Perspectives on Corporate Excellence in Retailing

This paper focuses on the strategic and organizational determinants of superior corporate performance in retailing. Previously published studies on excellent companies at large, and on excellent retailing companies are reviewed, and the results of a content analysis of a small sample of excellent retailing companies are reported. Cheif among the hallmarks of excellent retailing companies uncovered are: excellence in human resources, focus on planning and control, market dominance, intimate knowledge of the served markets, technology edge and equitable sharing.     

Charity Retailing in the United Kingdom: A Managerial Capabilities Perspective

Nonprofit organizations are venturing into commercial activities due to the intense competition for the limited government funds and declining availability of donor funds for third‐sector organizations that address social problems. Charity retailing, a popular choice of commercial activity for nonprofit organization, has filled vacant premises in the high streets of the small towns and suburbs of large cities in the United Kingdom. Successful charity retail operation requires distinctive capabilities necessary to manage organizations' resources in commercial environment. Using 60 in‐depth elite interviews, we introduce the concept of managerial capabilities for charity retailing. Research propositions and management implications are discussed.     

多渠道零售商线上线下营销协同研究——以苏宁为例

结合了实体门店与在线商店的多渠道零售模式已经成为全球零售业发展的趋势,但多渠道零售商线上线下协同效应与稀释效应并存,如何通过营销协同实现渠道整合成为零售领域研究的热点问题。本文以苏宁为研究对象,采用规范的案例研究方法对其营销协同策略、影响决策的关键因素以及营销协同绩效进行了深入分析。在案例研究的基础上,以渠道区隔与融合为基准构建了渠道分离、渠道协同、渠道融合、渠道并行四种类型的营销协同战略导向,并以案例分析得出的六个影响因素（消费者特性、成本因素、生命周期、竞争强度、互补性、规模经济）作为自变量,以企业自身因素与外部环境因素作为调节变量,以营销协同绩效作为因变量,构建了线上线下营销协同的理论框架。最后,文章为多渠道零售商的经营管理提供了可操作性建议。     

An Application of Porter's Strategic Management Framework to Fast Food Retailing Performance

This study critically examines the link between strategy and performance of several major companies in foodservice retailing. Porter's framework for gaining sustainable competitive advantage is applied to assess the firms' strategic behavior. Our findings indicate that success in this industry typically hinges on five strategic factors: concept, personnel, adaptation, growth, and location.     

郑州市零售业态的优化策略

近几年,郑州市零售业发展迅速,但对业态演变的规律及结构认识不足,导致新兴业态的零售企业竞争优势不明显,应该把业态创新放在战略高度,根据不同地区经济发展水平、消费群体需求层次和消费习惯,适时发展新型零售业态,提高业态应变能力。     

The influence of human resource management in savings bank performance

The aim of this article was to analyse the value of human resources (HR) for competitive advantage and their influence on the firm's performance in the service industry. To achieve our goal, we have first proposed a resource-based framework to discuss the circumstances under which human resources can be a source of competitive advantage. Then, an empirical research was developed in the Spanish savings bank sector to analyse the relationship between HR management and the firm's performance. Our results, suggest that those savings banks which better combine their HR practices to create and to develop a strategic human capital pool have shown better levels of profitability and productivity.     

Does innovation-orientation lead to retail industry growth? Empirical evidence from patent analysis

Competitiveness and complexity in the retail industry are increasing due to rapid technological changes and diffusion. Patent analysis is largely used in innovation studies to assess and monitor technological changes in different sectors. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive view of the innovative forces affecting the retailing sector, by focusing on the evaluation of innovation levels through the classification and analysis of patented innovations. The findings show that retailers might shift to more innovation-oriented strategies in order to propose innovative consumer solutions, due to the support of the technology advancements highlighted by the strong patent track record. Our study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of critical areas for innovation in retailing and by offering bibliometric and patent analytical methods measures relative to the innovative forces affecting retailing, which might push the sector to be increasingly an innovation-oriented one. Finally, the high level of property rights (defined by the huge amount of patents) pushes retailers to invest more on acquiring patented technologies to achieve advantages over competitors or to adopt novel management practices as substitutes for patents.     

