Antecedents of supermarket formats’ adoption and usage: A study in the context of non-western customers

This research deals with the process of food retailing modernization—the process through which supermarket formats (supermarkets and hypermarkets) diffuse, replace traditional retail formats and gain market share. The study first divides the process into three components (diffusion, adoption, and usage of supermarket formats), then, through two independent studies, we apply an empirical framework that identifies factors motivating format adoption and usage in the context of non-Western countries. The empirical results, utilizing two surveys involving 961 respondents, indicate strong evidence for most of the hypotheses drawn from the theoretical framework. Specifically, among other findings, the analyses reveal that consumer economic abilities and format outputs comprise key factors affecting format adoption. However, the impacts of these factors vary among the populations in the study. The findings also point to the significant effects of three variable sets on the extent of supermarket use among the adopting consumers regardless of their economic status. These variables include format outputs, religious variables and ethnic-cultural attributes related to food consumption patterns of Muslim-Arab consumers. The article closes with managerial implications and future research.     

Determinants for store-switching in shopping for fresh produce: investigating the mediating role of consumer way of life

The present study addresses store-switching behavior regarding shopping for fresh produce. In particular, the study highlights the role played by a consumer way of life associated with fresh food consumption and explains how it has a mediating effect on consumer intention to switch food stores. A sample consisting of 252 respondents was obtained from the Israeli Arab community. The empirical results of the study indicate that way of life factors have a mediating effect on the influence of store outputs on consumer emotions and behavior intention, thus low outputs for fresh produce will lead to store-switching. However, the findings reveal that dissatisfied consumers may not consider switching due to switching barriers which moderate the influence of perceived dissatisfaction on store-switching. Implications for food retail providers are identified, together with a discussion of the study’s limitations and avenues for future research.     

Corporate social responsibility and strategic relationships

We analyze a delegation game relevant to the conduct of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in which the firm’s owner offers the manager a contract consisting of firm profit and social welfare. We derive three results that distinctly differ from existing findings. First, CSR decisions are strategic complements for firms. Second, with simultaneous CSR decisions, the equilibrium price is equal to marginal cost, despite the fact that firms compete in a Cournot duopoly. Finally, with sequential CSR decisions, unlike the follower firm, the leader firm never exhibits CSR. However, the follower firm can enjoy a profit equal to that derived by the leader in a Cournot–Stackelberg game.