Retail store community and its impact on store success

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to examine the potential outcomes of consumers' intention to engage retail store community. The research question focused on: what impact will intention to engage retail store community have on store satisfaction, store commitment, shopping enjoyment and store employee trust?

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from a national panel of 232 adult consumers in the USA. The theoretical model and hypotheses were tested using path analysis in AMOS.

Findings

The model was supported. Intention to engage retail store community had a significant impact on store employee trust, shopping enjoyment, store satisfaction and store commitment. In addition, store employee trust and store satisfaction had a significant impact on store commitment.

Research limitations/implications

The study identified a breadth of outcomes that result from an intention to engage with retail store community. Furthermore, the study is limited to a grocery shopping retail store context and only outcomes are identified.

Practical implications

Managerially, retailers want to find innovative ways to compete in the marketplace, and the findings of this study highlight the benefits that can accrue to retailers who want to pursue a community strategy.

Originality/value

Few papers have examined retail store brand communities, and none has identified the outcomes of intention to engage with retail store community.

Citation

Peters, C. and Bodkin, C.D. (2021), "Retail store community and its impact on store success", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 49 No. 6, pp. 735-751. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-05-2020-0165