Customer perceptions of retail service quality at a selected supermarket chain

Dion Trevor Noel and Jeevarathnam Parthasarathy Govender
Additional contact information
Dion Trevor Noel: Durban University of Technology
Jeevarathnam Parthasarathy Govender: Durban University of Technology

International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293), 2024, vol. 6, issue 4, 34-48

Abstract: This research investigates consumer perceptions of retail service quality at a particular supermarket chain located in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It expands upon the SERVQUAL paradigm to examine the determinants influencing consumer happiness and loyalty within the supermarket scenario. The study utilised a quantitative research design to gather data from 400 customers at four supermarket sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were employed to assess the dimensionality, reliability, and validity of variables evaluating retail service quality. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was utilised to examine the interrelations among these constructs. The study examined the impact of interpersonal interactions, loyalty, customer satisfaction, physical attributes, policies, and reliability on customer views. The results demonstrate that clients uphold favourable attitudes regarding all dimensions of service quality, with personal interaction, loyalty, and customer satisfaction being especially significant. The study establishes a substantial positive correlation among policy, physical attributes, interpersonal contacts, and customer happiness. Nonetheless, it fails to establish a substantial correlation between reliability and consumer pleasure. The study emphasises the significant impact of customer happiness on perceived loyalty. The study contributes by adapting and validating the SERVQUAL paradigm for the context of grocery chains. It provides pragmatic insights for service businesses seeking to improve customer experiences and cultivate loyalty.

Keywords: retail service quality (RSQ); customer perceptions; SERVQUAL (SQ) framework; customer satisfaction (CS); customer loyalty (CL); supermarket chain stores (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.bussecon.com/ojs/index.php/ijbes/article/view/607/296 (application/pdf)
https://doi.org/10.36096/ijbes.v6i4.607 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:adi:ijbess:v:6:y:2024:i:4:p:34-48

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293) is currently edited by Umit Hacioglu

More articles in International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293) from Bussecon International Academy Bussecon International Academy, School of Business, IHU, Ordu cad. F-05 Blok No 3, 34480 Basaksehir, Istanbul, Turkey. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Umit Hacioglu ().