ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management SCIT Building 9th floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 CONCEPT PAPER ( MS7002 and MS7004 ) Student Name Pras Prasong Enrolled MS 7004 Independent Study ID. No 5772009 MS 7002 Thesis 1. Title: Factors Affecting Conversion of Footballs in Retail Store 2. Type of Research: This is an exploratory research based on the data analysis techniques. 3. Background of the Research: Nowadays, due to increasing number of big retailers, malls and hyper marts, consumers attract towards them due to availability of all facilities. With comparison to small retailers, the malls attract the more customers and this fact effect on the sales of the small retailers. There is a big competition between the small retailers and big malls and so therefore it is important for retailers to gain a deeper insight into the retail consumer behavior. The study of the consumers would be helpful for improving their marketing strategies by understanding the related issues. It is important to study the psychology of how customers think, feel, reason and select. This information would help while deciding the strategy for the business. To study the behavior of the customers found helpful for marketing of the business. Marketing campaign is necessary for attracting the more customers for the retailers. There are so many factors which affect the business in the retail stores which includes the availability of merchandise in the store, product quality, product range, promotional offers, frequency of schemes, services, pricing, ambience of store, etc. Let us see this research proposal study in detail given in next topics. 4. Research Objectives: For this research study, the main objective is to study the various factors which affect the sales of the retailer stores. Also, we have to study and analyze the different services provide by the retailers and its effect on the business. Also, we want to study the consumer behavior in the store and related factors. Also, we want to find the solutions for the improvements for increasing the number of customers in the retail stores. IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 1 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management SCIT Building 9th floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 5. Research Questions: For this research studies following research questions are established. a) What are the significant factors which affects the business in the retailers' store? b) Is there significant difference in the number of customers in the big malls and retailer stores? c) Is there a significant difference in the total sales in the malls and retailer stores? d) Is there is any difference observed in the availability of the products and services in the mall and retailer stores? 6. Variables: For this research study the dependent and independent variables are given as below: Dependent variable For this research study, the dependent variable is defined as the sales of the retail stores. Independent variable For this research study, the independent variable is defined as the number of customers' visits to a retail store, the availability of the services, number of promotional offers, etc. 7. Conceptual Framework For the research study of the factors affecting the conversion of footfall in retail stores, we consider the all retailer stores in the selected cities and then study the different issues for the factors affecting the sales of the retail stores and compare the results with the big malls. 8. Research Hypotheses For this research study the research hypothesis is given as below: Null hypothesis: H0: There is no any significant difference in the number of customers visited per week to the retailer stores and big malls. Null hypothesis: H0: There is no any significant difference in the number of promotional offers and availability of facilities in the retailer store and big malls. Alternative hypothesis: Ha: There is a significant difference in the number of customers visited per week to the retailer stores and big malls. Alternative hypothesis: Ha: There is a significant difference in the number of promotional offers and availability of facilities in the retailer store and big malls. 9. Target Population and Sample: For this research study, we consider the target population as the all retail stores in the nation and we assume the sample as retailer stores selected from the different cities. IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 2 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management SCIT Building 9th floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 10. Proposed Sampling Technique: For this research study, for the selection of the retailer stores, we would use the stratified random sampling techniques for the selecting the retailer stores from the different cities from the nation. 11. Proposed Data Collection: We would collect the data for the different variables such as number of customers visited in the week, availability of the products, number of promotional offers, ranges of the products, quality of the products, services availability in the stores, etc. 12. Proposed Data Analysis: After collecting the data, we would use the statistical data analysis for getting the answers for stated hypothesis. We would use the descriptive statistics for getting the general idea about the retail stores and then we would use the inferential statistics such as two sample t test or analysis of variance for testing the different claims associated with retail stores. 13. Questionnaire Development: It is very important to collect the data from the retailers for this research study. For collecting the data, it is important to prepare a well prepared questionnaire for collection of the data from the retailers. The questionnaire should be balanced and the proper order of the questions should be maintained while preparing a questionnaire. Proper alternatives should be available in the questionnaire for getting the proper response from the retailers. The questions should define the terms in an easy manner so that each respondent gives the response easily. Complications should be avoided while preparing the questionnaire. All questions should be asked for which we need the data for the further statistical data analysis study. 