The Roles of Structural Features, Micro-Entrepreneurial Behavior, and Visitor Experience on Vendor Performance in Bangkok Night Markets

Abstract

This study investigates the key factors contributing to the success of Thai night markets, with particular focus on vendors operating in Bangkok. Amid rapid urban development, rising property costs, and changing consumer behavior, the research examines how structural and organizational features, micro-entrepreneurial behavior, and visitor experience interact to influence vendor performance. Grounded in the McKinsey 7S Model, Experience Economy Theory, and the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework, the study maintains the original emphasis on night-market sustainability while extending it toward an information systems perspective. Data were collected from 369 valid vendor responses and supported by interview evidence and online-review insights. SPSS and WarpPLS were used to assess reliability, validity, model fit, direct effects, and mediating effects. The findings show that structural and organizational features, including layout, sanitation, zoning, signage, infrastructure, e-payment availability, and market coordination, strongly influence visitor experience and vendor performance. Micro-entrepreneurial behavior, such as innovation, adaptive pricing, customer engagement, social media use, and digital promotion, significantly improves visitor experience but does not directly improve vendor performance. Visitor experience positively affects vendor performance and partially mediates the relationship between structural and organizational features and performance. However, the mediating role of visitor experience between micro-entrepreneurial behavior and vendor performance is not supported. The study contributes to information systems research by showing how digital tools, online platforms, cashless payment, and data-driven feedback can strengthen informal market ecosystems. It provides practical implications for vendors, market organizers, urban planners, and policymakers seeking to enhance inclusive competitiveness, visitor value, and technology-enabled sustainability in Bangkok night markets.