Hierarchy of Shopping Experience at Indian Malls:AConceptual Model using Interpretive Structural Modelling

Purpose - The present study examines the interrelationship between various components constituting shopping experience in the context of the Indian shopping malls. Research design, data, and methodology - Extracting components of shopping experience from the literature review, the study used Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) to propose a conceptual model. The study adopted a mixed methods research involving theoretical constructs from past research, qualitative assessment of relationship between the constructs and imposing definite order and direction to qualitative relations based on mathematical computations. Results - Proposed model indicates that the five components of shopping experience (ambience, physical infrastructure, convenience, marketing focus and safety and security) do not converge directly into shopping experience. Rather, they operate following a hierarchy of influences in which marketing focus plays the role of the initiator. Conclusions - This model points at the order of preference of different components of shopping experience and can be a useful guide for retail industry, especially mall developers and supermarket/hypermarket, may use the findings in key decisions about development of physical infrastructure, which are based on marketing focus.