Exploring the retail design management process within a UK food retailer

Design is an increasingly important part of the competitive strategy of food retailers in the UK. This paper examines the design management process within one of the leading UK food retailers to provide a model of the process. This model constitutes a contribution to design management theory in the retail sector. The process of retail design management is explored and discussed. This paper attempts to provide an exploratory base for future linkages to be made between design management and retail marketing theories.     

Hypermarkets and the Small Retailers in Malaysia: Exploring Retailers' Competitive Abilities

The emergence of multinational retailers, especially in grocery retailing, has changed the retail scenario in Malaysia over the last decade. In the past, grocery retail formats such as supermarkets, minimarkets, and night markets dominated the Malaysian retail scene, consumers are now given the choice of shopping in large retail outlets where new retail formats such as hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, and superstores now thrive and are increasingly gaining in popularity. Interestingly, large retail concepts are predominantly associated with multinational retailers such as Carrefour, Makro, Giant, and Tesco. The presence of large retailers brings with it the question of dominance and implications of changing customer preferences. This study assesses the perception of small retailers toward their abilities to compete effectively in an industry where large, multinational retailers appear to be dominating. It appears, however, that the small retailers possess distinctive qualities in relation to their strategic inputs that can essentially differentiate them from their larger competitors. It is suggested that some regulatory measures especially by local authorities are necessary, but this must not be to a point of curbing healthy competition among the different types of retailers.     

Re-imagining retailers’ co-operatives

This article gives clarity to the area of retailers’ co-operatives. It provides a discussion on the different types of co-operatives and their identifying characteristics. This is to clear up common misunderstandings and misapplication of the word retail co-operative in the literature and popular culture and allow for further research in the area of retailers’ co-operatives. This article also provides a discussion of the drivers and developmental path for retail co-operation as a strategy for independent retailers. Three types of retail co-operation are discussed in this way namely buying groups, retailers’ co-operatives and retailers’ co-operative retail chains. The differences between a retailers’ co-operative retail chain and a corporate retail chain are then elucidated. Finally, managerial implications are provided surrounding retail strategy. This research is important as it provides greater understanding of a very successful retail format that has not been studied in depth, a format that allows for sustainable retail development and growth. This article enables further study in the area along with clarity on terms and dimensions.     

Measuring retail performance in an omni-channel world

Abstract

Driven by global advances in technology and changes in consumer buying behavior, brick-and-mortar retailers are being forced to become omni-channel retailers. This calls for new metrics for evaluating retail performance. We examine the challenges facing the retail industry, the metrics that traditional brick-and-mortar stores have used as well as the new metrics that retail industry experts are suggesting for online retailing. A conceptual framework for omni-channel retailers is suggested.     

Making working in retailing interesting: A study of human resource management practices in Danish grocery retail chains

This paper discusses how five retail chains in the Danish grocery industry attempt to make low-wage, low-status store-level retail jobs as checkout operators and sales assistants interesting. It does so from the perspective of both retailers and employees. Following analysis of the social and institutional context of Danish grocery retailers, we identify three types of retail employees (transitional workers, core employees and career seekers), who have different motivations and aspirations for working in grocery retailing. The central challenge for retailers is to make store-level retail jobs interesting to the different employee types. Although retailers mainly focus their attention on career seekers, we find that working in retailing is interesting for all employee types because the retailers are currently able to meet their respective motivations and aspirations. Nevertheless, we identify several areas in which retailers can improve their practices.     

Exploring the system of digitised retail design—flattening the ontology

The objective of this article is to combine the two dominant perspectives of retail design— design and business—through systems thinking and flat ontology, in order to understand the ‘store’ as designed by retail designers in the new digital area. Using an abductive case study of the Danish retail design world, this article connects actors into a system, redefines 'the store’ as an interface between retailer and customer, and attaches the metaphors ‘observed universe’ and ‘extended self’ of owner managers to collectively designed spaces. The implication of the study is a retail design (and business) canvas.The article's practical contribution is clarifying the profession of retail design under the condition of digitised retail, and to present a first step towards a system-based theory for retail design.Managerial contributionThe article redefines the store as an interface affording customers' and retailers’ exchange of product and experiential interaction with the aim of providing adequate revenue.     

Strategizing Retailing in the New Technology Era

The world of retailing is being reimagined and transformed at breakneck speeds due to new technologies, as well as due to changes in consumer purchasing behavior resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. This dynamic retail marketplace is forcing retailers to strategize how to best position themselves to survive and flourish in this environment. Recognizing that we are at a critical inflection point in the world of retailing, we conceptualize a Strategic Wheel of Retailing in the new technology era that emphasizes technology as the core enabler of the strategies related to the 6Ps of retailing (retail place and supply chain management, product, pricing, promotion, personnel, and presentation). In particular, the articles calls for retailers to carefully their review their competitive ecosystem as they adapt to the new technologies, raises some issues, and offers new directions for further research on how technology can be leveraged to design profitable retail strategies.     

