An Investigation into the Factors that Influence Students Supermarket Choice in Glasgow - Research Paper Example

Module XXX Group: Group X Module Research Project Assessment: Project Report Assignment An investigation into the factors that influence students’ supermarket choice in Glasgow Tutor Name: XX Student ID Number: XX Date of Submission: August 4th, 2014 An investigation into the factors that influence students’ supermarket choice in Glasgow Abstract Supermarkets are important shopping destinations for students for meeting their daily needs. The major objective of the research is to identify and evaluate the factors that affect supermarket selection of the students in Glasgow. The study is designed to fill the gap in the research that focuses on the students’ selection of supermarkets, looking at their limited financial resources and requirements. The quantitative research approach is used to collect self-completed questionnaire through convenient sampling strategy. The research study reveals that location, price and quality of products are important factors that influence students’ choice of supermarkets in Glasgow. Moreover, sales promotional techniques and to some extent, store image and its own labeled products tend to impact students’ choice. It is therefore suggested that apart from the fact that supermarkets need to be located near the students’ hostels, special discounts to students would significantly influence their choice of supermarkets 1. Introduction In the recent years, there has been significant increase in the consumption of goods by the increasing number of students who are pursuing higher education in UK. In 2012-2013, the number of students in higher education institutes of UK was around 2.34 million (Higher Education Statistics Agency, 2013). The students have therefore emerged as important consumers, especially for supermarkets which offer wide choices of goods to the customers. Smith (2010: 257) asserts that the three most popular supermarket chains in UK share 50% of the sale of food products and items. The expansion of supermarkets has facilitated the consumers with great convenience by bringing together all types of consumer requirements under one roof. One of the highlights of supermarket is that the price and quality of one set of product tends to influence the demand for other related and unrelated items. Very often, customers tend to choose one supermarket for their weekly shopping for the customers which reveals their competitive advantage (Smith & Thomassen, 2012). Indeed, scholars have investigated consumers’ behavior and attitude towards products of supermarket’s own label when selecting supermarket in Glasgow (Veloutsou et al, 2004:229) because of their quality and low price. But not many studies have been conducted on the students’ choice of supermarket when they go for their weekly shopping. The students have increasing become important group of consumers who need to meet their daily/ weekly requirements of food and other items. They do not have jobs or regular income and therefore their choice of supermarket would differ widely from other group of people with regular source of income. The current research would therefore study the factors that influence students’ selection of supermarket. It would identify and evaluate students’ shopping behavior in Glasgow International College so that supermarkets in Glasgow can provide students with better shopping experience. 30 students of the college would be selected randomly who would be asked to complete the questionnaire which would broadly address the research questions. 2. Research questions 1. What factors add to the students’ expectations while choosing supermarket? 2. How do the variable elements of students’ expectations tend to influence their relationship with the supermarket? 3. How can supermarket attract students? 3. Literature Review In the highly competitive environment, supermarket chains need to evolve innovative strategies to attract student fraternity who come to Glasgow for higher studies. The statistics of UK Council for International Students Affairs (2014) shows that 0.42 million international students had come to UK in the 2012-2013 academic years. As such, supermarkets face huge competition amongst themselves in attracting this growing consumer segment for which the supermarkets become important consumption site (Kumar, 2008:192). He further elaborates that supermarkets could maintain their niche clientele by using new ways such as promoting their own label, online order and free home delivery, product expansion loyalty programs etc. Few studies have shown that 24-hours opened supermarkets and the strategies are used to maintain customers’ loyalty (Richbell & Kite, 2007; Kitapci et al, 2013). But there is gap in the consumer research that focuses on the students’ consumption and purchase decisions in their selection of food store, especially the supermarkets. The literature review would first examine the driving factors of customers’ shopping behavior and later analyze the strategies used by supermarkets to influence their buying decisions. Lastly, it would discuss the variables that impact the relationship between the supermarkets and the customers. 