Development of Customer Value in Retail Business: Marketing Strategies

This research proposal delves into the crucial role of strategic marketing in developing customer value within the retail business context. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of strategic marketing practices in enhancing customer value. The research methodology employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques, including surveys with industry experts and Amazon managers. Data collection involves both primary and secondary sources, with statistical analysis using MS-Excel. The expected outcome is a comprehensive understanding of how marketing strategies influence customer value, considering factors such as price, brand image, and current trends. The research aims to provide insights for businesses to improve customer value through strategic marketing.

Running Head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Research Proposal – Development of customer value in the retail business: The
implications of using strategic marketing

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Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..........................................................................................................3
Introduction.......................................................................................................................................3
Research Approach............................................................................................................................3
Sampling Method..............................................................................................................................4
Types of research (Qualitative and quantitative)...............................................................................5
Data Collection Method.....................................................................................................................6
Proposed method of analysis.............................................................................................................6
Proposed outcome of this research....................................................................................................6
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................7
References.............................................................................................................................................8
Appendixes..........................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
This research proposal demonstrates the development of customer value in retail business in
the context of implications of strategic marketing. Further, the primary purpose of this
proposal is to evaluate the role of strategic marketing practices in the development of
customer value in the retail business. This report presents the research methodology to
significantly know tools and techniques that will be used to meet research objectives in an
appropriate manner.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
The research methodology plays an imperative role to address research techniques to
appropriately resolve research dilemma. Additionally, it is a systematic way to analyze the
research methods that will be significant for the researcher due to successfully collecting
information about the research dilemma. An efficient and suitable research methodology
supports to the researcher to complete the research work along with obtaining the reliable
outcome.
In addition to this, it can also be said that this procedure can be effective to create knowledge
regarding the research issue along with many terms of research methods. This section
includes many research ways, approaches, and strategies that will be used by the researcher to
collect the data for accomplishing the research aim. It will also significant to improve the
research quality in an appropriate manner (Brinkmann, 2014).
Research Approach
The research approach is also significant for researcher to develop theory regarding research
dilemma. There are two kinds of research approaches like inductive and deductive
approaches, which will be executed by the researcher to offer a suitable explanation about the
research methods. For this, the deductive approach is relied on the basic ideas and opinion to

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meet the specified situation. It will be appropriate with positivism beliefs. For this approach,
researchers will develop hypotheses by using many concepts and theories afterward
hypothesis accept or reject as per the requirement of the data analysis. In contrast, the
inductive approach is more appropriate as compared to deductive approach because there is
no need of the development of hypothesis to resolve the research issues (Chandler, et al.,
2015).
Additionally, inductive approach is suitable with interpretivism research philosophy. It will
be effective for researcher due to developing the concept and theories on behalf of
perception, ideas, opinion, and thought of respondents. For performing this research study, a
researcher will imply the inductive approach than the deductive approach because this
research is subjective in nature wherein this approach is more appropriate to successfully
accomplish the task of research objectives.
At the same time, it can also be said that the inductive approach will allow the researcher for
determining the role of strategic marketing practices in the development of customer value in
the retail business. From this, a researcher will also be able to develop theories that will not
be possible through deductive approach (Flick, 2015).
Sampling Method
In this research study, a researcher will use the probability sampling method with the random
method as compared to the non-probability sampling. Since, the probability sampling
research method will allow the researcher to choose the respondents by random basis. It will
be significant to decline probability of biases to select respondents for the research study
(Jaakkola, et al., 2014).
Beside this, researchers will not use the non-probability sampling method because this
method enabled the researcher to select the participants on behalf of knowledge, skills, and
experience to meet the question of research. It will also create biases in the research that will

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not appropriate for this research. To conduct the questionnaire survey, 50 participants with
marketing background academically and at a practice level (hereinafter referred as “Industry
Experts”) and 5 managers at Amazon Inc. These participants are selected from a diverse area
that will allow the researcher to gather appropriate and efficient information regarding the
research problem. For this, the researcher will able to improve the accuracy and consistency
of the research study as collected samples will be supportive to accomplish the research aim
and objectives of the research. A researcher will take the permission for the upper authority to
conduct the survey on executives because of identifying the private information of the
company, time period, and contribution of an employee in the research (Korschun, et al.,
2014).
In addition to this, it can also be said that a researcher will make questionnaire by using the
MS-office tool about the customer value to gather the opinion of respondents regarding the
practices of strategic marketing. After the creating the questionnaire, a researcher will
provide the questionnaire by using e-mail to the managers of the company and also offered
guidelines to respond the questionnaire by e-mail in the specified time (Mackey, et al., 2015).
Types of research (Qualitative and quantitative)
In this research, the mixed research method will be used by the researcher. It includes two
kinds of the research methods named qualitative and quantitative. It will be supportive to
obtain the benefit of both methods qualitative as we as quantitative. Along with this, it can
also be said that mixed research method will be supportive to eliminate the cons of both
qualitative and quantitative methods. A researcher will be able to make the theoretical
understanding regarding research dilemma by using the qualitative method in a research
study.
In addition to this, a researcher will capable to perform a statistical activity to resolve the
research problem by implementing quantitative research method (Mustak, et al., 2013).

