Korean Customer Attitudes Towards Retail Regulations

Purpose – This study is to identify how the retail regulations influence customer shopping behaviours and furthermore, wheth-er the Store Closing Act really protects independent retailers as well as traditional markets in Korea. Research design, data, and methodology – By adopting fre-quency analysis and factor analysis method, the research ach-ieved research objectives. Before a field survey, the authors pre-tested the questionnaire developed, based on similar pre-vious articles, and finalized. Amongst the 353 questionnaires distributed, 332 were returned. It means the response rate is 94.5%. Furthermore, available questionnaires are 330. Results – Rather than stimulating customers to more fre-quently visit public markets, the regulation has provoked new customer shopping behaviours. In other words, some consumers tend to shop in big box retailers before or after a store closing day, whereas others are likely to stop shopping. What is im-portant is that customers do not patronise small retailers and conventional markets, thanks to the Store Closing Act. Conclusions – In order to keep retailers and public markets independent, the researchers suggest that the government should introduce new techniques without impeding the growth of a retailing sector.