Main-format dominance in consumers’ FMCG cross-format shopping patterns

Although cross-format patronage has become a common phenomenon in markets for Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), research on consumers’ specific cross-format combinations is limited. We study such shopping patterns by focusing on retail format utilization. A qualitative pre-study demonstrates consumers’ patronizing combinations of typical retail formats in FMCG with main-format usage and provides underlying differences in consumers’ perceived shopping utility for cross-format selection, which results from their utilized main-format. Our quantitative study reveals three clusters with main-format dominance, that is, mainly supermarket, discount store, and hypermarket shoppers complementarily utilizing fill-in formats to a much lesser extent. Whereas we found high inter-format loyalty in each consumer group, intra-format loyalty significantly varies between clusters. ANOVA and post hoc-tests concerning perceived shopping utility dimensions show that consumers’ perceived acquisition utility rather than perceived transaction costs significantly differs between consumer groups.     

Emotions and dissonance in ‘ethical’ consumption choices

Abstract

This paper investigates the role of emotions and the prevalence of dissonant/incongruent choice behaviour within the context of ethical consumption. Based on 31 in-depth interviews with British consumers, the findings demonstrate that consumers consciously indulge in ‘ethical’ and ‘unethical’ behaviour (as defined by respondents themselves), often within short time frames, and that they often compensate for unethical choices by making ethical choices later on (and vice versa). The study provides evidence that positive and negative emotions are a key driver of this dissonant behaviour. Guilt is the most salient emotion, and a taxonomy of guilt in this context is derived from the data. Consumers are found to employ guilt-management strategies in order to sustain contradictory behaviour and manage cognitive dissonance. A conceptual framework is derived in order to summarise the observed role of emotions in ethical consumer choice. The paper also provides additional explanations of the manifestation of the attitude–behaviour gap.     

Impulsive purchasing in grocery shopping: Do the shopping companions matter?

Impulsive purchasing occurs when consumers succumb to urges to make purchases without careful evaluation. Unlike research examining personal factors as the predictors of impulse purchase behavior, our study incorporates internal and external factors by exploring the interpersonal influences of different types of shopping companions. A survey was conducted with 791 participants who indicated the types of companions they accompany when grocery shopping and reported how each type influences their purchase decisions. Results show that parents and spouses are the most common shopping companions and the most influential on the shoppers' impulse purchase decisions compared to other types of companions (e.g., significant others, colleagues, children, friends, and other shoppers). Additionally, the effect of different shopping companions varies based on the shoppers' internal characteristics and the social distance between the shopper and the shopping companion. Finally, while individual factors (e.g., age, gender, income, education, impulsivity, and emotional susceptibility) significantly affect shoppers’ impulse purchase decisions, the magnitude and direction of the effect of these factors differ significantly based on the type of shopping companion.     

Consumers’ personality and compulsive buying behavior: The role of hedonistic shopping experiences and gender in mediating-moderating relationships

Although existing research suggests that personality plays an important role in explaining compulsive buying behavior, there is still potential space to diagnose the theoretical mediational mechanisms underlying these effects or the extent to which these relationships vary across different consumer demographic groups. Indeed, the role of specific personality traits on hedonistic shopping experiences and compulsive buying still awaits an in-depth examination and clarification. Thus, the present research contributes to existing knowledge by: (1) examining hedonistic shopping experiences (HSE) as a mediating mechanism on compulsive buying (CB); and (2) investigating the role of gender as a moderating variable. Using a sample of 363 adults and data derived from the US market, we confirmed the role of hedonistic shopping experiences, a central trait, in mediating the effects of cardinal traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness and agreeableness), on compulsive buying, a surface trait. Specifically, neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience exerted a more indirect and positive influence on compulsive buying, while conscientiousness and agreeableness showed a stronger direct and negative relationship with hedonistic shopping experiences and compulsive buying. In addition, neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience were a stronger driver of compulsive buying for women than for men, while conscientiousness and agreeableness jointly decreased the importance of hedonistic shopping experiences, and more strongly inhibited compulsive buying for women than for men. The research findings offer important theoretical, public policy and marketing implications.     