14. Reference List Patrice Cottet et.al \"The role of value in services: a study in a retail environment\". University of Reims, IUT de Troyes, Troyes, France. Broedkar Mika\"New-type and traditional shoppers: a comparison of two major consumer groups\ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management SCIT Building 9th floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 CONCEPT PAPER ( MS7002 and MS7004 ) Student Name Pras Prasong Enrolled MS 7004 Independent Study 4/10 ID. No 5772009 MS 7002 Thesis 1. Title: Factors Affecting Conversion of Footballs in Retail Store 2. Type of Research: This is an exploratory research based on the data analysis techniques. 3. Background of the Research: Nowadays, due to increasing number of big retailers, malls and hyper marts, consumers attract towards them due to availability of all facilities. With comparison to small retailers, the malls attract the more customers and this fact effect on the sales of the small retailers. There is a big competition between the small retailers and big malls and so therefore it is important for retailers to gain a deeper insight into the retail consumer behavior. The study of the consumers would be helpful for improving their marketing strategies by understanding the related issues. It is important to study the psychology of how customers think, feel, reason and select. This information would help while deciding the strategy for the business. To study the behavior of the customers found helpful for marketing of the business. Marketing campaign is necessary for attracting the more customers for the retailers. There are so many factors which affect the business in the retail stores which includes the availability of merchandise in the store, product quality, product range, promotional offers, frequency of schemes, services, pricing, ambience of store, etc. Let us see this research proposal study in detail given in next topics. 4. Research Objectives: For this research study, the main objective is to study the various factors which affect the sales of the retailer stores. Also, we have to study and analyze the different services provide by the retailers and its effect on the business. Also, we want to study the consumer behavior in the store and related factors. Also, we want to find the solutions for the improvements for increasing the number of customers in the retail stores. IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 1 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management SCIT Building 9th floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 5. Research Questions: For this research studies following research questions are established. a) What are the significant factors which affects the business in the retailers' store? b) Is there significant difference in the number of customers in the big malls and retailer stores? c) Is there a significant difference in the total sales in the malls and retailer stores? d) Is there is any difference observed in the availability of the products and services in the mall and retailer stores? Give a definition of each variable based on creditable source of references 6. Variables: For this research study the dependent and independent variables are given as below: Dependent variable For this research study, the dependent variable is defined as the sales of the retail stores. Independent variable For this research study, the independent variable is defined as the number of customers' visits to a retail store, the availability of the services, number of promotional offers, etc. 7. Conceptual Framework For the research study of the factors affecting the conversion of footfall in retail stores, we consider the all retailer stores in the selected cities and then study the different issues for the factors affecting the sales of the retail stores and compare the results with the big malls. 8. Research Hypotheses For this research study the research hypothesis is given as below: Null hypothesis: H0: There is no any significant difference in the number of customers visited per week to the retailer stores and big malls. Null hypothesis: H0: There is no any significant difference in the number of promotional offers and availability of facilities in the retailer store and big malls. Alternative hypothesis: Ha: There is a significant difference in the number of customers visited per week to the retailer stores and big malls. Alternative hypothesis: Ha: There is a significant difference in the number of promotional offers and availability of facilities in the retailer store and big malls. 9. Target Population and Sample: For this research study, we consider the target population as the all retail stores in the nation and we assume the sample as retailer stores selected from the different cities. IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 2 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management SCIT Building 9th floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 10. Proposed Sampling Technique: For this research study, for the selection of the retailer stores, we would use the stratified random sampling techniques for the selecting the retailer stores from the different cities from the nation. 11. Proposed Data Collection: We would collect the data for the different variables such as number of customers visited in the week, availability of the products, number of promotional offers, ranges of the products, quality of the products, services availability in the stores, etc. 12. Proposed Data Analysis: After collecting the data, we would use the statistical data analysis for getting the answers for stated hypothesis. We would use the descriptive statistics for getting the general idea about the retail stores and then we would use the inferential statistics such as two sample t test or analysis of variance for testing the different claims associated with retail stores. 13. Questionnaire Development: It is very important to collect the data from the retailers for this research study. For collecting the data, it is important to prepare a well prepared questionnaire for collection of the data from the retailers. The questionnaire should be balanced and the proper order of the questions should be maintained while preparing a questionnaire. Proper alternatives should be available in the questionnaire for getting the proper response from the retailers. The questions should define the terms in an easy manner so that each respondent gives the response easily. Complications should be avoided while preparing the questionnaire. All questions should be asked for which we need the data for the further statistical data analysis study. 