Title: Segmentation policies using the customer equity model: a study in a Brazilian hypermarket

Authors: Luiz Antônio Antunes Teixeira; Jersone Tasso Moreira Silva; Letícia Gontijo França

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Business Administration Graduate Programme, FUMEC University, Av. Afonso Pena, 3880, Cruzeiro, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil ' Department of Business Administration, Business Administration Graduate Programme, FUMEC University, Av. Afonso Pena, 3880, Cruzeiro, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil ' Department of Business Administration, Business Administration Graduate Programme, FUMEC University, Av. Afonso Pena, 3880, Cruzeiro, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract: The objective of this study was to analyse the criteria of priority used to adopt the marketing strategies of quality, price, convenience, brand and relationship, and its adequacy towards the values that are perceived by the customers' segments of a retailer, using the customer equity model. The methodological procedures consisted of a survey that was directed to the consumers and an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied with the hypermarkets' managers. The priority criteria for the adoption of marketing policies were based on the value equity, brand equity and retention equity constructs. The results have shown that these policies do not meet the expectations of most of the consumers, who value first the brand, followed by the retention and finally the value equity. In contrast, the managers that were interviewed still have their focus on the price as the main strategic action for the customers' satisfaction, followed by brand and retention.

Keywords: analytical hierarchy process; AHP; clusters; customer equity model; marketing strategies; hypermarkets; Brazil; segmentation policies; value equity; brand equity; retention equity; customer satisfaction.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBSR.2014.060305

International Journal of Business and Systems Research, 2014 Vol.8 No.2, pp.179 - 190

Received: 16 Apr 2013
Accepted: 11 Sep 2013
Published online: 07 Jun 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article