New Cultures,New Strategies,New Formats and New Relationships in European Retailing

Abstract

During the last fifteen years there has been a substantial restructuring of retailing in Europe. The implications of this reach beyond Europe. The restructuring involves not only competitive relationships amongst retailers but also involves new forms of relationships with suppliers. A new perspective of the role of retailing is emerging that places retailing in a global framework of international store operations, international sourcing of products, international flows of management and managerial know-how, and international awareness by consumers of the retailers who are becoming international brands. The aim of this paper is to place the restructuring in context, to consider the nature of it and to explore how the new global framework will begin to have effects for distribution industries in Asia.     

Customer Experience Management in Retailing: Understanding the Buying Process

Retailers recognize that greater understanding of customers can enhance customer satisfaction and retail performance. This article seeks to enrich this understanding by providing an overview of existing consumer behavior literature and suggesting that specific elements of consumer behavior—goals, schema, information processing, memory, involvement, attitudes, affective processing, atmospherics, and consumer attributions and choices—play important roles during various stages of the consumer decision process. The authors suggest ways in which retailers can leverage this understanding of consumer behavior. Each of these conceptual areas also offers avenues for further research.     

Understanding retail branding: conceptual insights and research priorities

With the growing realization that brands are one of a firm's most valuable intangible assets, branding has emerged as a top management priority in the last decade. Given its highly competitive nature, branding can be especially important in the retailing industry to influence customer perceptions and drive store choice and loyalty. We integrate lessons from branding and retail image research to provide a better understanding of how retailers create their brand images, paying special attention to the role of the manufacturer and private label brand assortment. We also highlight some important areas that deserve further research in the form of three sets of research priorities.     

A Korean,a Chinese,and an Indian walk into an American bar: Tapping the Asian-American goldmine

Historically, globalization has been synonymous with mega brands’ expansion into international markets. However, changes in the marketing landscape—namely, growth of immigrant consumers, new and emerging branding strategies, and advancements in technology—have created a shift in the globalization paradigm, opening opportunities for small brands. Focusing on the growing number of Asian-American consumers, the authors develop a two-stage global market entry strategy for small brands entering the U.S. market. Specifically, the authors show how Asian brands can penetrate the U.S. market by serving Asian-American consumers or using them as a launchpad to reach mainstream American consumers. The growth of small global brands signifies an important and exciting change in the branded marketplace currently dominated by Western brands.     

Understanding how retail environments are perceived: a conceptualization and a pilot study

A conceptual framework for understanding how perceptions of retail environments are formed is developed in this paper. In developing the framework, three main issues receive theoretical attention. First, the problem of conceptualizing retail environments is tackled. Second, the dimensions of environmental perception are discussed from the standpoint of retail arenas. Third, the factors that moderate how different retail environments are perceived are treated producing a few research propositions. The article also reports the findings of a pilot study. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses are conducted and they show that the separate perceptual dimensions manifest themselves in distinct ways in different retail environments. Finally, the theoretical and managerial implications are discussed and future research suggestions are spelled out.     

顾客份额的形成机理与提高策略

随着市场份额衡量企业盈利能力和竞争优势的缺陷不断暴露，顾客份额因能更准确、更直接、更有效地衡量盈利能力强弱和竞争优势大小而成为广大企业采用的新指标，并且正在发展成为企业赢得顾客的新理念和新策略。本文将在全面分析顾客份额的基本内涵基础上，通过构建顾客份额形成机理金字塔模型深入剖析顾客份额的形成机理与影响因素，并据此进一步提出企业提高顾客份额的策略选择。     

Competitive Retailer Strategies for New Market Research,Entry and Positioning Decisions

This paper investigates strategies for new market research and positioning of stores or products by competing retailers in a duopoly setting. We examine the scenario where the two retailers are considering entry into an uncertain new market that is an extension of their existing markets. The retailers must make decisions on whether or not to first conduct research about the new market's location relative to their existing markets and its size before deciding on their own positioning in it. We first study a sequential-move leader–follower setup to highlight the choice of an “innovate-or-imitate” strategy. We find when the potential new market is small, neither retailer is adequately incentivized to do research to acquire information about the new market. As the size of the new market increases, the follower is induced to do such research. When the new market is very sizable, the leader conducts research and knows the new market's location while the follower free-rides. We then examine a simultaneous-move setup, in which one retailer might decide against acquiring new market information even when the cost of doing so is low. We further observe that differentiation (e.g., in terms of products or store locations) is greater in the simultaneous-move setup than in the sequential setup.     