3.1 The determinant elements of customers’ shopping behavior Kinley et al, (2009:562) broadly define shopping behavior in terms of where and how a consumer shops for his daily requirements. Many scholars believe that price is important determinant that influences buying decisions of the consumers (Skallerud et al, 2009:183). Some customers equate price to quality and prefer to buy expensive items that meets their expected level of quality (Pan & Zinkhan, 2006:230). This could not be applied to students who have small budget and limited financial resources. At the same time, supermarkets are attractive because of their competitively priced wide range of products (Carpenter & Moore, 2006:436). They insist that though product range and cleanliness influence shopping behavior but the price remains the most important determinant of customers shopping behavior. The fact is corroborated by Fox et al (2004:28) who says that the while the average price of products in grocery stores is higher than drug stores and mass merchandisers, the discounts make the products very attractive for customers who are looking for quality products at low price. Another important determinant is the convenience factor of the supermarket that not only adds value to the shopping experience but also helps save time and money through its location, parking facilities and long opening hours (Reimers, 2013; Reimers & Clulow, 2008). Though parking facility is not an important issue for the students, the convenience of location of the supermarket and the timings become hugely crucial issues for the students who might need to visit the supermarket at odd hours. 3.2 The innovative strategies of supermarket to influence customers’ choice Understanding of consumer psychology is important for developing an appropriate and effective market strategy for supermarkets. Profit making is the most important imperative of all businesses which is achieved through development of marketing strategies (Kim et al, 2012). The market strategy involves an in-depth study of the people’s changing preferences and segmentation of the market so that appropriate market strategy for the product can be developed for the identified target customers. Consumers experience satisfaction when their perceived value of the product meets their expectations. The stores therefore tend to promote the quality and perceived need of the products in their promotional techniques such as offering discounts etc. so as to increase sales and make profit. Yildirim & Aydin, (2012) define sale promotion as a critical element of business strategy that is focused on influencing the purchase decisions of the customers through discounts, cash rebates, coupons etc. Their research reveals that people tend to buy more when there is discount. In one of the studies of Chinese customers in UK, it was found that they prefer price to brand and therefore their buying decision is often motivated by the reduction in prices of the products store as against the coupons or rebates (McNeill, 2006). They are not often swayed by sale promotion, preferring to buy goods which are competitively priced. Advertisements are yet other very important promotional tools that not only create need but also represent goods that hold some perceived value for the consumers which influences their purchase decisions (Trampe et al., 2009). They target the desired needs of the people and turn them into customers when people/ customers buy the advertised product. The advertisements are distinct in their visual and textual content that attract customers and tend to create needs that are later turned into buying behavior. ‘I’m lovin’ it’ is the popular slogan of McDonald’s that has attracted customers from wide segment and Tesco’s ‘Every little helps’ is invariably engraved in people’s consciousness when they go for their weekly shopping. The interesting slogans and attractive visuals create definite image of the supermarket which impacts customers’ selection of their shopping destination. Rojas & Peterson, (2008) state that all formats of advertising such as radio, television, newspaper, hoarding etc. are not informative but are designed to persuade the customers into buying the products. Indeed, they greatly serve the fundamental requirements of the business’ market strategy that is focused on influencing the buying behavior of the customers. 3.3 Elements that impact the relationship between supermarkets and customers Store image constitutes one of the key variables of the driving determinant of the customers’ shopping traits that impacts the relationship between the store and the customers. It becomes important paradigm that promotes specific perception of the supermarket and its patronage by the customers (Pan & Zinkhan, 2006:). Some people like to Sainsbury because they may like orange color while others might prefer Tesco because of its logo. Thus, the visual and textual contents and displays of the supermarkets give specific identities to them that are correlated by the customers’ individual perception and interests which influence their selection of the supermarket (Beristain & Zorrilla, 2011; Kirby & Kent, 2010). Beristain & Zorrilla go on to emphasize that superstores earn the loyalty of the customers if their brand image promotes customer satisfaction and meets their expectations (2011). Interestingly, some scholars are of the view that supermarkets’ private labels also exert significant influence on the relationship between the store and the customers (Veloutsou et al, 2004; Pepe et al (2011). Veloutsou et al had conducted research on 224 consumers in Glasgow which showed that people are inclined to prefer supermarkets whose private labels meet their expectations of quality products at low price. The supermarkets’ products with their own labels that offer quality product at relatively low cost witness repeat visit and customer loyalty. The research is pertinent as it focused on the customers of the Glasgow town and their choice of supermarket for their shopping. Though the studies do not address students specifically but the general outcome highlights the need for the promotion of products with private labels of the supermarkets to attract and earn customers’ loyalty. 