Moderating Effects of Location on the Determinants of Customer Experience for Supermarkets

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between the different determinants and customer experience in the presence of the moderator namely location. Moderator effects are visible when the association between two variables depends on the presence of a third variable. A survey of 256 respondents was carried out with the help of a questionnaire. General linear method was performed on customer experience, the determinants and the moderator to analyse the data. In case of supermarket significant interaction effect exists between location and retail atmosphere and also between location and alternate channels experience. The results included in this research about the effects of moderator on the determinants of customer experience are focussed on super market. Further studies could compare the other available formats namely hypermarkets and departmental stores which will enable us to know more about the preferences of the different retail customers of India. This paper helps retailers with knowledge of how the location of the retail format will change the relationship between the determinants and customer experience. It is recommended that the retailers take special care of these moderating effects into consideration while framing strategies. This paper is original because hardly any studies of this nature have been attempted in Indian context.