M(Art)Worlds: Consumer Perceptions of How Luxury Brand Stores Become Art Institutions

Through an ethnographic study of how consumers perceive and experience Louis Vuitton flagship stores, we show that luxury stores are becoming hybrid institutions, embodying elements of both art galleries and museums, within a context of exclusivity emblematic of luxury. We create the term “M(Art)World” to capture the essence of this aesthetically oriented strategy. Participants take note of the company's sleekly elegant architecture, interior design, and adroit use of lighting that are modelled after those of museums housing world-class exhibits. The store's merchandize is artisanal, often produced in collaboration with artists. Objects for sale are displayed alongside actual art, rendering both products equivalent. Employees function as curators, offering guidance and knowledge, as well as goods for sale. We analyze how luxury consumers experience and evaluate the ways in which luxury stores operate as contemporary art institutions, and extrapolate those insights into managerial implications for other retail venues.     

Pleasantly Plump: Offsetting Negative Obesity Stereotypes for Frontline Service Employees

Obesity is described as the fastest growing public health challenge facing developed nations (Prentice, 2006). This research introduces the topic of obesity to the retailing literature by examining the interplay between obesity in frontline employees and customer evaluations of service transactions. Baseline effects are established that show customers evaluate employees and firms more negatively if the frontline worker is obese compared to average weight. Two follow-up studies identify means by which firms may offset the negative obesity effects. Specifically, signaling theory is drawn upon in Study 1 to justify the introduction of observable quality cues as a means to offset negative stereotypes. Results indicate that the presence of unambiguous quality cues attenuate unfavorable judgments of the obese employee and the affiliated retail store. In Study 2, a countervailing, jovial stereotype is primed as a means to offset the more prominent negative ones. Retail managers can use this research as a means to understand an important caveat to frontline service evaluations and as the basis for managing a prominent negative stereotype.     

论我国批发产业的振兴战略

针对我国商品流通体系"两头活跃、中间萎缩"的现状以及理论界"批发无用"的观点,本文对批发产业的发展趋势进行研判,并提出批发体制改革的政策取向和具体措施。本文基于对批发产业相对萎缩的内外生动因的分析,指出我国批发产业当前的发展现状既符合批发、零售产业博弈演进的一般规律,也是我国传统体制下积累的批零结构矛盾所致。提振批发产业对我国经济发展具有重要意义;从长远来看,我国批发环节所呈现出的积极发展趋势也将推动批发与生产、零售走向协调和高效。在此基础上,对提振我国批发产业的政策规制应更多着眼于"规范"而非"控制",并将重点置于促进现代化批发流通体系的早日成型以及引导批发与零售动态协调之上。     

零售业跨国公司进入中国市场的现状及影响

近年来,随着零售业发展的政策环境越来越宽松,国内消费规模不断扩大,零售业跨国公司抓住难得的机会大举进入中国市场,激发了我国零售业发展的活力,但也对我国零售业产生了巨大的压力和挑战,零售业跨国公司进入中国市场对我国零售业的影响是利弊共存的。国内零售业应从核心竞争力的培育、积极发展各类先进经营业态和实施"走出去"等方面采取一定的措施。     

A resource-based approach to strategy analysis in the new digital television arena

Television is attracting a considerable amount of attention from both researchers and managers as a result of the deep changes that are taking place. The introduction of digital technology is driving important changes in the market and extending the boundaries of the television business. These are becoming fuzzier and opportunities for new players have been increasing. It has become very important for companies, both established and newcomers, to understand what kind of resources and competences are needed in order to effectively compete in this changing environment. This paper aims to offer a tool that allows companies to identify their core resources and competences that could be the base of sustainable competitive advantage in the ‘New TV’ industry.     

Determinants of international retail operation mode choice: Towards a conceptual framework based on evidence from French specialised retail chains

Abstract

More and more retailers have expanded internationally. Because of its impact on the success of a retailer's international operations, a critical aspect of an internationalisation strategy consists of choosing the appropriate entry and expansion modes. The phenomenon remains misunderstood as little research in international retailing has focused on this question and findings from international management literature find limited application to services.

This paper draws upon a literature review and six case-studies from French specialised retailers to provide an exploratory framework for examining key determinants of operation mode choice. It is found that retailers consider four underlying dimensions of operation modes. These dimensions are affected by situational, individual and marketing factors whose explanatory impacts are moderated by the motives for internationalisation and relationship networks.     

Addressing ethical issues in retailing: a stakeholder perspective

This paper contends that, despite the dominance of the marketing paradigm in retail studies, benefits may be gained from applying stakeholder analysis to retailing. The development of stakeholder theory is outlined, and its problems and shortcomings reviewed. Notwithstanding these, retailing's stakeholders are defined in relation to "best practice". Examples of issues pertaining to stakeholder groups are given. Several ethical issues in retailing are then examined to demonstrate the benefits that accrue from applying a stakeholder approach. It is suggested that such a framework offers a broader perspective, and in particular that rising concern for ethical issues in retailing is better articulated through such a framework. The paper concludes such issues are better addressed when any retail marketing analysis is paralleled with a stakeholder analysis.     

Retail recovery from natural disasters: New Orleans versus eight other United States disaster sites

This study seeks to determine retail recovery patterns after a natural disaster and to provide useful information for areas recovering from a major disaster. The New Orleans metropolitan area serves as the primary area studied in this research due to Hurricane Katrina's status as the most costly natural disaster in the history of the United States. Eight additional cities that were impacted by natural disaster were also investigated in order to compare and contrast the retail recovery rate ofthese cities to New Orleans across 10 retail categories. The Yellow Pages telephone book and the United States Census of Retail Trade were utilized to determine recovery rates and the existence of possible patterns of recovery in each of the 10 retail categories. The analysis also includes a provision for population shifts due to the respective disasters. The results, which demonstrate both consistencies and inconsistencies across the disaster recovery areas, are discussed and future direction for retail recovery research is advanced.     

中国电力产业批发和零售定价模式探讨

电价改革是电力产业市场化改革的支撑点,也是电力产业市场化改革的难点,尤其是批发与零售定价对电力产业的改革至关重要。本文提出了电力市场化程度越来越高的四种递进模式,并在分析我国电力产业定价体制现状的基础上,指出目前我国国情下采用模式三——趸售竞争模式较为适宜。随后本文给出了这一模式下批发和零售的定价模型,并用具体算例对最终用户电价收费实践进行了说明。     

双边市场平台独占交易协议的反竞争效应

目前对互联网平台实施“二选一”行为的经济效应和规制政策还存在较大争议,为此采用双边市场模型证明平台企业实施“二选一”独占交易协议存在反竞争效应,分析结果显示,支配平台实施的独占交易协议会消除对平台市场最重要的竞争决定因素——“平台多属”,严重伤害了市场的竞争、创新和社会总福利。鉴于支配平台“二选一”行为的强激励和高损害特征,应该对其采取更严格的反垄断禁止措施。