Traditional malls vs. factory outlets: comparing shopper typologies and implications for retail strategy

Abstract

The scholarly literature reflects the presence of numerous shopper typologies and taxonomies that classify shoppers into subgroups. Unfortunately, the use of diverse methodological approaches has restricted the generalizability and comparability of the findings. The current study seeks to fill this gap in our knowledge by means of an examination of shoppers at a traditional mall and a factory-outlet mall. A mall intercept survey was used to collect the data from 1097 shoppers in the traditional mall and 827 shoppers in the outlet mall. Using a multistep-cluster analysis, retail attribute importance ratings were used to derive shopper typologies in both retail formats. The shopper types are profiled on attitudes toward shopping, satisfaction, repeat visit intentions, and other variables. Five shopper subgroups (Basic, Apathetic, Destination, Enthusiasts, and Serious) are described in both retail formats and one additional shopper subgroup exclusive to the factory-outlet mall (Brand Seekers). Future research might focus on other retail formats, including online shopping, to fully understand the similarities and differences between shopper types.