Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Rural and urban consumer discount store patronage preferences for apparel were investigated utilizing the concept ofperceived risk associated with the purchase of items. Apparel items were assigned a type and level of risk: low social, low economic; high social, low economic; high social, high economic. Rural (n = 170) and urban (n =139) females responding to a mail survey rated their willingness to purchase each item in a discount store on a scale of "prefer to buy, " "may buy, " or "never buy. " Multivariate analysis of variance indicated that the influence of economic risk was much stronger in consumer patronage decisions in this study than in previous research. Consumer preference for purchasing in discount stores declined more sharply as economic risk increased than as social risk increased. Demographic characteristics of race, shopping responsibility, education, and totalfamily income were significantly related to both social and economic risks in patronage behavior.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bauer, R.A. (1960). Consumer behavior as risk taking. In R. S. Hancock (Ed.), Dynamic marketing for a changing world (pp. 389-398). Chicago: American Marketing Association.

California's off-price phenom focuses on $1 billion in sales. ( 1985, January). Chain Store Age Executive, pp. 92, 99.

Cox, D.F. (1967). Risk handling in consumer behavior—an intensive study of two cases. In D. F. Cox (Ed.), Risk taking and information handling in consumer behavior (pp. 34-81). Boston: Harvard University.

Dardis, R. , & Sandler, M. (1971). Shopping behavior of discount store customers in a small city. Journal of Retailing, 47, 67-72, 91-93.

Even-Tov, S. (1982, February). Reaching the new rural buyer. Zip, pp. 21-24, 61-65.

Francese, P.K. (1984, January). Demographics: A compass to customers . Credit & Financial Management, pp. 14-16.

Jarnow, J.A. , Guerreiro, M. , & Judelle, B. (1987). Inside the fashion business (4th ed.). New York: Macmillan.

Korgaonkar, P.K. (1982). Consumer preferences for catalog showrooms and discount stores: The moderating role of product risk. Journal of Retailing, 58, 76-85.

Look for a speedy changeover. (1984, September). Discount Merchandiser, pp. 66-76.

10.

Lumpkin, J.R. , Hawes, J.M. , & Darden, W.R. (1986). Shopping patterns of the rural consumer: Exploring the relationship between shopping orientations and out-shopping. Journal of Business Research, 14, 63-81.

11.

Miller, N. (1986, March). Rural retailing: The last frontier. Chain Store Age Executive, pp. 18-22.

12.

Morrison, A.M. (1983, June). The upshot of off-price. Fortune, pp. 122-130.

13.

New directions in apparel. (1984, September). Discount Merchandiser, pp. 60-66.

14.

Perry, M. , & Hamm, C.B. (1969). Canonical analysis of relations between socioeconomic risk and personal influence in purchase decisions. Journal of Marketing, 6, 351-354.

15.

Prasad, V.K. (1975). Socioeconomic product risk and patronage preferences of retail shoppers. Journal of Marketing, 39, 42-47.

16.

Rich, S.V. (1963). Shopping behavior of department store shoppers . Boston: Harvard University.

17.

Roering, K.J. , & Block, C.E. (1977). A comparative study of the variation in prepurchase search behavior between urban and rural residents. Marquette Business Review, 21, 24-32.

18.

Taylor, J.W. (1974). The role of risk in consumer behavior. Journal of Marketing, 38, 54-60.

19.

Weiner, S. (1986, December 5). Off-price clothing can be a bargain, but sometimes it needs a little sewing. Wall Street Journal , p. 31.

20.

Winakor, G. , Canton, B. , & Wolins, L. (1980). Perceived fashion risk and self-esteem of males and females. Home Economics Research Journal, 9, 45-56.

Discount Store Patronage Preferences of Rural and Urban Women

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References