Class of 2012 Abstract / Specific Aims: The purpose of this study was to assess the overall satisfaction of Tucson area pharmacists in the community retail setting and to identify the facets of community practice that have the greatest contribution to job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Methods: Surveys were sent by facsimile to all community retail pharmacies in the Tucson area. All pharmacists working in these stores were encouraged to respond to the survey by faxing back the paper copy or by responding to the online version of the survey at surveymonkey.com. Respondents were asked to rate their job satisfaction and demographic data were also collected. Main Results: Questionnaires were completed and returned by 32 pharmacists, an estimated response rate of 10%. After reviewing the returned surveys, four questions were chosen from the satisfaction portion to determine their relationship to the job satisfaction ratings. Those four variables were “recognition one receives for good work”, “opportunity to use abilities”, “hours of work”, and “patient contact”. Those four satisfaction variables were then analyzed using the demographic grouping variables “other experience”, “store type” and “degree earned”. Following analysis, only hours of work was found to play a significant role with pharmacy job satisfaction when grouped by other experience. Conclusions: The area of community pharmacy practice that affects job satisfaction the most is hours of work, which is especially true when pharmacists have work experience outside of community practice.

Ingeniero Civil Industrial / El mercado de las tarjetas de crédito se caracteriza por ser altamente competitivo e importante en transacciones, con montos cercanos al 14% del PIB nacional en conjunto con débito, por lo que entregar una experiencia diferenciadora a los clientes se ha vuelto una necesidad básica. Así, el uso de diferentes canales de comunicación integrados contribuye a generar la diferenciación y, en particular, el sitio web de la empresa presenta un aumento de ingresos de usuarios únicos de un 96% en los últimos 4 años, por lo que surge como una oportunidad para entregar una experiencia personalizada. De acuerdo a esta necesidad, el objetivo general de este proyecto es diseñar acciones de apoyo a la personalización y gestión de campañas de publicidad web. Así, se quiere responder lo siguiente: ¿quiénes son los clientes que utilizan el sitio web?, ¿quiénes son los clientes que interactúan con campañas de publicidad web? y ¿existen diferencias entre los clientes que interactúan con diferentes formatos de campañas web? Para responder las preguntas mencionadas, se realizan modelos de clasificación para identificar qué características definen que un cliente tenga mayor probabilidad de interactuar con el sitio web, obteniendo desempeños sobre el 20% de ganancia de información en los principales fenómenos en estudio. Los principales resultados tienen relación con los perfiles de los clientes que interactúan con el sitio web, siendo los que ingresan al sitio adultos jóvenes, que compran en la web de la multitienda, viajes y utilizan la tarjeta principalmente por el club de puntos. En el caso de campañas, los Shadow Box apuntan a clientes de categoría media o alta, que compran en la web de la multitienda, restaurant, viajes y su tarjeta es Visa. De manera contraria, las Burbujas apuntan a clientes que solicitan avances en efectivos, créditos de consumo, compran en supermercados externos y en cuotas, mientras que Calugas apunta a clientes de categoría media o alta, que tienen transacciones en la web de la multitienda, servicios básicos, educación, restaurant y solicitan avances en efectivo. Con el fin de generar un aumento de clientes web y aumentar las interacciones con las campañas, se propone gestionar a 280 mil clientes que no utilizan el sitio web mediante email marketing, a cerca de 90 mil clientes con experimentos del formato Shadow Box y a cerca de 110 mil clientes con experimentos del formato Caluga. En caso de utilizar las estrategias propuestas en el presente proyecto, la compañía generaría ventas incrementales de $ 9 mil millones en un año, equivalente al 0,3% de las ventas anuales, en el caso de que el 5% de los clientes gestionados cambien su comportamiento. Finalmente, como trabajos futuros se propone la realización de experimentos que utilicen sesgos cognitivos y herramientas de eyetracking. Además, mejorar el estudio con información detallada de la navegación web que permita aumentar la personalización, tal como duración en cada sección del sitio web y movimientos del puntero en la página web. / 13/10/2021