14. Reference List Patrice Cottet et.al \"The role of value in services: a study in a retail environment\". University of Reims, IUT de Troyes, Troyes, France. Broedkar Mika\"New-type and traditional shoppers: a comparison of two major consumer groups\Questionnaire for Research Work We would ask the following questions in the questionnaire for getting the responses from the retailers. The list of questions included in the questionnaire is summarised as below: Questionnaire Customer Factors 50 - 100 100 - 150 150 - 200 200 - 250 > 250 5 4 3 2 1 How many customers do visit to the retailer store in a week? How many customers do visit to the retailer store twice in a week? How many customers do visit to the retailer store more than two times a week? How many promotional offers you provided in the store for customers? Retailer Factors Is there an availability of the all brands of the products or goods? Is there an availability of the basic infrastructure in the store? Is your pricing high as compared to other malls or store? Is there any marketing campaign arranged by your store? Is your sale increased or decreased as compared to previous year? Is there availability of the parking for customers' vehicle? Which payment method do you use at your store? Is there is an availability of all payment methods in your store? Is there any extra facility is available for customers? What is the overall response of customers? What efforts do you made for increasing the number of customers at your store? International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No.3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 http://www.facultyjournal.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 \"FACTORS AFFECTING CONVERSION OF FOOTFALLS IN RETAIL STORES\" Abu Bashar, Assistant Professor, Brown Hills College of Engg & Tech., Faridabad, Haryana, INDIA ABSTRACT In this research paper efforts have been made to explore various factors which affect the behavior of consumers in a retail outlet. A random sample of respondents visiting retail outlets has been considered for the present study. The paper mainly focuses towards various factors which affects the decision of the consumer in the store while they visit there for shopping. So, this research is mainly concerned with the behavior of the consumer and the various factors which are of enormous importance in converting the footfall within the stores. The paper also intends to recommend some feasible and viable strategies to be followed by retail outlets to maximize the percentage of conversion. Keywords: Behaviour, Consumers, Conversion, Factors, Retail, Shopping, Strategies International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No.3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 http://www.facultyjournal.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 INTRODUCTION It becomes really very difficult for the small retailers and similar formats to compete with hyper marts and malls. The big retailers are putting cut throat competition to them. So, it becomes very important for retailers to gain a deeper insight into retail consumer behavior. The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as how The psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives (e.g., brands, products); The the psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment (e.g., culture, family, signs, media); The behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions; Limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence decisions and marketing outcome; How consumer motivation and decision strategies differ between products that differ in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the consumer; and How marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer. Understanding these issues helps us adapt our strategies by taking the consumer into consideration. For example, by understanding that a number of different messages compete for our potential customers' attention, we learn that to be effective, advertisements must usually be repeated extensively. We also learn that consumers will sometimes be persuaded more by logical arguments, but at other times will be persuaded more by emotional or symbolic appeals. By understanding the consumer, we will be able to make a more informed decision as to which strategy to employ. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No.3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 http://www.facultyjournal.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 There are three fundamental patterns which a consumer can follow and they could be: (I) Brand first, retail outlet second (ii) Retail outlet first, brand second (iii) Brand and retail outlet simultaneously. Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won't be profitable for long. Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy - happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers if you're a good salesperson, you can sell anything to anyone once. Besides from the above stated facts the following factors are also very much important for attracting, converting and retaining customers in a particular retail outlet. These factors are being described below. 1. Availability of merchandise in the store 2. Product Quality 3. Product range(both product width and depth) 4. Promotional offers and frequency of schemes. 5. Services (pre, during and post purchase) 6. Pricing as a result of merchandise on offer 7. Ambience of the store International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No.3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 http://www.facultyjournal.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 8. The empathy factor of the outlet attendant In order to gain deeper insight a thorough investigation of the related literature have been investigated, some of them are given below 1. Lichtle, M.C et al. investigates that it is interesting to notice that the outlet's characteristics have an impact on value, which, in its turn, has an impact on satisfaction. Our results show what variables are to be privileged if one wishes to give the outlet its utilitarian and/or hedonic value. In the first case, the stress has to be put on product availability. This means that when a retailer, considering her/his product range, wants to confer a utilitarian value to the shopping behaviour all she/he has to do is to make sure that her/his products are easily available and within easy reach. The hedonic value is determined by a combination of several variables: atmosphere, peripheral services, the store's employees and crowding. Customer satisfaction will thus be indirectly improved. By handling these four variables, the retailer will manage to enhance the hedonic value the consumer attributes to shopping. According to the positioning chosen, a firm will give more emphasis either to the hedonic value or to the utilitarian value, and therefore will act on the most relevant characteristics of the outlet that our study underlined. 