Authors

1. Dr. Parag Shukla
2. Professor (Dr.) Parimal H. Vyas
3. Dr. Madhusudan n. Pandya

Affiliation

• Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce & Business Management,The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Baroda
• Vice Chancellor, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Baroda
• Assistant Professor, Department of Commerce & Business Management, Faculty of Commerce, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Baroda

Abstract

The pattern of retail business has diverted its focus from selling its product to meet the needs of
people at large. It indicates that product remains a major ingredient of the retail mix developed by
retailer but services offered by the retail stores need improvement in a competitive market. Today's
retailers achieve success not only by what is sold in the store, but by focusing more on the way
retailers' sell it by serving their shoppers. Thus, it is indicative that the role of retail staff is the critical
determinant in delivering value to the shoppers. The human interaction during the in-store shopping
experience is important. Retailers need to acquire an understanding of shoppers' buying habits while
buying from retail store considering their choice of retail store, feeling and evaluating, and forming
their in-store experience as well as their post-purchase decision. Availability of information to
shoppers, amount of personalization expected, immediacy, craving for information, personal
relationship between shopper and sales staff is of pivotal significance in today's retail business
environment. Even though with the onslaught of technology people may buy online, researcher has
put efforts to gain knowledge of the influence of the behaviour of in-store sales staff on shoppers'
patronage intentions as the shoppers acquire in-store gratification by visiting the physical store
format; confirming quality, see-touch-feel sequence, and thus personal customer service remain
buzzword for physical retail stores. This empirical research study conducted in four cities of Gujarat
State examined the influences of behavioural dimensions of in-store staff that are functioning to offer
services to shoppers who visit the retail store. Influence of selected dimensions of sales staff
behaviour viz., politeness and courteousness, training and responsible behaviour, well informed
about products availability, product's prices and friendliness in dealing with shoppers have been
considered in this research study. This study holds importance owing to the fact that human element
serving the shopper in the physical store format is of utmost importance.

Keywords

Shopper, Retail Store, Patronage Behaviour.

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