The counterfeiting industry continues to grow worldwide, valued today at $461 billion according to the Global IP Center’s 2016 Report. This proliferation of counterfeiting has permeated many industries, but poses a unique threat to the luxury retail sector. Many factors have precipitated the expansion of this industry: expanded trade and manufacturing networks, enhanced technology, the rise of e-commerce, the globalization of trade, and others. Long viewed as a necessary evil in the luxury business, this booming counterfeit industry threatens retailers and governments alike. For individual retailers, counterfeiting deprives them of revenues, increases anti-counterfeiting expenses, devalues the brand, and disincentivizes growth and innovation. As a result, governments suffer slowed economic growth, higher unemployment and decreased tax revenues. Despite the economic and accounting consequences of luxury counterfeiting, steps can be taken to mitigate its impact. Legislation that defines and protects intellectual property rights, brand enforcement tools, supply chain management, public and private sector partnerships, authentication technology and consumer education present opportunities for building a strong anti-counterfeiting strategy. My research examines the luxury counterfeiting industry from its origins, investigating its history and the reasons for its rise in current global conditions. Taking an accounting-based perspective, I address both the ramifications of the luxury counterfeiting industry and propose strategies to combat it. Curtailing the expansion of this lucrative, black-market industry will be difficult and costly for luxury retailers and governments alike, but given the growing threat it poses around the world, it is in their best interest to pursue some of these proposed strategies.

Rapid transformation in the food retail supply system, accompanied by rational economic efficiency, has marginalized the role that traditional markets play in the UK food distribution system. Yet these markets survive, some even thrive, implying that traditional food markets cannot be defined simply in terms of their distribution function. Traditional food markets are part of the surrounding food retail environment and whether they survive or thrive is dependent on wider economic and societal dynamics and change. This thesis links the micro-level activities of traditional food market exchange with how food systems, power structures and consumption practices interact and transform each other over time and space at the macro-level. The research provides the first detailed assessment of traditional food markets in England and examines their contemporary role in fresh food provisioning. The thesis proposes a cultural economy framework that examines how food retail restructuring and changing patterns of fresh food consumption have affected the internal and external spaces and places that support the everyday economic processes and cultural practices of traditional food market exchange. The research employs a mixed methods approach with three inter-related phases. First, the construction of a database of UK food markets identified 1,124 traditional food markets operating in the UK and the empirical analysis, using geo-coded data and more detailed location quotient (LQ) analysis, mapped the geographies and concentrations of traditional food markets and their links with wholesale markets and farmers' markets. Second, data drawn from an email questionnaire survey with traditional food market managers examined the effects of retail restructuring and changing fresh food shopping habits on these markets. In the third and final phase, detailed analysis from case study research in two contrasting traditional food markets, in the North East and Eastern regions of England, examined how the market as place significantly shapes the distributive processes and practices of buying and selling that transform fresh food into the `market product', and also explored the reciprocal relations between the economic and the cultural and between value(s) and exchange. The research findings provide new insights into the traditional food retail sector. The database and email survey analysis reveal how market geographies have been affected by regulatory, economic and cultural change and demonstrate how market and place are entwined in a relationship that has adapted to retail restructuring and changes in fresh food provisioning. Detailed case study analysis reveals how traditional markets are intimately linked with the regions and cities where they are located and how different geographies, histories and approaches to food and farming have moulded the relationship between market and fresh food over time. Although the overall economic value of fresh food sold on traditional markets is reduced in real terms, its symbolic value as `the market product' is not. Historically and culturally, the traditional market may be considered part of a `traditional' food system that aimed to provide fresh and affordable food to all, but the contemporary market is a different place. The findings reveal a marketplace frequently articulated through parallel fresh food trading and shopping experiences at the supermarket and the farmers' market and informed by practical and local knowledge systems. Knowledge systems help define food-provisioning expertise in the traditional food system and the value put on fresh produce depends on both economic and less tangible factors bound up with cultural and moral understandings. How fresh food is assigned monetary, social and symbolic value by market actors' everyday practices demonstrates a `sliding scale' of moral and monetised values as fresh food takes on cultural form The value(s) assigned to fresh food traded on the market fundamentally shape how it performs in the contemporary context and ultimately determine whether its role in fresh food provisioning declines, survives or thrives.

