Les bénéfices perçus des programmes relationnels : une approche de segmentation appliquée aux enseignes de distribution

Benefits that customers derive from their participation to relationship programs are not only economic, or even utilitarian (e.g., convenience). In this article, we shed some light on the variety of perceived benefits – utilitarian, hedonic and symbolic – that customers may retreive as members of these programs, based on a literature review in various fields (e.g., consumer value theory, shopping motives theory, use and gratification theory...), and a qualitative study. We then propose and validate a scale to measure five types of perceived benefits, and apply our generic measurement tool to the retailing industry in France. We identify the main benefits that lead to a higher satisfaction level toward the programs. Finally, we demonstrate the relevance of the concept of perceived benefits as a segmentation criteria, and its potential to improve the efficiency of relationship programs, thanks to a better understanding of customers' perceptions.