Liquid Applepie: Market Entry Strategy for a New Lifestyle Drink

ABSTRACT

This is a theoretical case which observes the path a small business needs to follow to be successful. It is hoped the company involved will take these conclusions into consideration for future development.

This case study has been conducted in order to understand the theoretical models of international marketing. It determines the key criteria that need to be considered when entering a foreign market. The idea was to develop a market entry strategy for a Polish Vodka manufacturer who wants to enter the Austrian market.

After an analysis of the market and consideration of the situational factors, which are very important for the development of a detailed SWOT analysis, the segmentation, targeting, positioning and finally the selection of the right entry method, including the customer specific marketing tools, have been identified.     

Knowledge and knowledge sharing in retail internationalization: IKEA's entry into Russia

Abstract

Research on retail internationalization and internationalization in general acknowledges the relevance of knowledge management and organizational learning, even though there is a lack of discussion about the specific constructs and approaches that would be most fruitful. The central role of knowledge sharing in the internationalization process is rarely stressed. Furthermore, the specificities of retailing are likely to require special considerations if we are to be able to develop a theoretical as well as a practical understanding of knowledge and knowledge sharing in the internationalization process. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to develop a tentative approach to knowledge and knowledge sharing in international retailing based upon previous literature about knowledge sharing and the internationalization process and a case study of IKEA's entry into the Russian market.     

Retail formations: tracing the fluid forms of an online retailer

ABSTRACT

Change has often been said to characterise retailing, and research on retail change is extensive. However, though much of that research has focused on retail formats, it has not sufficiently addressed the fluid nature of retailing and how its formats emerge. This paper offers a more dynamic conceptualisation of retail format change by introducing the concept of retail formation. Taking a constructivist market studies approach and drawing upon an ethnographic study of a Swedish consumer electronics retailer, the paper shows how retail formations are continually being made in a dynamic process that can be initiated by various actors, does not necessarily follow a logical order, and commonly produces unexpected results. The concept of retail formation allows us to better understand the increasing fluidity of retailing enabling us to trace complex market processes, examine multiple actors simultaneously, and taking into account the socio-historical and socio-cultural dynamics involved in shaping retail markets.     

A customer selection strategy for business markets

The attainment of corporate objectives of profitability depends fundamentally on the allocation of limited resources to the generation of revenue in the most cost‐effective way. Customers, or groups of customers, provide revenue—consequently the selection of a “portfolio” of customers is of major importance as an element of corporate strategy. However, customers, or potential customers, vary by size, by market position, by the degree of understanding of suppliers’ offerings and in many other ways. This paper attempts to outline a systematic approach to the development of a portfolio of customers and market segments taking into account a number of the above factors.     

A Content Analysis of Retail Web-Sites

Abstract

A content analysis is presented of Web-sites maintained by the top 100 U.S. retailers. The prevalence of Web-based retailing, sales, merchandise presentation, sales promotion, corporate communication and customer service are examined. Results indicate that while 64 of the top 100 retailers have established Websites, few are using the electronic retail sites for sales, corporate communication or customer service. This study establishes a foundation for theory building and empirical examinations of Web-based retailing. Future directions for research in this area are suggested.     

Perspectives on Corporate Excellence in Retailing

This paper focuses on the strategic and organizational determinants of superior corporate performance in retailing. Previously published studies on excellent companies at large, and on excellent retailing companies are reviewed, and the results of a content analysis of a small sample of excellent retailing companies are reported. Cheif among the hallmarks of excellent retailing companies uncovered are: excellence in human resources, focus on planning and control, market dominance, intimate knowledge of the served markets, technology edge and equitable sharing.     

Market and partner selection processes in international retail franchising

This paper adopts a qualitative, case study approach to examine the market and partner selection processes of retailers operating internationally via franchising. Despite the increasing prevalence of franchising as an entry mode for international retailers, little research exists that considers how these firms choose franchise markets and franchise partners. The paper proposes a conceptual framework of the market and partner selection process that exhibits opportunistic and strategic behavior. Firms adopting a strategic approach undergo a market screening process before market attractiveness factors ultimately lead to the market selection decision. In the strategic partner selection process that follows, finance, business know-how, local knowledge, a shared understanding of the business and brand, and, ultimately, chemistry between the partners are the key factors influencing partner selection. In the case of an opportunistic approach to market and partner selection, the process reverses, with partner selection directly influencing market selection.     

