Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) Comparison on Local Minimarket versus National Brand Minimarket

The entrance of the national brand retailers gave a certain impact to the local people and retailers, especially the traditional once known as “mom and pop” stores.  The impact is diverse; whereas for customers it gives more options, but it gives more competition to the local retailers resulted in the closing of some local retailers.  However, there are local retailers that survive the situation.  This research is intended to know service factors that customers deem important for a retailer, and by knowing these important factors the local retailers may face the competition by focusing and allocating their resources to the appropriate area of services that of most important.  This is a cross-sectional descriptive research using Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) method as a tool to compare customers’ opinions on a retail store.  This research has used a total sample of 400 retailers in the form of minimarket customers in Airmadidi, North Minahasa using accidental sampling method.  This research has found that there are similarities in customers opinion regarding the services rendered that need to be improved such as; all customers in the four sampled stores agree that complain handling and guarantee on the product quality are the most important factors but haven’t been performed very well by the four stores