Improving the global competitiveness of retailers using a cultural analysis of in-store digital innovations

Global retailers are expanding their business to countries with diverse cultures and consumer preferences. Competitive and sustainable retail chains require advanced e-services linked to in-store digital innovations. This research focuses on cultural dimensions and the implications of implementing global and internet-linked e-service innovations. The research studies how cultural dimensions influence consumers’ attitudes toward five types of retail innovations. The cultural dimensions include uncertainty avoidance and collectivistic cultural dimensions to predict acceptance. The research case compares differences between Taiwanese and Swedish university students. A multi-attribute model shows that Taiwanese prefer innovations with a lower level of self-service. On the other hand, Swedish prefer opposite types of retail innovations. We propose future research to show that these barriers of acceptance can be lowered through the use of advertising, social media, and in-store interaction between customers and staff. The research yields new research directions to help international retailers develop competitive strategies to fit the cultural characteristics of consumers.