The Paradox of Competition in the World of Volatility

Abstract

This paper analyses the mechanism in which fashion is produced, marketed, and consumed from the viewpoints of the consumption and supply-side, in the midst of an increasingly complex meaning of fashion and dress in modernity. The focus of the study is a theoretical account of the paradoxical consequences of market orientation and supply chain management in the middle market of international fashion retailing in the light of the idiosyncrasy of the restraints that are innately embedded in the fashion industry. The result gleaned from this study has an implication for an alternative approach of market orientation in international fashion retailing especially in the industrial economies.     

Revisiting Country Image – Examining the Determinants towards Consumers' Purchase Intention of High Technological Products

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate consumers' perceptions towards a developed country image (e.g. USA) and a developing country image (e.g. China) in relation to evaluating and buying high technological products, more specifically, smartphones. In addition, the research also examines the effects of consumer aspirations and product knowledge as consumption traits towards buying behavior. A self-administered questionnaire was employed for this study using established scales with the questions formulated around two countries, USA and China. It was administered through a mall intercept method and a particular focus will be associated to the comparison of China and USA. The stark contrast between the two countries in terms of their image and stature presents an insightful inquiry into the relevancy of country image and country of origin image importance in modern day context. The results show that country image as an evaluation cue is still pertinent in a generation where globalization is present. Results further highlights that although possessing a positive country image leads to a positive evaluation of the product country image, it however does not ensure a successful purchasing intent. Additionally, it is beneficial to note that the results for both USA/IPhone and China/Xiaomi showed a significantly greater path coefficient as compared to other causal paths. Potential moderating factors such as product involvement or pricing can also be explored. Future research should attempt to account for socio economic or demographic factors such as important controls for education, social status and income that are bound to impact on the relationships at the heart of the proposed research hypotheses.     

Country Effects on CRM Success

Abstract

Customer relationship management (CRM) adoption is growing at a dramatic pace in firms and is significantly impacting customer and business market behaviors. As a result, most firms have started developing and implementing CRM strategies. However, country effects on CRM strategy outcomes in international environments have not been discussed and are the focus of this paper. In this paper, we examine the impacts of marketing infrastructure and marketing institutions on the development of CRM strategies and success in the implementation of such strategies. Our framework has utility in understanding the impacts of country-specific factors in the outcomes of CRM Strategy.     

零售业的公司品牌化趋势——基于英国零售业品牌战略演变分析

本文以英国零售业品牌战略演变为个案研究对象，提出了零售业的公司品牌化趋势的观点。同时结合文献研究进一步印证了零售业日益清晰和普遍的公司品牌化意识。最后结合零售业业务特点和公司品牌内涵对该趋势形成动因进行了充分讨论。     

Part-time working in the ‘super-service’ era Labour force restructuring in the UK food retailing industry during the late 1980s and early 1990s

The paper begins to explore and unravel the intricate relationship between corporate strategy and labour market restructuring within the UK food retailing industry during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It is argued that the increasingly diverse and heterogeneous nature of part-time working within UK food retailing has facilitated the metamorphosis of the corporate strategies employed by the major UK food retailers away from ones dominated by productivity enhancement of the new ‘Super-Service’ era. The introduction of Super-Service is shown to have had significant qualitative effects on the working practices and quality of work experienced by part-time workers within UK food retailing.     

Partner Selection for International Marketing and Distribution in Corporate New Ventures

The software industry offers numerous options for a firm to arrange its international marketing activities. Although a prominent way to enter the international market is through co-operation, there is a limited amount of research regarding partner selection. The purpose of this paper is to explore how entrepreneurial corporate new ventures use partners in their international marketing. A representative case study is used to illustrate the partner selection and evaluation process in the software industry. Our findings indicate that small entrepreneurial firms can and should use partners in their internationalization. However, a more analytical approach to their selection is needed.     