Internationalisation of Hypermarket Retailing in Poland

ABSTRACT

Retailing in Poland after 1989 was privatised rapidly. There was an explosion in the number of small shops and kiosks. By 1996 rationalisation had begun in the store network. By the mid-1990s foreign retailers were perceiving the Polish market as a potentially lucrative one. Several store formats were introduced. Hypermarket operators from Western Europe have moved into the market strongly since the mid-1990s. French and German retailers are making substantial investments in this format. There are notable implications for the supply chain, logistics and the behaviour of manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods, particularly food. There are implications also for the training and development of a cadre of managers in operational and strategic functions. The development of hypermarkets represents a significant transfer of managerial know-how from Western to Central Europe. There are also implications for the small shopkeeper sector which has already been affected but is likely to be more heavily affected as hypermarket numbers increase. In the process of the modernisation of retailing in Poland foreign hypermarket operators are playing an important role.     

The Retailing Literature as a Basis for Franchising Research: Using Intellectual Structure to Advance Theory

This study evaluates the foundational intellectual structure of franchising research over the last four decades. Based on 1718 articles from a sample of 40 journals, we use co-citation analysis, employed in both multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis, to evaluate 67,073 citations and determine the theoretical underpinnings of franchising research. As the results indicate, the retailing literature has had an integral influence on studies related to franchising. To advance this research domain, we develop a three-dimensional typology (franchise structure, consumer exchange, and strategic intention) based on established and emergent franchise-related topics. The typology indicates six suggested topics for examination to advance franchising research based on the domain's accomplishments to date.     

Employment Theory and the Wheel of Retailing: Segmenting the Circle

This article attempts to highlight the transitory nature of the retail labour market and provide a theoretical framework that accounts for the employment changes that have occurred in retailing since the Second World War. Using the concept of cyclicality embodied within the Wheel of Retailing, it identifies how at each stage of the cycle there develops a new dominant form of employment relation. The British grocery sector is taken as an example to illustrate this relationship.     

Corporate Entrepreneurship and Codification of the Knowledge Acquired from Strategic Partners in SMEs

This work proposes that the level of codification of acquired knowledge positively influences the corporate entrepreneurship activities of SMEs and argues that this relationship is enhanced by the relational diversity of the partner that provides the knowledge and the strength of the relationship with this partner. The results obtained in a sample of 181 Spanish SMEs in the ITC sector confirm the hypotheses proposed. This research contributes to the corporate entrepreneurship literature by showing which types of knowledge (codified), sources of knowledge (the most important strategic partner), and relational conditions (tie strength and partner's relational diversity) can enhance corporate entrepreneurship.     

Proliferation of private labels in the groceries sector: The impact on category performance

In consumer goods retailing, an increase in private labels on offer has been evident for several years now. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyse how retailer assortment-policy measures and pricing-policy measures to promote the sales of private labels will affect the level of category performance. The findings, based upon POS scanning data from the German groceries sector, are at first view surprising since extending the range of private labels and reducing that of national brands does not lead to greater category performance. The paper offers important retailing, managerial and welfare economics implications of the findings.     

首都现代零售业发展战略研究

通过对首都零售业发展的宏观环境分析,明确了首都现代零售业发展战略规划制定的指导原则。并对首都现代零售业发展的战略目标、首都现代零售业发展的战略定位和战略重点进行了阐述;进而提出首都现代零售业发展战略即现代化国际化大都市零售业战略、品牌市场战略、结构调整战略、区域合作发展战略、"人才强商"战略、对外开放与"走出去"战略、空间布局战略。     

Towards a conceptual model of country market selection: Selection processes of retailers and C&C wholesalers

Abstract

International market selection is discussed in general, particularly in respect of decisions on evaluation stages, selection criteria and evaluation methods. The present analysis focuses on the configuration of country selection models, which has received little attention in international retailing research. In order to illustrate the special features of market selection in retailing, we have used an innovative approach. Following a review of general theoretical perspectives, a case study of the Metro Group addresses the process used, inter-country selection and country-specific selection, and also shows the role of corporate principles and firms' situational factors. Based on existing literature and the case study information, we propose a strategic approach in modelling country selection processes. Three steps in the construction of a selection model are discussed and related to corporate principles and situational factors of a retail firm. The analysis is a further step towards understanding the processes of retailing internationalization.     

