The dimensions of assortment: A proposed hierarchy of assortment decision making

Abstract

The merchandise assortment plays a fundamental role in retailing; it conveys the positioning of the retailer, and is a key determinant of image and patronage. However, existing literature covering a 50-year period is somewhat fragmented. A key problem with the literature is that it does not distinguish between different levels and dimensions of assortment, causing potential ambiguity in their interpretation in the modern retailing context. The lack of standardised terminology could potentially inhibit future assortment research in, for example, assortment measurement. In reviewing the literature, the critical dimensions of assortment are clarified with conceptual definitions and a hierarchical classification of assortment being proposed. Further, the assortment research is examined, identifying an imbalance between operational and strategic assortment research. As retail assortments expand and saturate, the need for assortment measurement research is argued with associated implications for retail management.     

An exploratory investigation into e-tail image attributes important to repeat,internet savvy customers

This paper offers results from an exploratory study investigating e-tail store image attributes important to repeat, internet savvy customers of a major Australian grocery e-tailer. The study was undertaken in response to a perceived need on the part of the e-tailer for a better understanding of how image operated on-line, and a review of extant literature which indicated that while retail store image in traditional bricks-and-mortar environments had been extensively investigated; limited empirical work involving consumers had been undertaken within the e-tail environment. Three components incorporating traditional and e-tail specific attributes were identified; core demands, institutional factors and information.     

Online channel strategies under different offline channel power structures

This study explores the manufacturer's marketing and pricing strategies for online channel under different offline channel power structures. Through these strategies, the manufacturer sells products through an offline retailer and an e-tailer. The manufacturer decides the cooperation mode with the e-tailer by the reselling or the agency selling mode and the pricing strategy on the basis of the power structures, i.e., vertical Nash structure (VN), manufacturer Stackelberg structure (MS), and retailer Stackelberg structure (RS). We find the manufacturer selects the online agency selling mode when the commission rate is less than the given threshold. As long as the commission rate is more than another threshold, the manufacturer selects the online reselling mode under the VN structure; however, the manufacturer selects the online agency selling mode under the other two structures. As well, the offline wholesale price is higher under the MS structure than those under the VN and RS structures. When the manufacturer selects the online agency selling mode, the offline retail price is highest under the MS structure, and the online retail price is highest under the VN structure. Meanwhile, consumers can always obtain a higher surplus in the online agency selling mode under all offline power structures.     

多渠道零售商线上线下营销协同研究——以苏宁为例

结合了实体门店与在线商店的多渠道零售模式已经成为全球零售业发展的趋势,但多渠道零售商线上线下协同效应与稀释效应并存,如何通过营销协同实现渠道整合成为零售领域研究的热点问题。本文以苏宁为研究对象,采用规范的案例研究方法对其营销协同策略、影响决策的关键因素以及营销协同绩效进行了深入分析。在案例研究的基础上,以渠道区隔与融合为基准构建了渠道分离、渠道协同、渠道融合、渠道并行四种类型的营销协同战略导向,并以案例分析得出的六个影响因素（消费者特性、成本因素、生命周期、竞争强度、互补性、规模经济）作为自变量,以企业自身因素与外部环境因素作为调节变量,以营销协同绩效作为因变量,构建了线上线下营销协同的理论框架。最后,文章为多渠道零售商的经营管理提供了可操作性建议。     

E-tailer personality and behavioral intentions: the application of self-congruity theory

The present study is an effort to develop an e-tailer personality scale. Subsequently, we check the impacts of e-tailer personality on self-congruity and behavioral intentions such as intention to re-shop and intention to recommend. We have followed a traditional scale development method – item generation, purification, and dimension assessment. A structure questionnaire has been used to collect primary data online. A structure equation model was used to analyze the data. This study has developed a e-tailer personality scale of five dimensions: sophistication, competence, excitement, sincerity, and convenience. The results of a structural equation model largely support the propositions that e-tailer personality is positively related to self-congruity. The results also show that e-tailer personality, behavioral intentions and self-congruity are positively related. A comparison of the developed scale with the existing brand personality scales, results in a unique dimension of e-tailer personality scale. Arguably, this study may be seen as a first study in an emerging economy and online retailing domain. The results have both academic and managerial implications.     

Segmenting consumer decision-making styles (CDMS) toward marketing practice: A partial least squares (PLS) path modeling approach

The way consumers make decisions across online and offline channels according to their perceptions of retailers׳ marketing practices is not well understood in the current literature. A few empirical studies have examined consumer decision-making styles (CDMS) and marketing practice among online and shopping mall consumers. This research endeavors to understand CDMS as market segments on the perception of marketing practice across retail channels. A total of 315 online and paper–pencil-questionnaires were collected to conduct the statistical analysis for the measurement and structural model using the partial least squares (PLS) path modeling approach, a structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. Six consumers׳ characteristics–perfectionist, brand consciousness, price conscious, fashion conscious, recreational and impulsive shoppers–were assessed in respect of retail products, price, advertising and retailing across-channels. The study contributes to retailing management by enabling it to implement effective retail segmentation and cross-channel strategy according to CDMS. The study limitations and implications are discussed.     

