Post-script—Retail forecasting: Research and practice

This note updates the 2019 review article “Retail forecasting: Research and practice” in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the substantial new research on machine-learning algorithms, when applied to retail. It offers new conclusions and challenges for both research and practice in retail demand forecasting.     

Green consumption behavior prediction based on fan-shaped search mechanism fruit fly algorithm optimized neural network

Predicting consumption behavior is very important for adjusting supplier production plans and enterprise marketing activities. Conventional statistical methods are unable to accurately predict green consumption behavior because it is characterized by multivariate nonlinear interactions. The paper proposes an optimized fruit fly algorithm (FOA) and extreme learning machine (ELM) model for consumption behavior prediction. First, to address the problem of uneven search direction of FOA leading to insufficient search ability and low efficiency, the paper proposes a sector search mechanism instead of a random search mechanism to improve the global search ability and convergence speed of FOA. Second, to address the issue that the initial weights and hidden layer bias values of the ELM are randomly generated, which affects the learning efficiency and generalization of the ELM, the paper uses an improved FOA to optimize the weights and bias values of ELM for improving the prediction accuracy. Taking the green vegetable consumption behavior of Beijing residents as an example, the results show the optimization of the initial weight and threshold of ELM by the GA, PSO, FOA, and SFOA, the prediction accuracy of the GA-ELM, PSO-ELM, FOA-ELM, and SFOA-ELM models all surpass those of ELM. Compared with BPNN, GRNN, ELM, GA-ELM, PSO-ELM, and FOA-ELM models, the RMSE value of SFOA-ELM was decreased by 9.45%, 8.40%, 11.89%, 5.84%, 2.22%, and 2.69%, respectively. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the SFOA-ELM model in green consumption behavior prediction and provide new ideas for the accurate prediction of consumption behaviors of other green products with similar characteristics.     

The new wave of AI-powered luxury brands online shopping experience: The role of digital multisensory cues and customers’ engagement

Academic literature retains a dearth of empirical evidence of the cutting-edge aspect of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered digital assistance and digital multisensory cues, despite the prospect of these factors on real-life customers' luxury brand online shopping experience. Thus, the aim of this study is to examine the significant pathway and effects of AI-powered digital assistance toward customers’ luxury brand online shopping experience. Drawing on S–O-R (Stimulus, organism, and response) and TRAM (Technology Readiness and Acceptance Model) paradigm, a multi-method research design was deployed to investigate constructs. Firstly, semi-structured interviews were utilized to explore customers' online behavior under the luxury brands and information technology aspect. Secondly, survey data were collected and analyzed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The PLS-based analysis of quantitative data confirmed the exploratory insights of qualitative findings, establishing the connections of AI-powered digital assistance, customer engagement, and customers' luxury brand online shopping experience. Research findings also suggest that customer engagement plays a mediation role in the relationship between AI-powered digital assistance and customers' luxury brand online shopping experience. Besides, digital multisensory cues moderate the relationship between AI-powered digital assistance and customer engagement. Further, fsQCA complements the findings of PLS-SEM that reveal the significant combination of factors that lead to the perceptions of customers' luxury brand online shopping experience.     

Exploring the multi-dimensionality of authenticity in dining experiences using online reviews

The quest for authenticity in dining experiences has become increasingly important. This paper explores authenticity dimensions that are of value to customers in dining experiences, and by that gains a multi-dimensional understanding of authenticity in this context. Following an integrated learning approach using text mining and classification techniques, this paper explores and confirms different dimensions of authenticity by identifying and classifying authenticity judgements in online restaurant reviews. The results suggest that authenticity is a multi-dimensional concept encompassing Authenticity of the Other, Authenticity of the Producer, and Authenticity of the Self as first-level dimensions. Additionally, besides historical and categorical authenticity which have been previously explored in the literature, a new type of authenticity - Deviated Authenticity - emerged as a second-level dimension falling under Authenticity of the Other. This paper enhances existing conceptualisations of authenticity and establishes avenues for exploring the multi-dimensionality of other consumer research concepts using user-generated content.     

