The exploration of developing digital components and integrating technology with design informs a new model for retail design. This model responds to its users and lets them engage more with the space than the traditional retail stores. It also provides an experiential space informing customers in more attractive interactive ways. Advances in computing technology and software, along with new ways to configure and display these systems, have made it possible to create a new generation of immersive environments. This new environment, which is integrated with design, gives more freedom to users. According to the more links and connections this immersive environments creates, It provides a more liberated environment that is free from place and time and engages more people to attend to the space and be a part of that. Equipping the retail with digital components makes it accessible for people to interact with each other and get any information they want. As a result, interactive retail space relies less on materials and locations and more on social and technical capabilities.

The exploration of developing digital components and integrating technology with design informs a new model for retail design. This model responds to its users and lets them engage more with the space than the traditional retail stores. It also provides an experiential space informing customers in more attractive interactive ways. Advances in computing technology and software, along with new ways to configure and display these systems, have made it possible to create a new generation of immersive environments. This new environment, which is integrated with design, gives more freedom to users. According to the more links and connections this immersive environments creates, It provides a more liberated environment that is free from place and time and engages more people to attend to the space and be a part of that. Equipping the retail with digital components makes it accessible for people to interact with each other and get any information they want. As a result, interactive retail space relies less on materials and locations and more on social and technical capabilities.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Detroit Mercy, 2010. / "30 April 2010".

The Masters Thesis follows up with the development of the retail store of farm food in South Bohemia by using marketing tools. The theoretical part of the thesis defines market, basic marketing tools and customer. It further analyses a situation of farmers market and farm food in Czech Republic. The application part focuses on the development of the retail store in Tábor in South Bohemia. It analyses each marketing tool the owner of the store uses to keep a relationship with his customers. At the same time to make connection towards to new customers. The conclusion provides data evaluation from certain marketing tools and activities.