Beyond convenience: the future for independent food and grocery retailers in the UK

The UK's independent food and grocery retail sector's competitive advantage of 'convenience' has been eroded in recent years as major retailers increase opening hours and develop their own convenience trading formats. As a result, large numbers of independent retailers are closing. A UK-wide survey was undertaken to identify other sources of competitive advantages, and the changes needed to stop or reverse the decline in this sector. Exploratory semi-structured interviews led to the development of a questionnaire on six major issues affecting the sector. 'Snowball' sampling, using industry partners, provided 142 respondents. The provision of a 'social shopping experience' emerged as a key competitive advantage that could be developed. Improving vertical and horizontal trading alliances, and the wider use of information technology, provided other options.     

企业知识管理:基本特征、影响因素及实施策略

企业知识管理是伴随着宏观背景的知识经济的大讨论下才明显出现的企业管理新理论。界定企业知识管理的概念,概括它的基本特征,从宏观、微观和企业内部、外部的综合性角度分析影响其产生、发展的诸因素,研究如何实施应对策略。     

Defensive Strategies of Local Companies Against Foreign Multinationals: Evidence from Chilean Retailers

ABSTRACT

Many retailers have been expanding into foreign markets, although not all such attempts at internationalization have been successful. This study examines the actions taken by Chilean retailers that negatively affected the operations of Home Depot, Carrefour and J.C. Penney in Chile. The results show that the strategies employed by local companies have consisted in: (1) becoming informed about the company's strengths and weaknesses, while imitating its best practices; (2) deepening their own market know-how and hiring high-level executives to lead defensive strategies; (3) opening stores in strategic places in order to win advantages concerning location; and (4) investing in technology and the training of employees. The overall effect on the market has been one of concentration and consolidation of the retail industry.

RESUMEN. Muchos retailers se están expandiendo a mercados extranjeros, sin embargo no todos los intentos de internacionalización son exitosos. Este estudio examina las acciones desarrolladas por retailers chilenos que afectaron negativamente la operación en Chile de Home Depot, Carrefour, y J.C. Penney. Los resultados de esta investigación muestran que las estratégicas empleadas por las empresas locales consistieron en (1) informarse en forma anticipada las fortalezas y debilidades de la empresa extranjera e imitando sus mejores prácticas, (2) fortaleciendo su conocimiento del mercado y contratando ejecutivos fuertes para liderar la estrategia defensiva, (3) apertura de locales en ubicaciones estratégicas para bloquear ventajas de localización, y (4) inversión en tecnología y capitación a los empleados. Los efectos sobre el mercado total fue de mayor concentración y consolidación de la industria.

RESUMO. Muitos varejistas têm expandido seus negócios para mercados estrangeiros, embora nem todas estas tentativas de internacionalização tenham sido bem sucedidas. Este estudo examina as aç[otilde]es implementadas por varejistas chilenos, as quais afetaram negativamente as operaç[otilde]es da Home Depot, Carrefour e J.C. Penney no Chile. Os resultados mostram que as estratégias empregadas pelas companhias locais consistiram em: (1) informar-se sobre os pontos fortes e fracos da companhia, ao mesmo tempo em que replicavam suas melhores práticas; (2) aprofundar o conhecimento a respeito de seu próprio mercado e contratar executivos de alto nível para liderar estratégias defensivas; (3) promover a abertura de lojas em locais estratégicos com o objetivo de conquistar vantagens relativas à localização; e (4) investir em tecnologia e no treinamento de funcionários. O efeito global desses movimentos no mercado tem sido o de promover a concentração e a consolidação da indústria varejista.     

