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.     

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.     

零售企业自有品牌成长路径研究

与国际知名零售企业相比,国内零售企业自有品牌建设还处于起步阶段,如何有效实施自有品牌战略值得关注和研究。本文基于对自有品牌战略实施条件的分析,从零售企业的品牌运营能力、产品研发能力和管理协同能力三个维度,构建零售企业自有品牌成长路径分析模型,并提出品牌运营能力主导型和产品研发能力主导型成长路径及其实施战略,并以超市业态为例探讨零售企业对生鲜蔬果类、粮油类和服装类产品实施自有品牌战略的成长路径选择。     

我国零售业发展策略研究

随着零售业微利时代的到来,跨国零售巨头纷纷抢摊我国零售市场,我国零售业面对了前所未有的竞争态势。零售业的对外开放,不仅关系着整个行业的发展,而且对我国国民经济的运行也起着举足轻重的作用。外资零售业在经营理念、技术手段、经营规模、商品价格和人力资源方面具有明显的优势,如何正确地面对现实,采取相应的对策去迎接挑战,以谋求更大的发展空间,是我国零售业亟待解决的问题。     

An innovation perspective on Chinese retailers' competitive advantage

Given the emergence of strong local retail firms in China over the last two decades, this paper aims to explore their competence enhancement and capability building process from the innovation perspective. Innovative measures on retail format, activity and governance dimensions of three leading local retailers in China are investigated using an in-depth case study approach. After each case is studied on the three dimensions, a cross-case analysis is conducted using thematic analysis to examine their innovative strategies and to explore their sources of innovation. The three cases share notable similarities in their strategies that are in sharp contrast to those of foreign retailers. On the retail format dimension, they have all achieved differentiation by formulating niche strategies and succeeded in creating a strong reputation among customers and retaining the same. On the retailing activities dimension, they have all developed a profit-making model through unique supply chain management and stressed construction of logistics centres and operational standardisation. On the governance dimension, they have established an efficient incentive and reward mechanism to motivate employees and encourage innovative practice. They have also built long-term collaborative relationships with their suppliers. Based on these three cases, it is also found that local embeddedness, latecomers' advantages, business agility and a risk taking entrepreneurial mentality are the crucial factors behind the generation of efficient innovations of China's local retailers. With these findings, this paper has extended and enriched existing knowledge on latecomers' catch up and service innovation. It has constructed an analytical framework for retail innovation by building on relevant attempts in the existing literature. A theoretical framework that explains how indigenous Chinese retailers have managed to successfully compete with foreign retailers in China using innovative strategies has also been established based on empirical data.     

浅论我国零售企业服务创新策略

随着中国经济的快速发展,外资零售企业大规模地进入,我国零售业市场环境发生了深刻变化,竞争变得日趋激烈。本文在分析近年来我国零售市场状况的基础上,提出了新形势下国内零售业服务创新的策略。     

刍议移动互联网传统零售企业营销能力的提升

面对运用现代信息技术而形成的新型商业模式的竞争,传统零售业在经营观念、人才储备、基础设施、创新精神上,都处于不利的位置。传统零售企业可以借助无线互联网技术,借鉴电子商务企业的成功经验,开展营销业务与手段的创新;开展基于LBS服务创新;通过APP占领消费者手机桌面;利用顾客碎片化时间;开设智能商店;提供移动在线客服;加大客户数据挖掘,使无线营销活动更具有针对性。     

The Strategic Importance of Retail Investment in Asia and Its Implications for the Metro Group in Asia

Abstract

The speed, intensity and reach of retailers' foreign expansion are rising. As more distant markets have to be chosen to stay competitive, the pressure to expand abroad is increasing. Often, changing or stretching the initial business model in order to comply with local market demand maintains the performance of the firm. This phenomenon of strategy alteration after market entry is examined, using the Metro Cash and Carry expansion into Asia as an example. First, the investment attractiveness of Asia as a region is examined. Second, there is a review of countries in Asia that are especially considered for business expansion. Finally, the question of how an overall internationalisation strategy or business concept of a company changes after market entry into Asia is explored.     

