Disclosure and assessment of unrecorded food waste at retail stores

Reducing food waste at stores is a huge challenge for retailers, that are called to improve the efficiency of their operations in order to reduce the quantity of food that goes discarded. Some studies suggest that part of the food products removed from sale are not recorded as waste, but the quantity and features of this unrecorded food waste is largely unknown. The underestimation of retail food waste data hinders the effectiveness of actions against food waste at the store level, as managers may build their decisions on unreliable information. In this study we directly measure the waste of 9 food categories in a panel of 13 supermarkets in Italy. An improved recording practice was applied during the 12 months of the study, allowing to detect all the food wasted, including what usually remains unrecorded. By comparing the data gathered during the study with those recorded at the same stores prior the application of the improved recording routine, meaningful quantities of unrecorded food waste emerge for many food categories, especially fruits and vegetables, packed cold cuts and groceries. The rate of food waste in value raises from 1.00% to 1.35% on comparable periods, as a result of the implementation of the improved recording routine. However, the rate of food waste in value decreases during the study period, suggesting that a more accurate recording procedure may sensitize the staff over the issue of food waste, thus preventing to some extent its generation. A new model of food waste recording is therefore proposed, with a meaningful potential to improve the quality of the data available to store managers and, at the same time, to reduce the economic losses due to in-store food waste.     

Determinants of international retail operation mode choice: Towards a conceptual framework based on evidence from French specialised retail chains

Abstract

More and more retailers have expanded internationally. Because of its impact on the success of a retailer's international operations, a critical aspect of an internationalisation strategy consists of choosing the appropriate entry and expansion modes. The phenomenon remains misunderstood as little research in international retailing has focused on this question and findings from international management literature find limited application to services.

This paper draws upon a literature review and six case-studies from French specialised retailers to provide an exploratory framework for examining key determinants of operation mode choice. It is found that retailers consider four underlying dimensions of operation modes. These dimensions are affected by situational, individual and marketing factors whose explanatory impacts are moderated by the motives for internationalisation and relationship networks.     

Evaluation of technical efficiency among entrant and incumbent firms in the Spanish retailing sector: The effects of deregulation from a regional perspective

This study analyzes the efficiency of entrant and incumbent firms in the 1995–2003 period, after a significant shift in the institutional environment of the retail sector occurred with the deregulation of opening hours carried out imposed by decree law 6/2000. It also analyzes the evolution of efficiency in relation to the entrance cohorts and to their geographical localization. The results obtained show that the effects of opening hours by decree law 2000 have perhaps been negative on the level of efficiency of the new firms. The increasing of the inefficiency of the firms is observed through the cohorts with more intensity starting from the year 2000, although in general the tendency of the efficiency is negative at global level. There have not been statistically significant differences between the incoming firms and the incumbent ones for both specialized and non-specialized sectors. Finally, notable intersectoral and intrasectoral differences of efficiency exist among Autonomous Communities (i.e. regions).     

Building a financial sector in Central and Eastern Europe

The public mission of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is to foster the transition toward an open, market‐oriented financial sector. It combines private‐sector principles in making investments, building institutions, privatizing banks, and raising equity with policy dialogue with all stakeholders, lawmakers, central banks, regulators, shareholders, and clients. Wellstructured creative individual projects, tailor‐made for the specific situation and executed in a pragmatic and successful way, provide a strong demonstration effect to market participants. Today the financial sector in Central and Eastern Europe is sound, competitive, and provides the fuel for sustained economic growth. Challenges remain, however. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Factors affecting donations in U.S. retail stores: A conceptual framework

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that influence consumer donations in U.S. retail stores. The study provides a conceptual framework of factors derived from the cause-related marketing, consumer behavior and psychology literatures. These factors are categorized as consumer-related factors, retailer-related factors and context-related factors. Consumer-related factors include consumer-retailer identification, consumer-cause affinity, impure altruism, civic engagement and post-purchase cognitive dissonance. Retailer-related factors consist of retailer-cause fit, retailer's commitment to the cause, retailer image as being altruistic, and retailer credibility. Context-related factors include time pressure, social pressure, shopping amount, and perceived savings during the shopping trip. This conceptual framework serves as a foundation for future empirical studies.     

Exploring the effect of retail sector and firm characteristics on retail price promotion strategy

This study examines why retail price promotion strategies vary across retail sectors and across firms within sectors. Using hierarchical linear modeling and a sample of 38 firms from 11 retail sectors, the authors investigate how two sector-level characteristics, related to product assortment perishability and heterogeneity, and three firm-level characteristics, related to retailer differentiation, number of stores, and average store size, influence price promotion decisions. The results indicate that assortment heterogeneity moderates the positive influence of perishability on price promotion activity; scale and scope also have significant effects. These results offer fresh insight into the ongoing debate surrounding stable versus promotional pricing, suggesting that the benefits of a particular strategy are driven largely by a complex interaction between sector-level characteristics as well as firm-level cost advantages.     

