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- Title
Retail Store Services: A Comparison of Perceived Consumer Needs and Store Service Provision.
- Authors
Thompson, Alicia; Lumpkin, James R.; Hite, Robert E.
- Abstract
Retail store services have traditionally been less important to retailers than the selling of goods. Sales supporting services such as alterations, repair, and gift wrapping or service departments such as food service, financial services, and hair styling were often afterthoughts and were considered valuable only if they enhance the sale of merchandise. This perspective has changed in recent years, however. Services may be as important as, if not more important than, the product itself (Lewison and DeLozier 1987; Wysocki 1978). The change was probably precipitated by a combination of factors: the shift to a greater service orientation in the economy, increased competition, saturated retail markets, and lowered profit margins for many retailers. <BR> This study compares retail manager perceptions of services important to consumers with the services actually provided by retail stores. In addition, high, medium and low service providers are profiled with respect to their service orientation and other characteristics.
- Subjects
RETAIL stores; SALES
- Publication
American Business Review, 1991, Vol 9, Issue 2, p37
- ISSN
0743-2348
- Publication type
Article