Understanding consumer perceptions and attitudes toward smart retail services

Purpose This study aims to identify the antecedent factors influencing consumer attitudes and patronage intentions toward an intelligent unmanned convenience store (IUCVS) in Taiwan. The IUCVS is a new smart service that offers customers a novel shopping experience, given that it avoids queues and physical contacts with cashiers. However, studies discussing IUCVS remain scant owing to its brief history. Design/methodology/approach This research develops a synergistic model combining original unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) constructs with perceived risk and value to test differences between unexperienced and experienced customers’ attitudes and patronage intentions toward IUCVSs. Data collected from 268 experienced and 156 unexperienced consumers were tested against the proposed research model using partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis (PLS-MGA). Findings In line with expectations, three UTAUT variables (i.e. performance, effort expectancy and social influence) and perceived value significantly and positively influence consumer attitudes toward IUCVSs. This research confirms the significant and negative direct effect of perceived risk on consumers’ patronage intentions toward IUCVSs. Furthermore, the PLS-MGA results unveil that a significant difference exist in the effects of perceived convenience value on attitudes toward IUCVS between consumers who had experience of using self-service machines and those who have not. Originality/value This research successfully fills the research gap by offering a synergistic model for evaluating consumers’ attitudes and patronage intentions toward a new smart service. Several important theoretical and practical implications are provided to help retail managers develop service strategies.

Understanding Apple Attribute Preferences of US Consumers

Apple preferences of US consumers are widely explored. However, the key factors that drive the importance that US consumers place on apple attributes are rather unexplored. To fill this literature gap, an online survey with 383 US apple buyers was conducted. A two-step analysis consisting of descriptive statistics and partial least squares structural equation modelling indicates that subjective knowledge was the most important factor, determining both the discernment of buyers and attitudes towards US fruit growers. Objective knowledge and sociodemographic factors, other than education, were not found to have any impact. The discernment of a buyer and their ability to distinguish apple varieties had the greatest impact on the importance that US consumers placed on physical and commercial product attributes. It was also found that attitudes towards growers impacted on the importance which consumers place on both types of attributes. Given that consumer attitudes were shown to be a strong driver of their buying preferences, growers and grower associations should also consider highlighting the positive health and societal benefits that their products provide.

The Impact of Environmental Concern on Consumer Attitudes and Intentions Toward Electric Vehicles

This research aims to analyze the impact of environmental concerns on Turkish consumers' attitudes toward and intention to purchase EVs. It is also aimed to investigate the role of demographical characteristics—gender, age, income, and education—on those impacts. Given the purpose, a descriptive study was conducted through an online survey with a sample of 334 consumers. The research findings indicate that environmental concern plays a significantly influential role in the attitude toward and intention to purchase EVs. The study also confirms that environmental concern impacts on the attitude and intention toward EVs differs in terms of gender, age, and income. Only women show a positive influence of environmental concern on the attitude toward EVs. There is no difference in the direct or indirect link between EV purchase intention and environmental concern for age groups. Environmental concern's indirect influence on the intention to buy EVs is the highest and significantly different for the consumers with 7500-9999 TL income.

Self-service versus human interaction in private consumption: The moderating role of brand personality

We explored how consumer attitudes toward service delivery types (self-service technology vs. face-to-face) differ in a private consumption context depending on the brand personality (underdog brand vs. top- dog brand). Using banking service (Study 1) and hotel service (Study 2) scenarios, we empirically investigated the interaction effects between service delivery types and brand personalities on consumer attitudes. The results indicate that for humanized underdog brands consumers showed a more positive attitude toward self-service technologies than toward face-to-face services. However, for the top-dog brands there were no significant moderation effects. Thus, when managers in the marketing field are planning to regulate new directions for their service policy, they need to be very cautious by considering both consumption context and brand personality. We have theoretically and practically expanded the existing literature on service delivery by focusing on private consumption services.

Determination of changes in consumer attitudes and behaviors on food safety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: Bitlis Eren University example

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every field as well as the consumer attitudes and behaviors regarding food safety. This study is a cross-sectional study in a screening model planned to determine the changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has made in the personal judgments, attitudes and behaviors of Bitlis Eren University academic and administrative staff on food safety. In the study, online survey method was used as a data collection tool. As a result of the study, the majority of the participants think that COVID-19 is not transmitted through food and that contamination is prevented by keeping the purchased products from outside such as markets and bazaar for at least eight hours. In the participants (66.1 %), it was observed that the time allocated to personal care and hygiene increased with the COVID-19 pandemic. It was found that the importance given by the participants to food safety, agriculture, personal hygiene and sanitation has increased with the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of the participants reported that with the COVID-19 pandemic, people fear of going without food and the importance of hygiene and sanitation rules in food businesses has increased. It has emerged that the concepts of agriculture, food safety, hygiene and sanitation gained value in the COVID-19 pandemic.