Characteristics of a Unique Market Segment

Modified grocery shopping and consumption behaviors have been recent outcomes of consumers' changing attitudes toward food and nutrition. This article identifies a unique segment important to grocery retailers- shoppers who purchase and consume greater varieties of fresh fruit. These consumers are shown to differ from other consumers in their food shopping and preparation attitudes, fruit and grocery expenditures, and their demographics. Opportunities for adapting fresh fruit product offerings, promotions, and services to this segment are explored.     

Consumer Choice of Retail Food Store Formats in Qingdao,China

Abstract

This study analyzes Chinese consumer behavior across different retail food store formats and how household demographics affect shopping behavior. A multivariate probit model with four categories of retail food store formats (wet markets, small grocery stores, supermarkets, and hypermarkets) in Quindao, China is estimated. The results indicate that the new hypermarkets are substitutes for supermarkets, but they do not compete extensively with wet markets and small grocery stores. Furthur development of various catagories of food shopping store formats is linked to store-owner characteristics, potential interrelations among existing retail formats, as well as consumers' demographics and shipping habits.     

ASDA: Organic Growth of a Retailer in the United Kingdom?

This article analyzes the role of glocalization in Wal-Mart's venture in the United Kingdom. In 1999, Wal-Mart acquired ASDA, a British food retailer. Glocalization refers to strategies adopted by multinational corporations to cater to local tastes and differences after entering a foreign market. The authors' main argument is the following: after Wal-Mart acquired ASDA, it did not manage to successfully impose its Wal-Martization strategies because they consisted mainly of “organic growth” strategies. Organic growth is a practice whereby a corporation overpoweringly imposes its home-based blueprint of product consumption and corporate culture on foreign cultures. As demonstrated in this analysis, Wal-Mart had to drop its Bentonville-based shopping and corporate formula and, instead, adopt the principles of glocalization.     

In Search of a Theory of Shopping Value: The Case of Rural Consumers

Although the challenges facing rural retailers have been attributed to competition and decreasing population, this paper defines the problem from rural consumers' perspective. It argues that consumers select shopping location on its shopping value, determined by its attractiveness and accessibility. The results indicate that locations closest to the consumer's residence offer the highest shopping value for groceries and other low-order goods. They also show that increasing gasoline prices favor local retailers. Rural retailers may use these results to implement differentiating strategies that increase their attractiveness, accessibility, and consequently their competitiveness.     

Implications of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax on Sales and Beverage Substitution for a Major Grocery Retailer Chain

To understand whether substitution effects occurred for a major national grocery retailer after the implementation of a beverage tax in Philadelphia, the authors used November 2015/2016 and February 2016/2017 data from a major national grocery retailer with stores alongside the borders of Philadelphia County (within 5 miles of each side). A difference in difference was conducted, a statistical technique that allows comparison among groups in an observational data setting, to understand whether the introduction of a beverage tax on January 1, 2017 would lead consumers to shift their buying habits to healthier options. Results are consistent with the notion that the implementation of a beverage tax on sweetened beverages (SBs: both sugar and artificially sweetened) did not generally lead consumers of that retailer to switch purchases to non-sweetened beverages. In contrast, data suggest that consumer purchasing of SBs and general sales increased significantly outside of Philadelphia County at that retailer. A potential explanation is that, some consumers continued buying SBs but traveled outside of Philadelphia County not just to buy the SBs but also for other grocery as well.     

The Effect of Wal-Mart Supercenters on Grocery Prices in New England

The competitive price effect of Wal-Mart Supercenters on national brand and private label grocery prices in New England is examined. We use primary price data collected on several identical products from six Supercenters in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island and from conventional supermarkets. Taking into account demographics, store characteristics, and market conditions, we show that Wal-Mart decreases prices by 6 to 7% for national brand goods and by 3 to 8% for private label goods. Price decreases are most significant in the dry grocery and dairy departments. Moreover, Wal-Mart sets grocery prices significantly lower than its competitors.     

