A marketing and distribution research centre

Research area: "Consumer behaviour in stores and image of stores"

Research conducted in the In Situ centre aims to model the effects of the major "levers" of marketing and distribution on consumer behavior in stores and on their images of the point of sale/retail store. This include factors such as price, promotions, store brands, environmental factors at the point of sale, and specific formats (e.g. fair trade or organic products).

Based on a partnership with the French national retailer Système U, this centre consists of 2 innovative research tools:

• a replica shopping experience (4 supermarket aisles are reproduced within Audencia),
• a partnership with hypermarkets that forms part of the French national retailer, Système U.

The reproduced aisles allow shopping situations such as price reductions, promotions, shelving position and general atmosphere to be easily controlled. Work in the shopping simulation then permits complex research experiments to be carried out in a real shop.

These research approaches are central to an understanding of consumer behaviour within food retail and of the influence of commercial factors on the image enjoyed by supermarket chains.  

A chair was created in 2005 with the French national retailer, Système U, to work on:

• the effects of price, promotions, and shelf space allocated to store brands on consumer behavior (including smart-shoppers),
• the multi-channel strategies of customers,
• the links between perceived environment of the retail store, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty,
• the browsing behaviour in retail stores (antecedents and consequences), and
• the perceived control in retail stores (sources and consequences) ...