3.4 Conclusion The major aim of the literature review was to investigate the factors that impact the selection of the supermarket by the customers. The review has revealed some of the important factors that can be exploited by the supermarket to develop effective market strategies for attracting and retaining customers. While none of the studies have used students as their main focus, the literature review nevertheless is important for identifying determinant factors for customers’ choice of supermarket for shopping. Convenience, price and private labels have emerged as vital ingredients that considerably influence customers’ supermarket preference. These factors could be pertinent for students also as they offer competitively priced quality products which could fit students’ budget shopping. 4. Methodology The research would primarily be examining the students’ attitude towards supermarkets and identify and analyse the factors that influence their choice of supermarket. It would adopt quantitative research methodology within the broader framework of explanatory research that helps build causal relationships between different variables of the study (Saunders et al, 2012). Quantitative research was preferred as it is cost effective and takes less time. The data was collected through questionnaires that were used as sampling instruments to study the consumption behaviour and criteria for supermarket selection by the 30 students in Glasgow International College. The students were selected randomly for the study. The quantitative study would help to quantify data so that outcome could be applied on large number of people. Thus, generalization would help the supermarkets to evolve effective strategies to enhance their appeal to students. Previous research studies in the literature review gave insight into the factors that influence students’ choice of supermarket and were used to prepare questionnaire. A pilot sampling with questionnaire was conducted with classmates to identify and rectify flaws in the questions. This ensured that questions that were repeated were removed or modified to make the questionnaire more effective and relevant. Questions such as ‘how the store image and format of supermarket influences the students’ choice of shopping site?’ was amended into two different questions. Total 11 questions were used in two parts. The first part had personal information and the second part comprised of the questions associated with their attitude towards the supermarkets. The second part had 9 questions with one open question that was intended to investigate other factors that influence individual choice of supermarket. There were nine multi-choice questions and one had used Likert-scale with 1 denoting not important and 5 indicating extremely important. The questionnaire is attached in the Appendix 1. Before distribution of the questionnaires, the respondents were informed about the aims and objectives of the research and were assured that the information would be used only for the research with full confidentiality. The questions were prepared, keeping in mind the research questions and aims. Thereafter, the questionnaire was distributed amongst the randomly selected respondents. The respondents were informed about the aims of the research. The convenience sampling strategy was used as it consists of non-probability sampling (Farrokhi, 2012). The convenience sampling was easy for target population of students which sought willing volunteers/ respondents from the students’ fraternity. 4.1 Sample size 30 students were selected randomly from Glasgow International College with 17 male participants and 13 female respondents. 28 of them were Chinese with one from Japan and one British student. Out of the total sample size, only 14 respondents gave answers to the open question which was aimed at finding the other reasons not mentioned in the questionnaire for students’ choice of supermarket. 4.2 Limitation The major limitation was the small sample size that could be assessed as poor model (Hernandez et al, 2006). Nevertheless, it was sufficient to give broad indication of the students’ attitude towards supermarkets and the factors for their selection. 4.3 Reliability and validity of the sample Validity was not the main concern as it was a convenience research model that had used willing volunteers. But it can be assumed that validity could be influenced because the college has few native students which made us select more in international students as participants in the research. Attitude of students in Glasgow towards the supermarkets could be changed to the attitude of the international students towards supermarket. More precisely, the research outcome could indicate Chinese perspectives as majority of the participants were from China. The reliability of the data collection is not doubted as the participants were give option to fill the questionnaire during their free time. 4.4 Ethical considerations The students were fully apprised of the aims of the research. A consent form was used to protect the respondents’ rights and the confidentiality of the information given by them. They were also assured that information would be used for the research purpose only. The questionnaires were completed anonymously to keep participants’ confidentiality. The consent form is attached in Appendix 2. 5. Findings The data collected through questionnaire gave important insight into the participants’ attitude towards supermarket. The students from the Glasgow International College helped to give students’ perception of the supermarkets and the factors that influence their shopping behavior. Investigating the factors was an important issue as the information could be judiciously exploited by the supermarket to attract increasingly vital segment of student population that comes to Glasgow to pursue higher education. Indeed, the chosen College has more international students coming from different parts of the world than the native population which makes the goals of the research very crucial paradigm for the supermarkets who can use this segment as competitive advantage. 