The effects of food sales taxes on household food spending: An application of a censored cluster model

This study proposes a model of household food spending that accounts for zero censoring and can be applied to data collected through a clustered survey design to investigate the impact of food sales taxes on three groups: households who are eligible for and participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), households who are eligible but do not participate in the program, and households who are not eligible for the program. We find that SNAP participating households are largely insensitive to grocery taxes and respond to restaurant taxes by shifting more of their food dollars towards at-home foods. Among households who are eligible for SNAP but do not participate in the program, grocery taxes reduce spending on foods purchased for at-home consumption, and thereby increase the amount of the total food budget allocated to away from home foods. This is concerning from a nutrition and health standpoint since away from home foods tend to be more calorie dense and nutritionally poorer than at home foods.     

The analysis of customer density,tenant placement and coupling inside a shopping centre with GIS

The spatial arrangement of tenants is currently one of the main topics in shopping centre research. This paper shows how a Geographic Information System (GIS) can be used to analyse the tenant structure. Given the recommendations in the literature, the analysis may help to improve the situation within a certain shopping centre. Therefore, we introduce the variable clumping method and kernel density estimation into shopping centre research in order to analyse retail category concentrations, customer flows and coupling in a shopping centre. Applying these techniques to a German shopping centre showed that spatial concentration can be observed within the retail categories of food, health & body and fashion and that the pass ratio declines according to the distance from the central point of the shopping centre. Also, shops in the same retail category have higher coupling than those of different categories, and unexpectedly spatially separated shops have a slightly higher coupling than non-spatially separated ones. Overall, the use of GIS improves the quality and the speed of spatially based analysis, and thus should be used more frequently in scientific shopping centre research and shopping centre management.     

Slotting Allowances as a Facilitating Practice by Food Processors in Wholesale Grocery Markets: Profitability and Welfare Effects

Slotting allowances, which are lump-sum transfers paid by food manufacturers to grocery retailers in return for various retail concessions, are becoming increasingly common in wholesale grocery markets. This article extends the literature on slotting allowances by considering two features that previously have been ignored: the role of food processors in determining these pricing arrangements, and the effect of slotting allowances on the size and distribution of economic surplus. Slotting allowances motivated by food processors increase procurement quantities and farm prices, and this raises farm surplus, increases total producer surplus, and improves consumer welfare in the food system.     

Does Choice Context Affect the Results from Incentive‐Compatible Experiments? The Case of Non‐GM and Country‐of‐Origin Premia in Canola Oil

We seek to design and implement a WTP elicitation instrument closely resembling an actual grocery shopping experience. An incentive-compatible choice experiment is used to elicit values for a non-GM attribute and a country-of-origin attribute of Canola oil. The choice context is varied to assess whether revealed-preference choice experiments are affected by choice variety. A median premium for non-GM Canola oil is found to approximate C$0.45 or C$0.62/liter according to the choice variety context; different country-of-origin effects are also found as choice context varies. Hypotheses as to why these significant effects of choice contexts occur are suggested.
Nous cherchons à concevoir et à mettre en application un instrument de révélation de la VDP qui ressemble étroitement aux choix que fait un consommateur lorsqu'il effectue son marché. Nous avons utilisé une méthode expérimentale compatible avec les incitations des participants afin de découvrir la valeur accordée à deux caractéristiques de l'huile de canola: non génétiquement modifiée et étiquetée selon le pays d'origine. La liste des choix est variée afin d'évaluer si les préférences révélées sont influencées par la gamme de choix. La prime médiane de l'huile de canola non génétiquement modifiée est d'environ 0,45 $CAN ou 0,62 $CAN le litre selon les choix proposés. Différents pays d'origine figurent aussi dans cette liste de choix. Nous avons formulé des hypothèses quant aux raisons pour lesquelles la gamme de choix a des effets importants.     

Retail planning policy and large grocery store development: A case study in South Wales

Summary

This paper describes and evaluates the recent history of large grocery store development within the four counties of Industrial South Wales. After a discussion of major grocery companies’ programmes of store development, the timing and location of the 26 large stores opened in Industrial South Wales between 1972 and 1986 are described. The paper then analyses Structure Plan policies for large store development in the four counties, and compares the locational pattern of stores developed during the 1980s with that proposed in the Structure Plans themselves. Discrepancies between actual and proposed categories of store location are shown to reflect the more liberal planning policies of the Welsh Office, and of some District Councils. Finally, some conclusions are drawn relating to wider aspects of the planning control of retail development.     