Latent class modeling of website users’ search patterns: Implications for online market segmentation

Appropriate modeling of web use patterns may yield very relevant marketing and retailing information. We propose using a model-based clustering approach for market segmentation based on website users’ search patterns. We not only provide a detailed discussion of technical issues such as the problem of the selection of the number of segments, but also a very interesting empirical illustration of the potentials of the proposed approach.     

'One brand,three ways to shop': situational variables and multichannel consumer behaviour

To counter the growth in online retailing, high street retailers are increasingly adopting multichannel distribution strategies, seeking to target individual consumers via both physical and electronic channels as multiple routes to purchase. In order to develop successful marketing strategies within this environment, however, an understanding of consumer selection between available purchase channels is clearly needed. This paper explores the issue of shopping mode selection from an environmental psychology perspective, applying a traditional Belkian analysis of situational variables in a longitudinal study of consumer channel selection decisions. Preliminary findings from an empirical study of consumers of a leading UK fashion retailer are reported which reveal significant differences in the prevalence of different Belkian variables between shopping modes, suggesting a major role for situational influence during the channel selection process.     

农村超市发展初探

超市近年在大中城市悄然升级并超常规模发展，加上中国入世所带来的国际零售集团步入中国市场，给原本有限的竞争空间雪上加霜。与其在林立成群的城市超市夹缝中寻求生存并发展，还不如把经营触角伸向竞争相对缓和的农村市场，以促进超市持续健康有序发展。     

Consumer Market Beliefs About Retailing

This study emprically examines the subject of general beliefs that consumers have about retailing. Results from a survey of 485 consumers about the degree of consumer endorsement for sixteeen market beliefs are reported and discussed in terms of implications for retailing management.     

The Outlook for European Grocery Retailing: Competition and Format Development

This article analyses retail trends in the main European countries, and particularly format evolution and competition amongst retailing firms. On the basis of the existence of European retailing landscapes that are sometimes similar without ever being identical, the article analyses the impact of the main factors of change on different national markets. Whilst retail internationalisation and new entrants, commercial policy, legislative environments, technological innovations, consumers and buying behaviour will have a convergence effect on different countries' retail structures, substantial differences will still exist. European retailing in the coming years will probably be characterized by increasingly less marked differences between countries than one finds today, but market segmentation, variety and differentiation of retailing formats and brand names will be stronger within each country.     

The Roles of Cultural Elements in International Retailing of Cultural Products: An Application to the Motion Picture Industry

We investigate factors influencing the international retailing of cultural products by concentrating on two cultural elements: (1) consumer-perceived cultural content embedded in the product and (2) the general cultural environment of the foreign market. To test cross-culture predictability in international retailing, we develop a novel text mining procedure to elicit the specific cultural content of the product using consumers’ online product reviews. In addition, to measure the general cultural environment of the market, we apply Hofstede's cultural distance measure. To explain foreign markets’ acceptance of culturally specific elements, we theorize that the relationship between inter-country cultural distance and product sales is U shaped because of both cultural discount and cultural premium. In our empirical analysis using American movies in international retailing, we find that the two specified types of cultural factors determine a movie's success, along with the movie's characteristics and the market's economic environment. From a managerial perspective, international retailers that understand the delicate implications of the match/mismatch of their general national culture and the imported product's specific cultural content can better predict the international success of imported cultural products.     

International Market Selection

Abstract

In the international market selection literature, selecting new markets is often largely understood as an information-processing problem. The notion is that managers require extensive market information to reduce decision-making complexity. We argue, however, that managerial cognition is more central to international market selection processes, since recognition and evaluation of strategic stimuli strongly affect the way this process is approached and executed. Market environments are not unambiguous realities, but abstractions that are given meaning through processes of selection, identification and screening. To select among international markets, managers impose mental maps to acknowledge market opportunities and threats. On this basis we propose a model for mapping managerial decision-making, based on the so-called means-end theory.