5.1 Personal information The first part of the questionnaire succinctly showed the participation in terms of gender and nationality. Graph 1 shows that ration of male: female as 57: 43. Graph 2 indicates that the majority of the participants were Chinese (28) followed by Japanese (1) and British (1). 5.2 Attitudes toward supermarkets The second part of the questionnaire had focused on the attitude of the participants and the factors that influence their selection of supermarkets. Out of six major supermarkets chosen, Morrison was the most preferred option with 16 participants, followed by Tesco with 14 students and Sainsbury with 10 students. Graph 3 shows the details of the participants’ choice of the supermarkets. Graph 4 shows students’ frequency of visiting supermarkets. 14 participants visit supermarket twice a week followed by 7 students who go to the supermarkets at least once a week. Only 2 students go to the supermarket more than 3 times a week. Table 1 gives importance of the factors as per Likert scale. While location is shown to be the most important factor, it is followed by quality, price and product range. Customer service ranks at the lowest level of Likert scale. Table 1: the importance of the factors which influence participant’ supermarket choices Factors Mean Location 4.34 Product quality 3.90 Price 3.76 Product range 3.76 Service 3.07 Notes: 1=Not important; 5=extremely important Graph 6 depicts the importance of store image in the selection of the supermarkets. 22 of the students are slightly influenced by the store image while 3 students are strongly influenced by the store image. Whereas 17% or 5 students say that store image does not matter. Graph 7 shows the impact of advertisements on the selection of supermarkets. Though majority of the participants are neutral, 10 students do not find advertisements attractive and two students are heavily influenced by them. Graph 8 indicates the importance of sales promotional techniques. 53% of the participants are not influenced by sales promotion but 30% students’ decision of visiting supermarket is due to sales promotion. As per the Graph 9, 15 students are neutral to the supermarkets’ own label products while 10 participants’ find them very attractive proposition to visit supermarket. The last question was an open question that sought suggestions from students as to how supermarkets can improve to attract more students. Though 16 students had not attempted the question, the rest responded by suggesting various ways to improve the appeal of the supermarket for the students. 8 of the participants would like to have wider range of products comprising of cooked food and vegetables. 3 students wanted students’ discount and 2 students favored lower prices without any promotional schemes. 6. Discussion The research was important facilitator to investigate factors that influence the students’ choice of the supermarket. It is vital information as students tend to visit the supermarket at least twice a week, thereby making them important consumer segment for the supermarkets. The research outcome becomes pertinent for the supermarkets as the information can be exploited by them to make it more attractive for the large number of students who are pursuing higher education in UK. As the research shows, the College selected for sample was distinct in its large number of international students who are frequent visitors to the supermarkets. The data and information would be analyzed for the factors that influence the choice of the supermarkets with focus on the students as key consumers in Glasgow. The discussion would entail finding the answers to the research questions through in-depth analysis of data. 6.1 The determinant factors of customers’ shopping behavior The findings of the study show that price is one of the three most important factors that influence the students’ selection of the supermarket. The fact is corroborated by the scholars of the previous studies who have asserted that customers not only relate price to the quality but special promotional techniques such as discounts make them highly attractive for price-sensitive customers like students who often have to manage on shoestring budgets (Pan and Zinkhan, 2006; Fox et al., 2004). Indeed, with mean value of 3.90, price has been one of the most important factors to influence students’ shopping behavior. Location is deemed as most essential element of influence, thereby promoting the issue of convenience as vital facilitator that influences the choice of supermarkets by the students. The same is supported by previous researchers who had claimed that convenience is highly important factor for choosing supermarkets (Reimers, 2013; Reimers &Clulow (2008). Location ranks at the top of five convenience factors in the research. Moreover, the study reveals Morrison and Tesco as most popular supermarkets found by the students. This could be because of the convenient location, low prices and discounts that are offered without compromising on the quality of the products. As the subject was not included within the questions, the reason for the popularity of the specific supermarkets cannot be claimed with guarantee. 