Customer Experience Management in Retailing: An Organizing Framework

Survival in today's economic climate and competitive retail environment requires more than just low prices and innovative products. To compete effectively, businesses must focus on the customer's shopping experience. To manage a customer's experience, retailers should understand what “customer experience” actually means. Customer experience includes every point of contact at which the customer interacts with the business, product, or service. Customer experience management represents a business strategy designed to manage the customer experience. It represents a strategy that results in a win-win value exchange between the retailer and its customers. This paper focuses on the role of macro factors in the retail environment and how they can shape customer experiences and behaviors. Several ways (e.g., promotion, price, merchandise, supply chain and location) to deliver a superior customer experience are identified which should result in higher customer satisfaction, more frequent shopping visits, larger wallet shares, and higher profits.     

Taiwanese Retailing: Market Analysis and Retail Branding Model Application

ABSTRACT

The Taiwanese retail market is in a highly competitive stage. In the past three decades, the Taiwan retail grocery market has experienced many developments and changes, and recently, has started to realize the importance of developing its own retail brand. Although the idea of retail branding is still new in Taiwan, the major hypermarket players have tried to build up their own brand image and create new own label products which differ from other competitors. This paper explores retail branding in the Taiwan hypermarket industry through macro/micro environment analysis and applying retail branding models to the Taiwanese retail market. The macro/micro environment analysis is undertaken by the two STEPs model and the retail branding model is created from Dawson's three levels model combined with previous studies and theories. The approach in this study involves literature reviews and secondary research in the field of the Taiwanese retail market. The outcome of this study is to highlight key issues that deserve further research.     

顾客体验:理论渊源、演变及其梳理

随着体验经济时代的来临,顾客体验受到了理论界和企业界的重视,相关的研究也较多,但是比较零散。通过对相关文献收集、回顾、梳理,对国内外学者有关顾客体验概念、维度和应用研究进行了比较分析。结合我国国情,指出顾客体验研究的未来方向:一是基于我国消费者新特征的顾客体验研究,二是顾客体验的测量研究;三是以顾客体验作为企业品牌资产提升和竞争力提高的切入点的应用研究。     

Ethical Customer Value Creation: Drivers and Barriers

There is a long-standing discussion on the positive interactions between enterprise value creation and business competitiveness. The corporate value can be seen as being created from three major sources within the cycle – from employees, from processes, and from customers or investors through reinvestment. To achieve competitive advantages, a firm must create more value than its competitors in the industry. Emphasizing that, firms should explore the positive drivers of customer value creation, allowing for a true value creation that will lead to increments in competitiveness. In reality, however, there are also barriers that hinder customer value creation. Targeting the above issues that have not yet been explored or analyzed, we have collected related literature at the first stage. Based on these presumable assumptions, this paper then conducts an empirical study by surveying and analyzing the relevance given by the investigated leading machinery measuring equipment firms in Taiwan, regarding the concerns as drivers and barriers in relation to customer value creation. This paper especially aims to answer several key questions: What drivers revolving around employees and processes can facilitate the organization to create more value for its customers? Conversely, what barriers block the organization from creating value for customers in examining the same dimensions? Does value creation direct an organization’s profitability and competitiveness? Our questionnaire survey results show that the most recognized and agreed drivers of customer value creation in consideration of employees are “distinctive skills”, “personal experience”, “learning and training”, and “team work”; and, in regard to the firm’s processes, the key drivers are “innovation and evolution”, “R&;D capability”, and “capability for differentiation”. Conversely, the most recognized and agreed barriers to customer value creation in relation to employees are a “distrustful environment” and “inadequate knowledge”; and, in terms of processes, they are “short of core technology”, “poor resource support”, and “bad services and attitudes”. Furthermore, our in-depth interview outcomes reveal that “capital sufficiency” and “mergers and acquisitions” are in practice considered to be other important customer value creation drivers; in contrast, “cultural and structural barriers” and “short of mechanisms to measure customer value creation effectively” are viewed as additional critical barriers to customer value creation.     

