Retail atmospherics: The impact of a brand dictated theme

Although retail atmospherics has been an active area of study, a glance around a typical mall indicates many retailers still do not actively differentiate their retail environment from competitors. This is likely due to retailers considering the atmospheric elements (lighting, music, etc.) individually and making decisions regarding the elements based on what is “standard” for their customers, merchandise, and format. This approach leads to very little differentiation and fails to consider that today’s consumer is often expecting a more multi-sensory, interactive, and holistic shopping experience. This paper considers an alternative approach, where a brand dictated “theme” is used to guide the manipulation of the atmospheric elements. This allows retail brands to break free from standard design to create a more interactive, immersive, and authentic environment. Outcomes include increases in shopping enjoyment, positive brand attitudes, and brand loyalty. T-tests are utilized to compare the two approaches within both the apparel (Study 1) and restaurant (Study 2) industries.     

零售市场饱和度评价的基本思路

20世纪90年代中期以来，随着零售业竞争的日趋激烈，零售市场饱和度问题引起国外学者的广泛关注，最近几年我国学者也意识到此问题的重要。本文在对比国内外学者对该问题研究的基础上，提出在研究我国城市零售市场是否饱和时，评价指标应以相对指标为主，不能简单地以发达国家、发达城市的发展水平作为依据等基本思路。     

Retail ‘Quality Assurance’ Labels as a Strategic Marketing Communication Mechanism for Fresh Meat

Approximately 40 quality assurance labels are in operation throughout the UK, namely for meat, salmon, milk, cereals, eggs, fruit and vegetables. Fresh meat quality labels are the most prevalent, thus requiring consumers to recognize and learn not only about the many nationally organized quality labels, but also the in-house retail labels. This paper identifies the meat purchasing behaviour of consumers and their perceptions, attitudes and knowledge towards the main quality assurance labels. Results indicate consumers' purchase preferences to be more influenced by quality labels co-ordinated by producer-led organizations, and that recognition and knowledge of retail labels are low in comparison. This raises questions regarding the relevance and communication strategies of in-house retail ‘quality assurances’ to consumers.     

The role of fashionability in second-hand shopping motivations

Second-hand consumption has been quietly undergoing a makeover in recent years. As part of this shift, the concept of shopping for second-hand goods has been redefined. In today's retail marketplace, a mix of thrift stores, high-end stores, and online retailers are recognising the value of second-hand and hosting flea markets or launching their own vintage product collections. However, limited research attention has been paid to role of ‘fashionability’ as a motivation for consumers to shop for second-hand goods. In this study, we explore modern consumer second-hand shopping behaviour and motivations, inclusive of fashionability. Through a segmentation of second-hand store shoppers, we identify four distinct segments. While we find a polarisation of fashionability motivations, the vast majority (83%) of second-hand shoppers are driven by fashion when shopping in second-hand stores. The findings present several implications for second-hand retailers, including new ways to expand their customer base by tapping into elements of fashionability.     

Retail Image as Seen through Consumers' Eyes: Studying International Retail Image through Consumer Photographs of Stores

Abstract

The aim of this article is to explore how retail store image is perceived by consumers from different cultural backgrounds and with different degrees of awareness and experience of the retailer. The subject is IKEA, a retailer recognized as having a global approach to the markets in which it operates, resulting in a highly standardized approach to store branding. However, rather than employing traditional methodologies to elicit consumer perceptions of store image, we attempt to capture consumer perceptions through interpretations of the visual images generated by the participants themselves. The photo-elicitation method employed captured the different interpretations and meanings attached to commonly identified elements of store image and reinforced the central role played by the store itself in retail image formation.     

The Impacts of Retail Promotions on the Demand for Orange Juice: A Study of a Retail Chain

This study examined the impacts of retail promotions on the demand for five brands of orange juices for a retail chain (referred to as Retailer X) and its competitors using the Rotterdam model. Results show that the combination of feature ads and displays had the largest impacts on retail revenue among the four promotional tactics considered, whereas temporary price reductions had no advertising impacts on retail revenue. Results also show that when Retailer X promotes an orange juice (OJ) brand using any of the tactics, a larger portion of the increased demand for the promoted brand comes from reduced demand for other brands of OJ in the same store or chain.A smaller portion comes from the decreased demand in Retailer X's competing stores in the same trading area.     

Effects of physical contact on customers' shopping time and behavior

Touch is considered an important factor in various social situations. The present results show that touching customers in the store increased their shopping time, their evaluation of the store and also the amount of shopping. The findings suggest that interpersonal touch can be an important aid to salespeople and servers.     