Liability of emergingness and EMNEs’ cross-border acquisition completion: A legitimacy perspective

This paper contributes to the literature on emerging multinational enterprises (EMNEs) by revealing how the conditions in their home countries influence their cross-border acquisitions. The study focuses on the liability of emergingness (LOE). It develops an integrative theoretical framework based on neo-institutional theory and the concept of legitimacy to explain the relationship between LOE and EMNEs’ cross-border acquisitions completion and the situational conditions that shape this relationship. The study uses data on 27,648 announced acquisitions conducted by EMNEs from 24 emerging economies in 175 host countries to estimate the relationships. The results reveal that, while two types of LOE (economic and institutional) have negative impacts on cross-border acquisition completion, the negative impacts become less important or disappear when the host country’s unemployment rate is too high, and the host country’s institutional quality is too low. This finding suggests that EMNEs can mitigate the negative effect of the LOE by carefully choosing a good time and a suitable location to enter into these transactions.     

Trade liberalization in services: Investor responses to NAFTA’s cross-border trucking provisions

ABSTRACT

We investigate the response of US trucking firms to the removal of barriers to cross-border trucking under NAFTA. This was done via a program implemented in 2007, cancelled in 2009, and reinstated in 2011. We use a model of endogenous exporting to show that this can arise from incorrect expectations of import competition. We find that, unsurprisingly, the program’s start resulted in lower stock returns, particularly for border firms. However, later policy changes indicate that investors, and particularly those investing in US multinationals, viewed the pilot as beneficial.     

When income matters: Customers evaluation of shopping malls’ hedonic and utilitarian orientations

This study, based on 772 shopper's interviews in two shopping malls, establishes that malls can achieve differentiation from their competitors through the pursuit of singular orientations following the hedonic and utilitarian dimensions of shopping. Furthermore, perceived differentiation from competitors is found to positively influence customers’ attachment to the mall, a determining factor in the mall's evaluation. Interestingly, mall's orientation related to hedonic elements was found appealing by all subjects, although slightly more by those with lower income. However, utilitarian orientation appeared strictly effective on those with higher income. Theoretical and managerial implications along with limitations are discussed.     

Does involvement matter in online shopping satisfaction and trust?

Consumer involvement in online shopping can play a moderating role when explaining Web site effect on satisfaction and trust. This study proposes a set of hypotheses based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of persuasion, a conceptual model that explains the formation of individual attitudes that are prompted by central and peripheral cues. The model proposes the use of central signals when the buyer is highly involved and peripheral signals when the buyer is less involved. Nevertheless, the results of this study would suggest that these relationships are not so clearly defined in the case of online buying, which implies that certain assumptions associated with the ELM need to be revised to take the particularities of the online context into account. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A cross-national study of Twitter users’ motivations and continuance intentions

Given the explosive popularity and growth of microblogging worldwide and its potential use in the areas of public policy, civic activism, as well as marketing and advertising, the questions of why and how individuals use these services warrant a comprehensive research. While some studies addressing motivations to join and continue using Twitter have been published, no research to date has investigated these issues in the context of developing economies. This exploratory study seeks to build an understanding of Twitter usage and continuance motivations in Ukraine, and compares them to those of the US users. The findings of the study suggest that participants in both countries use Twitter for professional development, entertainment, status maintenance, and social interaction and exchange. The Ukrainian participants, however, emphasize Twitter use for identity negotiation and self-expression, as well as for news updates and sharing. The study also examines how different motivations of joining Twitter affect current Twitter usage and continuance intentions, and provides implications for public policy and advertising.     