Shopping Behavior and Evaluation of Store Features: Perspectives from a Food Market in the Arabian Peninsula

ABSTRACT

Globally, the food retailing industry is seen as most dynamic and rapidly changing. In this paper we investigate the shopping behavior of shoppers in Saudi Arabia, the largest retail market in Arabian Peninsula. Using empirical research, this paper examines factors influencing shopping decisions and the attitude toward shopping of shoppers in Saudi Arabia. Comparisons based on demographic factors are also discussed. The article discusses the findings and makes recommendations to retail store management. Future research directions are also suggested.     

Brand-Supermarket Demand for Breakfast Cereals and Retail Competition

The Berry, Levinsohn, and Pakes (1995) market equilibrium model is extended to the supermarket chain level to examine consumer choices and retail competition for thirty-seven brands of breakfast cereals in Boston. Estimated taste parameters for product characteristics vary significantly across consumers. Although consumers are price-sensitive with respect to their chosen cereals, they exhibit strong brand and supermarket loyalty. Retail markups increase and marginal costs decrease with grocery market shares, attesting to oligopoly power with efficiencies. Markups decrease with the own-price elasticity of demand, with Corn Flakes having the highest markups. A detailed picture of consumer response and supermarket competition is provided.     

基于影响因素层级划分的消费者网购家具意愿研究

在哈尔滨市家具卖场问卷调查的基础上,从人口统计变量、服务品质、价格权衡、感知风险、社会认同、心流体验、期望绩效7方面设计调查问卷,运用描述性统计分析方法和关联性统计分析方法对影响消费者网购家具意愿的因素进行识别和筛选,并通过解释结构分析模型(ISM),进一步分解出影响因素之间的结构性分布及其逻辑性关联。研究结果表明,影响消费者网购家具意愿的因素共17个,且处于不同的层次和级别,即相互影响又独立发挥作用,被划分为表层直接影响因素、中层间接影响因素和深层根源影响因素。     

Corporate real estate,stock market valuation and the reputational effects of eco-certification

Improving the energy efficiency of retail stores has become an important strategy for retailers. However, why do some retailers obtain Energy Star certification for their stores while others do not? We argue that retailers pursue this certification to capture reputational benefits of the Energy Star label when their stock market valuation is low. Using longitudinal data for US retailers (grocery and department stores) over the period of 2002 to 2014, we find that stock market valuation measured by Tobin’s Q explains (1) the likelihood of a retailer obtaining Energy Star certification and (2) the share of Energy Star-certified stores in a retailer’s portfolio. Operating expenses on the other hand do not appear to drive the decision to obtain Energy Star certification. Our results also suggest that the motivations of retailers to obtain LEED and Energy Star certification differ.     

Female Participation and Labor Market Attachment in Rural Canada

This article explores the reasons for differences in female rural–urban participation rates by estimating a dynamic model of participation allowing for unobserved heterogeneity and state dependence using Canadian panel data. The results suggest that overall observed differences in rural–urban participation rates are primarily due to differences in observed socioeconomic characteristics. However, for women resident in low-income households, there is evidence that the operation of rural labor markets effectively lowers their participation rates.     

The Persistence of Profitability among Firms in the Food Economy

The persistence of industry, firm-specific, and corporate-parent effects on firm profitability in the food economy are calculated and further analyzed within its four major sectors: food processing, wholesale grocery, retail supermarket, and restaurant. Profits are more persistent within an industry than within a corporation. The retail supermarket sector has had stable profits as has individual retail supermarket firms relative to the other three sectors.     

Economic thoughts on the potential implications of COVID-19 on the Canadian dairy and poultry sectors

The dumping of milk, the offering of hospitality size goods in grocery stores, and the closure of processing facilities are examples of the disruptions caused by the pandemic to the dairy, poultry, and egg sectors. These supply management sectors, however, are more resilient to the impacts of COVID-19 than other sectors as producers are generally more financially stable, losses are pooled, and production/marketing efforts are coordinated.