The Evolution of Retail Formats: Past, Present, and Future

Authors

Dinesh K. Gauri, Walton College of BusinessFollow
Rupinder Paul Jindal, Milgard School of BusinessFollow
Brian T. Ratchford, University of Texas at DallasFollow
Edward Fox, Southern Methodist University (SMU) - Marketing DepartmentFollow
Amit Bhatnagar, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee - Sheldon B. Lubar School of BusinessFollow
Aashish Pandey, University of ArkansasFollow

Contributor(s)

Jonathan R. Navallo (Walmart, Inc.), John Fogarty (Walmart, Inc.), Stephen Carr (J.M. Smucker Company), Eric Howerton (Whytespyder Inc.)

Publication Date

10-1-2020

Abstract

In this paper, authors review the current literature on retail formats and propose a framework for customer-centric retail formats going forward. Specifically, they review literature on how formats compare in their attributes and compete with each other, role of store characteristics and customer behavior in format choice, and developments in multichannel and omnichannel retailing. They propose a conceptual framework for success of retail formats which suggests two paths – either reduce friction in the purchase process or enhance the purchase experience. Finally, they discuss the challenges faced by offline (physical-first) and online (digital-first) retailers and elaborate on strategies they are pursuing to address these challenges.

Document Type

Article

Keywords

retailing, retail formats, online retail, omnichannel, e-commerce

Disciplines

Marketing

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2020.11.002

Source

SMU Cox: Marketing (Topic)