Demographics and patronage motives of supercenter shoppers in the United States

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to provide an updated, general understanding of supercenter shopping behavior in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a sample generated from Retail Forward panel data to assess the impact of demographic variables, including gender, age, ethnicity, education, income, marital status, and household size, on supercenter shopping frequency across four product categories (apparel, health and beauty, home furnishings, and consumer electronics). Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques (regression, ANOVA) are used to evaluate the data.

Findings

The paper identifies demographic groups who frequent supercenters and examines patronage motives as drivers of supercenter shopping behavior.

Research limitations/implications

Generalizations of the findings of this study to markets outside the USA are limited due to the differences in consumers and retail formats available in various countries. Future research could compare shopping behavior within large formats across international markets.

Practical implications

This research provides supercenter retailers who operate within the USA with specific knowledge of the patronage motives driving cross‐category shopping in supercenters (e.g. value, one‐stop shopping convenience, brands, product assortment) and identifies the demographic characteristics of cross‐category shoppers. The results suggest marketing strategy implications for supercenter operators in the US market. As competition in the sector continues to evolve and consumer demographics change within the US market, understanding cross‐category shopping will be critical to retailer performance in the industry.

Originality/value

This study uses demographics and patronage motives as a framework for profiling cross‐category shoppers in the US supercenters. The paper is unique because there are few similar empirical studies which focus on consumer behavior within supercenters.

Citation

Carpenter, J.M. (2008), "Demographics and patronage motives of supercenter shoppers in the United States", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 36 No. 1, pp. 5-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/09590550810846965