Consumer Innovativeness Among Street Vendors in Mexico City

Abstract

This study relates innovative consumer behavior to informal economic activity within the urban lower middle class of one of the world's major emerging markets, with focus on product innovations in the areas of retail and consumer goods and services. of prime interest are the innovation adoption habits of street vendors, a group hypothesized to possess greater innovative tendency than those of similar social background employed as formal sector wage earners. Results indicate that street vendors report higher income and lower levels of education than their formal sector neighbors and these two groups show distinct product acquisition/patronage patterns, as well. However, the street vendors do not always demonstrate more innovative behavior, as adoption appears product specific.     

“走鬼”,我们该拒绝吗?

<正>"走鬼"一词流行于香港、广州等城市,是人们对流动小摊贩的一种叫法。在一座城市中,"走鬼"们往往是最为活跃的经济细胞。他们的生存现状和社会问题,也一直是引发热议的焦点。2009年5月20日,江苏省人大批准了一项颇具"爆炸性"的决     

The mediation effects of consumers’ need recognition and pre-purchase evaluation in consumers’ decision-making on purchasing safe street food: The case in Nakhon Si Thammarat,Thailand

Nakhon Si Thammarat province is one of the largest cities in Thailand and offers various types of street foods in the city. However, the number of street vendors that pass food safety certification is very low. Nevertheless, there are many consumers who still purchase street food because of their lifestyle who are exposed to food safety risks. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate how consumers make their decisions about the safety of the street food. This study investigates the importance of the need recognition and pre-purchase evaluation stages in consumers’ decision-making in relation to their purchasing of safe street food. The results from the structural equation modeling analysis found that, at 95%, the confidential need recognition would act as a partial mediator between consumers’ motivation → pre-purchase evaluation on purchasing safe food and consumers’ food safety knowledge → pre-purchase evaluation. In turn, pre-purchase evaluation would act as a full mediator between consumers’ motivation and safe street food purchasing. The findings signify that the stages of need recognition and pre-purchase evaluation in the decision-making process are important in order to reduce consumers' food risk while purchasing street food. Therefore, encouraging consumers to recognize the importance of purchasing safe food and convincing them to be concerned when selecting food is necessary to prevent consumers from unsafe food consumption.     

武汉城管用眼神执法 重庆念叨队横空出世

<正>6月中旬,武汉洪山城管执法大队在对占道经营者劝说、宣传无效后,50名执法队员围站成一圈,双手背在身后,沉默地注视着食客和坐在一旁的老板。如此"对峙"了27分钟后,老板与食客最终悻悻地收拾起桌椅搬进了店内。这一时成为街头巷尾议论的佳话。     

Timing is money: managing the floor in sales interaction at street-market stalls

Abstract

This article considers ‘pricing’, that is, offers and requests for the price of sales items, as a communicative practice deployed by vendors and customers during sales interaction on street markets. It examines the organisation of sales interaction by pursuing the question of how and when market participants, vendors and customers alike, embed offers and requests for price information within their interaction. The analysis suggests that pricing is deployed as a technique to manage the ‘floor’ and the interaction at the stall. For example, offers for items are being tailored to customers’ display of interest and commitment to particular items, and requests for price information are deployed in ways that challenge anticipated offers, that is, offers that are about to be made by a vendor. The data, field observation and video-recording have been gathered at market stalls in London and Berlin.     

Food Products Vending in Street Markets Held in Urban Habitat

This study explores the influence of street markets in urban geodemographic settings and analyzes vending patterns with ethnic values enhancing consumer satisfaction. Interrelationship among urban dwellers, marketplace ambiance, and conventional shopping wisdom of customers and interactive customer relations are also addressed in the study based on empirical survey. Research on street markets is very limited though some studies are available on street vendors with focus on spatial planning, political interventions, and legal rights. This study on street markets contributes significantly to the existing literature in reference to shopping behavior and perceptional values of urban consumers.     

商业街在城市中的功能及发展研究--以武汉光谷步行街为例

在现代社会中，一条独具特色的商业街能极大地拉动城市经济的增长，更是地区繁荣的象征，城市运营的点睛之笔。以光谷步行街为例，总结了其突出的多种功能效益，深入分析了步行街得以繁荣发展的原因。根据对其经营现状的调查，客观地指出了发展过程中显露出来的业态组合不够合理、定位不够准确、核心竞争优势不够突出等问题，并给出合理积极的建议，以期促进步行街更好地发展。     

Vendor Hygienic Practices and Consumer Perception of Food Safety during the Carnival festival on the island of Tobago,West Indies