Retailing to Foreign National Consumers in the Border Zone

Abstract

This study investigates the factors that affect how retailers in a border zone manage the elements of the retail mix with respect to foreign national consumers. Several hypotheses concerning the effects of competition from foreign retailers and currency devaluation(s) on variables of the retail mix and traditional measures of perceived retailer outcomes are advanced. Results indicate that while perceptions of devaluation have an impact on the planning of the retail mix as well as on perceived retail outcome measures, competition from foreign retailers is not perceived to be an important factor. Research and managerial implications are offered.     

Crosswise and reciprocal interdependencies within retailers’ multichannel structures

Understanding consumer behavior across channels is the fundamental basis for implementing successful multichannel retailing strategies. This study analyzes the crosswise and reciprocal relationships between offline and online brand beliefs, offline and online retail brand equity and consumers’ conative loyalty to a retailer in multichannel structures. The relationships are contextualized by investigating fashion and grocery retail sectors and different prior channel performances that are likely to affect the paths to loyalty across channels. To provide insight into these issues, two cross-sectional and two longitudinal models are employed. The results show that former brick-and-mortar retailers are able to significantly increase consumers’ loyalty to the firm by primarily designing offline (secondary online) attributes and beliefs. The results hold for retailers in both fashion and grocery retailing, however, with stronger effects in fashion, as well as for retailers with strong vs. weak prior channel performance. However, indirect effects indicate that online brand beliefs and offline retail brand equity are the central strategic levers for prior strong (vs. weak) retailers. Reciprocal relationships between online and offline retail brands underline important channel interdependencies. Managers thus need to take these crosswise and reciprocal interdependencies between channels into account when designing successful multichannel retailing systems. This study introduces the novel idea of simultaneous crosswise and reciprocal relationships within multichannel retail structures and shows that paths to loyalty vary for retailers in different retail sectors and retailers with strong vs. weak offline and online channel performances.     

国际零售业发展趋势及我国零售业发展的对策

2004年底,我国取消了对外商投资商业企业在地域、股权和数量等方面的限制,中国零售业全面对外资开放。随着跨国零售集团的大举进入,我国零售企业面临严峻的挑战。所以,必须考察在经济全球化条件下世界零售业的发展趋势,从中比较分析中外零售业的竞争优势、劣势,从而采取适当的对策来提升我国零售业的国际竞争力。     

The role of organizational justice and social interaction in mitigating the negative effects of high-performance member retailers on strategic integration

Drawing on resource-based view, social exchange theory, and organizational justice theory, this study tests the link between high-performance member retailers (HPMRs) and strategic integration to retail buying groups, and the mediation and moderation of social integration and organizational justice, respectively. Using structural equation modeling, we analyze data from 241 independent retailers participating in retail buying groups in Japan. Results reveal that although HPMRs are negatively associated with strategic integration, they also increase strategic integration via enhanced social interaction with other member retailers. Additionally, organizational justice by buying group headquarters weakens the negative link between HPMRs and strategic integration. The study newly shows how member retailers’ past performance characteristics, the role of buying group headquarters, and member retailers’ interactions affect strategic integration to retail buying groups. The findings contribute to resource-based view, social exchange theory, and organizational justice theory by examining how retail buying groups can encourage HPMRs’ strategic integration using social interaction and organizational justice as boundary conditions. Practical and theoretical implications are described.     

Independent Retail and Grocery Shops in Zimbabwe: Survival and Demise in a Crisis and Post-Crisis Era

Research on independent retail and grocery shops has largely been confined to more advanced markets such as those of the United States and the United Kingdom, ignoring trends in this sector in other markets such as Africa. Findings from these previous studies have established increasing pressure for survival faced by these independent retailers due to the dominance of big local supermarket chains and increased foreign competition. This research investigates the impact of increased local and foreign supermarket retail competition on independent retailers in Zimbabwe during the turbulent hyperinflation crisis era and the post-crisis recovery dollarization era. Key findings from the study focus on the impact of the changing retail landscape on growth and demise of these retailers. The study outlines constraints faced by the retailers and coping strategies that are being used to address the changing landscape and constraints. Implications for marketing practice and policy are then outlined.     

提升我国零售企业竞争力 发展大型连锁零售企业集团

当前我国零售企业的现状与国民经济快速发展的要求很不相称。我国加入WTO后,零售业竞争加剧,提升我国零售企业竞争力,发展大型连锁零售企业集团已是当务之急。我国要利用当前发展大型零售企业的有利条件。制定出国内零售企业提升竞争力的途径。     

The Effects of Retail Banner Standardization on the Performance of Global Retailers

Global retailers often face an important decision about the extent to which they should standardize or adapt their retail banners, a choice that the authors refer to as retail banner standardization (RBS). Drawing on the international marketing and retailing literatures, this study investigates how RBS affects the performance of global retailers in a longitudinal sample of 69 global retailers from multiple countries and sectors, across ten years. Findings indicate that the role of banner standardization in the successful performance of global retailers depends on retailer and market-level characteristics. Specifically, the results demonstrate that RBS improves retailer profitability as retailers increase their global penetration and emphasize status-based differentiation. Findings also suggest that banner standardization has stronger effects on profitability as retailers increase their focus on emerging markets and e-commerce. However, the authors also find that while RBS increases profits at low levels of global diversity, this effect becomes non-significant as retailers expand to highly diverse foreign markets. As such, the study provides important implications for global retailers while also filling the gap in banner/brand standardization/adaptation research that lies at the intersection of retailing and international marketing.     

