PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to decompose total customer value as perceived by department store shoppers into utilitarian, hedonic and social dimensions, and empirically test this conceptualization in a Finnish department store shopping context.Design/methodology/approachData were collected by a questionnaire administered over three days at a department store that generates the second largest turnover in Finland. A total of 364 shoppers completed the questionnaire.FindingsEmpirical evidence supports our tripartite conceptualization of total customer value. In particular, social value is an independent construct. Further, social value varies by day‐of‐week, with a significant increase on Saturday (versus weekdays) when the store is more crowded, whereas no such differences in utilitarian and hedonic values were detected.Originality/valueThe principal contribution is a tripartite conceptualization of total customer value that incorporates utilitarian, social and hedonic value dimensions in a department store shopping context. Individually these dimensions are all well rooted in streams of consumer behavior literature, albeit mostly at the product or brand, not the store, level. Increasing our understanding of these softer aspects of shopping, particularly the social dimension, is important because they represent possible differentiating factors in the highly competitive and often commoditized retail markets.

PurposeExisting research suggests a multitude of approaches to value co‐creation that bring with them a range of different ideas on what constitutes the concept. The purpose of this paper is to identify the sources of the differing approaches, and so reduce the complexity of the concept and develop a business‐oriented analytical framework for assessing the opportunities presented by value co‐creation.Design/methodology/approachThrough exploration of the different theoretical approaches to value co‐creation the sources of friction are identified. Addressing the conceptual complexity provides a sound basis for the development of a business‐oriented analytical framework.FindingsThe multifaceted nature of value co‐creation arises owing to the differing approaches to what determines the value, the co‐, and the creation elements of the concept. The study concludes that both scholars and practitioners should focus more on identifying and understanding what kind of value is co‐created for whom, using what resources, and through what mechanism.Practical implicationsA business‐oriented analytical framework is developed that helps practitioners to assess and approach the opportunities presented by value co‐creation.Originality/valueThe paper introduces an analytical and fresh perspective on value co‐creation. It helps to clarify the nuances in the nature of the concept and contributes to an enhanced understanding of it.

In verbal protocol analysis, verbalization can occur either during decision making (concurrent data) or after (retrospective data). Although both methods have advantages and disadvantages, no empirical research has focused on a direct comparison. This study compared the effectiveness of concurrent and retrospective data for revealing the human decision making process. In general, the concurrent protocol analysis method outperformed the retrospective method. Not only was the number of concurrent protocol segments elicited higher than that of retrospective protocol segments, but concurrent data provided more insights into the decision-making steps occurring between stimulus introduction and the final choice outcome. However, retrospective protocols offer an interesting advantage: More statements about the final choice are provided in retrospective protocols than in concurrent protocols.

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for identifying competitive customer value propositions in retailing. Design/methodology/approach-The paper draws on existing literature on customer value and competitive advantage in order to form an understanding of the key dimensions of customer value, developing a hierarchical model of value propositions and establishing a link between customer value and competitive advantage. Findings-The work suggests a framework for identifying competitive customer value propositions (CVPs) where four hierarchical key dimensions of customer value-economic, functional, emotional, and symbolic-are first identified. In the second stage, a CVP is developed on the basis of these value dimensions. In the third stage, the CVP is evaluated for competitive advantage. It is proposed that economic and also functional CVPs are more likely to represent points of parity, whereas emotional and social CVPs represent points of difference for retail companies seeking differentiation from their competition and gaining of competitive advantage. Originality/value-Identifying competitive CVPs, the paper combines a hierarchical perspective on customer value and the concept of competitive advantage in a manner that offers managers a strategic positioning tool that links the customer's value needs to company resources and capabilities.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore and analyze the implications of reverse use of customer data for service-based business models. In their quest for competitive advantage, firms traditionally use customer data as resources to redesign and develop new products and services or identify the most profitable customers. However, in the shift from a goods-dominant logic toward customer value creation, the potential of customer data for the benefit of the customer, not just the firm, is an emerging, underexplored area of research. Design/methodology/approach – Business model criteria and three service examples combine to uncover the implications of reverse use of customer data for service-based business models. Findings – Implications of reverse use of customer data for service-based business models are identified and explored. Through reverse use of customer data, a firm can provide customers with additional resources and support customers’ value-creating processes. Accordingly, the firm can move beyond traditional exchanges, take a broader role in supporting customers’ value creation and diversify the value created by the customer through resource integration. The attention shifts from internal to external customer data usage; customer data transform from the firm’s resource to the customer’s, which facilitates the firm’s shift from selling goods to supporting customers’ value creation. Originality/value – Reverse use of customer data represent a new emerging research phenomenon; their implications for service-based business models have not been explored.