A typology of viral ad sharers using sentiment analysis

Viral advertising is the most popular manifestation of viral marketing phenomena. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate sentiment analysis as a promising tool to quantify consumer responses towards branded viral video advertisements and thereupon, propose a sentiment-based typology of viral ad sharers. Results of this experimental study (1) suggest that sentiment-based measures of consumer responses offer better prediction of consumers’ ad sharing intentions compared to the traditional and widely used thought-listing method; and (2) help identify four distinct segments of viral ad sharers (based on the relative strength of ad- and brand-related sentiments), namely: “Active”, “Brand-fanatic”, “Content-hungry”, and “Dormant”, labeled as ABCD typology of viral ad sharers. This study highlights that for creating successful viral campaigns, marketers should consider the distinctive characteristics of these four segments of viral ad sharers (based on their processing of ad content and brand information) to identify the right seeds to initiate a viral campaign.     

从国外实践看零售国际化对东道国的影响及应对策略

本文从供应链效力、水平竞争、消费者文化意识、东道国公共政策及社会文化价值等几方面,建立起零售国际化对东道国影响的分析框架,并且结合许多发展中国家与新兴市场的实例,对东道国政府与本土零售商的应对策略进行了分析.研究表明,政府的策略重点在于通过有效的政策设计适度保护民族零售商业,本土零售商则应通过塑造独特的竞争优势、重新定义市场区域、改变所有权结构等方式,积极应对外资的挑战.     

Cross-category effects of induced arousal and pleasure on the internet shopping experience

Online retailers are likely to try to influence consumers’ shopping behavior through atmospherics and service, just as physical stores do. The impact of online atmospherics can be measured by the degree of stimulation and pleasure that is provided by a website. It is suggested that the characteristics of products and websites that are encountered early in online browsing can significantly influence the level of arousal and pleasure that consumers experience, and thereby can influence their later shopping behavior. Two experiments show that if the initial experiences encountered in a simulated Internet shopping trip are higher in pleasure, then there is a positive impact on approach behaviors and subjects engage in more arousing activities (e.g., more exploration, more tendencies to examine novel products and stores, higher response to promotional incentives). Further, if higher stimulation or information load is provided by the initial Internet experience, then consumers subsequently tend to engage in less arousing activities.     

我国批发与零售环节的地位、作用与演变趋势

本文研究了我国市场经济体制下批发与零售环节地位与作用的演变趋势,对比、分析、描述与探讨了近年来我国批发与零售环节销售业务的数据及其总量、结构、演变趋势和原因等.在此基础上,提出了如下观点:批发环节不会在流通市场化过程中消亡,而是呈现出淘汰、整合、创新与发展的趋势;我国传统"批发环节主导零售"的地位,正在发生"批发环节服务于零售环节与用户"的根本性变化,而零售环节在商品流通渠道中的主导地位与作用越来越明显;由商品自然属性和社会属性的差异性决定,商品流通渠道向多样化的构成方向演变,批发环节已不是商品流通过程的必经环节.     

Exploring information technology success of Augmented Reality Retail Applications in retail food chain

Augmented reality retail applications (ARRAs) have emerged as rapidly developing innovative and futuristic retail innovation used in both physical store and online shops to improve the retail settings and customer experience. So, the objective of this research was to identify predictors of user benefits of ARRA in the retail food chain. By integrating the theory of information system success model, this study proposes a model to investigate the mediating effect of two values: (1) user satisfaction and (2) user continuance intention between quality perspective as explanatory variables (system, service, and information quality) and user benefits as the outcome variable. Both the mediating factors are found positively playing mediating roles among all proposed relationships. This paper provides valuable course of action for retailers and marketers on assessing customers satisfaction and using ARRA to create marketing strategies effectively.     

The Impact of Consumers’ Need for Uniqueness and Nationality on Generation Y's Retail Patronage Behaviors: Investigating American and Taiwanese Consumers

ABSTRACT

Generation Y (Gen Y) consumers are now one of the most influential buying segments in U.S. history. This article empirically assesses the extent to which American Gen Y consumers and same-aged Taiwanese consumers’ need for uniqueness serves as a meaningful discriminant across retail patronage behaviors for branded apparel products. Results indicate a great deal of similarity between the two cultures’ need for uniqueness. Empirical findings reveal that consumers’ need for uniqueness does influence retail patronage behaviors. The implications of the similarities and differences between American Gen Y consumers and their Taiwanese counterparts serve as potential managerial mechanisms for building and sustaining retail patronage in a globalization era.     

Consumer orientations of secondhand fashion shoppers: The role of shopping frequency and store type

As demand for secondhand fashion grows, the objective of this study is to examine consumer orientations of secondhand shoppers to determine whether they differ by shopping frequency, and store type. Hypotheses were developed for orientations of frugality, ecological-consciousness, materialism, nostalgia-proneness, style-consciousness and fashion-consciousness. A quantitative online survey of female-identifying participants (N = 515) was administered. All consumer orientations, except materialism, varied according to secondhand shopping frequency and store type. Orientations generally increased with shopping frequency. Nostalgia-proneness was associated with shopping at thrift stores, ecological-consciousness was associated with consignment stores and markets, and style-consciousness was consistent across shoppers for all store types.     

