For the Bucharest shopping center, AFI Cotroceni commissioned MKOR Consulting to conduct a comprehensive consumer research.

The primary goal was to uncover the general shopping and visiting habits of mall-goers, both at a general population level and specifically for AFI Cotroceni compared to its main competitors.

Loyalty and Behavior Study: AFI Cotroceni

AFI Cotroceni aimed to understand the brand perception and qualitatively evaluate the customer experience from the consumers’ perspective. Together with MKOR, they conducted two extensive studies: a quantitative study and a qualitative study.

These studies provided valuable insights into identifying needs and communication opportunities for future activities.

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Long-Term Benefits of Loyalty and Behavior Studies

In the long run, these studies bring multiple benefits that can transform the competitive advantages of a shopping center:

  1. Enhancing Customer Experience: By deeply understanding the needs and expectations of consumers, shopping centers can adapt their offerings and services to provide superior experiences, thereby increasing customer loyalty.
  2. Rapid Adaptation to Market Changes: Loyalty and behavior studies enable early identification of shifts in consumer preferences and behaviors, allowing for quick adaptation of strategies to stay competitive.
  3. Optimizing Marketing Strategies: The obtained data helps in developing more efficient marketing campaigns, targeting consumer segments with the highest probability of a positive response.
  4. Increasing Customer Retention: Understanding the factors that influence consumer loyalty allows for the development of more effective loyalty programs, increasing customer retention and their long-term value.
  5. Informed Strategic Decisions: These studies provide a solid data foundation for making strategic decisions, reducing risks, and maximizing growth opportunities.

Research Objectives

The aim of these studies (both quantitative and qualitative) was to understand the decision-making process regarding the choice of one mall over others, as well as the shopping habits and attitudes of consumers in Bucharest shopping centers.

Quantitative Research Objectives:

  • General shopping habits: sources of information, shopping environment, drivers
  • Shopping and visiting habits during the last mall visit: visit frequency, purchase scope and products bought, average spending
  • Benchmarking Bucharest shopping centers
  • Visitor Personas: demographic and psychographic characteristics of mall visitors

Qualitative Research Objectives:

  • Exploring the decision-making process for choosing the visited shopping center
  • Identifying and understanding the occasions for visiting shopping centers
  • Understanding visitor profiles
  • Exploring visitor expectations from a shopping center
  • Evaluating AFI competitors
  • Evaluating AFI Cotroceni

About the Research

This study involved primary research by directly collecting data from the source through focus groups.

  • Market: Bucharest-Ilfov, Romania
  • Target: People aged 16-55
  • Type of Research: Mixed methodology: quantitative and qualitative
  • Research Instruments: Online opinion survey (CAWI), focus groups, shop-along visits in stores, followed by in-depth discussions

About the Client

AFI Cotroceni is a shopping center in Bucharest and currently the largest mall in Romania.

The company is part of the AFI Europe group, which operates in Romania, Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, and Latvia.

In Romania, it includes a national network of regional shopping malls (AFI Cotroceni, AFI Ploiești, AFI Brașov, and AFI Arad).

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