Customer pre-participatory social media drivers and their influence on attitudinal loyalty within the retail banking industry: A multi-group analysis utilizing social exchange theory

Social media pervades everyday life and firms need to understand what consumer traits antedate participation over these channels. Utilizing social exchange theory (SET), this study seeks to determine what factors precede SET's cost-benefit analysis of social media participation along with these factors' influence on attitudinal loyalty. Important antecedents to this cost-benefit analysis for social media participation are online interaction propensity (OIP), participation attitude and trust. Further, demographic (age, gender, income) and social media page factors (perceived page size and page visit frequency) are identified as potential precursors to customers' cost-benefit analysis towards social media participation. A sample of 482 U.S. banking customers was collected via an online survey. The results found that OIP and trust had direct statistically significant effects on attitudinal loyalty and participation attitude's effect was fully mediated by trust. Age, gender and page visit frequency facets exhibited no differences between groups whilst income (with higher income groups displaying higher levels of loyalty) and page size groups (smaller page sizes demonstrated greater loyalty) demonstrated differing effects on attitudinal loyalty. The study contributes to knowledge and practice by extending particular pre-SET traits in social media to a U.S. retail banking context. The study also furthers academic and managerial capabilities for segmentation analysis' and explicating connections between pre-participatory influences and attitudinal loyalty.     

高管从军经历与公司盈余管理:军民融合发展战略的新考察

军民融合发展战略是统一富国和强军两大目标的国家战略,具有从军经历的高管是军队人才资源与地方经济发展深度融合的事实样本。本文切入公司真实行为视角,详细考察和分析了高管从军经历对应计和真实两类盈余管理的影响效应和调节因素。首先,对影响效应的考察发现,相比无从军经历高管的公司,具有从军经历高管的公司应计盈余管理程度更高,销售操纵型的真实活动盈余管理程度更高,这表明具有从军经历的高管所在公司财务表现更加激进。其次,对调节因素的考察发现,高管从军经历对公司盈余管理程度的正向影响在国有企业以及高决策权力公司中更加显著。最后,对高管从军经历的细分特征考察发现,高管从军的年限越长、从军时取得的军衔越高,则公司盈余管理程度越高,这表明高管从军经历对盈余管理的影响效应受到从军深入度和军队认可度的影响。本文研究在理论上拓展了"文化与财务"的研究范式,补充了盈余管理文献的决定因素,在实践上为军民融合战略背景下军队文化对公司财务行为的经济后果及作用机理提供了微观个体层面的经验证据。     

食品安全管理存在问题及其对策探析

食品安全问题切实关系着广大人民的生命安全与身体健康,从而进一步的影响到国家的经济水平的发展与社会和谐稳定。近些年来,我国食品安全问题频发,给人们的身体健康和生命安全带来严重的影响。文章研究分析了餐饮行业食品安全管理现状,对现存主要问题进行解析,并提出相应的对策,对我国餐饮行业食品安全管理水平和服务水平的提升有一定的积极作用。     

拓展国际市场的联合品牌策略:影响因素及实施过程研究

近年来,联合品牌已成为在世界范围内日益为企业所广泛采用的一种策略性营销工具。本文将联合品牌策略置于经济全球化背景之下,在论述联合品牌作用及其机制的基础上,分析联合品牌策略的影响因素,并对企业如何实施联合品牌策略以拓展国际市场进行了探讨。     

事业单位财务管理问题及对策

当前,事业单位普遍存在财务管理职能弱化、财经纪律松弛、会计信息失真等问题,致使国有资产流失严重.应从增强法律观念、依法理财,加强财会人员队伍建设,严格履行职责,强化预算管理,严格履行财务制度,推行民族理财,加强公众监督上加以应对,以抑制资产的浪费.     

Flexibility,labour segmentation and retail superstore managers: the effects of Sunday trading

Research into retail employment relations has focused largely upon the shop floor worker. Relatively little has been written on the role of store management. This paper focuses upon managerial attitudes to one of the major contemporary retail issues- Sunday trading. It examines the composition of the managerial workforce within the DIY and grocery superstore sectors and analyses their attitudes towards Sunday opening. It concludes that, compared to other job categories, these superstore managers perceive there to be greater disadvantages with Sunday working. The implications of this are assessed both in retail management terms and also in the context of debates about restructuring retail employment, labour market segmentation and flexible workforces