Preliminary desk researches suggested that strategic planing and management needs empirical evidence to broaden itsapplication to different industries, The purose of the study is to examine the practical framework for the plannng and development of strategy and strategic plans from the current practice of retail operations in Thailand. Theoretical reviews were carred out at early stage of the research on strategic decision making, planning systems, strategy and retailing to build a framework for research objectives and to form research questions. The main objective of the research is, therefore, to examine forms of strategy development process and the influence of marketing concepts to the planning processes of selected organisations. Fieldwork was planned to investigate at several modern retailers in Thailand, where retail competition has been intensive. Five retailers allowed their co-operation, and several methods of data collections, such as different types of interviews, observations and the analysis of achieval record, were employed to generate five case studies. The main conclusion drawn from the study would indicate that the term "strategic planning process", together with budgeting and long-range planning systems, are embedded in yearly periodical planning systems that react to external environment challenges only in the short term. The yearly periodical planing system together with an administrative system forms an on-going planning cycle. The strategic management process, on the other hand, is future-oriented planning process that has a time-span of more than a year. Strategic decisions generated by the strategic management process together with the outcome of other strategic decision-making are the inputs to both components of the on-going planning cycle. Therefore, short-term and long-term strategy development processes are distinct processes that require different approaches. However, the two processes are linked and both should be embedded within the overall strategic development process. The study also suggests that Thai retailers have to strengthen their strategy development process to be able to encourage learning and understanding of key business environments, business concepts and strategies before generating their own "winning formula". The outcome from the thesis is, therefore, a practical framework for the planning and development of strategy and strategic plans from the current practices of retail operations in Thailand that can be applied as a checklist for monitoring and evaluation in large-to-medium sized retailing organisations in similar trading environments.

An investigation into whether the colour red has more impact or leads to common perceptions about the price or value of retail products in advertising. / ABSTRACT Colour is often an important non verbal cue in advertising. Much research has been dedicated to the creative aspects of advertising generally and to factors affecting consumer response in relation to marketing, advertising and pricing. This study looks at the colour red and investigates whether use predominant use of red in sale promotions print advertising is justified on the basis of its ability to impact cognitively or affectively. The study comprises of two experiments, one for awareness and one for price perception and purchase intent. In each experiment, red is compared to other colours in order to establish any significant differences. The second experiment goes further to examine whether the intensity of colour, verbal cues or demographic differences have an impact on the results. The literature review begins with an examination of price theory and the role of sales promotions in organizations. It considers advertising response models with focus on the persuasive hierarchy AIDA model. The impact of colour is then considered along with consumer psychology and behavior as well as theories relating to demographic and cultural responses to colour in advertising. Argument from the sources is then put forward to suggest that research into the effects of colour in advertising is underexplored and that the role of colour in affecting response is complex and is over oversimplifies by advertising practitioners. The research results are presented revealing few significant differences between red and alternative colours for awareness, price perception or purchase intent. The result for awareness is blurred by research limitations, but red does not emerge as a candidate for exacting higher levels of awareness than a number of other colours. In the second experiment, red is found to be inferior to blue in affecting purchase intent. Red at 50% saturation is shown to have a more positive impact on purchase intent that a red hue at full saturation. Demographic splits do not show conclusive results, but it is suggested that a larger sample size would induce a better price perception of red for the black community than for other racial groupings. Discussion and recommendations follow. In this study, red shows no qualities to justify its predominant use in price promotion advertising and more benefit might be obtained for the brand by differentiating through use of alternative colours that may stand out in a sea of red over traditional sale periods. The principle recommendations are, firstly, the need to acquire a deeper understanding of the effect of colour in advertising. In the more complex, competitive global marketplace competition for customer attention is high and the margin of error for irrelevant advertising appeals are low. Secondly, the argument is made for colour usage to be built around long term branding concerns rather than short term requirements for advertising response.

The still increasing intensity of an individual motor transport (IMT) in cities becomes unsustainable. Moreover, the establishment of new retail centres (RCs) continues to escalate it, because their business policy is principally aimed to motorised costumers. Furthermore, a rapid turnover of goods, which enables low prices, along with a wide range of goods under one roof make RCs more attractive than traditional small shops in the inner-city. Therefore, these small shops have been shut down, and people must travel longer distances in order to reach the required services. The purpose of my thesis is to find a possibility how to replace by doing shopping the common automobile transport with cycling. This kind of transport is environmentally friendly and energy-saving, occupies less urban space, is accessible for everyone and also healthy, is reciprocally advantageous, it sustains quite large attraction zone, and up to 5 km it is even faster. In this thesis, for the first time defined Bike&Shop conception introduces the integration of retail net with bicycle transportation. It was inspired by already familiar Bike&Ride system. Bike&Shop concept illustrates advantages of shopping by bike, as well as instruments which can help to develop this way of shopping. The theoretical part is based on foreign...

