Die beeld van die Kleinhandelsonderneming as beïnvloeder van winkelondersteuning

Abstract

The failure or success of many retailtensenesses, the writer of this article maintains, can be attributed to either ineffective or effective decisions regarding aspects such as settlement, prices, promotion, quality and variety of products offered for sale. These decisions are viewed as an entity by the consumer. The consumer establishes for himself an image of the retail business and this image largely determines whether or not the consumer considers the retailer as an acceptable service point where his purchasing needs will be satisfied. The image so formed, therefore, has an important influence on the success of the retailer, because it largely determines who will support the business. Retail management exercises a direct influence on this image of the shop through decisions regarding the socalled controllable factors. The image forming process also includes a subjective element in the form of the consumer's evaluation of the controllable functional aspects. The process by which consumers digest the functional inputs into a shop image can be understood by analysing consumer behaviour. Retail management can, therefore, by making decisions regarding controllable functional factors based on knowledge about needs, desires and behaviour of consumers, project a certain shop image which would entice people to support the business.