Mall shopping behaviour of Indian small town consumers

Rapid development of retailing in India has led to expansion of malls in smaller cities. The current research was directed towards small city consumers (n=276) to understand their mall shopping behaviour. Most people in small cities are unfamiliar with the concept of malls and their exposure to the organized retail has been limited in the past. Malls bring functional and experiential benefits to them and affect their shopping behaviour. The perceived benefits, however, may differ among consumer groups. This study specifically focuses on exploring the differences across age and gender groups. ANOVA test was used for the analyses. The results show that consumers’ gender and age play an important role in determining their attitude towards shopping in malls. The influence of mall attributes such as décor, layout, services, variety of stores, and entertainment facilities must be considered while planning malls in smaller cities as they have an effect on consumers’ buying behaviour. The mall shopping behaviour of metropolitan city shoppers should not be generalized with that of shoppers in smaller cities.