The seven year itch? Mall shoppers across time

The present study investigates changes in the shopping behavior of today’s mall patrons as opposed to those in the early 1990s. Data collected in the sample surveys included respondents’ demographic attributes, shopping motivations, situational factors, and purchase behaviors. Although no differences were found between the demographics of the respondents in the earlier and later periods, we discovered significant differences in shopping patterns and purchase behaviors. Compared with the shoppers in the early 1990s, today’s mall patrons tend to be more leisure driven, they have a greater concern for merchandise selection, and they visit the mall less often but make more purchases per visit. The findings also reveal that situational variables are more likely to have an impact on shoppers’ purchase decisions today than they did before. Based on the study’s findings, we suggest a number of pragmatic strategies to aid store and mall managers in their marketing efforts with regard to consumers today.