Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Retail Service Quality Research: A Bibliometric Analysis and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

Despite the significant increase in the corpus of RSQ literature, a unified conception of its intellectual structure, evolution in its themes, and the emergent patterns is still disjointed. In this regard, this study aims to map out the history of RSQ research and uncover future research interests by conducting a systematic bibliometric enquiry. The RSQ publications (127) are downloaded from the Scopus database. The analysis of annual point of publication, top authors, academic institutions, and countries, collaboration patterns of researchers, and thematic clusters is analyzed by using citation analysis, co-authorship analysis, and mapping of keyword co-occurrence. The visualization and theme evolution techniques are used to identify the prevailing and new research. The results indicate that the bibliometric analysis reveals a significant increase in publications on retail service quality over time. More than 50% of the total publications were produced after 2015, indicating rapid growth in the last decade and highlighting the increasing academic interest in RSQ research. The document-type analysis shows that journal articles account for approximately 87% of the total publications, while conference papers contribute around 9%, and other formats such as book chapters, reviews, and errata collectively represent less than 4%, indicating that peer-reviewed journals remain the primary channel for RSQ knowledge dissemination. This paper suggests an organized future research plan, which centers on the topic of technology-mediated innovation in service, a sustainable model of retail services, and cross-contextual testing of RSQ constructs. The insights offer strategic directions to the retail managers through establishing new dimensions of service quality that are critical in driving the excellence of customer experience, loyalty, and sustainable competitive advantage.