ISSN No - RBS

convenience are some of majorattributes looked upon by theconsumers while evaluating agrocery store.• Bearden (1977) distinguishedseven attributes as potentiallysignificant for store patronage:price, quality of merchandise,assortment, atmosphere, location,parking facilities and friendlystaff.• Arnold et al. (1983) extended theaccessibility attribute to the easeof mobility through the store andfast checkout• Mason, Mayer, & Ezell, 1994proposed that Reasonable pricesin a retail store induce customersatisfaction as well as buildingcustomer loyalty. In the retailingsector, the store havingreasonable prices will oftencapture a large market share.• Hasty and Reardon (1997)classified store attributes intothree general categories:accessibility (e.g., location, layout,appearance, and knowledgeablestaff), facilitation of sales (e.g.,low-priced specials, promotionaloffers and methods of paymentsaccepted) and auxiliary attributes(e.g., play areas for children andfood court).• Wong & Sohal, (2003) comparedthe relationship betweendimensions of service quality andcustomer loyalty in a retail chaindepartmental store located in acity to that of a country. Theresults showed that servicequality is positively associatedwith customer loyalty, and thatthe most significant predictor ofcustomer loyalty in the city retaildistrict is empathy, while themost significant predictor ofcustomer loyalty in the countryretail district is tangibles.• Solgaard and Hansen (2003)identified several store attributesthat were considered importantfor the consumer's evaluation ofstores. These attributes includemerchandise, assortment,merchandise quality, personnel,store layout, accessibility,cleanliness and atmosphere.• Spiller Bolten and Kennerknecht(2006) identify service andproduct quality as maindeterminants of customersatisfaction. They propose thatcustomers consider freshness offruits and vegetables` as thequality of whole assortment.OBJECTIVES OF THESTUDYThe aim of the study is to identify thefactors affecting consumer preferencerelated to shopping at organised retailstore.RESEARCHMETHODOLOGYThe following research methodologyhas been used in order to achieve theobjectives:[ 120 ] Rai Management Journal