2. Malcolm Kirkup and Marylyn Carrigan said that as the public demand for ethical accountability grows, marketers must ensure that their activities match public expectations. Owing to its high visibility and direct contact with the public, marketing research in particular has a duty to conduct its business to the highest ethical standards. As new technology alters the way that research is conducted, there is a challenge to safeguard all the stakeholders involved in the research from unethical behaviour. Observational research is a prime example of a research technique which, while providing a valuable tool in the study of consumer behaviour, raises concerns over individual privacy particularly with the growing sophistication and power of the technology. 3. Jones, peter and David Hillier examined that Current government planning policies affecting retail investment; development and location certainly pose a major set of challenges for the leading retailers and for developers and property companies Sainsbury's have argued that being more flexible in their formats allows them to take greater advantage of planning opportunities. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No.3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 http://www.facultyjournal.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 4. Basso jeo and Randy Hines said that Males from the Midwest reported higher instances of positive shopping experiences at retail stores. They reported that courteous sales associates and attentive managers enhanced the shopping experience. Similarly, females from this part of the country reported higher instances of positive shopping experience. Again, the primary reason for their positive experiences was the courteous nature of the sales associates and the attentiveness of the floor-level management staff. Ten of the 25 respondents reported having negative shopping experiences at retail stores. However, while reasons varied from displeasure with the merchandise to delays in delivery of goods, none of the respondents attributed a negative experience to rude or inattentive sales associates and managers. Of the 18 females, 16 from the East reported having a negative experience at retail shopping centers. The reasons varied among respondents from poor quality merchandise to delays in shipping. However, 11 of the respondents indicated that their negative shopping experiences were the result of inattentive and rude sales associates. Two of the men reported having a negative shopping experience but they based this on the quality of the products they received. Of the eight positive shopping experiences reported by both male and female respondents, all indicated that their experiences directly resulted from an attentive sales associate or receptive management staff 5. Boedkar, Mika said that this should offer an opportunity for retailers to use segmentation and target their offerings, since it has been claimed that retail outlets tend to resemble one another and offer comparable products at comparable prices, thereby losing their individual profile. At the same time, consumer markets are becoming more sharply segmented than ever before. The new-type shoppers should be attracted by an image, one that is congruent with the consumer's self-image. Since their demands of a retail outlet are rather high in every respect, the basics (e.g. service, price level, product quality and selection) should be considered as well as recreational, experience offering characteristics (e.g. interior design, aroma, care, product shows, and novelties). This kind of image could attract some of the traditional shoppers too, but they can be reached without the addition of recreational characteristics, implying reduced costs in retail outlet design. Without the basics, maybe only purely recreational shoppers could be attracted. Is this then the case in reality? As Rosen bloom points out, congruence between a retail outlet and consumer image is usually \"more a matter of happenstance than a conscious effort to fit the store image to the target markets served by the retailer\". This means that congruence is achieved between retail outlet dimensions and traditional values held by the outlet's founders or a typical image projected by the retailer's trade peer group. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No.3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 http://www.facultyjournal.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 6. Amine, Abdilmajid and Sandrine cadenate examines that product classes proposed in an retail outlet do not contribute equally to the variety of store image and effectiveness from the customers point of view. It also demonstrate the perception of consumer of the overall store assortment, consumers are highly sensitive in selecting range of varieties. 7. Ratcliffe, John and Sheila Flanagan said that BIDs have been tried and tested over time. They are here to stay, and will almost certainly multiply, diversify and innovate. In practice, they have not produced the negative social effects that some feared, nor have BIDs made any major public mistakes in recent years (Houstoun, 2003). Several trends reinforcing the relevance of the BID concept to the promotion of the tourism industry can, however, be distinguished (Houstoun, 2003): Hospitality trumps security. In many established BIDs fear of crime has diminished and what were formerly security personnel are increasingly being trained as ambassadors, guides or hosts to provide hospitality functions. In the same way, the focus of BID cleaning programmers has broadened so as to concentrate more on urban design, landscape and general district beautification. Greater experience and growing confidence has lead to a growth in the number of small, and some very small, BIDs. Here the accent is usually placed on promotion and marketing, as well as orchestrating a programme of festival style events delivered by voluntary effort. There is a growing realization that many of the characteristics that make a district a great place to visit - a variety of restaurants, cinemas, nightclubs, bars, cultural facilities, a walk able environment, attractive public places and a feeling of safety - also make it a great place to live. For business, in general, the visitor and residential markets tend to complement each other. 