Turkish youth prefer to shop in malls, older people choose local businesses: Ministry study

ANKARA

Youths in Turkey typically prefer to shop in malls, while people above the age of 50 tend to prefer shopping from small local business owners, according to research conducted by the Customs and Trade Ministry, daily Habertürk reported on April 5. 

The ministry carried out the study in order to research why so many people prefer to shop from shopping malls rather than local businesses, as part of sector analyses aiming to identify the problems of small tradespeople. 
Some 4,000 customers in the leather, clothing, shoe, food, transportation, machine, hardware and vehicle sectors were included in study. 

According to the report, women tend to prefer shopping malls more than men. The quality and diversity of products, the ability to find parking spaces, comfort, respect for consumer rights, the opportunity to select products without being bothered, the diversity in payment options, and the opportunity to try the product before buying were among the reasons cited for why customers prefer shopping malls. 

The analysis stated that local small business owners should expand and increase their product and service diversity in order to develop economically. It also advised them to closely follow technological developments aimed at young customers. 

“It’s important that they choose a correct way of branding, bringing quality and good service to the fore, protecting consumer rights and developing themselves in accordance with technological innovations,” the ministry said. 

In particular, customers above the age of 50 said small local business owners need to improve in terms of respecting consumer rights, according to the ministry’s research.