多渠道零售环境下消费者跨渠道购买行为研究

零售商不断拓展销售渠道,多渠道零售使消费者可从不同渠道获得类似服务与产品。消费者在渠道认知过程中,通过感性分析与理性选择,合理规避风险,实现跨渠道购买。购买动机、人口统计特征主观作用于消费者渠道选择,价格比较、情景、渠道特征、产品类型对消费者的跨渠道购买产生客观影响。消费者跨渠道购买要求零售商提供相互支撑的、协调的多渠道零售体系,并依产品类型与技术支持将资源合理分配至各类渠道。     

Effects of shopping information on consumers’ responses to comparative price claims

This article describes three studies that examine the effects of shopping information on consumers’ responses to comparative price claims in retail advertisements. Results of the studies show that 1) the opportunity to shop across retail stores reduces the effect of comparative price claims on consumers’ estimates of lowest price for a particular item, but has less impact on their estimates of the store’s regular price; 2) access to advertising from competing retailers has the same pattern of effects; and 3) across exposure to a series of ad claims, these effects generalize from estimates of specific item prices to judgments of the store’s general pricing. For branded shopping goods, the results show that comparative price claims may prove counterproductive for retail advertisers by leading consumers to believe that the store’s regular prices are high without convincing them that its sale prices are low.     

品类差异下的消费者购物价值与零售业转型升级路径——兼议“新零售”的实践形式

新零售是中国零售行业转型升级的新探索。以消费者购物价值实现为核心依据,文章讨论了推动零售业转型升级的基本目标,归纳了渠道协同、体验叠加、数据洞察、技术赋能四类实现零售业转型升级的一般路径,并通过建立基于消费者渠道行为的Logit离散选择模型,讨论了八类不同品类零售行业转型升级的实现路径及其对应的新零售实践形式。结论发现,品类差异下的零售业转型升级路径和新零售实践形式均存在较大差别。     

From disruptively digital to proudly analog: A holistic typology of digital transformation strategies

Recently booming academic interest in digital transformation aims to provide continuous support to managers in dealing with this important issue. However, as with all new fields, the scholarly literature is characterized by increased variability and diversity of topics covered, constructs used, and the relationships between them, resulting in an unclear and blurry understanding of the whole of digital transformation. Our article closes this gap by identifying distinctive digital transformation strategies in terms of two critical dimensions: usage of digital technologies and readiness of a business model for digital operation. The result is a typology of four generic digital transformation strategies that essentially differ in the primary motivation and target of transformation, leadership style, importance of skills like creativity and entrepreneurial spirit among employees, risks and challenges faced in the process, consequences of potential failure, and available tactics for improvement. By providing heuristics and a systematic basis for comparison of different strategies, it is our belief that the proposed framework will be useful to researchers and managers responsible for and interested in digital transformation.     

Retail buyer segmentation based on the use of assortment decision factors

The purpose of this study is to provide detailed information about apparel retail buyers' buying behaviors based on their use of assortment decision factors. After interviews with five retail buyers and merchandisers, surveys were conducted in Seoul, South Korea for this exploratory study. Apparel retail buyers, merchandisers, and retail store owners, who are involved in assortment planning and buying, participated in the survey (N=378). Results of factor analysis created seven assortment decision factor groups. Based on the factor groups, four cluster groups were the best cluster result: (1) Least Factor Use Buyers, (2) Traditional Factor Use Buyers, (3) Consumer-Oriented Buyers, and (4) Most Factor Use Buyers. Because this study used convenience and snowball sampling methods in one country, the findings cannot be generalized to the general population of apparel retail buyers and merchandisers. However, the study provides researchers with planning factors and cluster information for retail buying behavior. The results offer insight to buyers for their decision-making by organizing assortment decision factors from the most to the least important, especially for younger buyers, who need guidance about assortment planning. Although assortment planning and trade-off decisions are known to be extremely important to retail success (e.g., Kok et al., 2008), no previous study identified a typology of retail buyers on the basis of their consideration of assortment decision factors. This study adds new information and confirms the application of traditional assortment decision factors from 1980s and 1990s to post-2008 era.     

Retail Shelf Allocation: A Comparative Analysis of Heuristic and Meta-Heuristic Approaches

This research presents a retail shelf-space decision model that incorporates a nonlinear profit function, vertical and horizontal location effects, and product cross-elasticity. We propose a linear programming formulation of the nonlinear profit function that can solve the shelf-space problem optimally. We describe potential advances in heuristic and meta-heuristic algorithms and compare the approaches through simulations and a field experiment. We discuss the impact of the number of item facings, vertical location, and horizontal location (e.g., we find the vertical location effect is approximately double the size of the horizontal location effect on profit performance).