Intuitive Pricing Heuristics and Fiqh Muamalah Boundaries in Traditional Retail: A Multi-Site Qualitative Study

Desi Rahma Nuri; Moh Sahroni Nurkodri; Ahmad Edi Saputra; Riki Saputra

doi:10.61255/jeemba.v4i5.1635

Authors

Desi Rahma Nuri Institus Islam Al Mujaddid Sabak, Jambi, Indonesia
Moh Sahroni Nurkodri Universitas Jambi, Jambi, Indonesia
Ahmad Edi Saputra Institus Islam Al Mujaddid Sabak, Jambi, Indonesia
Riki Saputra Universitas Islam Sarolangun, Jambi, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61255/jeemba.v4i5.1635

Keywords:

Bai' ajil, Fiqh muamalah, Intuitive pricing, Perceived resilience, Social embeddedness

Abstract

Purpose – This paper examines how traditional grocery store (warung) merchants in West Tanjung Jabung Regency intuitively incorporate microeconomic pricing heuristics and Sharia commercial ethics (fiqh muamalah) into daily operating decisions. Rather than establishing universal causal proofs, this study highlights how micro-retailers perceive and operationalize these ethical boundaries within localized socio-economic ecosystems.

Design/methodology/approach – Employing a multi-site qualitative research design with 20 in-depth merchant interviews (10 in urban Tungkal Ilir and 10 in rural Betara), 12 regular customer interviews for data triangulation, and 120 cumulative hours of systematic observation, this study utilizes thematic analysis and cross-case synthesis to explore bounded pricing behaviors, credit practices, and contextual operational variations.

Finding/Results – Findings indicate that merchants rely on experiential, bounded heuristics rather than formal mathematical elasticity calculations. Markups on elastic goods are compressed (tasamuh), while inelastic staples are constrained to prevent excessive markup (ghabn fahisy). Daily spot transactions default to akad mu'athah. Based on merchant-reported practices, informal credit (kasbon) primarily functions as a deferred merchandise sale creating sales debt (bai' ajil / dayn) without interest, rather than a cash loan (qardh). Urban stores leverage turnover velocity and digital payments, whereas rural stores rely on social embeddedness and harvest-linked credit cycles.

Originality/Value – This study offers a context-specific jurisprudential clarification of informal retail credit and demonstrates how localized ethical boundaries and relational social capital shape the perceived business resilience in traditional micro-retail ecosystems.

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