The Millennial Customer Experience in Traditional Retail Environments: A Swedish Perspective

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the in-store customer experience from a millennial consumers’ perspective. Specifically, the authors of this thesis intend to carry-out a comprehensive study that addresses how these customer experiences are manifested within the different retail stores in Sweden. Methodology: The researchers considered the philosophies of epistemology and ontology, and respectively employed the interpretivist and constructivist stance since the main focus was to understand how the millennial consumer perceives the physical retail store. Furthermore, the researchers followed a deductive approach and applied qualitative methods for data collection. Specifically, these choices were justified by the need to utilize existing theory on the customer experience of traditional retail formats. This, in turn, could then be inductively analysed based on empirical insights collected with the use of semi-structured solicited diary forms: participant observations. Lastly, the study adopted a grounded analysis strategy to answer the research and sub-research questions. Theoretical Perspective: This study focused on reviewing the areas of literature that were of value to the research purpose. The authors examined studies including the areas of emergence of customer experience (CX) and its evolution as an independent discipline leading up to the dimensions and determinants that shape its perception. Moreover, an examination of millennial consumers and their attitudes towards experiences is put forward in order to develop the initial theoretical framework. Empirical Data: The researchers applied a single-method procedure for the data collection. A total of 22 millennial consumers completed the diary forms through in-store observation of a single retail format located in Sweden. The method of data collection documented individual participants personal reflection upon their cognitive, affective, social and physical dimensions to acquire a holistic view of what drivers and inhibitors of the physical store resonate with the millennial consumer. Conclusion: The purpose of the physical retail store can no longer be solely driven by sales per-square-foot, but must incorporate experiences into how the retailer strategizes, designs, constructs and manages their physical spaces in order to attract the millennial consumer. Experiences will, in essence, become the product and the primary category retailers trade in closely followed by products