SATISFACTION AND PRICE AS PERCEIVED PREDICTORS OF STORE IMAGE: A STUDY WITH CONSUMERS OF COSMETIC RETAILING

The current competitive global business scenario has led retailers to make considerable efforts to improve store image. The current study aimed to verify the main factors influencing the perceived image of a cosmetic store. Based on previous studies, we sought to identify which customer perceived attributes had the most influence on store image: satisfaction, service, quality, price and store atmosphere. Specifically, we investigated the relationship among some of the attributes that constitute store image based on the model proposed by Dickson and Albaum (1977). The sample of this field study was an important Brazilian cosmetic retailer located in a city in the state of São Paulo. Using LISREL software, questionnaires that did not meet the proposed requisites were discarded, totaling 270 valid respondents. Results were submitted to confirmatory analysis using Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) in order to determine the effect of the independent variable (perceived store image) on the dependent variable (satisfaction). The results indicated a positive and significant association between four of the five analyzed dimensions, allowing for the elaboration of a specific model that can be used in future research.