6.2 The supermarket strategies influence customers’ choice The research reveals some surprising trends and factors regarding the sales strategies used by the supermarkets. The study shows that discounts do not significantly influence the choice of the students who tend to prefer low prices as against discount coupons/ vouchers etc. Only 30% are attracted by the sales promotion techniques used by supermarkets. This defies the research predictions of Yildirim and Aydin (2012) who believed that sales promotions encourage more sale to make profits. But the current research outcome are supported by McNeill (2006) who had asserted that Chinese see the price of the product rather than the brands and prefer low price against sales techniques such as discounts/ redeemable vouchers etc. Advertisements have also shown surprising results. Most of the participants were least impacted by the advertising and their shopping decisions and choice of supermarket was not much influenced by them. The study outcome challenges the findings of Trampe et al (2009) who believed that visual and contextual contents of the advertisements play important role in the shopping choice of supermarkets. The reasons could because the students either lack time to watch TVs and listen to radio or may be the Chinese students are not comfortable watching TV programs in English language. The generalization of the outcome could not be definitely declared due to small sample size that reduces the reliability of the research outcome. 6.3 Variables influence the relationship between supermarkets and customers The various variables include store image, shopping experience etc. that influence the relationship between the customers and the supermarkets. The findings of the research are consistent with the previous studies which emphasize that store image is important especially when the expectations of the customers are met satisfactorily (Beristain & Zorrilla, 2011; Pan and Zinkhan, 2006). Indeed, customer loyalty gets a boost when they are satisfied with the products bought from the supermarket. The research had revealed that 75% are influenced by the store image in their shopping behavior and choice of the supermarket. One of the most surprising outcome was the value perception of the supermarket’s products with own label. The research showed that only 33% find private labels to be an attractive proposition to visit the supermarket. It contradicts the research findings of Veloutsou et al. (2004) which showed that only 3% of 224 participants had never bought supermarkets’ own label products. The difference in opinion could be contributed to the varying nature of the participants. Though the reason is not very clear but it could due to the fact that Veloutsou’s participants were mostly Scottish while the majority of the participants of the current research were of Chinese origin who are not much swayed by brand but tend to prefer low price. 7. Conclusion The research was designed to investigate the factors that influence the choice of the supermarket and the shopping behavior of the students in Glasgow. The analysis of the data gave important insight into the shopping behavior of the students in Glasgow who have increasingly emerged as important consumer segment. The large numbers of international students are frequent visitors to the supermarkets in order to meet their daily requirements. Thus, studying their choice of the supermarkets helps to provide important insight into the factors that influence their supermarket selection. The findings showed that location is the most crucial element of making a choice which is followed by price and quality of the products. The findings become pertinent as they can be used by supermarkets to develop effective strategies to attract students and make them committed customers. Indeed, while advertising is not very important for the students fraternity, the low price, convenience and the quality of the products become hugely crucial issues. Store image is also vital ingredient of customer loyalty as the products bought from the supermarket meet the expectations of the customers. The research outcome could be biased as majority of the participants belonged to China. The findings give indications of the factors that influence foreign students, especially those coming from China and therefore may necessitate further research that involves British citizens or target segment that gives equal representation to the diverse populace of Glasgow. Word count: 3951 References Beristain, J.J. and Zorrilla, P. (2011). The relationship between store image and store brand equity: A conceptual framework and evidence from hypermarkets. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 18, 562-574. Carpenter, J.M. and Moore, M. (2006). Consumer demographics, store attributes, and retail format choice in the US grocery market. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 34(6), 434-452. Farrokhi, F. (2012). Rethinking Convenience Sampling: Defining Quality Criteria. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2(4), 784-792. Fox, E.J., Montgomery, A.L. and Lodish, L.M. (2004). Consumer Shopping and Spending across Retail Formats. The Journal of Business, 77(2), 25-60. Hernandez, P.A., Graham, C.H., Master, L.L. and Albert, D.L. (2006). The effect of sample size and species characteristics on performance of different species distribution modeling methods. ECOGRAPHY, 29, 773-785. Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). (2013). Headline Statistics. Retrieved August 3rd, 2014 from: http://www.hesa.ac.uk/ Kinley, T.R., Josiam, B.M. and Lockett, F. (2009). Shopping behavior and the involvement construct. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 14(4), 562-575. Kim, K.H., Jeon, B.J., Jung, H.S., Lu, W. and Jones, J. (2012). Effective employment brand equity through sustainable competitive advantage, marketing strategy, and corporate image. Journal of Business Research, 65, 1612-1617. Kirby, A.E. and Kent, A.M. (2010). Architecture as brand: store design and brand identity. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 19(6), 432-439. Kitapci, O., Dortyol, I.T., Yaman, Z. and Gulmez, M. (2013). The paths from service quality dimensions to customer loyalty. Management Research Review, 36(3), 239-255. Kumar, S. (2008). A study of the supermarket industry and its growing logistics capabilities. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 36(3), 192-211. McNeill, L. (2006). 