Retail relationships in a digital age

Technological developments in retail service delivery raise new questions concerning the nature of relationships between retailers and customers. Through an online survey based on established dimensions of relationships, this study examines how customers perceive a range of technologically mediated and face-to-face retail relationships in comparison to core social relationships. From a combination of mapping and statistical techniques, retail relationships emerge with distinctly different profiles. Respondents regard technologically mediated relationships as less friendly and co-operative but more task-orientated than their human-to-human counterparts. This analytical approach presents valuable diagnostic information for benchmarking and evaluation of marketing performance, offering opportunities to develop the strengths of existing relationships, draw on relevant benefits from the analogous relationships, and promote a more distinctive relational position.

► Are retailer-customer relationships changed by technological developments?
► 20 retail/business relationships mapped against facets of core social relationships.
► Retail relationships have distinct, different profiles to core social relationships.
► Technologically mediated connections thought less friendly and co-operative.
► Improvements needed in customer experience produced by technological platforms.