深度学习方法在作物遥感分类中的应用和挑战

[目的]准确估算作物的面积和分布对粮食安全至关重要。与传统的机器学习方法相比,深度学习具有多种优势,如端到端训练、可迁移性。为有效利用高时空数据进行作物识别提供了新的机遇。已有多种模型被应用于作物分类任务中,针对不同的分类任务,如何有效地选择模型,并对其进行训练和使用已成为关键问题。[方法]文章回顾了利用深度学习模型对作物分类的主要研究。N维卷积神经网络(N-D CNN)(N=1、2、3)和递归神经网络(RNN)已被有效用于作物分类任务。长短期记忆RNN(LSTM RNN)和门控循环单元RNN(GRU RNN)是RNN的变体,解决了随着时间序列增加RNN出现的梯度消失或爆炸问题。此外,还有研究使用CNN和RNN(我们称为RCNN)的混合模型对作物进行分类。该文首先阐述了使用深度学习方法进行作物制图的背景和意义,并介绍了CNN和RNN模型结构。然后回顾了一些典型的研究,包括模型的结构、遥感数据源、数据处理方法和分类精度。最后,总结了使用深度学习方法进行作物分类的挑战以及现有解决方案的局限性。[结果](1)1-D CNN可用于提取时间特征,或时间+光谱特征,分类效果良好;2-D CNN已被广泛应用于单时相数据的空间特征提取,分类精度依赖于数据源;3-D CNN应用较少,但具有很大的潜力,尤其是时间+空间维度的特征提取;(2)相同条件下(架构、数据源、研究区域、类别),LSTM RNN和GRU RNN分类效果通常高于普通RNN,而前两者的效果差距不大,但GRU RNN训练时间较短;(3)CNN+RNN混合模型(RCNN)用RNN比3-D CNN更适合提取时间特征。这主要是由于RNN建立了对序列数据的长期依赖,而3-D CNN卷积核是局部计算的。[结论]通过分析,认为深度学习技术是作物遥感分类的有效工具。此外,与其他模型相比,RCNN,3-D CNN和GUR RNN具有更大的潜力。     

Customer purchase forecasting for online tourism: A data-driven method with multiplex behavior data

Online tourism has received increasing attention from scholars and practitioners due to its growing contribution to the economy. While related issues have been studied, research on forecasting customer purchases and the influence of forecasting variables, online tourism is still in its infancy. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a data-driven method to achieve two objectives: (1) provide an accurate purchase forecasting model for online tourism and (2) analyze the influence of behavior variables as predictors of online tourism purchases. Based on the real-world multiplex behavior data, the proposed method can predict online tourism purchases accurately by machine learning algorithms. As for the practical implications, the influence of behavior variables is ranked according to the predictive marginal value, and how these important variables affect the final purchase is discussed with the help of partial dependence plots. This research contributes to the purchase forecasting literature and has significant practical implications.     

Balancing risk with virtual private networking during a pandemic

When the pandemic struck and teaching went online worldwide, universities had to make pressing decisions that balanced cybersecurity against other factors, including health and safety, usability, and cost. One such challenge Indiana University (IU) faced was how to accommodate the secure telecommunications needs of 130,000 faculty, staff, and students who would now be teaching, learning, doing research, and working from home. Some universities reflexively promoted virtual private network (VPN) use for all activities. Such an approach would have been unsustainable at IU, however, owing both to the licenses and resources needed for the sheer number of users and to the high-throughput applications on which they rely. Perhaps even worse, it would have increased the chances that the VPN would be unavailable during a critical incident or other situation in which secure communications must be guaranteed. Instead, IU launched an awareness campaign demonstrating exactly when VPN use is and isn’t needed. In addition, network staff employed a VPN feature called split tunneling to reduce the load. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this approach and how IU made the decision to balance both sides of the risk equation to ensure the continued advancement of its mission throughout the pandemic.     

航班计划优化研究概述

从航班计划优化的不同时间阶段分析,可以将航班计划优化分为航班计划静态编排优化、基于航班延误预测的航班计划动态反馈优化和基于机场协同决策(A-CDM)的航班计划动态调整角度三类;进而从航班时刻、机型指派、航班频率等编制环节分析了航班计划静态编排优化;随后利用延误波及预测与数据挖掘预测的优化方法分析了基于航班延误预测的航班计划动态反馈优化的相关研究。最后,根据航班计划优化复杂性分析,给出了航班计划优化的发展趋势和未来研究方向。     

Antecedents and consequences of hotel customers’ psychological ownership

This study aims to broaden the current knowledge on the antecedents and consequences of customers’ psychological ownership (CPO) from new perspectives in the hotel context. Specifically, this study investigates how self-image congruity and functional congruity affect CPO through impression in memory based on self-congruity theory and also examines two types of customer engagement—customers’ social influence engagement and knowledge-sharing engagement—as new CPO outcomes. Using survey data collected from 433 Chinese hotel customers, this study finds that self-image congruity positively predicts CPO partially through impression in memory, whereas functional congruity positively influences CPO fully through impression in memory. Moreover, the findings indicate that CPO significantly drives customers’ social influence engagement and knowledge-sharing engagement. This study contributes theoretically to the CPO literature by further developing its linkages with congruity perceptions and customer engagement. Practical implications of the findings can help hotel managers effectively promote CPO and customer engagement.