Factors affecting customers selection of community pharmacies: The mediating effect of branded pharmacies and the moderating effect of demographics

• Main Authors: Dania A. Ghattas, Ghaith M. Al-Abdallah
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Growing Science 2020-01-01
• Series: Management Science Letters
• Subjects: pharmacy selection; convenience; physical environment; sales promotions; qualified pharmacists; customer service; independent pharmacy; chain pharmacy; developing countries; emerging economies; jordan
• Online Access: http://www.growingscience.com/msl/Vol10/msl_2019_396.pdf

This research aims to identify and evaluate different factors influencing the customer decision in selecting a community pharmacy in the city of Amman, and study the possible impact of branded pharmacy on the selection process. Five main factors were selected based on the literature review, including convenience, physical environment, sales promotions, qualified and experienced pharmacists and customer service and three main hypotheses and twelve sub-hypotheses were developed. A descriptive analytical methodology, quantitative approach, utilizing survey strategy utilizing questionnaire were used. The population of this research consists of customers who decide to choose a community pharmacy which is estimated at 934.5 thousand households. To collect the primary data, a self-administered questionnaire was pre-pared based on previous studies; 1070 questionnaires were distributed in different community pharmacies in Amman using convenience sample (pharmacy intercept), 801 filtered and screened questionnaires were sent for statistical analyses. The results reveal that customer service factor had the highest effect on customers’ selection of pharmacies, followed by qualified and experienced pharmacists and convenience, respectively. Sales promotions and physical environment have the least impacts on customers’ decision. The results also show that there is a partial statistically significant mediation effect of branded pharmacy on the direct relationship between the selected factors and customers’ pharmacy selection. The demographic variables have no statistically significant moderating effects on the direct relationship between the selected factors and pharmacy selection. Discussion, managerial implications, and future research recommendations are provided.