

Compared with store image literature, the town centre is underexplored as a retail image context. This paper examines what is meant by town centre image by conducting an empirical study of 536 consumers to elicit top-of-mind images of five town centres. Following extensive content analysis and rigorous replication, the findings reveal a broader, holistic image construct than previously assumed in the literature. New psychological, intangible elements of town centre image are identified, confirming the need to measure image specific to the retail context. Further, drawing on the customer experience framework, a conceptual model of town centre image is developed. The model provides the basis for future conceptualisation and operationalisation of town centre image, combined with an approach for managing the customer experience in town centres.

Keywords:

• town centre
• retail image
• customer experience
• place marketing

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cathy Hart

Cathy Hart is a senior lecturer in the School of Business and Economics at Loughborough University, UK. Her academic and research interests involve retail marketing, store and location image, retail skills, supply chain, and retail operations. Cathy’s research has been published in the European Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management, Service Industries Journal, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, and International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research.

Grazyna Stachow

Grazyna Stachow is a research associate at the School of Business and Economics at Loughborough University, UK. Her PhD thesis was on the topic of ‘the image of a town centre’ and her research interests include qualitative methods in consumer behaviour, place marketing and other retail-related research.

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John W. Cadogan

John W. Cadogan is professor of marketing in the School of Business and Economics at Loughborough University, UK, and honorary professor and docent at Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland. His academic and research interests include marketing strategy, international marketing and sales management issues. John’s research has been published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Journal of Business Research, Journal of International Marketing, Journal of International Business Studies and European Journal of Marketing, among others. He has been co-editor of International Marketing Review since 2007.

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