Khazanah Multidisiplin
Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026): Khazanah Multidisiplin

Promotional Asymmetry in Retail: Why Special Offers Matter More Than Conventional Discounts: Asimetri Promosi dalam Ritel: Mengapa Penawaran Khusus Lebih Penting daripada Diskon Konvensional

Riomas Sinurat (Institut Bisnis Dan Komputer Indonesia)
Edward Alezandro Lbn. Raja (Institut Bisnis Dan Komputer Indonesia)
Netty Niawati Gea (Institut Bisnis Dan Komputer Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
26 Jul 2026

Abstract

This study examines the influence of Discount Programs and Special Offers on consumer Purchasing Decisions at Matahari Department Store, Thamrin Plaza Medan. The research is important because promotional strategies are widely used in retail, yet different promotional formats may generate unequal consumer responses. A quantitative explanatory design with a cross-sectional survey approach was employed. Primary data were collected through questionnaires administered to 70 consumers selected from a population of 230 customers using incidental sampling. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression, partial t-tests, simultaneous F-tests, and the adjusted coefficient of determination with SPSS version 16. The findings show that Discount Programs have a positive but statistically insignificant effect on Purchasing Decisions, with a regression coefficient of 0.242, a t-value of 1.698, and a significance value of 0.094. In contrast, Special Offers have a positive, significant, and dominant effect, with a coefficient of 0.686, a t-value of 5.869, and a significance value of 0.000. Simultaneously, both variables significantly affect Purchasing Decisions and explain 44.9% of their variation. These findings imply that retailers should prioritize relevant, transparent, and value-added Special Offers while using conventional discounts selectively. The originality of this study lies in revealing the differential and complementary effects of two promotional mechanisms within an offline department-store context, showing that consumers respond more strongly to additional value, urgency, and exclusivity than to price reductions alone.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

kl

Publisher

Subject

Description

Khazanah Multidisiplin is an open-access, peer-reviewed scholarly journal written in English and/or Bahasa Indonesia. This journal is published two times a year (June and December) by the UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung. Khazanah Multidisiplin encourages academicians, researchers, and professionals ...