Comments on “time of consumption and the time of consumption: Consumer society and the ‘end’ of history”

The essay expounds upon the “problem” of time and its relation to history within the context of consumer culture. Beginning with the premise that consumer culture can be regarded as both the time of image consumption and the image of time consumption (from Debord 1983), the author goes on at length to discuss the concept of time in its three dimensions and then to relate briefly, the implications for the study of history. What follows is a short summary of the author's argument and then a reaction to it based on the idea of liberation.     

Stakeholders’ Perceptions and Future Scenarios to Improve Corporate Social Responsibility in Hong Kong and Mainland China

Globalisation has accelerated economic development in emerging economies through the outsourcing of their supply chains and at the same time has accelerated the degradation of environmental and social conditions. Society expects corporations to play an essential role in creating economic, environmental and social prosperity beyond their country of origin. In order to regulate outsourcing activities in the supply chain, many multinationals are constantly searching for ways to manage their indirect environmental and social impacts accordingly, as well as to meet their stakeholder expectations. Because expectations of stakeholders vary widely across different regions, this study intends, by engaging with major stakeholders, to identify what are the local and regional supply chain stakeholders’ perceptions and expectations. The findings would help in building consensus, strengthening the implementation and establishing the future corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework. This study collects and analyses data from 21 major stakeholders in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The results indicate that local and regional stakeholders perceive that CSR is fairly significant to largely export-oriented businesses, but it is lagging behind the West due to the fact that most local/regional companies only become involved in CSR when this is a client requirement. They see responsible corporations as meeting the local legislative requirement; going beyond this requirement is unnecessary. A voluntary approach favours multi-party partnership initiatives with pilot trust programmes aimed at managers’ and workers’ capacity building. Most stakeholders favour the proposed regional partnership initiative, supply chain task forces aimed at bringing together relevant organisations and people with different sets of skills. Distinct roles of different organisations are identified to assist suppliers to understand CSR, and only this will bring about long-term sustainable change.     

Effects of time pressure,type of shopping,and store attributes on consumers’ satisfaction with grocery shopping

The aim of this study is to investigate whether satisfaction with grocery stores is affected by type of grocery shopping in conjunction with time pressure, and which attributes are important for satisfaction. Fictitious grocery stores are constructed according to a fractional factorial design by varying access, price level, supply quality/range, and service quality. In an Internet survey, 1023 Swedish consumers rated satisfaction with major vs. fill-in shopping imagining they were under high or low time pressure. The results showed that satisfaction is higher for fill-in shopping than major shopping, that time pressure has no effect on satisfaction, and that price level, service quality, and product quality/range are more important for satisfaction with major shopping, whereas access is more important for satisfaction with fill-in shopping. It is also found that the importance of attributes for satisfaction depends on type of shopping more than on individual characteristics.     

Institutional investors and cross-border mergers and acquisitions: The 2000–2018 period

Using a sample of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) from 26 countries over 2000–2018, we find that domestic institutional investors facilitate both domestic and cross-border M&As. The facilitation effect is more pronounced for domestic than cross-border M&As. When the acquirer country has greater financial freedom or better investor protection than the target country, domestic institutional investors facilitate cross-border M&As more effectively. As Ordinary Least Squares regressions are not the best approach regarding cross-border M&As, we confirm that the main results are robust to Zero-inflated Poisson regressions. Foreign institutional investors' influence on cross-border M&As is stronger when the sample excludes the United States.     

Exploring consumers’ subjective shopping experiences in directly operated luxury brand stores

Customers’ in-store shopping experiences are critical for luxury brand success. Research on the creation of experiential value in retailing finds clear differences in the cues contributing to delightful consumer experiences depending on the retailing sector. A management perspective dominates research in luxury retailing, while research on consumers’ subjective luxury shopping experiences is scarce. This study contributes to filling the gap regarding consumers’ subjective experiences through a qualitative inquiry into shoppers’ accounts of experiences in luxury brand stores. The study finds that the major determinants of a delightful shopping experience in luxury stores are extraordinary service excellence, unique multi-sensory emotional stimulation conforming to the brand, and a feeling of personal importance and assurance. The study demonstrates the importance of a holistic individual experience in helping shoppers become immersed in the brand universe through all their senses.     

