Enhancing customer shopping experience in malls of emerging countries – the “Mauritius” experience
| Date | 12 July 2013 |
| Pages | 178-190 |
| Published date | 12 July 2013 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-01-2013-0005 |
| Author | Thanika Devi Juwaheer,Sharmila Pudaruth,Priyasha Ramdin |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management |
Enhancing customer shopping
experience in malls of
emerging countries – the
“Mauritius”experience
Thanika Devi Juwaheer, Sharmila Pudaruth and Priyasha Ramdin
Faculty of Law and Management, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius
Abstract
Purpose – The paper aims to explore the contributing factors impacting on shopping experiences
of customers in Mauritius. It also seeks to investigate the relative significance of these factors in
predicting the willingness of customers to visit shopping malls of Mauritius.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper applies the data reduction technique using
exploratory factor analysis on a sample of 600 respondents drawn from 23 shopping malls and
shopping centres across Mauritius and condenses a set of 33 mall attributes into a list of six
comprehensible dimensions about shopping experience. The multiple regression analysis was also
conducted to investigate the importance of the six shopping experience dimensions in influencing the
behavioural intentions of customers to visit shopping malls of Mauritius in future.
Findings – The factor analysis identified that customers visualise shopping experience as a
combination of six factors: “provision of childcare facilities”, “health and wellness events”,
“entertaining events”, “sports and games facilities”, “value-added restaurant facilities” and “shopping
events”. The results of the regression analysis have also suggested that the willingness of customers to
visit the shopping malls is primarily derived from one significant factor related to “entertainment
facilities and events”.
Practical implications – Shopping mall managers should cater for more entertainment facilities
and events. Mall developers should also focus on improving restaurant facilities by maximizing
regular renovation of food cour ts, integrating inter national coffee shops and fast food outlets in
various shopping malls of Mauritius.
Originality/value – The study is still a pioneer work on the factors impacting on shopping
experiences in the context of Mauritius which is still a developing nation. Yet, it would serve as a
roadmap for mall managers and designers to enhance shopping experience in similar contexts.
Keywords Shopping malls, Factors, Shopping experiences, Mauritian context, Shopping,
Shopping centers, Shopping centres management
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
It is important to note that there has be en a paradigm shift from shopping malls being
comprised of traditional shopping activities to treating them as retail-entertainment
complexes and community centres for social and entertaining events. Shopping malls
are not only centres for shopping but they are now integrated with hig hly structured
social spaces for entertainment, interaction and other types of consumer excitement.
Similarly, the shopping climate has been radically transformed with the mushrooming
of various shopping malls and centres all over the world. Indeed, the mall industry has
been evolving at an accelerating pace in Mauritius. Various shopping malls are
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/2042-5961.htm
World Journal of Entrepreneurship,
Management and Sustainable
Development
Vol. 9 No. 2/3, 2013
pp. 178-190
rEmeraldGroup PublishingLimited
2042-5961
DOI 10.1108/W JEMSD-01-2013-00 05
The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution and support of Nadaraj Mathuvirin and
Aradhna Boodhoo-Laumond in making this research successful.
178
WJEMSD
9,2/3
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