Loyalty cards in the apparel industry in Germany and Spain

Is the implementation of a global marketing approach reasonable when operating both in a Southern and a Northern European country?

Master's Thesis , 2011 , 132 Pages , Grade: 1

Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing

The dissertation with the title ‘Loyalty Cards in the Apparel Retail Industry: A comparative analysis to detect store loyalty tendencies and the success factors of loyalty cards in Germany and Spain is a partial fulfilment of the requirement for obtaining the Master’s of Science degree in International Business at the London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom in the period 2010/2011. The paper examines the efficacy and the success factors of loyalty cards as an instrument of loyalty programmes in global marketing and researches the levels of store loyalty in two countries, Germany and Spain. This dissertation seeks to gather customer data by means of a questionnaire and to compare domestic differences across the countries in the apparel retail industry.

The first chapter of the dissertation firstly introduces the context of the dissertation, leading to the research aim and objectives. In the next step, the research problem is defined, followed by the research questions and hypotheses. Then, the structure of the dissertation is provided, explaining the outline of each chapter of the dissertation.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1. Introduction
  • 1.2. Preface
  • 1.3. Research aim and objectives
  • 1.4. Research problem
  • 1.5. Research questions
  • 1.6. Hypotheses
  • 1.7. Structure of the dissertation
• 2. Literature Review
  • 2.1. Introduction
  • 2.2. Background information
    • 2.2.1. Marketing stimuli: loyalty cards in Germany and Spain
    • 2.2.2. General consumer characteristics in Germany and Spain
  • 2.3. Apparel retail industry in Germany and Spain
  • 2.4. Theory of global marketing
    • 2.4.1. Definition of global marketing
    • 2.4.2. Discussion
  • 2.5. Theory of consumer behaviour and external influences
    • 2.5.1. Definition and development of consumer behaviour
    • 2.5.2. Theoretical models of consumer behaviour
    • 2.5.3. Stimuli and characteristics affecting consumer behaviour

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation analyzes the differences in attitudinal and behavioral patterns of young adults in Germany and Spain regarding loyalty cards in the apparel retail industry. The main objective is to determine if there are significant differences in preferences regarding the features of loyalty cards in the consumers of the two countries, ultimately identifying potential success factors for retailers. Key themes explored in this work include:

• Consumer behavior and external influences
• Global marketing strategies and their impact on loyalty card implementation
• Comparative analysis of consumer attitudes and behaviors towards loyalty cards in Germany and Spain
• The influence of loyalty card possession on attitudinal and behavioral store loyalty
• The role of loyalty cards as a marketing tool for building customer relationships

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

Chapter 1: Introduction provides a general introduction to the topic of loyalty cards in the apparel retail industry, outlining the research aim, objectives, problem, and questions. It also presents the hypotheses and the structure of the dissertation.

Chapter 2: Literature Review provides a thorough exploration of relevant literature. It begins by discussing background information on marketing stimuli, specifically loyalty cards in Germany and Spain, as well as general consumer characteristics in both countries. The chapter then delves into the apparel retail industry in Germany and Spain, followed by a detailed exploration of global marketing theory. The final section focuses on the theory of consumer behavior and external influences, defining and analyzing consumer behavior, exploring theoretical models, and examining stimuli and characteristics impacting consumer behavior.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This dissertation focuses on the comparative analysis of loyalty card usage and its impact on consumer behavior in the apparel retail industry. Key terms include loyalty cards, apparel retail, consumer behavior, global marketing, marketing stimuli, attitudinal loyalty, behavioral loyalty, Germany, Spain, comparative analysis, success factors, and marketing strategies.

• College: South Bank University London (Faculty of Business)
• Grade: 1
• Author: Sarah-Mailin Janotta (Author)
• Publication Year: 2011
• Pages: 132
• Catalog Number: V195046
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656204619
• ISBN (Book): 9783656206576
• Language: English
• Tags: loyalty card, kundenkarte, loyalty, retension, card, loyalität, kundenbindung, relationship, marketing, crm, customer, consumer, kunde, apparel, textile, textil, mode, bekleidung