The Role of Retail Competition,Demographics and Account Retail Strategy as Drivers of Promotional Sensitivity

We study the determinants of sensitivity to the promotional activities of temporary price reductions, displays, and feature advertisements. Both the theoretical and empirical literatures on price promotions suggest that retailer competition and the demographic composition of the shopping population should be linked to response to temporary price cuts. However, datasets that span different market areas have not been used to study the role of retail competition in determining price sensitivity. Moreover, little is known about the determinants of display and feature response. Very little attention has been focused on retailer strategic decisions such as price format (EDLP vs. Hi-Lo) or size of stores. We assemble a unique dataset with all U.S. markets and all major retail grocery chains represented in order to investigate the role of retail competition, account retail strategy, and demographics in determining promotional response. Previous work has not simultaneously modeled response to price, display, and feature promotions, which we do in a Bayesian Hierarchical model. We also allow for retailers in the same market to have correlated sales response equations through a variance component specification. Our results indicate that retail strategic variables such as price format are the most important determinants of promotional response, followed by demographic variables. Surprisingly, we find that variables measuring the extent of retail competition are not important in explaining promotional response.     

我国零售业“走出去”战略的支撑体系

中国零售业的“走出去”步伐远远落后于中国制造业,零售业对外直接投资项目少、金额小,与中国贸易大国的地位不相符,不利于改变我国在全球价值链所处的被动局面和服务贸易失衡的现状。中国零售业“走出去”步履艰难的根本原因在于缺乏国际竞争力。实证研究表明,为了加快实施中国零售业的“走出去”步伐,需要在国家和零售产业层面,从国家战略的高度构建法律、政策和市场等外部保障体系,从零售企业内部增强内生发展动力,提高自身“走出去”的内部技术和能力保障,从而做到内外兼收,齐头并进,共同推进中国零售业实施“走出去”战略。具体而言,应提升零售业“走出去”的战略地位,构建完善的政策保障体系;发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用,推进现代流通市场体系建设;加强企业品牌和核心竞争力建设,加快推进“走出去”步伐。     

我国农村零售商业连锁经营研究

我国农村零售商业普遍具有生产资料销售与生活资料销售并存,总量较大与个体规模不经济的现象并存,传统业态与新兴业态并存等特点,在农村经济发展较快、零售商业较为发达的农村地区实行以连锁经营为主的新型零售商业业态,然后向其他地区推广是我国农村零售商业发展的一项重要战略选择。第一,以小城镇为中心,以广大农村为腹地,合理布局经营网点,以质取胜;第二,对现有零售网点以特许加盟等形式进行重组与整合,建立统一店面、统一采购、统一配送和统一服务的连锁经营管理体系,组成大型的经营共同体;第三,注重日常经营管理,以管理提升效率;第四,准确定位,突出经营特色,服务“三农”。     

Liberty in Paris: International retailing, 1889–1932

This article considers the international retailing operation of Liberty of London in Paris between 1889 and 1932. Using data from the company archive, the article challenges assumptions regarding the nature and role of early retail activity in the internationalisation process. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from the marketing and management literature, the article considers Liberty’s Paris operation from entry stage activity in the late 1880s through to the divestment process in the early 1930s. Detailed consideration of this firm shows that the specialist retailer with distinct firm specific assets developed in the domestic market was operating internationally in the late nineteenth century.     

跨国零售企业在华扩张的业态选择——基于21家跨国零售企业的实证分析

跨国零售企业在华空间扩张的同时不断引进各种新型业态,进行业态扩张.本文通过实证研究,分析了具有代表性的跨国零售企业在华的业态分布情况、业态扩张战略的选择、特点及其成因,并得出以下结论:由于受到母国、进华时间及业态本身等因素的影响,目前跨国零售企业在华依然大多采用单一业态战略;跨国零售企业出于降低在华经营风险、培养新利润增长点、增强企业竞争力的目的,越来越重视多业态战略,多业态发展态势明显,而且,大型超市是多业态战略的核心业态.     

A Functional Approach to International Channel Structure and the Role of Independent Wholesalers

The functional approach to the design of marketing channels has a long history in the marketing literature. In more recent years, the functional approach has been all but forgotten as the transactions cost approach has come into fashion. Yet, the functional approach offers severl significant advantages over transactions cost analysis, especially when the number of functions is condensed. Using a succint summary of the functions, produced through factor analysis, this paper examines the relationship between the functional performance capabilities of U.S. wholesalers used in the channel structure of foreign manufacturers. A statistically significant relationship was found, thus providing evidence of the role of functions in determining channel structure.