Antecedentes da vulnerabilidade do consumidor no varejo e sua relação com a experiência de compra.

Abstract

This dissertation aimed to investigate how the physical-sensory, emotional, informational, and social dimensions of consumer environments relate to perceived consumer vulnerability and their purchase experience. Based on vulnerability concepts and Social Impact Theory, three articles were developed. The first article corresponded to a bibliometric analysis that aimed to map the antecedent factors of consumers in vulnerable situations in consumer environments, in terms of scientific production in various shopping experiences. The second and third corresponded to the application of a survey and the use of structural equation modeling. The second article aimed to describe how physical-sensory elements of the retail environment and self-confidence relate to the perceived vulnerability of visually impaired consumers and their satisfaction. The third article aimed to describe how informational and emotional support relates to the perceived vulnerability of elderly consumers and their purchasing experience in a crowded retail environment. The retail context was chosen because it was believed that the environment possesses elements that can mitigate or increase consumer perceived vulnerability, including human crowding. The study focused on visually impaired consumers because they have physical limitations that can hinder their purchase experience. In article three, elderly consumers were chosen because it was believed that their physical and cognitive limitations are affected in the retail environment, particularly in the context of human crowding. As result, the first article identified the main internal and external factors that can precede consumer vulnerability. The study contributes to the Marketing and Society literature by highlighting the evidence that leads to vulnerability and offering a future research agenda, proposing a framework for the subject. The second article showed that the need for touch and store layout are negatively related to the vulnerability of visually impaired consumers and, therefore, generating dissatisfaction in these consumers, with perceived vulnerability acting as a mediating variable of dissatisfaction. The third article showed that informational and emotional support are important variables for mitigating perceived vulnerability and increasing satisfaction levels. The dissertation contributes to a better understanding of perceived vulnerability in retail.