Managerial bias in anticipated images of competing shopping areas

Several dimensions of consumer retail patronage decisions that affect the firm's marketing program are investigated. In particular, the focus of the research extends previous research in the area to investigate the images held by consumers of shopping malls rather than individual stores. Second, the ability of store managers to accurately predict the image held by consumers both of their own shopping area and of a competitor's shopping area is investigated. This is designed to evaluate the ability of managers to predict consumer perceptions irrespective of their own beliefs. Finally, differences in the perceptions of two potential market segments are compared. Manager ability to differentiate between segments is noted. The implications for marketing programming decisions and the contribution the research makes to the body of literature on image measurement are discussed.     

Does the digitalization of retailing disrupt consumers’ attachment to retail places?

This study breaks new ground in the marketing domain by extending the concept of place attachment to the study of the online retail environment. We provide empirical evidence that consumers can establish strong attachments not only with traditional offline places but also with online retail stores. Moreover, we assessed how distinct dimensions of the place affect the formation of consumers’ attachment and their behavioral loyalty. Our findings show that while consumers who feel a strong sense of attachment toward the place engage in spreading positive word-of-mouth regardless of the environment, their attachment to the store does not prevent them from switching to another provider, especially in the online environment.     

The Quality Dimensions of Internet Retail Food Purchasing

ABSTRACT

This exploratory study examines relevant factors affecting consumers' evaluation of product and service quality in the context of Internet retail food purchasing. A total of 489 anecdotes, written by online consumers based on their own shopping experience, were collected and content analyzed. In turn, 18 quality dimensions and 58 sub-attributes were identified. The asymmetric effect of positive and negative attribute-level performances on consumer dis/satisfaction was discussed. The impact of two delivery strategies on consumers' perceived quality was also examined. Finally, managerial implications and recommendations were provided in order to pave the way for possible improvement of the quality of Internet retail food purchasing and, in turn, consumer satisfaction.     

Revisiting the showrooming effect on online and offline retailers: The strategic role of in-store service

This study revisits the showrooming effect on online and offline retailers and is the first to examine the strategic role of in-store service in this regard. Considering the effect of in-store service in attracting consumers to offline channels and the showrooming effect of persuading offline consumers to purchase online, we propose a model consisting of two firms, a brick-and-mortar (BM) store and an e-tailer that can invest the staff or facilities necessary to deliver in-store services to consumers. Based on the service decisions, the two firms make their pricing decisions. We compare the optimal decisions of retailers in the cases without and with showrooming to explore the interaction between in-store service and showrooming. Our findings indicate that when a customer bears a high travel cost to visit the BM store, the store should lower the price, and improving the in-store service is ineffective in countering the consumer's showrooming behavior. Moreover, the service level in the case with showrooming can be either higher or lower than in the case without, and the outcome mainly depends on the efficiency of the service investment. Interestingly, in-store services can lead to a win–win situation for both online and offline retailers with showrooming. This study can also be extended to the case of powerful e-tailers or competing BM stores.     

Linking Retail Strategy,Atmospheric Design and Shopping Behaviour

Although not usually recognized in the published work in retail atmospherics, the environment created by retail managers is an important strategic variable. Most of the work in atmospherics has focused on consumer reactions to environments while the strategic dimensions of this decision have largely been ignored. The present paper explores this gap by focusing on the managerial dimensions of store atmosphere by linking retail strategies and atmospheric design with consumer behaviours and issues. This discussion underscores the necessity for retail managers to have specific goals for the atmosphere in mind before creating a store design since the retail environment is capable of eliciting a wide range of behaviours from consumers.     

Revisiting customer analytics capability for data-driven retailing

Customer analytics is one of the most dominant strategic weapons in today's competitive retail environment. In spite of its strategic importance, there is scant attention to investigating customer analytics capabilities in the retail context. Drawing on a systematic literature review and thematic analysis, this study proposes a multidimensional customer analytics capability model by identifying relevant dimensions and sub-dimensions in retail settings. The principal contribution of this study is that the model links a customer analytics perspective to a resource-based view (RBV)-capability of the retailers by proposing six customer analytics capability dimensions and twelve sub-dimensions in the spectrum of market orientation and technology orientation. The customer analytics capability dimensions depict three crucial themes of marketing, such as value creation (offering capability and personalization capability), value delivery (distribution capability and communication capability), and value management (data management capability and data protection capability). By incorporating this capability dimensions, practitioners will likely be able to engage customers and enhance customer equity.     