8. Kirkop, Malcolm said that for some retailers the quality of information systems has been improved - enabling a better understanding of variations in performance, better measurement of the remedial effects of initiatives, and improvements in the allocation of resources - and there is value for both head office planners and store managers. However, development and integration of the technology is proving problematic for other retailers - partly arising from the newness of the technology. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No.3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 http://www.facultyjournal.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 9. Bennison, David et. al. examines that the challenge for urban managers is therefore to preserve and maintain the vitality of the Northern Quarter without destroying its soul. Almost by definition, the archetypal residents and businesses do not seek, let alone conform to, top-down planning and marketing, and are likely to be highly skeptical of it - somewhat ironical or paradoxical given the number of marketing and public relations companies located there. The challenge is that the city's planners also want to maintain that distinctiveness as much as their inhabitant since the Northern Quarter forms an important element of the wider place product that is Manchester. As the City Council's guide to visitors states: \"Rising up out of one of city's most historically rich areas is the Northern Quarter. Now transformed into a busy social and residential area, laden with independent bars, restaurants, cafes and shops - the Quarter has a uniqueness and credibility all of its own and attracts the kind of urban soul on the lookout for a bit of individuality and style (w.manchester.gov.uk/visitor centre/areas.htm). 10. Kirkup, Malcolm and Mohammad rafique said that in an increasingly competitive market environment future success for shopping centres will depend on effective management and marketing. Shoppers have a good choice of centres, all of which can meet their needs at a practical level. Centres need to develop a compelling personality and distinctive position, based on identification of particular strengths within their marketing mix that will appeal to their chosen target market. Our research notes that shopping centres are unique types of service business, challenged and constrained in many areas of the marketing mix as a result of both the nature of the service and traditional philosophies and practices. The marketing mix framework proposed in the paper attempts to reflect this uniqueness and offers a more comprehensive coverage of key dimensions and a useful basis for analysis and management. OBJECTIVES The following objectives have been considered for pursuing the study in hand. Objectives 1. To study the various factors which effects conversion of footfall in retail stores? 2. To study and analyze the various services provided by retail stores in order to convert their footfalls. 3. To study the behavior of consumers in the store and their priorities at the time of buying. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No.3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 http://www.facultyjournal.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 4. To find out the measures to improve the convertibility of footfalls.. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The following methodology have been used for the study in hand Research Design: Exploratory research Sample Size: A Sample size of 100 Sampling technique: The sampling technique has been probabilistic sampling more specifically the simple random sampling Sources of Data: Data collection is based on primary and secondary data Instruments used for collection of data: Questionnaire, interviews, journals Techniques used for analysis: Two way ANOVA and chi-square test for goodness of fit FINDINGS 1. Most of the respondents are visiting retail outlets almost twice in a week. 2. A large number of customers buying all the products available in the store. While some customers are visiting store for a particular section. 3. Most of the customers are saying that retail outlets are not offering wide range of product. 4. Most of the customers are claiming that they do not have their item of choice in the store all the times. 5. Most of the customers shopping in retail outlets due to availability of merchandise at lower prices with convenience. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No.3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 http://www.facultyjournal.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 6. A large number of customers are favoring the layout and accessibility of items in the store. 7. Most of the customer believe that if the store promises to do something in a particular time, it do so. 8. A large number of customers have faith in the employee of the store. 9. Most of the customer said that store give them individual attention. 10. A large number of customers are advocating that the operating hour of store is convenient for them. 11. Most of the customers found complaining about air condition and less effective ambience the stores. RECOMMENDATION 1. Product range must be increased in the store in order to attract more and more customers in the stores. The width as well as length of the varieties of the product must be substantially increased. 2. Products must be made available all the times in the stores. Because customers have a tendency to perceive unavailability if not get their desired product even once in the stores. So, this factor must be addressed seriously. 