Developing a Scale to Measure “Comfortable Shopping Experience” in Shopping Malls

This research aims to devel a scale to measure comfort and convenience of consumers’ shopping experience in shopping centers and malls so that the consumer can experience the same feeling of comfort in the malls as they have at home. The main purpose of this research is to answer the question of how can factors including weather conditions such as temperature, noise, air quality, music, amenities, product variety, structure, color, social cues, and familiarity of customers affect the feeling comfort while shopping. Therefore, the main question of this research is: What is the scale to measure "comfortable shopping experience" in shopping centers and malls?

This study is applied in nature and implements descriptive-survey and correlational methods. Therefore, the research design is correlational and the evidence has been collected through survey. The research model has been investigated based on the collected data using descriptive and inferential analysis. The statistical population of the study includes all the buyers of the three shopping centers: Kourosh, Arg and Paladium located in Tehran, Iran during the fall of 2017.

The results of exploratory factor analysis have been reduced to five components and twenty-two indicators. These components were named according to the concepts of the items as: adaptation to family needs in shopping centers, fashion needs, amenities and facilities in shopping centers, pleasure-based needs in shopping centers and attractions of the interior environment of shopping centers. The first factor includes the following items: 1) compliance of the product with family needs, 2) variety of products, 3) products suitable for customer needs, 4) access to products all over the city and 5) appropriateness of the price of products. The second factor includes the following items: 1) new ideas and styles, 2) awareness of new products, and 3) new clothing styles. The third factor includes the following items: 1) large and ample parking lots, 2) very comfortable chairs and benches, 3) working hours of the shopping center, 4) ease of access, 5) playground for children, and 6) sufficient ATM devices. The fourth factor includes the following items: 1) the proper use of leisure time, 2) concert halls and sports halls, 3) variety of restaurants and fast food, 4) the cleanliness of the shopping center, and 5) the interior architecture of the shopping center. The fifth factor includes the following items: 1) mild music, 2) store size, and 3) pleasant and special perfume.

Based on the results of the research and the coefficients which were calculated for each component, the following are recommended to be taken into account by the marketing managers of the shoping malls in Tehran: focusing on the attractions of the interior environment of the shopping centers, focusing on amenities and recreational facilities in accordance with different age groups from children to the elderly, focusing on the pleasure-based needs of the wide range of the customers, providing the needs and immediate requests of the customers in terms of environmental facilities, products and services, finally focusing on adaptation of the environment, products and services to the needs of the families.