“互联网+”还是“回归实体”？——消费模式与零售企业战略选择

互联网与移动互联网技术迅速发展，带动了许多实体零售企业投身于电子商务的创新实践，但也不乏亚马逊、阿里巴巴等网络零售企业通过投资、并购等方式积极涉足实体零售企业。文章试图解释企业进行不同战略选择的原因，采取“互联网+”或是“回归实体”的依据。在分析互联网对零售企业影响的基础上，文章建立了包括消费者与零售企业在内的一般均衡模型，分析了消费者选择不同零售企业的依据，以及零售企业的应对之策。分析结果表明，消费者在不同零售商店的相对支出比例取决于零售商店提供服务组合的相对效率。因此，基于“有限商圈”与“有限品类”的经营战略成为企业扩大销售收入的关键，现网络零售与实体零售战略选择本质上可以归纳为品类专业化与区域专业化之间的收益比较。     

基于消费者预期的在线零售企业社会责任行为研究--量表开发与验证

通过文献回顾、访谈、预试和大样本调查,从消费者预期视角对我国在线零售企业社会责任行为的维度结构和测量量表进行实证研究。其中,运用筛选条目和预测试等程序初步确定在线零售企业社会责任行为的测量量表,并经由探索性因子分析与验证性因子分析发现,消费者预期的在线零售企业社会责任行为包括经济责任、消费者责任、员工责任、法律责任、公益慈善责任五个维度,其测量量表具有良好信度和效度。结果还显示,消费者最看重在线零售企业承担消费者责任,其次才是法律责任、员工责任、公益慈善责任,相对不看重经济责任。另外,不同性别、年龄、受教育程度、网购频率的消费者所预期的在线零售企业社会责任行为存在差异。     

The servicescape: The social dimensions of place

Abstract

Place should not be viewed solely as a physical space that people inhabit or, within a servicescape context, patronise because the experiences consumers have in place are very much shaped by its occupants. Marketing literature, though, has tended to focus on the physicality of place, or the stimulus–response aspects of place, whereas in other disciplines such as geography, place has been viewed in terms of its temporal, spatial, natural, and social dimensions. The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding of how women's non-commercial relationships shaped their patronage decisions. Since this study was interested in why consumers make repeat retail visits, qualitative methods were used. As the findings revealed, one's need for social connectedness and desire to feel like an insider were sometimes more important than the products available and/or the servicescape's attributes.     

Conceptualising town centre image and the customer experience

Abstract

Compared with store image literature, the town centre is underexplored as a retail image context. This paper examines what is meant by town centre image by conducting an empirical study of 536 consumers to elicit top-of-mind images of five town centres. Following extensive content analysis and rigorous replication, the findings reveal a broader, holistic image construct than previously assumed in the literature. New psychological, intangible elements of town centre image are identified, confirming the need to measure image specific to the retail context. Further, drawing on the customer experience framework, a conceptual model of town centre image is developed. The model provides the basis for future conceptualisation and operationalisation of town centre image, combined with an approach for managing the customer experience in town centres.     

Impact of Online Reviews on Consumer’s Hotel Booking Intentions: Does Brand Image Mediate?

Abstract

The recent trend suggests that people are more inclined to online hotel reviews to take online hotel booking decisions. The present study argues that when consumers are exposed to online hotel reviews, it draws an impression of the hotel brand in the mind of consumers, resulting in influence their hotel booking intentions. The current study determines the mediation effects of brand image between credible online hotel reviews and consumers’ hotel booking intentions. To ascertain the uni-dimensionality of the scales, the present study executes exploratory factor analysis. The ensure the internal consistency of the variable scales, the study determines Cronbach’s alpha. To measure the mediation effects, the present study performs structural equation modeling bootstrapping method. Data analysis reveals that marketers should look at hedonic brand image, which ultimately influences consumers’ hotel booking intentions. This is a unique study that ascertains the type of brand image that actually mediates between the impact of online hotel reviews and consumers’ hotel booking intentions. In addition, the paper furnishes theoretical background on how people interpret online hotel reviews and its effects.     

Signaling Quality in an E-Commerce Environment

Abstract

“Quality” is a unique concern in food marketing with powerful strategic connotations and consumer emotion. Consequently, retailers, with the help of food processors, have built their industry around communications with consumers which compare the value of one product over another using key quality attributes as carriers of that value. This involves both simple and complex signaling techniques that consumers have grown accustom to. With the onset of online food sales, many of these signaling techniques are less effective. This research evaluates food quality communication signals, presenting findings from three related E-Grocery studies, linked through a meta analysis.     

The Drivers of E-tailers' Price Levels

One of the most important topics in online pricing is understanding the drivers of online price levels for different types of retailers, in order to better understand competition across retail channels. We developed a conceptual framework and conducted an empirical analysis on price levels in the books category among different e-tailers (pure play and multichannel) in Italy and obtained a dataset comprising 5,400 price quotes during 2002. We ran a correlation analysis that showed that e-tailer graphics, branding and trust, and shipping services are highly correlated to price levels. Moreover, we developed a regression analysis that showed that first impact attributes like graphics and navigability are the most important drivers of online price levels. We identify some areas of future research and offer some managerial insights.