VUB - Retail Technologies

MARK: Marketing and Consumer Behavior

Within the Marketing cluster of our department, research is carried out in the field of consumer behaviour. We focus on retail marketing and shopping behavior (off- as well as online). Issues related to shopper typologies, channel choice (e.g. adoption of online, multichannel, social and virtual world shopping), shopping motivations (a.o. compulsive buying), customer emotions and experiences, satisfaction and loyalty are studied. In current research projects we analyze - among others – the impact of store atmospherics (for example colours, lighting, and odours), (technological) innovations at the point-of-sale and brand personality and differentiation across different retail formats. The research team also studies the usage of new media (e.g., Facebook, Second Life,…) and the effectiveness of marketing communication (e.g., the determinants of brand confusion, the impact of social media and in-store apps).

Besides qualitative research methods (focus groups and Kelly grid, etc.), the researchers mainly use quantitative survey methods and factor-experimental research designs. Therefore, multivariate techniques (correlations, t-tests, analyses of variance, factor analyses, cluster analyses, regressions, and structural equation modeling) are used in SPSS, AMOS and Smart PLS.