Navigating the ‘retail apocalypse’: A framework of consumer evaluations of the new retail landscape

Strong signals exist for a permanent restructuring of retailḍing, where traditional physical retailers may not fully recover. Such transformation will have vast implications for consumers, the industry, and society in general. This study explores U.S. consumers’ evaluations of these profound changes sometimes referred to as the ‘retail apocalypse.’ Two studies, a content analysis of reader comments in response to articles featuring reports on large-scale store closures, and structured online consumer interviews, provide insights into consumers’ perspectives. We include consumer-derived explanations for the decline in physical retail, and the growth of online shopping, as well as anticipated consequences for both, individual consumers and society in general, in a conceptual framework. We find many consumers lamenting the disappearance of physical retailers. Most expect negative consequences for themselves and society. However, many consumers also describe physical retailers as often unable to deliver on basic retail functions, and many are accepting of a future with very few physical stores. Based on these findings, we develop practical implications for the retail industry and public policy, as well as future research opportunities.     

Orchestrating retail in small cities

The structural transformation of retail is challenging for many small cities. Rather than seeing the retailer as a sole player, this article considers retail in small cities to be shaped in a retail eco system consisting of many different actors besides retailers such as municipalities, landlords, business/city organisations, customers/citizens. The key contribution of the article is to provide new perspectives on the challenges and management of retail in small cities by applying a metaphor from the culture and fine arts sector, orchestration. The article is based on a combination of in-depth interviews and participant observation at three small cities in Sweden. In total, 38 interviews have been conducted with representatives of retailers, municipality, business/city associations and landlords.The general aspects of retail eco system as an orchestra are presented according to Klein and Kozlowski, (2000) multilevel constructs: compiled (bottom-up), composite (top-down) and emergent (culture, history). Thereafter, a number of orchestration techniques, structured around Pine and Gilmore, 1999 dimensions of experiences are presented. The article shows that the future of retailing in small cities is not merely dependent on the retailers, but on collaborations with other retailers, landlords and municipalities. An understanding of consumer culture and development of entrepreneurship culture and networks is crucial for survival and prosperity. Furthermore, rather than copying strategies developed both in and for metropolitan areas, there is a need to build on and strengthen the characteristics of the local retail eco system and the community brand identity.     

Retailing in the Transition Economies of Poland and Romania: A Comparative Analysis

This research compares and contrasts the current state of development in the retailing industry in the transition economies of Poland and Romania. Two issues examined in this research are (a) the process of market reforms and resulting developments in store-based and non-store retailing, including the competition among large multinational retail chains and small local retail stores, and (b) the structure of the retail industry in terms of market share of 17 different categories of retailers within their respective sectors, namely, grocery retailers, specialty retailers, and non-store retailers, and overall growth registered by these retailers in the last 5 years (2004–2009). Managerial implications of the findings in terms of the opportunities and challenges in different categories of retailing business in the two countries are discussed, and directions for future research are identified.     

外资零售业“价签门”事件理论阐析——异质化信息条件下的逆向选择与三方博弈

文章以近期发生的外资零售业“价签门”事件为背景,深度分析零售市场中信息不对称条件下“逆向选择”引起的外资零售商价格欺诈行为的理论必然性;在此基础上,进一步构建政府、零售商、消费者三方互动的不完全信息博弈模型,分析零售商价格欺诈行为的发生条件。分析结果表明,首先,竞争市场中的零售商不可能对消费者采取严重欺诈行为;其次,严格的政府市场监管确实能有效杜绝零售商欺诈行为;最后依据零售商价格欺诈决策条件,政府可以制定全方位的价格监管体系并有针对性的实施价格欺诈防范对策。     

Brand experience anatomy in retailing: An interpretive structural modeling approach

In today's highly competitive retail environment, retailers have recognized and embraced the concept of offering experiences with the retail brand across various channels beyond new launches and lower prices. To manage the experiences associated with a retail brand, retailers need to understand the concept of brand experience in retailing and the factors that actually comprise it. Interestingly, very few studies have imparted an understanding of brand experience in retailing. This study seeks to understand the retail brand experience and model the interrelationships among retail brand experience variables using interpretive structural modeling (ISM). Retail brand experience variables used in this study have been identified from existing literature on ‘brand experience’ and from brainstorming sessions with academicians and retail industry experts. Our findings show that the variables, namely, packaging of own label brands, customer billings, order and application forms, point-of-sales (i.e., shelf talkers) and recommendation by a salesperson have a high degree of influence and exhibit low dependence. These variables require a great deal of consideration due to their strategic significance to retailers. The approach applied in this study will enhance the understanding of retailers for improving the performance through managed retail brand experience initiatives.