EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CROWD MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN SUPERMARKETS IN JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA
Abstract
This study assessed the effectiveness of crowd management strategies (CMS) in supermarkets in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, focusing on customer experiences and staff-related challenges. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, involving 384 customer respondents and 72 employees from four purposively selected supermarkets. Data were collected using validated structured questionnaires and analyzed using weighted mean and thematic analysis. Findings revealed that CMS were generally perceived as not very effective, with low ratings across service efficiency (2.49), customer perceived value (2.49), and shopping convenience (2.47), resulting in an overall mean of 2.48. Key influencing factors, including perceived ease of navigation (2.50) and system reliability (2.49), were found to have minimal impact on customer perceptions, indicating poor integration and inconsistent implementation of crowd management tools. Customers reported persistent challenges such as long waiting times, overcrowding, limited cashier availability, and difficulty navigating store layouts. From the staff perspective, major challenges included insufficient staffing, high workload, inadequate training, and low customer compliance with crowd control measures. These findings highlight that CMS effectiveness depends not only on technological tools but also on operational coordination and human resource capacity. The study recommends an integrated approach combining system reliability, staff support, and improved customer guidance to enhance overall supermarket performance.
JEL: L81, M11, M31
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejmms.v11i2.2281
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