PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore differences in the behavioural intentions of consumers in different countries, i.e. Japan, UK and Taiwan by employing a customer-based value model.Design/methodology/approachA total of 305 consumers of one of Japan's brand and chain stores, Muji, were interviewed. The moderating effects of cultural and economic distances from the home country of the firm were also tested.FindingsThe results showed that cultural distance moderates the impact of symbolic, experiential and aesthetic value on purchase intention; however, economic distance was found to only influence monetary value.Originality/valueCross-cultural studies on customer value in the retailing industry are limited. The findings from this study offer several implications for those firms that adopt a globalization strategy using another perspective, while to some degree glocalization could be a better strategy.