The meanings of informal and second-hand retail channels: some evidence from Leicester

Conventionally, informal and/or second-hand channels were viewed as being used by disadvantaged consumers out of economic necessity. With the cultural turn in retail and consumer research however, a new reading has emerged that views participation in such channels to be broader and more a matter of choice. To evaluate these contrasting perspectives, data collected from 120 face-to-face interviews in the English city of Leicester is reported in this article. Finding that the agency-orientated view of such retail channels is valid in affluent populations - but economic necessity remains the principal motive amongst lower-income populations - this paper reconciles these contrasting readings of economic and cultural theorists through a both/and approach sensitive to the varying meanings of such practices in different populations.     

Access to the luxury brand myth in pop-up stores: A netnographic and semiotic analysis

Using semiotic analysis and a netnographic approach, this study examines the motivations of luxury buyers toward pop-up stores in France. It reveals their motivations in relation to this new kind of retailing in the luxury sector, and the advantages of new technologies for meeting the growing demands of a clientele eager for new purchase experiences. We show that pop-up luxury stores add new features to the traditional luxury sector: informality, friendliness, ludicity and accessibility in the context of shared emotions. The key results from this study reveal that the commercial activities of pop-up stores complement those of their luxury parent Houses, in that they contribute emotionality and playfulness, while at the same nourishing the brand's mythical aspect.     

Technical efficiency and productivity growth of entrant firms in the retail sector in Spain

This paper analyses efficiency and productivity growth in relation to size, and age and for both entrant and incumbent firms using a birth cohort approach for the period 1995–2003 for two sectors, non-specialized shop (521) and specialized shop (524) three-digit NACE. On the one hand, our results indicate the existence of statistically significant differences among entrant and incumbent firms by size. Also, we found differences according to the start up size in relation to membership of the birth cohort and activity sectors. On the other hand, productivity growth shows that, in general, the larger entrants in the non-specialized sector obtained higher productivity than did small firms. This phenomenon was not observed in the specialized sector, where firms worsened in productivity in most of the cohorts and we did not find significant differences in productivity growth between large and small firms. Efficiency changes tend to be a positive contributor to total factor productivity change, but technical change tends to be a negative contributor for both sectors. A deeper analysis of the efficiency changes (catching up) has shown that these improvements are generally attributed to pure technical efficiency and the scale.     

Barriers to the advancement of modern food retail formats: theory and measurement

The recent expansion of global food retailers into emerging economies has made the study of food retail modernization especially relevant at this time. We present a framework to analyze limitations to market share growth of retail formats based on diffusion across consumer segments and by product category. We then propose a measurement approach, based on consumer surveys, that quantifies the impact of these processes on supermarket market share. Food retail modernization is then examined in Hong Kong by this approach for two points in time. In a 1995 diagnostic study, we find that geographic and economic segment diffusion of supermarkets is complete, but that product category-dependent diffusion (specifically perishables) is not. The latter, thereby, becomes the major restriction on supermarket share gain. In 1999, a second study measures the impact of the introduction of superstores, a large modern format, on the perishable restriction to modern format share growth. Consumers perceived superstore perishables to be superior to supermarkets’, but these views had little impact on the ability of modern format to wrest additional share from traditional markets. We discuss diagnostic and monitoring applications, and extensions of the approach to other retail contexts.     

Regionalization in Central and Eastern Europe

SUMMARY

Regional players among the MNCs operating in Central and Eastern Europe have to decide if they should regard their businesses as a collection of individual markets or as a homogeneous region. The purpose of this paper is to examine if and how regionalization concepts have actually been implemented by foreign MNCs in CEE. The analysis focuses on the preconditions for the emergence of a regional strategy, on the identification of the main areas of regional integration, and the relationship between strategy and organizational structure. By using a longitudinal case study approach a better insight is gained on how regional strategies have emerged during the internationalization process of the firm and, if they have emerged, in which way they have manifested themselves in business decisions. The findings raise new questions about the regionalization construct with regard to the operationalization of regionalization, the relationship between strategy and structure, and its applicability to services.     

Private information,institutional distance,and the failure of cross-border acquisitions: Evidence from the banking sector in Central and Eastern Europe

In this paper, we develop an information theory-based framework about cross-border acquisitions in the financial intermediation industry. We argue that even though “soft” information embedded in customer relationships of local banks can, in principle, help multinational banks (MNBs) overcome informational disadvantage in host countries, the cost of verification of this private information may, paradoxically, make local banks with significant customer relationships unattractive for cross-border acquisition. Further, we propose that the relationship between the amount of customer information embedded in an incumbent bank and the likelihood of its acquisition by a MNB is modified by the institutional distance between the home and host countries of the MNB. Specifically, the strength of the negative relationship increases with institutional distance between home and host countries because the verification cost of private information increases with institutional distance. Our hypotheses find support in the context of Central and Eastern Europe.     

