Designing and explaining a perceived value model of shopping centers and malls: A mixed approach

Introduction: The wide range of the perceived value dimensions in the field of consumer behavior has led the present study to investigate the perceived value of shopping centers and malls in Iran, its antecedents and consequents and how they affect each other. The mixed research approach is a sequential-heuristic one. In the qualitative section, the hermeneutic phenomenology method was applied to explore the lived experience of the participants. On the whole, eighteen informants were selected based on the snowball sampling method for deep interviews. The data were analyzed by using coding and sequential mixed data analysis via the Atlasti software. Finally, thirty three themes were extracted. In the quantitative part, the descriptive survey method was used. The data were collected from mall browsers through a questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was done via the AMOS software to analyze the model. According to the findings, there were eight values including economic, hedonic, escapism, epistemic, time convenience, utilitarian, status and Islamic values. All the dimensions of the perceived value had a significant positive effect on loyalty. Using a mixed approach, this study has introduced some new categories and themes about perceived value and its antecedents from the perspective of Iranian customers going to shopping centers.
Methodology: In the current research, a mixed approach consisting of two parts, quantitative and qualitative, has been used. In the qualitative part of the research, the sampling is based on the purpose. Eighteen people who referred to shopping centers were selected to participate in the qualitative part of the research using the snowball method. In order to collect the data, in-depth interviews were conducted with the participants based on the interview protocol. The data were analyzed by using a coding method similar to the coding method in the grounded theory and with the help of the Atlas t software. In the quantitative part, it is an applied research in terms of its purpose. In terms of the method, it is a descriptive research of a survey type. Also, this study is cross-sectional based on the level of in-depth observation. In this part, the findings obtained from the qualitative section were used to design a questionnaire and develop a tool to measure the concept of the perceived value of the shopping center and malls. The structural equation modeling method was used with the help of the AMOS software to analyze quantitative data.
Result and Discussion: In the first stage of coding, which is called open coding, 1,188 open codes were discovered, and then, after repeated refinement, they were organized into eighty-seven more abstract concepts called categories. Then, the categories were classified into thirty three themes. The results of the present research can be divided into three general categories. The first to eleventh themes reflect the structure of the perceived value of the shopping centers and malls. The twelfth to twenty-seventh themes represent the anticipants of the perceived value of the shopping centers and malls. The 28th to 33rd themes refer the consequences of the perceived value of the shopping centers and malls. In the quantitative part of the research, namely the exploratory factor analysis, 60 items were loaded in fifteen components. These items were measured on a five-point Likert scale ranging from completely disagree to completely agree. In the end, a model with 28 paths remained on the perceived values positively and significantly. As the results of the model fit indicate, the fit index has the necessary values ​​and supports the agreement between the experimental data and the extracted model. The indices of the final model were NFI: 0.832, CFI: 0.907, GFI: 0.825, AGFI: 0.808, RMSEA: 0.43. The results extracted for the model indicated that the items of each component had a positive loading factor greater than 0.50, and the calculated t-value for each of them was greater than 1.96 and 2.58. All the path coefficients were significant at the 95% confidence level. There were eight perceived value components of shopping centers including economic, hedonic, escapism, epistemic, time convenience, utilitarian, status and Islamic components. According to the results of the current research model, behavioural consequences (loyalty) are significantly influenced by all these eight components.
Conclusion: Due to the fact that the number of shopping centers and homogeneous malls is increasing day by day and the needs and demands of customers get to be more complex and diverse, managers of shopping centers who understand the reasons for appropriate behavior have competitive advantages. They can use the knowledge in this field to maintain the existing customers and convince new customers from among the competitors, to present a distinctive image of the shopping centers under their management. The researchers in the present study, influenced by native values, reached factors such as environmental features, internal motivators, the nature of the shopping center, sports and health facilities, facilities for children and visual attractions. The number of factors affecting the choice of shopping centers are different based on the country of study. Shopping centers are considered more profitable if they satisfy both types of buyers with values ​​of hedonism and utilitarianism. This result leads to the support of the customers who desire to stay longer in shopping centers, increase patronage and spend more money. The present study has explained the value structures of customers' shopping experience and identified various factors that make customers want to visit shopping centers.