Service Quality at Selected Fashion Retail Stores in South Africa

Abstract

This study aims to determine customers' expectations and perceptions of service quality in Selected Fashion Retail Stores (SFRS) in the Greater Durban Area, South Africa. The key objective is to gauge the service excellence in the chosen retail fashion stores in the area. The investigation is explanatory, and quantitative, and features a single cross-sectional measurement to evaluate the sway of service quality on client contentment. Through purposeful sampling, 400 participants were surveyed employing questionnaires to collect pertinent data. This inquiry indicates that fashion merchandise outlets can detect particular imperfections in their offering and work to rectify them. It seems that tangible factors such as Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy are liable to be valid indicators of service character for customers. The research proposes that a SERVQUAL model is a beneficial tool for ascertaining service quality at SFRS in Durban as, based on the gap score analysis, customer approval of overall service quality is high and closely aligns with their expectations.

Keywords

• Fashion Retailers
• Retail Industry
• Service Quality
• SERVQUAL Model
• South Africa