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Night shoppers in the “open 24 hours” supermarket: a profile. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 35(1), 54-68. Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2012). Research Methods for Business Students. Sixth edition. Essex: Prentice Hall. Skallerud, K., Korneliussen, T. and Olsen, S.O. (2009). An examination of consumers’ cross-shopping behavior. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 16, 181-189. Smith, H. and Thomassen, Ø. (2012). Multi-category demand and supermarket pricing. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 30, 309-314. Smith, S. (2010). For Love or Money? Fairtrade Business Models in the UK Supermarket Sector. Journal of Business Ethics, 92(2), 257-266. Trampe, D., Staple, D.A. and Siero, F.W. (2009). The Self-Activation Effect of Advertisements: Ads Can Affect Whether and How Consumers Think About the Self. Advances in Consumer Research, 36, 638-639. UK Council for International Students Affairs. (2014). International student statistics: UK higher education. Retrieved August 3rd, 2014 from: http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/Info-for-universities-colleges--schools/Policy-research--statistics/Research--statistics/International-students-in-UK-HE/ Veloutsou, C., Gioulistanis, E. and Moutinho, L. (2004). Own labels choice criteria and perceived characteristics in Greece and Scotland: factors influencing the willingness to buy. Journal of Product & Brand Management, 13(4), 228-241. Yildirim, Y. and Aydin, O. (2012). Investigation of the effects of discount announcements on consumers’ purchase decisions: a case study in supermarket. Social and Behavior Science, 62, 1235-1244. Appendices Appendix 1: Questionnaire This questionnaire aims to investigate the factors which influence the students’ choice of supermarket. Part 1: Personal Information 1. What is your gender? a) Male b) Female 2. What’s your nationality? 3. What is your academic qualification? a) High School b) Foundation or Bachelor c) Pre-master or Master d) Other Part 2: Attitudes toward supermarkets 4. Which is your favorite supermarket in Glasgow that you prefer to visit? a) Tesco b) Sainsbury’s c) Morrison d) Waitrose e) Iceland f) Other 5. How often do you visit a supermarket? a) Once a week b) Twice a week c) Three times a week d) Other 6. How important are these factors for you in your choice of a supermarket? (1=not important at all; 2=not very important; 3=neutral; 4=quite important; 5=extremely important) 1 2 3 4 5 Price Location Service Product range Product quality 7. How do you think a store image (such as name and logo) will influence your choice? A. Strongly influence B. Slightly influence C. Do not influence 8. Is the advertisement of a supermarket attractive for you to choose the supermarket? a. Yes b. Neutral c. No 9. Do you think sale promotion is important for you to choose a supermarket? a) Very important b) Neutral c) Not important 10. Will you visit a supermarket because of its own-label products (the products produced by the supermarket and with the supermarket brand name)? a. Yes b. Neutral c. No 11. Any suggestions for improving your favorite supermarket? Appendix 2: Letter of informed consent I’m a pre-master student studying at Glasgow International College of University of Glasgow. I am currently conducting a research on the students’ attitude toward supermarkets and I will do research on students at Glasgow International College. I’m interested to find out the factors which influence the supermarket choices of students in Glasgow. It is completely voluntary to participate in this research and you have the right to withdraw from this research project at any time without any reasons. The information about you and the data collected from you will be deleted after you withdraw. Also, all the collected information and data would be kept anonymous. In order to ensure the anonymity, the collected information and data will be kept in a secure place. Only the researcher herself and her tutor have the access to it. If you would like to participate in this research voluntarily, please sign the attached letter of consent, and send it to me. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact me at: 2110943y@students.gla.ac.uk. You may also contact my tutor Mr Simon Hartog at Glasgow International College. Yours sincerely, XXXXX Appendix 3: A completed questionnaire Appendix 4: Research Diary On Thursday 10th July, 2014 The various research studies used in literature review helped me to make the questionnaire. I divided the questionnaire into two parts: The first segment had personal information of the participants while the second part had questions that reflected their shopping behavior and factors that influenced their supermarket selection. On Monday 15th July, 2014 I had the pilot run of the questionnaire which were used with the classmates. It helped me to modify and correct the questions so that they were more pertinent and could correctly gauge the shopping attributes of the participants. My classmates helped me to make the questionnaire better by either changing the question or redefining the contents of the questions. On Tuesday 22nd June, 2014 Today was the first day that I had randomly selected students at the front gate of Glasgow International College and distributed the 10 questionnaires to the students who had willingly volunteered to participate in the research between 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. I took the mobile numbers of the participants so that I could collect the self-completed form the next day. Thereafter, I went to the common room where the 20 students willingly completed the form and gave it back to me within 30 minutes. I thanked all the participants. Read More