The global fashion retail industry has been characterised by fierce competition for numerous years. Boutiques face increasing pressure to distinctly differentiate themselves from competing retail stores offering fashion merchandise, since customers are becoming ever more demanding as fashion evolves and new trends reach South African retail stores. Accordingly, marketers have to ensure customer satisfaction, build store loyalty, and stimulate repurchase intentions in the fashion retail industry in order to survive and prosper. For marketers to attract and retain customers, they have to adjust their marketing strategies and utilise various elements in the marketing mix to compete for customers’ attention, satisfy their retail experience needs, and encourage them to return. Shopping for clothes forms a significant part of many South African females’ lifestyles. Customers to whom fashion is important, have specific needs and wants and desire specific retail experiences. These customers are also becoming increasingly more sophisticated and individualistic, and therefore turn to small, speciality retailers such as boutiques, which they believe can accommodate them by providing unique and tailored retail experiences. Essentially, these customers do not merely purchase the retailer’s merchandise; they want to experience the store atmosphere the retailer offers. Therefore, it is important for boutiques to be aware of their store atmosphere which can offer customers a satisfying, consistent and sound retail experience. Customers who positively experience a retailer’s store atmosphere may feel more satisfied with the boutique, and may return to the retail store in the hope of receiving a similar retail experience. Once the customer returns to the same retail store, the possibility arises that the customer may become store loyal. As soon as the customer keeps on returning to the same retail store, the probability of repurchase intentions becomes real. That said, store atmosphere is considered to be a significant marketing tool, given that it provides boutiques with the power to manipulate a customer’s retail experience which could ultimately influence, customer satisfaction, store loyalty and repurchase intention. The primary objective of this research study is to investigate store atmosphere as a second-order construct model comprised from four sub-dimensions (factors) namely the retail store exterior, interior, layout and design and point-of-purchase and décoration in order to determine the interrelationships between these sub-dimensions (factors), customer satisfaction, store loyalty and repurchase intention in the fashion retail industry. In order to address this, a descriptive research design was followed and self-administered questionnaires were fielded amongst females, 18 years and older with an average monthly household net income of more than R14 000 (medium-to-high household income) who have bought items most recently from boutiques in Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp during the past six months. Judgemental, convenience and quota sampling methods were used to select the sampling units and sampling elements. A total of 361 questionnaires were ultimately analysed. With respect to the empirical results of this research study, respondents agreed the most that the exterior location of the boutique is convenient, the entrance to the boutique is inviting, the interior of the boutique is clean and that the temperature in the boutique is comfortable. Regarding the layout and design of the boutique, respondents agreed the most that the checkout and service points in the boutique are well placed and that all the spaces in the boutique are creatively utilised, as well as that the furnishings in the boutique are attractive. Finally, regarding the point-of-purchase and décoration of the boutique, respondents agreed the most that the pricing of the merchandise in the boutique is clearly visible and that the merchandise is well displayed. All the measurement scales measuring the sub-dimensions (factors) and constructs of this research study exhibit internal consistency reliability as well as content, construct and criterion validity. The standardised model results indicate that all statements included in the measurement model exhibit significant factor loadings above the recommended cut-off point, exhibiting a large effect in all instances, leading to the retention of all statements for further statistical analysis. With respect to the assessment of the structural model, the fit indices indicate an acceptable model fit. Based on the empirical results obtained from this research study, it became clear that store atmosphere has a large direct influence on customer satisfaction and store loyalty, albeit with no direct influence on repurchase intention. Both mediation relationships realised a medium indirect effect between store atmosphere and repurchase intention with customer satisfaction and store loyalty as mediators. The recommendations of this research study mainly focus on strategies to improve the store atmosphere of boutiques, since it positively influences customer satisfaction and store loyalty directly and repurchase intention indirectly. Limitations the researcher encountered were mainly related to budget and time constraints. Recommendations for future research include extending this research study to other Provinces of South Africa in order to determine the status quo in these Provinces and to determine whether statistical significant differences exist between respondents based upon demographic and geographic differences with respect to the constructs of this research study. / MCom (Marketing Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The global fashion retail industry has been characterised by fierce competition for numerous years. Boutiques face increasing pressure to distinctly differentiate themselves from competing retail stores offering fashion merchandise, since customers are becoming ever more demanding as fashion evolves and new trends reach South African retail stores. Accordingly, marketers have to ensure customer satisfaction, build store loyalty, and stimulate repurchase intentions in the fashion retail industry in order to survive and prosper. For marketers to attract and retain customers, they have to adjust their marketing strategies and utilise various elements in the marketing mix to compete for customers’ attention, satisfy their retail experience needs, and encourage them to return. Shopping for clothes forms a significant part of many South African females’ lifestyles. Customers to whom fashion is important, have specific needs and wants and desire specific retail experiences. These customers are also becoming increasingly more sophisticated and individualistic, and therefore turn to small, speciality retailers such as boutiques, which they believe can accommodate them by providing unique and tailored retail experiences. Essentially, these customers do not merely purchase the retailer’s merchandise; they want to experience the store atmosphere the retailer offers. Therefore, it is important for boutiques to be aware of their store atmosphere which can offer customers a satisfying, consistent and sound retail experience. Customers who positively experience a retailer’s store atmosphere may feel more satisfied with the boutique, and may return to the retail store in the hope of receiving a similar retail experience. Once the customer returns to the same retail store, the possibility arises that the customer may become store loyal. As soon as the customer keeps on returning to the same retail store, the probability of repurchase intentions becomes real. That said, store atmosphere is considered to be a significant marketing tool, given that it provides boutiques with the power to manipulate a customer’s retail experience which could ultimately influence, customer satisfaction, store loyalty and repurchase intention. The primary objective of this research study is to investigate store atmosphere as a second-order construct model comprised from four sub-dimensions (factors) namely the retail store exterior, interior, layout and design and point-of-purchase and décoration in order to determine the interrelationships between these sub-dimensions (factors), customer satisfaction, store loyalty and repurchase intention in the fashion retail industry. In order to address this, a descriptive research design was followed and self-administered questionnaires were fielded amongst females, 18 years and older with an average monthly household net income of more than R14 000 (medium-to-high household income) who have bought items most recently from boutiques in Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp during the past six months. Judgemental, convenience and quota sampling methods were used to select the sampling units and sampling elements. A total of 361 questionnaires were ultimately analysed. With respect to the empirical results of this research study, respondents agreed the most that the exterior location of the boutique is convenient, the entrance to the boutique is inviting, the interior of the boutique is clean and that the temperature in the boutique is comfortable. Regarding the layout and design of the boutique, respondents agreed the most that the checkout and service points in the boutique are well placed and that all the spaces in the boutique are creatively utilised, as well as that the furnishings in the boutique are attractive. Finally, regarding the point-of-purchase and décoration of the boutique, respondents agreed the most that the pricing of the merchandise in the boutique is clearly visible and that the merchandise is well displayed. All the measurement scales measuring the sub-dimensions (factors) and constructs of this research study exhibit internal consistency reliability as well as content, construct and criterion validity. The standardised model results indicate that all statements included in the measurement model exhibit significant factor loadings above the recommended cut-off point, exhibiting a large effect in all instances, leading to the retention of all statements for further statistical analysis. With respect to the assessment of the structural model, the fit indices indicate an acceptable model fit. Based on the empirical results obtained from this research study, it became clear that store atmosphere has a large direct influence on customer satisfaction and store loyalty, albeit with no direct influence on repurchase intention. Both mediation relationships realised a medium indirect effect between store atmosphere and repurchase intention with customer satisfaction and store loyalty as mediators. The recommendations of this research study mainly focus on strategies to improve the store atmosphere of boutiques, since it positively influences customer satisfaction and store loyalty directly and repurchase intention indirectly. Limitations the researcher encountered were mainly related to budget and time constraints. Recommendations for future research include extending this research study to other Provinces of South Africa in order to determine the status quo in these Provinces and to determine whether statistical significant differences exist between respondents based upon demographic and geographic differences with respect to the constructs of this research study. / MCom (Marketing Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

