Application of Design of Experiment in Relationship Marketing: A Study in Retail

Abstract

This article applied the Design of Experiments (DoE) tool to source evidence of its potential contribution to decision making in the case of small enterprises. To establish this, we studied the importance which certain economic variables have on the quality of services provided by small businesses, particularly supermarkets. Units were selected from small supermarket stores in three cities in the Vale do Paraíba Paulista. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using statistical inference and experimental fractional factorial models, through Plackett-Burman’s matrix, where N = 20. In regards to the municipality A, the results demonstrate the age range and locality of those studied have significance to the quality of small supermarkets, whereas in municipalities B and C, the significant factors are, respectively, working clients and clients who own a car. It can be concluded that the Design of Experiments is suitable for small businesses and retailers, aiding managers to make informed decisions to allow for greater reliability.

DOI: 10.5585/remark.v9i3.2176