Visitors’ pro-environmental behavior and the underlying motivations for natural environment: Merging dual concern theory and attachment theory

As nature-based tourism has recognized the seriousness of environmental issues, tourists’ pro-environmental behaviors have gained the attention of scholars and practitioners. However, previous empirical studies have not considered motivational factors and destination-related constructs within the tourism context. With the data collected from nature-based tourists, the findings of this study reveal the significant association between personal values and motivations and the significant impact of anticipated positive affect on pro-environmental behavior among nature-based tourists. Also, the findings address that the impact of empathetic concern on pro-environmental behavior is moderated by a level of place attachment to a nature-based destination.     

Fashion leadership,shopping enjoyment,and gender: Hispanic versus,Caucasian consumers׳ shopping preferences

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of gender and ethnicity of Hispanic and Caucasian Gen Y consumers as they impact fashion leadership and shopping enjoyment. Previous research comparing these groups on fashion leadership is limited. Results indicated that differences exist between ethnic groups, between genders, and between genders within the Hispanic group and among Hispanic fashion leaders. In general, Hispanics indicated higher levels of fashion leadership and shopping enjoyment. In addition, the research has implications regarding shopping channels and clothing idea sources among levels of Hispanic fashion leadership.     

Balancing the trade-off between learning prospects and spillover risks: MNC subsidiaries’ vertical linkage patterns in developed countries

This paper investigates local vertical linkages of foreign subsidiaries and the dual role of such linkages as conduits for learning as well as potential channels for spillovers to competitors. On the basis of data from 97 subsidiaries, we analyze the quality of such linkages under varying levels of competition and subsidiary capabilities. Our theoretical development and the results from the analysis document a far more complex and dynamic relationship between levels of competition and MNCs’ local participation in knowledge intensive activities, i.e. learning and spillovers, than previous studies do. We find a curvilinear relationship between the extent of competitive pressure and the quality of local linkages confirming our argument of a trade-off between learning prospects and spillover risks. Furthermore, the level of subsidiary capabilities moderates this relationship.     

Paying for cross-border acquisitions: The impact of prior acquirers’ decisions

By examining the premiums paid by acquiring firms in cross-border acquisitions (CBAs), this study aims to determine why they might rely on prior premium decisions in the host market rather than rigorous assessments of the deal. An information-based imitation framework offers an explanation for foreign acquirers’ premium decisions. The developed hypotheses are tested with 2350 CBAs that occurred during 1995–2008. The results show that the premium paid by acquiring firms in CBAs relates positively to prior premiums paid by foreign acquirers in that host country. This imitation behavior is influenced by both organization- and offering-level characteristics.     

Following you wherever you go: Mobile shopping ‘cart-checkout’ abandonment

Cart abandonment is a phenomenon which has perplexed online retailers since the inception of online shopping. Over time, the current phenomenon has become even more complicated, giving rise to a newer form of abandonment, check-out abandonment. While cart abandonment is a known term in online retailing, check-out abandonment is still not much known. Analyzing the responses of 267 users shopping on one of the largest online retailers in India, the study used structural equation modeling to reveal the two types of abandonment phenomenon's and their underlining factors. The study further investigates the two type of abandonment phenomenon's and identify related drivers leading to cart and check-out abandonment. Empirical results reveal that cart abandonment is a result of multiple variables starting from cross channel price disparity, free shipping, ratings and review to platform aesthetic design. Whereas check-out abandonment, is a result of shipping policy and account fatigue. In addition, ‘single females’ were identified to abandon their shopping process before the check-out page whereas ‘married males’ were identified to abandon their carts post the check-out page. The study discusses contribution to theory and provides future research directions for marketers, especially online retailers.