The Role of Emotions in Consumers’ Preferences for Shopping Malls versus Traditional Bazaars in Turkey

Since gaining independence in 1923, Turkey has been going through major transformations, both culturally and economically. This transformation caused changes in the behaviour of Turkish people, including consumer purchase behaviour. The researcher undertook this study to explore consumer preferences between the shopping mall and the traditional bazaar place. The researcher intended to understand the reasons of visiting these places and their choice preferences, and how their emotions affect their choice behaviours. This study was conducted a mixed methods study in a shopping mall and a traditional market place in Ankara, Turkey. For the quantitative survey, 200 people were randomly chosen at different times and different days of the week. For the qualitative data collection, 12 people were chosen randomly. The data were analysed and interpreted based on the age, gender, marital status, income, and education level.

Findings indicated that consumers visiting shopping malls and traditional bazaar places were different. The main difference was that the visitors perceived the shopping malls as safe-spaces for socio-cultural interaction, which in turn helped enhance the sense of belonging. It further found that visitors were considering their visit for shops, food court and that they intended to spend time with family and friends. Emotions were of significance and that certain emotions were evoked during their visits. Visitors visiting the shopping malls were satisfied and they were pleased with their experiences, and their perceptions of the quality and the price of products and services were affected because of these positive emotions. Compared to traditional bazaar places where it is more of a pragmatic and practical experience, shopping malls provided a broader satisfaction among visitors.