Defining Newtown user satisfaction in a shopping mall

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the user satisfaction dimensions at the Newtown Junction shopping mall to improve its performance. Design/methodology/approach Users of the Newtown Junction shopping mall were surveyed and the results were analysed using mean scores, principal components and regression analysis. Findings The study identified user satisfaction dimensions as “facilities management”, “design using Newtown principles”, “cultural transmission”, “utility functionality”, “accessibility”, “human factors” and “hotel access”. The dimensions extracted using principal component analysis were better predictors of performance than those of the literature. Research limitations/implications The study sample is from the Newtown Junction Mall in the Newtown precinct, Johannesburg, South Africa. The results may not be generalisable to all Newtown shopping malls. Practical implications The results will be useful for improving the marketing and operations of shopping malls in similar Newtown in South Africa. A Newtown shopping mall is more attractive to users who want to learn about African culture actively. In addition, the mall’s design and access to other parts of its mixed-used development, which are major complementary places of interest in the precinct, make it attractive to shoppers and tourists. Originality/value There are limited studies defining Newtown dimensions in a shopping mall.