3. For further improvement of the store there is a sudden need of air condition in the stores. Because most of the modern retailers are providing air conditions, so at this point of time it has to be taken seriously and some decision has to be made at the earliest. International Journal of Management and Strategy ISSN: 2231-0703 International Journal of Management and Strategy (IJMS) 2012, Vol. No.3, Issue 4, January-June 2012 http://www.facultyjournal.com/ ISSN: 2231-0703 4. There is also a sudden need of addressing the issue of visual merchandising in the stores. As, it is one of the strongest tool for attracting, converting and retaining customers in the stores. REFERENCES 1. Patrice Cottet et.al \"The role of value in services: a study in a retail environment\". University of Reims, IUT de Troyes, Troyes, France. 2. Broedkar Mika\"New-type and traditional shoppers: a comparison of two major consumer groups\ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management th SCIT Building 9 floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 CONCEPT PAPER (MS7002 and MS7004) Student Name Dominic C. Anamali Enrolled MS 7004 Independent Study ID. No 557-1015 MS 7002 Thesis 1. Title: Factors that influence Destination loyalty in patronizing popular holiday and recreational destinations in Thailand 2. Type of Research: Quantitative Survey Research 3. Background of the Research: \"Research has shown that there are significant benefits for organizations associated with implementing work-life balance policies. These include improved recruitment and retention rates, with associated cost savings; reduced absenteeism and sick leave usage; a reduction in staff stress and improved satisfaction and loyalty; and improved productivity\" http://workplacewellbeing.org.nz/mana-mahi-resource/workplace-wellbeing-guide-10-worklife-balance/. The awareness of the need for recreation and rest to improve work-life balance is therefore growing. Many recreational facilities and destinations exist in Thailand and some new ones are being opened. These destinations generally offer services that are special. The competition between these destinations is set to increase with the number of tourists that visit Thailand http://www.scbeic.com/ENG/document/insight_mar10_en. For one and all, the most important thing is to get new customers and keep the existing ones satisfied. Marketing strategies are means of achieving this. This study will focus only on existing and popular facilities or destinations. By studying the factors that influence loyalty of customers to these destinations, it can provide better understanding to managers and help them develop better marketing plans and strategies. 4. Research Objectives: 1) To identify factors influencing the Destination loyalty of expats working and residing in Bangkok (or their spouses) in patronizing popular holiday and recreational destinations in Thailand. 2) To determine the influence of Overall satisfaction on Destination loyalty. 3) To determine the influence of Perceived value on Destination loyalty. IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 1 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management th SCIT Building 9 floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 5. Research Questions: 1) What are the factors that influence the Destination loyalty of expats working and residing in Bangkok (or their spouses) in patronizing popular holiday and recreational destinations in Thailand? 2) What is the influence of Overall satisfaction on Destination loyalty? 3) What is the influence of Perceived value on Destination loyalty? 6. Variables: Independent variables: Overall satisfaction Overall satisfaction is the \"extent of overall pleasure or contentment felt by the visitor, resulting in the ability of the trip experience to fulfill the visitor's desires, expectations and needs in relation to the trip\" (Chen and Tsai, 2007, p. 1116). Perceived value This is defined as customer's trade-off between quality perception and the monetary and non-monetary sacrifices (Bolton and Drew, 1991). Dependent variable: Destination loyalty This is defined as retained preference (Ostrowski, P., O'Brien, T. and Gordon, G. (1993)) and willingness to recommend the service provider or the service to other people which both represent conative aspects (Haubl, 1996; Scheuch, 1997). 7. Conceptual Framework Conceptual framework of this study is developed based on the previous research of Tuu and Olsen (2013). The link between customer satisfaction and destination loyalty is based on the studies of Tuu and Olsen (2013); Quintal and Polczynski (2010); Dmitrovic, Cvelbar, Kolar, Brencic, Ograjenek and abkar (2009); Andreassen and Lindestad, (1998); Gallarza, Saura and Moreno (2013); Brunner, Stcklin and Opwis (2008) "Satisfaction, image and loyalty: new versus experienced customers". The link between perceived value and destination loyalty is based on the studies of Tuu and Olsen (2013), Parahoo (2012), Bign, Snchez and Andreu (2009). IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 2 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management th SCIT Building 9 floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 Overall satisfaction Destination loyalty 8.Perceived value 8. Research Hypotheses: H01: Overall satisfaction does not have an influence on Destination loyalty. Ha1: Overall satisfaction has an influence on Destination loyalty H02: Perceived value does not have an influence on Destination loyalty. Ha2: Perceived value has an influence on Destination loyalty. 9. An Outline of a Review of literatures: Introduction of holiday and recreational destinations in Thailand Theoretical Foundations : - Theories related to customer loyalty - Theories related to destination loyalty - Theories Related to the following variables o Overall satisfaction and its influence on customer loyalty o Perceived value and its influence on customer loyalty Operational Definitions of the constructs : - Measurement of destination loyalty - Measurements of overall satisfaction and perceived value. Previous research (support the influence of overall satisfaction and perceived value on destination loyalty) IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 3 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management th SCIT Building 9 floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 Concept and Operationalization of Variables Variable Operational definition Destination Retained loyalty preference and willingness to recommend the service provider or the service to other people which both represent conative aspects Source of references Ostrowski, O'Brien and Gordon (1993); Haubl, (1996); Scheuch, (1997). Customer's trade-off between quality perception IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Source of Type of references data/scale Gallarza, Ordinal / Saura and Likert scale Moreno, (2013) My likelihood to recommend the destination to friends and relatives is If I were back in the same situation, I will choose the same destination for my trip Overall The extent Chen and satisfaction of overall Tsai, (2007) pleasure or contentment felt by the visitor, resulting in the ability of the trip experience to fulfill the visitor's desires, expectations and needs in relation to the trip Perceived value Operational/questionnaire items My likelihood to return to the same destination in the next two years is Bolton and Drew, (1991). My choice to spend on the Gallarza, Ordinal / holiday or recreational et al., Likert scale experience was a wise one 2013. I did the right thing when I spent for the holiday or recreational experience The holiday or recreational experience is exactly what I needed Overall, the value of the Gallarza, Ordinal / holiday or recreational et al., Likert scale experience has been 2013 Compared to what I have Page 4 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management th SCIT Building 9 floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 and the monetary and nonmonetary sacrifices\" to give up, the overall ability of the holiday or recreational experience to satisfy my wants and needs has been Comparing the benefits I got and the sacrifices I made to have this holiday or recreational experience I consider it as being 10. Target Population and Sample: The target population in this study would be expats working and residing in Bangkok (or their spouses) who have visited at least one holiday or recreational destination in Thailand. 11. Proposed Sampling Technique: Convenience sampling or accidental sampling will be used in this research in order to minimize delays in disbursing as well as receiving completed questionnaires. One of the main advantages of convenience sampling is the cost effectiveness. It is pretty much inexpensive to organize and maintain. Convenience sampling is ideal in this research and will allow the selection of a random group of people with no list of the population available. Also the size of the random group selected can be controlled. It will also ensure that the selected group of people has the appropriate characteristics. 12. Proposed Data Collection: The data would be collected on the basis of convenience. A questionnaire will be sent via email to a network of expats working and residing in Bangkok (or their spouses). Some copies will be manually distributed to maximize participation. The sample would be asked to fill in the questionnaire. The sample size will be 385 (Berenson, & Levine, 1999). 13. Proposed Data Analysis: After the collection of data, the data will be encoded in SPSS for analysis. A frequency analysis will be used for demographic information of the respondents. Simple linear regression (LR) will be used to determine the influence of independent variables on dependent variable. IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 5 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management th SCIT Building 9 floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 14. Questionnaire Development: Questionnaire will be used to gather the data from target population. The questionnaire will be in three parts: Part 1: This first part will consist of demographic information of respondents. Part 2: The second part will consist of the respondents' holiday or recreational visit experience in Thailand. Part 3: The third part consists of nine attitude rating scale questions to measure the level of destination loyalty, overall satisfaction, and perceived value: three items each for each construct. These are based on the studies of Gallarza et al (2013). The respondents will be asked to indicate the degree of agreement of each question on a five Likert scale ranging from 1 = Strongly Disagree/Very low to 5 = Strongly Agree/Very high. 15. Reference List Andreassen, T. W., Lindestad, B. (1998) "Customer loyalty and complex services: The impact of corporate image on quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty for customers with varying degrees of service expertise", International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 9 Iss: 1, pp.7 - 23 Main Variables Results Satisfaction For complex services, corporate image and Image customer satisfaction are not two separate Loyalty routes to customer loyalty. Corporate image impacts customer loyalty directly whereas customer satisfaction does not. This finding was consistent with high and low service expertise. These results challenge the disconfirmation paradigm which predicts customer satisfaction as the primary route to customer loyalty. From a managerial perspective, information regarding the relative strength of the two routes is vital with regard to resource allocation in order to improve customer loyalty. This previous research is used to support the influence of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty Bign J. E., Snchez I., Andreu L., (2009) "The role of variety seeking in short and long run revisit intentions in holiday destinations", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 3 Iss: 2, pp.103 - 115 Main Variables Results Intention to return to the destination The results show that there are relevant IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 6 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management th SCIT Building 9 floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 Specific variety seeking Perceived value Destination image Satisfaction Switching cost Past switching behavior differences in the antecedents of holiday destination revisit intentions in the short and long term. The main determinants of the intention to return to the destination for the next holiday are past switching behavior, switching costs and specific variety seeking, whereas the assessment of the destination (image and satisfaction) does not have a significant effect. However, in the long term, satisfaction becomes the most relevant antecedent of intentions to return, specific variety seeking maintains its influence, and past switching behavior and switching costs become irrelevant. This previous research is used to support the influence of satisfaction on customer loyalty