Preface

No abstract available for this article.     

Marketing in retailing: a research agenda

Although specific retailing subjects related to marketing have been extensively

researched and presented in academic literature, the overall topic of marketing in

retailing has received little attention. This paper identifies and discusses some

principal marketing in retailing issues that warrant empirical assessment.

Research attention to the questions raised in this paper will provide strategic

Guidelines to retailers seeking to improve the marketing performance of their

organizations.     

Electronic Logistics Service Quality (e‐LSQ): Its Impact on the Customer’s Purchase Satisfaction and Retention

The Internet retailing industry continues to grow rapidly. Several Internet retailers are, however, struggling to retain customers due to the high level of competition among incumbents. We propose that customer satisfaction with the order fulfillment process is an important determinant of overall customer satisfaction with the retailer, as well as with the extent of customer retention enjoyed by the retailer. This paper offers a new concept for electronic logistics service quality and investigates the relationship between the quality of online fulfillment and the ensuing retention of customers, using archival data on 260 online retailers. The structural equation model results indicate that satisfaction with the physical distribution quality and cost are positively related with customer’s purchase satisfaction and customer retention. Additionally, the results indicate that while purchase satisfaction is a strong indicator of customer retention, underlying drivers of purchase satisfaction do not have nearly the same impact on customer retention directly as they have on purchase satisfaction.     

Using AI Techniques in the Grocery Industry: Identifying the Customers Most Likely to Defect

The food retailing market has reached a mature stage where companies need to be competitive if they are to survive. Customers are ever more demanding and retailers need to design and introduce new ways of learning about their customers if they are to retain them (Leeflang & Van Raaij ). This article examines the efficiency of the LAMDA classifier (Learning Algorithm Machine for Data Analysis) (Aguado ; Aguado et al. ) in identifying customer's behaviour; specifically examining which customers are most likely to defect when a new retailer appears on the scene. The study carried out in this project is based on data gathered from a Spanish grocery chain: Supermercats Pujol, SA – ‘Plus Fresc’, winner of the 1998 Global Electronic Marketing Award, www.plusfresc.es     

An Illustrative Application of Multi-Unit Franchise Expansion in a Local Retail Market

Abstract

Retail expansion in a local market offers many challenges, and given the sensitivity of survival to location mistakes, it is imperative to develop site models that incorporate realistic impediments to that expansion. Small independent businesses or local area franchisees facing limits on all forms of capital rarely can open additional units without delays. In this paper, we test the benefit of using Kaufmann, Donthu and Brooks' (2000) multi-unit site selection model that incorporates the reality of delays in the opening of new stores as well as the recognition that local retail chains can face competition from many hard to identify sources. We use data from the actual introduction of a small set of stores in a major United States metropolitan market to estimate the potential for improvement over a pure sequential expansion strategy. When compared to the sequential strategy actually used by the retailer, we estimate that performance could have been improved by 15.5% if a model that anticipated the delays in opening the stores and competition from secondary sources would have been used.     

广州零售业发展环境研究

广州零售业在高速发展的同时，也面临着一系列发展环境的问题。本文从社会经济、政策法规、行业竞争、商业文化、基础设施、消费、信息技术、融资、人力资源等九个方面分析了广州零售业发展环境的现状，并提出了改善广州零售业发展环境的对策。     

The making of the modern retail market: economic theory,business interests and economic policy in the passage of the 1964 Resale Prices Act

This article makes a critical examination of the economic case made for the prohibition of individual resale price maintenance (IRPM) in 1964. The Resale Prices Act had major implications for the future structure of British retailing and was lobbied for by multiple grocery retailers. This article demonstrates how a government enquiry which preceded the legislation privileged one side of the debate and marginalised other – arguably more rigorous – analysis. The article endorses a central role for the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) and is a case study of the role of economic theory in business–government relations and the development of economic policy.     

Analysing the fulfilment of service recovery paradox in retailing

The literature dealing with the Service Recovery Paradox (SRP) is vast, but some results are confusing and contradictory. In addition to this, scarce attention has been paid to service recovery in the context of retailing. This paper aims at verifying the compliance of the SRP in the context of retailing. Considering a sample of consumers that experienced a failure in the service delivered by a retailer and are very satisfied with the solution provided by the store employee, we test first the fulfilment of the SRP in the context of retailing. Secondly, we test the existence of significant differences in the customer satisfaction levels with the store before and after experiencing the problem considering several factors potentially influencing the impact of service recovery on customer satisfaction, therefore providing an encompassing analysis of the SRP and its main influencing variables, including some potential factors not previously explored. While we do not find evidence of the fulfilment of the SRP in retailing, differences in customer satisfaction before and after service recovery are highly related with consumer sociodemographic characteristics and shopping experience. Findings raise some practical implications.     

零售企业顾客忠诚影响因素分析

文章利用零售业顾客忠诚调查数据,以重购意向、口碑效应、钱包份额和重购频次四个指标为中间变量,对顾客期望差异、顾客满意和顾客忠诚之间的关系进行了实证研究。结果表明,顾客期望差异与顾客忠诚存在显著正相关关系,是顾客忠诚的主要决定因素,零售商应在产品、服务、价格和购物环境等四个方面加以改善,以使顾客获得超过期望的感知绩效,提高顾客忠诚度;顾客满意和顾客忠诚之间存在正相关关系,但并非顾客忠诚的充分条件,零售商应在努力提高顾客满意度的同时,走出“满意制胜”的误区;态度忠诚与行为忠诚之间不存在显著相关关系,零售商应以态度和行为双向顾客忠诚为目标,追求最终的顾客忠诚。     

直销、传销等经济学概念辨析

从市场营销学的角度明确无店铺销售中的人员销售才是通常所说的现代直销。曾经在我国是中性词的"传销"现在依据法规指非法行为,其内涵大于"金字塔销售",包括国际上通行多层次直销的做法。金字塔销售是国际上对非法多层次直销的一个通称,即多层次直销也有合法和非法之分,关键看是否以主要通过拉人头加入获得佣金。直销与以DELL公司为代表的直复营销不同,也与特许经营也不同。