An Exploration of Female Leisure Shopping Experience in Shopping Malls

Abstract

Shopping has been remarkably pervasive activity undertaken daily by millions of people worldwide (Hine, 2002). Further (Taubler, 1972) define shopping with the most basic idea as a search for value, Shopping is a spectacle in which it is both performer and spectator ¦it is seeing and being seen, meeting and being met, a way of interacting with others (Luvinton, 1992). Moreover shopping is often approached as tedious chore that requires mandatory time and attention with the growing literature body about the shopping's experiential aspect with intrinsic and hedonic values (Lutz, 2006)Leisure shopping is widely regarded as a leisure activity which is more than entertainment and creates cognitive, emotional, sensorial and behavioral responses during the entire experience in the shopping mall and shopping malls are the new developing global phenomenon which excels the retail landscape as consumers visit the shopping mall where the shopping itself has transformed the meaning and focus of it. Retailers are alarmed to find methods of presenting themselves inside the modern building and adapt quickly to changing consumer expectations (Sebnem and Burnaz, 2011). Moreover, Recent and Sit (2003) specifically focused on identifying entertainment seeking segment describing them as the missing segment with the work on shopping centre image and found that the female respondents are more preferred in leisure shopping. Three leading shopping malls in Sri Lanka were chosen as leisure shopping is a key concept that develops rapidly within the Asian countries so the retailers and shopping mall developers should make shopping more unique and competitive as a leisure pursuit. On this backdrop, this research therefore is focused on exploring leisure shopping experience in shopping malls of female shoppers by discovering the factors that affect leisure shopping experience of female shoppers. Furthermore, understanding the prevailing leisure shopping experience and mall patronage behavior is also expected. The study was conducted by using a qualitative case study method as there is limited research and not proper theorization in existing research (Perera, 2018). The data collection process includes twelve in-depth interviews by taking two participants randomly selected from each selected case studies and two expert interviews as well. Case studies were chosen with a literature supported inclusion criteria to ensure the trustworthiness of the data. Participant observation was also carried as a part of data collection and observation notes were taken. The interviews were recorded verbatim and transcribed to carry out a thematic analysis. Trustworthiness of data was ensured through data triangulation and employing a standardized case study protocol. Coding was based on priori and in-vivo coding strategies. The findings showed that ambience, functional characteristics, layout, design and retail environment of the shopping mall are the determinants that decides the shoppers shopping experience and emotional motives of shopper also affect the leisure shopping experience so in conclusion it can be noted that shopping mall experience finally decides both by the characteristics of shopping mall and shopper.