Store formats exist in three forms of convenience, variety and experience. Shopping involvement tends to change across these formats. This current study (a) establishes the role of store formats on shopping involvement, (b) understands the change in the nature of involvement as the shopper moves to an experience store from a variety or a convenience store format, and (c) measures shopping involvement as different from purchase involvement or purchase-decision involvement. A 3 X 3 factorial design was created using the three formats and three levels of extent of information search representing different buying decisions. Participant observations at different formats were carried out, which was followed by in-depth interviews to understand the motivations and gratifications with regard to shopping and store formats. A new scale to measure Shopping Involvement was developed as different from purchase and purchase-decision involvement.
The study found that store formats impacted shopping involvement levels. The convenience format showed a lower level of involvement compared to other formats. However, there was no significant difference between the involvement levels of the variety store format and experience store format. The study showed that the expressive aspect of involvement became more prominent in experience store, while the functional involvement did not increase to the same extent. Shopping involvement in each of these formats also varied with the extent of information search. Retailers would benefit by adopting in-store activities that enhance involvement for the format used. They need to provide the correct type and amount of increase information to the shoppers for better shopping experience and building loyalty.