Local festivals are usually the highlights on the small island, Tobago, West Indies. The street vendors capitalized on the Carnival season where they provide a variety of foods and beverages on‐demand for masqueraders and spectators. Therefore, this study examined food safety and hygienic practices by vendors and consumer perception of such practices at the Carnival festivals in Tobago. Standard structured questionnaires and observational checklists were compiled and administered to 50 vendors and 150 consumers at five Carnival events. Each vendor was observed for frequency of practices for 15–20 min. Consumers were sampled systematically (every fifth person encountered) at each event. The vendors examined were generally female (70.0%), 41–50 years old (34.0%), possessed less than primary education (36.0%), acquired more than 5 years of experience (44.0%) and were stationary (78.0%). The most common food prepared and sold was hot dog (36.0% of all sold foods). Educated vendors practised good personal hygiene and on‐site food handling, whereas the others performed improper practices such as absence of aprons and hair covering, wearing of jewellery and handling money while serving. Also, vendors displaying valid food badges generally practised more proper personal hygiene and food handling than those without badges. The majority of the consumers examined were residents of Tobago (80.0%), female (74.7%), 21–30 years old (39.3%) and possessed secondary education (53.3%). More than half of the consumers purchased foods at Carnival events (57.3%). Most (82.7%) who did not purchase stored foods in coolers. More than half (58.0%) had seen or read Carnival food safety articles in the local newspapers and most (96.0%) were aware that illnesses can be transmitted via consumption of food. Additionally, 42 out of 74 respondents (56.8%), who indicated that they were affected by foodborne illness, sought medical help when foodborne illness was suspected. However, a mere 13 out of 74 consumers (17.6%), who indicated that they were affected by foodborne illness, lodged reports of suspected foodborne illness with the local health authority. Younger consumers (21–30 years old) mostly read food safety articles and were conscious of illness being transmitted via consumption of food. In addition, the more educated consumers (tertiary education) indicated awareness as well as formal reporting of foodborne illness. Some gaps in vendor practices included handling of money while serving (78.0%), failure to clean utensils (68.0%) and access to water (48.0%). Noteworthy, only visual observation and interviews were utilized in the study.     

Students' patronage and views on the operations and services of food vendors

Abstract Vendors of meals and snacks, granted the realities of the present changing economic and social lifestyles, will continue to feed large numbers of people despite the insanitary conditions under which most of them operate. This study sought to find out the degree of patronage of food sold by vendors, items purchased, reasons for patronizing, views and opinions on the services patronized. Two-hundred and forty-five students resident in five halls at the University of Ghana completed a self-administered questionnaire each. Eighty-six per cent purchased cooked meals and snacks regularly from vendors. Over two-thirds consumed their meals at the selling sites. However, the services and facilities offered by vendors were judged as inadequate and poor. Nineteen per cent reported having suffered diarrhoea, stomach aches, indigestion and other gastrointestinal problems as a result of eating vendored foods. Three outstanding reasons emerged for the high patronage of vendored foods. They are food always being available (69%); food being cheaper (62%); and more variety to choose from (42%). These findings portray the great influence of money and time on consumer choice of food in our present harsh economic environment. Patrons indicated several unhealthy practices by vendors that pose health threats to patrons. These observations together with several recommendations made regarding the safe handling of food, water and the environment indicate consumers' awareness of the need for safe delivery of the food they consume. There is the urgent need therefore to organize and train vendors, pass a food law, supervise operations of vendors and also educate consumers to choose only safe food and water and insist on a clean food environment.     

Space for the informal tourism economy

ABSTRACT

In developing countries, many informal economy service providers obtain their livelihoods from tourism, and occupy and share public spaces to do so. As such, these actors must develop ‘rules in use’ that allow them to work alongside other providers, both formal and informal, in these shared spaces. These actors engage in coopetition, a mix of cooperation and competition, with each other. This paper provides a case study of informal sector service providers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, to examine how these actors access resources and interact. Snowball sampling was adopted to identify actors and 47 in-depth interviews with pedicab drivers and street vendors were conducted and supplemented with naturalistic observation. Results indicate the public spaces occupied by the informal sector may be classified as common pool resources, collective goods, or semi-private goods. Further, the interaction among the actors in these public spaces is based on the types of, and capacity in, providing goods and services, and trust generated from the actors’ interactions. This research identified the formal and informal ‘rules in use’ that govern the behaviours of the actors related to the use of spaces. Suggestions for how informal economy actors can manage such spaces to enhance their livelihoods are provided.     

Entrepreneurship in the Street Food Sector of Vietnam—Assessment of Psychological Success and Failure Factors

We tested the hypothesis that process characteristics of action strategies were related to entrepreneurial success in microbusinesses in the urban informal sector of Vietnam. The process characteristics were divided into four strategies: critical point planning, complete planning, opportunistic, and reactive. Success was defined as a combination of economic and subjective measures. A survey was done in Hue and Hanoi (Vietnam) among 102 street food vendors. With 62 vendors of this sample, we held in-depth interviews, which were used to test our hypotheses. The results showed that seventy percent of the business owners did not plan much. Opportunistic and planning strategies were most highly related to success, and a reactive strategy was related to failure. The latter replicates other studies in other developing countries.     