M.Com. (Business Management) / The retail industry in South Africa is faced with economic pressure, which is affecting growth in the sector. Consumers are affected by inflation which affects their purchasing power. Added to this many retail businesses in South Africa are experiencing the phenomena of stock-outs. Retail stock-outs can amount to 4% of annual turnover for an average retail business in South Africa. This is putting huge strain on retail businesses to remain competitive in the industry and thus retail businesses have to ensure adequate management is in place to drive efficiency. Management of processes and practices in a supply chain are critical to achieve synchronisation amongst supply chain entities. This assists in achieving reliability, responsiveness and flexibility with customers in the supply chain and thus stock-outs can be avoided or reduced. This study highlights four management processes and practices that are critical in achieving synchronisation and decreased variability in the supply chain, which would result in avoiding or reducing stock-outs. The four management processes and practices analysed in this study are customer demand, inventory management, retail operations and supplier relationships. These four management processes and practices were tested using an exploratory case study using a case study approach in the warehouse retail liquor industry in Johannesburg. Data was collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews in retail outlets. The questionnaires were structured in a format that categorised the four management processes and practices through perceptions and realities of management. The semi-structured interviews were used to gather responses of perceptions and realities of management processes and practices and causes to stock-outs. From the results of the study, the primary reasons for stock-outs were attributed to poor inventory management practices, a lack of understanding customer purchasing patterns and poor communication with suppliers. These reasons affected the synchronisation of activities in the supply chain and thus increased variability which resulted in stock-outs.

Ph.D. (Marketing Management) / As more retailers gain access to similar technologies, information and processes, it is becoming increasingly difficult to establish a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace, ensure customer satisfaction and encourage repurchase intention. This is especially true for high fashion retailers, since their higher margin customers have greater expectations to receive value from these high fashion retailers. To succeed in a highly competitive marketplace, high fashion retailers must become adept not just at providing quality products, but also at providing value to their customers. Only those businesses that truly offer the value that customers want and expect, remain competitive in the long term and are able to increase customer satisfaction levels. Higher levels of customer satisfaction leads to improved repurchase intention. It is therefore important for high fashion retailers to ensure that they offer value to their customers. Despite research undertaken in customer value, much debate still exists as to what contributes to customer value and what the relevant customer value dimensions are. Customer value is of managerial interest to high fashion retailers, as these retailers need to identify the dimensions they should focus on to increase the value they are delivering to their customers in order to obtain or retain a sustainable competitive advantage. Customer value leads to customer satisfaction and customer satisfaction in turn is a strong indicator of repurchase intention. This study therefore focuses on uncovering the concept of customer value, with specific emphasis on determining the underlying customer value dimensions from the perspective of the customer shopping at high fashion retail stores. The aim of this study is to propose a multidimensional model of customer value for high fashion retailers, including the interrelationship between customer value, customer satisfaction and repurchase intention.....

Magíster en Gestión de Operaciones / El sector retail es uno de los más dinámicos de la econom a chilena. En los últimos años sus ingresos operacionales han crecido a tasas de 20%, muy por sobre el crecimiento del PIB nacional. La industria local está concentrada en cinco actores que se adjudican más del 80% del mercado. Debido a la alta concentración y a la agresiva competencia se hace necesario introducir herramientas matemáticas sofisticadas que apoyen la toma de decisiones en todos los niveles de la empresa para mejorar los resultados. Esta investigación tiene por objetivo medir el impacto en las ventas que produce la circulación de catálogos de un importante retailer nacional. La metodología consiste en implementar una versión modificada del algoritmo propuesto por Abraham y Lodish (1993). El algoritmo adaptado permite: (1) calcular la venta incremental de corto plazo debido a la circulación de catálogos, y (2) determinar cuáles son las variables relevantes que influyen en la variación de las ventas. Para realizar esta investigación se cuenta con la información de ventas a nivel nacional de las 157 semanas de los años 2007, 2008 y 2009, desagregadas por división de productos (el año 2010 no fue considerado debido a que las ventas no son representativas). Los resultados muestran que la circulación de revistas tiene un impacto positivo de 11% promedio en las ventas semanales para todas las categorías de productos. Computación y vestuario son las divisiones con la mayor venta incremental (18% y 15%, respectivamente). Por el contrario, las categorías de productos de costo más elevado y mayor vida útil, como muebles y línea blanca, presentan baja sensibilidad a la publicación de revistas. Adicionalmente, se demuestra que, una vez extraídos los efectos de tendencia, estacionalidad y fechas especiales de consumo, la circulación de catálogos explica de forma importante la variación de las ventas semanales. Finalmente, se recomienda aumentar y/o mantener la cantidad de revistas para las categorías de buen desempeño global (seg un el nivel de saturación que pueden provocar en el consumidor) y cambiar la estrategia de publicación para las categorías cuyos catálogos presentan un bajo retorno. Áreas de posible mejora para la investigación futura son considerar el nivel de publicidad en medios masivos, optimizar el diseño gráfico y distribución de los catálogos, desagregar ventas por zona geográfica/región/comuna/tienda y estudiar efectos en el largo plazo.