CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARDS FOREIGN RETAILERS PRODUCTS

Bircan Auk Izmir University of Economics Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences/Business Administration Sakarya Cad. No:156 Balova/zmir Phone: 0 (232) 279 25 25 ; Fax: 0 (232) 279 26 26 E-mail: bircan.asuk@std.izmirekonomi.edu.tr

Abstract
Turkey has attracted foreign retailers for many years because of its high population, growing economy, growing market potential, young population and also, its high labour force. Although conditions are attractive, foreign retailers face some problems related to different demographic characteristics, different values, attitudes and different cultures of consumers in Turkey and also, in the other countries. One of the most important factors that affects consumers attitudes towards foreign retailers products and their willingness to purchase these brands is consumer ethnocentrism (According to ethnocentrism; people evaluate their race more superior than the other races). The aim of this research is generally to examine Turkish consumers atttitudes towards foreign retailers products. In this respect, consumer ethnocentrism is explored among Turkish consumers. Besides, it is explored how this consumer ethnocentrism affect product judgement of foreign products and willingness to buy these products. The effect of age and education on attitudes is also investigated. Data was collected through a questionnaire. And this questionnaire was applied to 50 people in October 2009.

Key words: foreign retailers, consumer attitudes, ethnocentrism

1) Introduction
International competitiveness has become a necessity for the survival of many firms because of the globalized business. In this sense, Turkey is a very attractive country for foreign retailers in terms of growing market potential. This growing market potential includes young population,growing economy and advantageous stores rents. Since the late 1980s, foreign retailers have entered into Turkey with the developments in international retailing throughout the world (Tokatl and Boyac, 1998). Because Turkish customers were interested in multinational brands and were prepared to spend money on products that enabled them to have a Western type of life, international companies began to enter Turkey (Euromonitor, 2009). When foreign retailers decide to extend their market shares through different countries, they evaluate the countries that they intend to enter, in terms of many different characteristics such as demographics, culture and consumer behavior that derives from different attitudes, values and perceptions. Also these attributes may differ from one country to another. The foreign countries intended to enter to new countries rearrange their marketing mix that includes product, price, promotion and place by evaluating different attributes which has been explained above. Some researches were done to evaluate consumer attitudes towards foreign retailers products. For example, according to Burton (2002) and Quellet (2007), consumers are concerned with their cultural, national and ethnic identities increasingly in more interconnected world. Some consumer researches determined that people make their purchasing decisions on information cues. Information cues can be intrinsic (e.g., product design) and extrinsic (e.g.,brand name, price)(Olson, 1977; Jacoby ,1972). But extrinsic

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