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By using the mixed research, the researcher will enable to evaluate the perception and
opinion of the participant to develop the accurate result regarding the development of
customer’s values through strategic marketing practices. Beside this, it can be said that the
mixed research method can decline the quality of research study (Panneerselvam, 2014).
Data Collection Method
A researcher will imply the both data collection methods named primary and secondary data
collection method to conduct this research in an appropriate manner. The implementation of
both primary and secondary data in the research study will be significant to fill the gap
between standard and actual information in a systematic manner. In the secondary data
collection method, a researcher will use many sources such as authentic websites, journals,
governmental reports, an annual report of the company to meet the objectives of research in a
systematic manner. Besides this, the primary data collection method is also used by the
researcher by using survey with questionnaire method. It will enable the researcher to collect
the information from specified respondents and evaluate the information to develop the
accurate result about the research problem (Smith, 2015).
Proposed method of analysis
Data analysis plays a significant role to interpret and evaluate the information to address the
accurate data for the research study. It will be appropriate to meet the objectives of the
research study in an appropriate manner. There are some significant methods that can be used
by the researcher to meet the research aim named conversational analysis, content analysis,
disclosure analysis, thematic analysis, and statistical analysis. A researcher will use statistical
analysis to complete the research effectively. A research will imply MS-Excel software in the
statistical analysis to obtain reliable outcomes. A researcher will be used pie-chart, different
graphs, and column chart to perform the data analysis as well as obtain the accurate or
reliable result in a specified time (Taylor, et al., 2015).

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Proposed outcome of this research
The outcome of this research study will offer a critical structure to examine the role of
strategic marketing practices to develop the customer value in an appropriate manner. Hence,
this research proposal will support to develop new knowledge and evaluates the approaches
that are practiced by the company in order to control the problems of customer value
development. It will support to make a clear a picture about the practices of marketing
strategies which will help to develop customer value in an appropriate manner. The
customer’s value is affected by many factors such as quality, price, brand image,
environment, and current trend (Vaioleti, 2016). Furthermore, it can also be said that these
factors directly impact on result of this research study. Furthermore, it can also be said that
research objectives and questions will identify in the proposal and the completion of research
is relied on the collected data, discoveries, and evaluation. These research outcomes will
evaluate as an educational work in order to identify the research issues. Further, this research
will be supportive for a company to focus on the factors that will improve customer value in a
systematic process (Yi, et al., 2013).
Conclusion
From the above analysis, it can be summarized that the practices of marketing strategies can
be significant for developing customer value in an appropriate manner. At the same time, it
can also be concluded that research methodology can be effective to identify appropriate
tools and techniques to perform the research systematically. In addition, the inductive
approach will be used by the researcher to meet the objectives of the research. As well as,
probability sampling method will be used by researchers to perform the research successfully.

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References
Brinkmann, S. (2014) Interview, In Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology, USA: Springer
New York.
Chandler, J. D., and Lusch, R. F. (2015) ‘Service systems: a broadened framework and
research agenda on value propositions, engagement, and service experience’, Journal of
Service Research, 18(1), pp. 6-22.
Flick, U. (2015) Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research
project, USA: Sage.
Jaakkola, E., and Alexander, M. (2014) ‘The role of customer engagement behavior in value
co-creation: a service system perspective’, Journal of Service Research, 17(3), pp. 247-261.
Korschun, D., Bhattacharya, C. B., and Swain, S. D. (2014) ‘Corporate social responsibility,
customer orientation, and the job performance of frontline employees’, Journal of
Marketing, 78(3), pp. 20-37.
Mackey, A., and Gass, S. M. (2015) Second language research: Methodology and design,
UK: Routledge.
Mustak, M., Jaakkola, E., and Halinen, A. (2013) ‘Customer participation and value creation:
a systematic review and research implications’, Managing Service Quality: An International
Journal, 23(4), pp. 341-359.
Panneerselvam, R. (2014) Research methodology, USA: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.
Smith, J. A. (Ed.). (2015) Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods,
USA: Sage.
Taylor, S. J., Bogdan, R., and DeVault, M. (2015) Introduction to qualitative research
methods: A guidebook and resource, USA: John Wiley and Sons.
Vaioleti, T. M. (2016) ‘Talanoa research methodology: A developing position on Pacific
research’, Waikato Journal of Education, 12(1), P.58.

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Yi, Y., and Gong, T. (2013) ‘Customer value co-creation behavior: Scale development and
validation’, Journal of Business Research, 66(9), pp. 1279-1284.

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Appendixes
1. Do you consider that customer value plays an important role in the purchasing decisions of
the customer at Amazon?
Customer value play an important role in
the purchasing decision from Amazon
Customer value doesn’t play an important
role in the purchasing decision from
Amazon
A B
2. Does customer value have a significant impact on the price of the product?
Significant impact No significant impact
A B
3. Does customer value play an important role to the product of the company?
Play an important role Don’t play an important role
A B
4. How much is Amazon reluctant on customer value?
Reluctant on customer value Takes customer opinions seriously
A B
5. How efficient is Amazon on its customer value?
Efficiency of Amazon on customer value Inefficiency of Amazon on customer value
A B
Questionnaire for the Managers [Interview Study]
1. Does strategic marketing help Amazon in its growth?
2. Does strategic marketing draw customer more efficiently?
How is strategic marketing planned?