An integrative perspective of closeness in retailing: From retailers' sense-giving to consumers' sense-making

Maryline Schultz (), Damien Chaney () and Alain Debenedetti ()
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Maryline Schultz: LEG - Laboratoire d'Economie et de Gestion - UB - Université de Bourgogne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Damien Chaney: Département de marketing [ESC Troyes] - Groupe ESC Troyes en Champagne, REGARDS - Recherches en Économie Gestion AgroRessources Durabilité Santé- EA 6292 - URCA - Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne - MSH-URCA - Maison des Sciences Humaines de Champagne-Ardenne - URCA - Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne
Alain Debenedetti: IRG - Institut de Recherche en Gestion - UPEC UP12 - Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 - Université Gustave Eiffel

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Abstract: This research investigates the concept of closeness in retailing. While previous research on closeness has tended to adopt only consumers' point of view, in-depth interviews with managers and customers of a French supermarket chain show that both parties interpret and define closeness differently. Analysis reveals that "store closeness" comprises a complex set of meanings that are not limited to a geographical notion but rather encompass functional, relational, and integration notions. Furthermore, retailers define store closeness very broadly, which contributes to nurturing their positioning but also leads them to idealize their role in the marketplace. In contrast, consumers' definition of store closeness is more limited and mainly focuses on the functional features of the store, thus highlighting a discrepancy between retailers' sense-giving and consumers' sense-making.

Keywords: quality; legitimacy; providers; settings; strength; services; work; Proximity; Closeness; place attachment; customers; Sense-making; Sense-giving; Retailing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016-09
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Published in Journal of retailing and consumer services, 2016, 32 (septembre), pp.218-226. ⟨10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.06.016⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01425364

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.06.016

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