Female Consumers: Decision-Making in Brand-Driven Retail

This article is a theory-building exploratory study conducted to investigate how female shoppers make meaning in a branded- retail store shopping experience. This study extends research on retail consumers ' decision - making and the retail shopping experience using hermeneutic phenomenology. The authors conducted in-depth interviews with respondents, who were self-identified customers of a leading intimate apparel retailer. The results suggest that consumers ' retail shopping decision - making incorporates a complex set of interactive components that are brand - driven and simultaneously affect and are affected by the interaction of in-store shopping and retail setting. The findings show a rich understanding of the consumer decision - making process is achievable by including the actual in-store experience, consumers ' prior contextual experiences and expectations regarding retail visits.