مصرف کنندگان سوپر مارکت و تفاوت های جنسیتی مربوط به سطوح اهمیت درک شده آنها از ویژگی های فروشگاه

Family grocery shopping is the accepted domain of women; however, modern social and demographic movements challenge traditional gender roles within the family structure. Men now engage in grocery shopping more freely and frequently, yet the essence of male shopping behaviour and beliefs present an opportunity for examination. This research identifies specific store characteristics, investigates the perceived importance of those characteristics and explores gender, age and income differences that may exist. A random sample collection methodology involving 280 male and female grocery shoppers was selected. Results indicated significant statistical differences between genders based on perceptions of importance of most store characteristics. Overall, male grocery shoppers considered supermarket store characteristics less important than female shoppers. Income did not affect shoppers' level of associated importance; however respondents' age, education and occupation influenced perceptions of price, promotions and cleanliness.

Previous Australian studies examined important supermarket characteristics and influencers of satisfaction, yet failed to consider the effect of gender, income and age (Miranda et al., 2005). Additionally, other research compared cultural differences in satisfaction levels of Australian shoppers in general, but did not specifically address supermarket shopping or how gender influences choice (Jones et al., 2010). Internationally, there has been a steady stream of consumer behaviour studies that point to the growth and presence of male shoppers in food shopping since the 1980s (Davis and Bell, 1991, Piper and Capella, 1993, Polegato and Zaichkowsky, 1994, Mazumdar and Papatla, 1995, Otnes and McGrath, 2001, Torres et al., 2001 and Richbell and Kite, 2007). In light of these studies, and the growth of male shoppers undertaking food shopping in Australia, an opportunity exists to examine whether consumer traits, particularly gender, influence the choice of supermarkets (Ambler et al., 2004 and Beynon et al., 2010). The purpose of the present study is to examine the attitudes and beliefs of male and female grocery shoppers in the Australian retail context. It seeks to identify perceptions of store characteristics by male and female shoppers and investigates the differences in the extent of the importance placed upon these characteristics. In addition, the study also addresses the effect of age, income, occupation or education on the consumers' perceptions towards store characteristics. The contribution of this paper is twofold. The first contribution concerns the notion that men and women are socialised differently and thereby presents a view that these differences play an important role in the retail context, which in turn influences the choice of supermarkets. A secondary goal seeks to understand the importance placed on supermarket store characteristics according to age, income, occupation and education. Such investigations provide the first steps towards a greater understanding of the behaviours of the emergent male grocery shopper. Three research questions guide this study: (1)Do male and female grocery shoppers consider store characteristics differently? (2)Which store characteristics do male and female shoppers perceive as more important? (3)Does the age, income, education or occupation of the consumer affect the level of importance placed on store characteristics? The literature discussion takes a step by step approach to address the theoretical background and development of relevant hypotheses. The appropriate research methods are identified and used to investigate the differences in the extent of importance placed upon store characteristics by male and female shoppers. There is a discussion of key findings and implications for retailers.

The combined sample of 280 regular male and female grocery shoppers demonstrated that these shoppers place varying levels of importance on supermarket store characteristics. This research examined the attitudes and beliefs of male and female grocery shoppers in the Australian retail context. The main research question sought to identify important store characteristics and the importance placed on of these constructs by male and female shoppers. The overriding research objective was to identify which store characteristics male and female grocery shoppers consider as important and what differences exist between the levels of importance and the shopper's gender. To that end, the results demonstrate that male and female grocery shoppers consider important store characteristics differently and there are specific characteristics that men and women consider more important. All but one of the ten hypotheses is proven. Male shoppers considered speed, convenience and efficiency to be the most important factors. Female shoppers, in contrast, reported characteristics relating to pricing, cleanliness and quality. These findings present new challenges for future research. It is proposed a more extensive measure be undertaken. It is also acknowledged that branding, packaging, labelling, generic product range and loyalty programs were overlooked in this case study. In addition, there may be specialist purchases that are outside the research interest. Males may purchase meat or vegetables and dominate these domains whereas women may dominate in non-food purchases and one avenue of research concerns a detailed assessment of across the range purchase responsibilities. Accordingly, further research is warranted to address these influencing agents. The characteristic of price generated mixed results and suggests further investigation in relation to the effect of gender. Our findings are supported in some ways by earlier theoretical work of researchers into shopping orientations of gender (Iacobucci and Ostrom, 1993 and Noble et al., 2006); however, the process employed here revealed conflicting themes. As with most research case studies, this work is not without its limitations. This research collected in one Australian capital city did not address issues of ethnicity that is characteristic of other Australian cities or the shopping formats in rural communities. Such research may explain and predict shopping behaviour, under certain conditions, and integrate market-place adaptations with increased certainty and with improved generalisability.