The aim of this thesis was to analyze the use of multichannel retailing in Globus hypermarket in České Budějovice. Dispensation was done according to Levy and Weitz (2009) into three main channels {--} retail store, catalogue and the internet which were supplemented by some components of the communication mix. On the basis of the case studies and marketing situation analysis of Globus hypermarket in České Budějovice some measures were proposed to improve the competitive position of this company by the use of multichannel retailing. Partial proposals were devided by particular channels. One of them was also economically evaluate.

Purpose: This study aims to identify the most influential aspects that affect the consumer’s behavior regarding purchasing online, also why consumers choose not to complete their purchase or actually do complete it. 
 Research questions: How do an online retail store companies create a consumer experience resulting in a purchase or cancellation, and how do consumers perceive online experience? Methodology: A qualitative research approach was conducted, utilizing semi-structured interviews with two online retailing stores and five online consumers. Conclusion: The wants and needs in order to fulfill a purchase is the same for the companies and the consumers. However, the companies are clearly lacking on some aspects since they both confirmed that they have plenty of cancellations and items left in the basket.  Consumers base their knowledge on previous experience, and companies base their knowledge on their own investigations. The connection is lost sometimes, and then i results in cancellations and left items.

Reverberating architecture exists through the echoes of its creative or architectural image. It is an architecture where the being of that architectural image reverberates and is felt throughout the whole transformative process until its echoes engage with the inner experience of the onlooker. These reverberations might impact the onlooker in such a way that it provokes a new architectural image within him or her. My design thinking was very much influenced by this thesis theme, as well as the concept of an indoor-outdoor system that intertwines. The concept is to design an outdoor recreational equipment centre with speciality shops for mountain biking, kayaking and canoeing, hiking and climbing. This retail complex varies from conventional retail centres in that it is an interactive retail store. This implies that the equipment can be tried before purchasing it. The architecture and the extreme sport activities [climbing, the mountain bike track and the kayak and canoe channel] would be used as communicating devices for specific brands. A precarious balance was needed between the plan, the architecture and the extreme sports existing within the architecture. Therefore a language was developed where by architecture not only responded to the site, but also with the movement happening in and around the site. / Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Architecture / unrestricted