A COOL Effect: The Direct and Indirect Impact of Country-of-Origin Disclosures on Purchase Intentions for Retail Food Products

Retailers recently became required to provide specific country-of-origin information for muscle cuts of beef, chicken, pork, lamb, and goat. Drawing from the consumer inference and activation theory literatures, hypotheses are offered regarding how consumers use country-of-origin labeling (COOL) to draw inferences related to specific product attributes and how these inferences, in turn, lead to differences in mediation effects for purchase intentions. Results from a pilot study and two experiments reveal that consumers are more likely to purchase meat when it is identified as a U.S. product. Furthermore, the relative strength of the mediating effects of perceived food safety, taste, and freshness differs as expected. The authors show how the direct and indirect effects of the country-of-origin disclosure are attenuated by the presentation of objective information about the meat processing systems of competing countries. Given the recently mandated COOL disclosures, results have important implications for food retailers, members of the supply chain, and consumers.     

Virtue in small business in small places: Organisational factors associated with employee dishonest behaviour in the retail sector

The organisational factors associated with employee dishonest behaviour are understudied because dishonesty is sensitive topic and organisations are not willing to reveal misbehaviour to the wider public. This paper addresses this research gap by providing an empirical study on reporting of dishonest behaviour of retail employees in Estonia and Latvia. The aim of the paper is to find out how organisational factors affect the reporting of dishonest behaviour in retail sector. Local vs international retailers and rural vs capital city stores characterise organisational factors and these are analysed in different hypothetical scenarios: low wage, perceived injustice and boredom. The sample consists of 781 retail employees from six retail organisations. The study employed a survey with manipulated questionnaires. Some of the main findings are the following: employees in international retail chains and in stores located in capital cities deem dishonesty more prevalent compared to domestically owned shops and stores situated outside metropoles. However, employees outside capital cities were more sensitive to the motives, especially perceived injustice. Implications for retailers are discussed at the end of the paper.     

Fighting off the big guys: comparing competitive retail services strategies in industrialized and developing world settings

As global trends regarding increased mergers and acquisitions continue, small local retailers must learn how to fend off these strong attackers. We assess key services strategies when small-local retailers compete against large-national retailers in industrialized (USA) and developing world (black South African township) retail settings. Of key interest is how theories generated from industrialized world research apply in developing world settings. We found that small retailers fend off large national retailers using virtually identical strategies regardless of the level of economic development.

Olfaction and the retail environment: examining the influence of ambient scent

This article concerns the ability of smell to assist the development and communication of retail brand image. It presents a number of propositions regarding ambient smell and the retail environment derived from the literature—including the potential for novel ambient aromas to act as a distinctive element in a retailer’s marketing mix. Empirical testing is achieved through a ‘natural experiment’ in a large electrical store using fragranced and unfragranced conditions. An environmental psychology base was used to develop an in-store questionnaire, supported by direct measurement of customer dwell times and subsequent interviews. In total, 329 questionnaires were returned and 429 customer groups were timed in the two departments where the experiment occurred. Significant differences in consumer perceptions of the store’s environmental attributes were identified, despite the fact that less than 10% of respondents questioned were aware of the use of in-store fragrances. The qualitative interviews provided some initial confirmation for the more complex propositions concerning the memory of scents.     

Retailing and consumption: evidence from war time Britain

Insufficient attention has been given to the place of the consumer in debates surrounding the history of retail development and retail change. This paper uses empirical data from the archive of Mass-Observation to explore directly consumers' reactions to the issue of retail development and change in early 1940s Britain. Mass-Observation data is shown to provide clear evidence of consumers' differing perceptions of the retail industry, their preferences for particular retail types and their reactions to retail change. It also confirms the need to remain alert to the importance of social relations in understanding consumers' reactions to the retail change process. The paper ends by arguing the case for further historical studies of the retailing and consumption interface.     

Lessons from the COVID19 pandemic: The case of retail and consumer service firms

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted business operations in every industry and sector around the world. Scholars, practitioners and policymakers continue to engage in understanding the effects of lockdowns, social distancing measures and other restrictions on trade; the impact of government stimulus and support measures, and how businesses have adapted their operations. The dynamic nature of the virus, and the changing socio-political and economic landscape, provide the opportunity for empirical scholarly research examining how retail and service firms have responded to the challenges and potential opportunities presented by the pandemic, and how owner/managers have pivoted in an (often) uncertain trading environment. This paper presents the findings of an applied study involving business owners (N = 268) of SME retail and service firms in the island state of Tasmania, in Australia, during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. Findings show: (1) despite over 65 per cent of respondents reporting a downturn in revenue during 2020, almost 80 per cent indicated they had confidence in business survival heading into 2021; (2) whilst on average, businesses did not rate the level of environmental hostility as being particularly high, there was a significant correlation between perceived environmental hostility and assessment of business performance and with the level of confidence of business survival; (3) Australian federal government support and other stimulus measures were deemed crucial for business survival during 2020 with three quarters of businesses accessing the ‘JobKeeper’ scheme, and (4) businesses adapted their operations during the pandemic in terms of new products and services, increased marketing, pivoting their use of technology and promoting ‘localness’.     

The EC and the changes in Central and Eastern Europe

Political developments in Central and Eastern Europe and the process of German unification present the EC with a major challenge. How has the EC reacted to these changes so far? What contribution can the eC make to overcoming the division of Europe?