Preface

"Nowadays, shopping is no more just an activity to obtain products, it is a social experience. What consumers buy is a complex system of products and services, and a context – physical and virtual – in which they are proposed and delivered. The advent of the Internet contributed to emphasize the experience component The relationship between consumers and retailers is based on economic factors, but a wide variety of non-economic elements exert an influence, both at the individual and the collective level. Interactions follow economic and social behavior norms, and social norms and codes of conduct change continuously, as a consequence of technology changes and cultural changes. Technology changes – particularly communication technologies – mainly refer to the Internet and social media development. Cultural changes refer to the convergence at the international level of income, lifestyles and habits, on one side, and the increased mobility of people, on the other side, that favor the encounter and interaction between different cultures. The shopping behavior is changing as well. Since shopping has become something more than a necessary activity – with leisure and entertainment components – new horizons to the development of enriched shopping experiences started to be opened. Retailers analyze and interpret such changes in a continuous effort aimed at identifying new markets and market segments. However, the responsive nature of retailers has not to be emphasized. Whilst retailers operate with cultural norms and thus reflect these norms, they can also shape the cultural norms in many ways. Retailing-related initiatives and environments are not neutral entities, and they can influence and structure consumers moods and behaviors, and in some case can influence cultural norms. Modern techniques of retailing and new retail formats allow retailers to assume a more central role to consumers' concerns. The elements of the retail offer pay more attention to store design, ambience and all those issues which have to do with the balance between price, service and quality of purchased products, and also to offer entertainment occasions to customers. All the changes described above require an examination and updating of knowledge about the relationship between consumers and retailers. At the same time, the role of retailers must be analyzed following a multiple perspective according to issues related to consumers' behavioral dynamics, technology, communication codes and tools, social interaction, market knowledge, and social responsibility. This book provides theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings on the topics related to the changes that are occurring. Firstly, it is addressed to scholars that need an overview of the research field related to the retailer-consumer relationship in order to better contextualize their studies and receive suggestions for cross-disciplinary analyses. In addition, the book can be a tool for managers and entrepreneurs, both in the retail trade and the manufacturing sector, for upgrading their knowledge in the field and complete their perspective for a better approach to their reference markets. Finally, the book can also be a valuable reference for local government agencies and public bodies that are in charge of the management of planning policies for the retail offer development and city centers organization. This field is connected to the Town Center Management (TCM) area of interest, for which is essential a complete knowledge of all the dynamics related to the consumer behavior and its relationship with the shopping activity. The book is divided into five sections. The first section provides an overview of the key issues on consumer's behavior, analyzing the decision making criteria for buying products in a context of relationships with the retailer. Together with the analysis of the main characters of consumer behavior, also store loyalty, shopping experience and the role of private label products are deepened in the light of consumer perceptions and changes. In the second section, the store atmosphere and consumers' involvement in co-creation of the retail service are considered. Store atmosphere is analyzed for the way in which it exerts influence on consumers, considering sensorial factors and the relationship with salespeople. The third section refers to the retail context and the way in which formats, retail environment and locations are changing, facing new consumers' expectations and values. The shopping activity as an experience to be enriched becomes the subjects of new paradigms for the retail offer, in the combination of products, services, entertainment and environmental values whose importance is increasing. The fourth section is about innovation, that for retailing is primarily on the ICT field, internet and the related social media development. This brings to a key issue for retailing management: multichannelling and omnichannelling, and their implications for marketing, organization and distribution strategies not only of retailers, but also of manufacturers. Omnichannelling seems to be the next decade challenge for all the players involved in the consumer-retailer-producer interaction. The fifth section focuses on consumers' involvement in co-creation of the retail service with reference to elements related to social responsibility and ethical / social values. Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility represent key issues for retailers, since they have to deal with a high number of stakeholders and play a dual role. On the one hand, they constantly communicate with consumers, for whom information and the image of the company are decisive in the choice of products, playing a guarantee role for the products marketed. On the other hand, retailers act as intermediaries in the consumer supply chain, and for this reason they pay more attention to the social responsibility also of the companies with which they relate. Actually there are many books related to relationship marketing, customer relationship management, consumer behavior, retailing and retail management. All these fields are usually covered with reference to business to business relationships, to information management tools, or with perspectives limited to specific issues, e.g. consumer behavior, retailing, marketing information system, etc. A broader view on the relationship between retailers and final consumers is missing, although it is treated as a complementary aspect. Since this book is putting together the several perspectives that can be used for analyzing the retailer-consumer relationship, it covers a gap in this area, which is of interest both for retailers and for manufacturers. This may stimulate the search for greater integration of these perspectives in future research, stimulating inter/multi-disciplinary approaches