Customer Service as a Strategic Weapon in International Operations

Customer service is an important competitive weapon in international markets becuase of its ability to acquire and retain overseas customers (especially intermediate firms) and, thus, enhance companies' revenues. Customer service is especially critical when foreign vendors are perceived as offering similar products at comparable prices, and purchasers have doubts about suppliers' willingness to carry out various post-purchase responsibilities. This paper reports the results of a study of the customer service programs of 151 U.S. non-service companies with international operations in five or more foreign countries. Sixty-nine firms responded to their customer service efforts in international markets and 81 addressed domestic customer service programs, allowing for comparisons to be made between international and domestic customer service operations. The study's results indicate that copmanies realize the importance of customer service in marketing to international customers, yet customer service for international markets is not considered to be appreciable more important than it is for domestic ones. Much similarity in perceptions about international and domestic customer service programs being in place. Whether this similarity occur from a careful analysis of domestic and international markets or simple expediency is uncertain.     

Street Markets Influencing Urban Consumer Behavior in Mexico

Street markets in the urban setting form the bottom of the pyramid market structure, which caters to consumers of semi-urban settlements. Consumers favor these markets for farm-fresh agricultural products and low-priced consumer goods. This study empirically investigates the role of street markets in urban sociodemographic clusters in the shift of consumer behavior against large shopping malls and supermarkets. Data were gathered from 490 respondents engaged in buying products at 373 vending stalls across 14 street market locations in Mexico City. Data were collected on 31 variables and analyzed using structural equation model. The study also addresses street markets as change agents of consumer behavior in the context of marketplace ambience, vending patterns, ethnic values, and interactive customer relations. The conventional shopping wisdom of customers, competitive gains, and socio-cultural advantages are also addressed based on an empirical survey. The study revealed that shopping behavior is largely motivated by the physical factors such as location of marketplace, distance, and vending stall type within the street market. Findings also indicate that consumers possess a strong conviction that street markets offer fresh products of farm and animal origin as well as ethnic food irrespective of hygiene standard.     

关于南光路“酒文化一条街”的思考

泸州市龙马潭区打造南光路"酒文化一条街"的建设思路,应从对南光路的实际进行规划定位和做好市场细分入手,进行优势、劣势、机会、威胁的SWOT分析.同时,打造特色的酒文化一条街,还应进行硬件、软件等全方位的包装.在南光路上.形成酒厂营销中心业务恰谈、名优特酒批零、酒吧品酒消费、市井"单碗"消费,这样顺次而下、层次衔接的"一条龙"式的一条街.     

企业物流外包与物流企业博弈探析

随着社会分工的进一步细化和物流业的快速发展,物流外包正迅速被供需双方所认可。在实际业务操作过程中,物流外包供需双方因种种原因,存在着各种此消彼长的博弈。本文试从不同的物流业务现象阐述物流外包业务发展的趋势及物流企业自身发展的方向。     

低压电力载波通信技术在城市路灯远程智能监控中的应用

介绍了城市路灯单灯控制的智能监控系统，该系统采用低压电力载波通信方式。针对路灯分布的线型结构和低压电力载波通信的特点，提出了单灯接力式传输通信方案，且对低压电网噪声进行了分析，并在硬件和软件上提出了相应的解决方案。实验表明，这种通信方案能满足城市路灯控制要求。     

论市场经济与会计监督

市场经济是以满足市场需求为手段 ,追求利润是市场经济发展的内涵。企业要取得合法利润 ,其生产经营活动必须置于会计监督之下。目前造成企业会计信息虚假 ,经济效益低下 ,会计监督弱化的原因是多方面的 ,企业只有认真贯彻执行《会计法》 ,并加强企业内部管理机制和外部控制机制 ,强化会计监督 ,才能有效地提高经济效益 ,保证社会主义市场经济顺利、健康发展。     

简论特色街区的现状和开发策略——以青岛啤酒街为例

随着城市旅游的发展,特色街区的建设越来越受到重视。本文简略描述了青岛啤酒街的发展现状,分析了其存在问题及不断发展的有利因素,提出了进一步发展青岛啤酒街的策略。     

Responsible Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries: Understanding the Realities and Complexities

Developing countries have recently experienced a burgeoning of small-scale individual entrepreneurs (SIEs) – who range from petty traders to personal service workers like small street vendors, barbers and owners of small shops – as a result of market-based reforms, rapid urbanisation, unemployment, landlessness and poverty. While SIEs form a major part of the informal workforce in developing countries and contribute significantly to economic growth, their potential is being undermined when they engage in irresponsible and deceptive business practices such as overpricing, sale of underweight or substandard products, or attempts to hoard goods, to name a few. Despite the growing interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of small businesses in developing countries, the SIEs have received almost no attention. To address this void in the literature, we explore the reasons for the less than optimal level of social responsibility demonstrated by some SIEs in developing countries. We do so by drawing upon the existing literature to develop a comprehensive framework of social responsibility of SIEs highlighting their unique characteristics and the different contextual factors that they encounter in developing countries. Based on this framework, we then present a set of propositions specifying the influence of these contextual factors such as business environment, cultural traditions, socio-economic conditions, and both international and domestic pressures on the business practices of SIEs. The framework offers an explanation for the lack of responsible entrepreneurship of SIEs and has important implications for promoting sustainable business practices in developing countries where businesses are striving hard to survive and compete.