Internationally operating apparel retailers are expanding throughout Europe (Noordhoff et al
2004 Seock and Lin 2011). To be able to cope with the fierce competition in the apparel
retail industry many retailers have implemented loyalty cards in order to keep current
customers. Several retailers have opted for a global marketing strategy which includes
implementing loyalty cards with the same features in several countries (e.g. Hunkemöller
Promod Esprit). This research is a comparative analysis of young adults aged between 18 and
30 from a Northern European country (Germany) and a Southern European country (Spain). The
objective is to determine if there are significant differences in attitudinal and behavioural
patterns as well as in preferences regarding the features of loyalty cards in the consumers of
the two countries to find potential success factors for retailers. In the first place
international apparel retailers have to decide which marketing approach they intend to follow.
This may be either a standardised etic marketing approach which aims to have one overall
marketing strategy for all countries or a non-standardised emic marketing approach which
aims to adapt the marketing strategy in every country to the local culture (Trommsdorff 2009
Solomon et al 2002). Research of consumer behaviour has shown that consumers are influenced by
external stimuli (political economic social technological) and consumer characteristics
(cultural social personal) (Foscht and Swoboda 2005 Kotler et al 2009). Marketers have to
be aware of these external influences in order to develop marketing strategies that appeal to
the target market(s). By making use of the right marketing instruments customer satisfaction
and loyalty and subsequently long-term profitability can be established (Seock and Lin
2011). Loyal customers have been shown to be more profitable to the company than continuously
acquired new customers (Reichheld and Teal 2001). In the literature the distinction between
attitudinal and behavioural loyalty is widely spread and it will also be upheld in this
research. One instrument often used in relationship marketing is the promotional tool of
loyalty cards (Aßmann et al 2008). There are different forms of loyalty cards which differ in
loyalty card type in loyalty card functions and in target groups (Steffens 2010). The image
and efficacy of loyalty cards are highly controversial in the literature. Recent research has
shown however that loyalty card possession may have an influence on behavioural and
attitudinal store loyalty (Seock and Lin 2011). In order to reach the research objective an
online survey was conducted providing a suitable basis for a comparative analysis between
Germany and Spain. The findings of this survey revealed significant differences across the two
countries in attitudes towards loyalty cards preferences regarding promotional techniques and
bonus systems and in levels of attitudinal store loyalty. Unfortunately the outcome did not
provide any significant differences in behaviour in relation to loyalty cards and behavioural
store loyalty. The paper recommends undertaking local adaptations on the basis of the findings
of the target population when advertising and deciding about the features of loyalty cards.
Furthermore it would be advisable to undertake more profound and representative research of
the whole target population.