in the tourism industry Brunner T. A., Stcklin M., Opwis K., (2008) "Satisfaction, image and loyalty: new versus experienced customers", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 42 Iss: 9/10, pp.1095 - 1105 Dmitrovic, T., Cvelbar, L. K., Kolar, T., Brencic, M. M., Ograjenek, I., abkar, V. (2009) "Conceptualizing tourist satisfaction at the destination level", International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, Vol. 3 Iss: 2, pp.116 - 126 Main Variables Results Satisfaction The model includes eight latent constructs, Value with tourist satisfaction being the central one. Loyalty The analysis of the antecedents (quality, image, value, and costs and risks) of customer satisfaction provides insights into the processes underlying the creation of satisfaction, while the outcome constructs (complaint behavior and loyalty) indicate the consequences of (dis)satisfaction. This previous research is used to support the influence of satisfaction and value on customer loyalty in the tourism industry Faullant, R., Matzler, K., Fller, J. (2008) "The impact of satisfaction and image on loyalty: the case of Alpine ski resorts", Managing Service Quality, Vol. 18 Iss: 2, pp.163 - 178 IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 7 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management th SCIT Building 9 floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 Main Variables Satisfaction Image Loyalty Results The results show that those ski resorts with the highest satisfaction ratings and the highest image ratings have the highest loyalty scores. Among first-time-visitors overall satisfaction is more important than image, with increasing number of repeat visits the importance of overall satisfaction declines and that of image relatively augments. This previous research is used to support the influence of satisfaction on customer loyalty in the tourism industry. Gallarza M. G, Saura I. G., Moreno F. A., (2013) "The quality- value-satisfaction-loyalty chain: relationships and impacts", Tourism Review, Vol. 68 Iss: 1, pp.3 - 20 Main Variables Results Perceived value The empirical findings show that: the chain Satisfaction of constructs service quality-perceived valueLoyalty customer satisfaction-loyalty is once again confirmed in a service setting; affective antecedents (social value, play and aesthetics) are more important determinants of perceived value and satisfaction than cognitive antecedents (efficiency, quality and effort spent); and the model performs better when value is understood as an antecedent of satisfaction than in the opposite case. This previous research is used to support the influence of satisfaction on customer loyalty in the tourism industry \"How competitive is Thai tourism (and what can we do to improve it)? (2010).\" Retrieved 10 Sep 2013 from http://www.scbeic.com/ENG/document/insight_mar10_en Parahoo, S. (2012) "Credit where it is due: drivers of loyalty to credit cards", International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 30 Iss: 1, pp.4 - 19 Main Variables Results Service quality The loyalty model proposed was validated, Value showing that the independent variable, i.e. Involvement customer involvement, had path loadings of IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 8 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management th SCIT Building 9 floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 Loyalty 0.32 and 0.26 on quality and value, respectively, while both service quality and value had direct effects on loyalty, with path loadings of 0.30 and 0.51, respectively. This previous research is used to support the influence of value on customer loyalty in the tourism industry Tuu, H. H., Olsen, S. O. (2013) "Consideration set size, variety seeking and the satisfactionrepurchase loyalty relationship at a product category level", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 25 Iss: 4, pp.590 - 613 Main Variables Results Satisfaction Consideration set size (CSS) has a positive Loyalty effect on CRL, while variety seeking (VS) has a negative effect on CRL. CSS is found to have a positive moderator effect on the category satisfaction-category repurchase loyalty relationship. More interestingly, CSS still interacts with VS to positively influence this relationship. This previous research is used to support the influence of satisfaction on customer loyalty in the tourism industry Vanessa A. Quintal, Aleksandra Polczynski, (2010) "Factors influencing tourists' revisit intentions", Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 22 Iss: 4, pp.554 - 578 Main Variables Results Satisfaction with perceived attractiveness The empirical results from the structural Quality model suggest that satisfaction (SAT) with Value the attractiveness, quality, and value provided Low risk by the destination positively influenced RVI. Revisit intentions (RVI) Perceived risk did not have the predicted effects on SAT and RVI. This previous research is used to support the influence of satisfaction and value on customer loyalty in the tourism industry. \"What is perceived quality? (n. d.).\" Retrieved 18 Aug, 2013 from http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_perceived_quality IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 9 ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF eLEARNING Master of Science in Management th SCIT Building 9 floor, 88 Moo 8 Bangna-Trad Km 26, Bang Sao Thong, Samutprakarn 10540 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 7232944 Fax: + 66 2 7232959 \"Workplace Wellbeing Guide 10: Work-life balance (2010).\" Retrieved 10 Sep 2013 from http://workplacewellbeing.org.nz/mana-mahi-resource/workplacewellbeing-guide-10-work-life-balance/ Zins, A. (2001),"Relative attitudes and commitment in customer loyalty models: Some experiences in the commercial airline industry", International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 12 Iss: 3 pp. 269 - 294 Main Variables Results Corporate image Corporate image of the service provider is, Service quality along with service quality and customer Customer satisfaction satisfaction, a powerful and illustrative Customer loyalty component for explaining future customer loyalty This previous research is used to support the influence of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty. IS/Thesis Information Please contact email : msmgt.el@gmail.com Phone call : 02-723-2944 Page 10