Consumer innovativeness: Impact on expectations, perceptions, and choice among retail formats

Individual differences in innovativeness may drive consumer expectations and perceptions regarding retail environments, influencing preferences for particular store formats. This research investigates the impact of consumer innovativeness on expectations for, and perceptions of, service design elements, including employee performance, process design, design of physical evidence, and reliability of the shopping experience. Findings indicate that the majority of consumers expect high performance along all dimensions and dislike surprising stores, specifically those they perceive as risky. Moreover, innovative consumers expect even higher levels of store attributes and in fact perceive stores differently than do less innovative consumers.