Strategies and Instruments for Organising CSR by Small and Large Businesses in the Netherlands

This paper analyses the use of strategies and instruments for organising ethics by small and large business in the Netherlands. We find that large firms mostly prefer an integrity strategy to foster ethical behaviour in the organisation, whereas small enterprises prefer a dialogue strategy. Both large and small firms make least use of a compliance strategy that focuses on controlling and sanctioning the ethical behaviour of workers. The size of the business is found to have a positive impact on the use of several instruments, like code of conduct, ISO certification, social reporting, social handbook and confidential person. Also being a subsidiary of a larger firm has a significant positive influence on the use of instruments. The most popular instrument used by small firms is to let one member of the board be answerable for ethical questions, which fits the informal culture of most small firms. With respect to sectorial differences, we find that firms in the metal manufacturing and construction sectors are more actively using formal instruments than firms in the financial service sector and retail sector. The distinction between family and non-family firms hardly affects the use of instruments.     

A multi-sector comparison of relational learning and information and communication technologies adoption

This paper analyses the nature of the impact of relational learning on the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) and vice versa. The authors investigate the implementation of ICT through a relational learning process by means of an empirical investigation of 203 small- and medium-sized enterprises in the Spanish telecommunication and the Spanish construction industries (107 firms from the telecommunications sector and 96 from the construction sector). In the analysis, it is proposed that the relational learning process can be structured into three phases (transfer, transformation, and harvesting of knowledge). Structural equation modelling reveals that, in order to implement these relational learning phases, companies need to provide and support ICT as prior steps and this is most significant for those in the telecommunications sector. These results have implications for managers when they come to formulating policies and making a choice as to the organisational capabilities to target in order to ensure the effective adoption of ICT.     

The Role of Big Data and Predictive Analytics in Retailing

The paper examines the opportunities in and possibilities arising from big data in retailing, particularly along five major data dimensions—data pertaining to customers, products, time, (geo-spatial) location and channel. Much of the increase in data quality and application possibilities comes from a mix of new data sources, a smart application of statistical tools and domain knowledge combined with theoretical insights. The importance of theory in guiding any systematic search for answers to retailing questions, as well as for streamlining analysis remains undiminished, even as the role of big data and predictive analytics in retailing is set to rise in importance, aided by newer sources of data and large-scale correlational techniques. The Statistical issues discussed include a particular focus on the relevance and uses of Bayesian analysis techniques (data borrowing, updating, augmentation and hierarchical modeling), predictive analytics using big data and a field experiment, all in a retailing context. Finally, the ethical and privacy issues that may arise from the use of big data in retailing are also highlighted.     

“Service” in Luxury Retailing in the Twenty‐First Century: An Exploratory Look at the Pleasure Boating Sector

This study explores the most effective retailing strategies with which luxury retailers can achieve a competitive advantage. The central role of services in enhancing the consumption experience in the luxury segment has been analyzed considering the pleasure boating sector, with a focus on the role that the dealer may have, both in the integration of different services and in the development of a durable competitive advantage. A qualitative study has been carried out through semistructured, in‐depth, one‐to‐one interviews with representatives of companies that deal with the pleasure boating sector. The results show that in the luxury pleasure boating sector, the introduction of a better‐defined retail strategy focused on services and its integration within the entire distribution channel may be crucial but also difficult to achieve in contexts that lack a marketing orientation. The contribution to extant literature on service in the pleasure boating sector and in luxury retailing in general is outlined. The managerial implications for practitioners in the pleasure boating sector are also discussed.     

我国大中型百货零售企业发展战略选择——模型与适用性分析

在零售市场竞争日益激烈、消费者需求变化趋势多样化的背景下,现有的百货企业为了谋求生存和发展就必须站在战略的高度考虑问题,不断地创新以适应迅速变化的环境。百货企业应当根据外部环境和内部条件,对各种可能的战略方向的可行性做出合理的决策。因此,必须构造一个百货企业发展的战略模型并对其适用性进行分析和评价。     

Going liquid: French food retail industry experiencing an interregnum

ABSTRACT

By calling the present condition of the French food retail industry an interregnum, this research considers the impact of liquid modernity on this sector and looks for signs of a new order at a designing stage. Nine experts representing large retailers and entrepreneurs using alternative modes of food retailing were interviewed. An interpretive analysis reveals a wide diversity of changes. Following Bauman’s liquid metaphor, we identify shock, transformations, and crisis in food retailing, which we describe as phases that mark the dynamics in the shift from solid to liquid retailing. We discuss how retailers are adapting and deploying tactics both to respond and belong to these liquid times and how retailers can regain some legitimacy by claiming a role in territorial sovereignty.