Gender Differences of Shoppers in the Marketing and Management of Retail Agglomerations

This paper aims to: 1) identify gender differences in perception and evaluation of retail agglomerations and 2) discuss the implications of these differences for marketing and management. Based on a conceptual model we surveyed 2,151 agglomeration shoppers using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Structural equation modelling revealed that: accessibility, parking and infrastructure are perceived differently between gender groups. The attractiveness in terms of satisfaction, retention proneness and patronage intention were also evaluated distinctively. Nevertheless, when examining the impact of the perceived attributes on the agglomeration attractiveness there was no difference. In both settings the retail tenant mix and the atmosphere are the main antecedents of attractiveness. Finally, an importance performance analysis offers managers a method for prioritising their marketing efforts considering gender differences.