Mini-dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban Institute of Technology, 2006. / Globally, complementary and alternative medicine is a rapidly expanding sector of which homeopathy and the sale of ‘over-the-counter’ homeopathic medicines is an integral part. In South Africa, the sale of homeopathic products in 2003 increased by 16.4% over figures for 2000. The sale of homeopathic medicines specifically, increased by 23% for the same period, and the sale of homeopathic medicines consists of 67% of all homeopathic products sold. The main method of distribution of these products is via retail outlets like health shops and pharmacies (Health Products Association, 2005). It is thus expected that health shop staff have a basic understanding of complementary therapies, including homeopathic medicines, due to the fact that these products are available ‘over-the-counter’ in health shops. To be effective health service providers, they are expected to understand the principles of homeopathy and its application via the available ‘over-the-counter’ homeopathic products. However, at best we can only assume the understanding that the health shop staff have. Thus, the level of understanding of homeopathy amongst health shop staff was examined through the use of a quantitative questionnaire. / M

8 THE FOOD DESERTS ISSUE - THE CASE STUDY OF ZLÍN ABSTRACT This thesis attempts to provide an introduction to the 'food deserts' theme by outlining how the problem of access to food for households has become an increasingly important issue in the transforming Czech retail market. The first part reviews the development of new types of retail space in the Czech Republic in the past two decades. The emphasis is principally on the growth of new formats of food retailing - supermarkets, hypermarkets and discount stores - which to a greater or lesser extent have affected every local market and supported spatial restructuring of the Czech retailing. On the other hand, it has also changed the pattern of traditional shopping facilities, which in turn have often experienced decline. The second part of this work describes the retail change in Zlín and analyses the local distribution of food retail stores. It takes both quantitative and qualitative approach to define areas with relatively poor access to adequate food provision. There, it particularly focuses on consumers with lower mobility who are thus more restricted in their grocery choice. The last section includes conclusions, mainly the discussion of resulting policy responses, possibilities of prevention of this phenomenon, as well as implications for...

The goal of this graduation thesis is to analyze the retail network related to food products in the city Klatovy and to evaluate whether the number of the retail units is appropriate for this area. Assess whether the number of retail units corresponds to the number of the population and the optimal area for Klatovy. The first part is focused on the different concepts and describes methods regional analysis. In the second part there is described the history and sights of the city Klatovy. After that follows characteristic of individual stores (retail units focused on the sale of food products), regional analysis of Klatovy and finally the evaluation questionnaire on the citizen buying habits and satisfaction with shopping in Klatovy.

This diploma thesis aims to review and assess a current state of Czech retail market with fast-moving consumer goods and to analyze a logistic base of leading retail chains doing business in the Czech Republic. A reader can learn about development of retail in the last few years, but also about prediction of the future trends. Based on the theoretical background regarding retail and logistics, the analysis of particular leading companies is made. Moreover, possible future efficiency improvements of companies' process which could lead to better market position are considered. The result of the thesis is the clear picture of well operating retail chain, its logistics and a flow of the goods into the retail market as a whole.

In this thesis I focus on the retail trade development in Belarus in recent years and opportunities for entering the Belarusian retail market for foreign retailers. First of all I describe current situation in Belarus, both economic and political. Then I described the retail market, its basic indicators, the most common methods of sale, types of retail outlets and marketing communication. Finally I described consumer behavior of Belarusian customer and opportunities for foreign retailers to enter Belarusian retail market.

This study investigated college student's image of apparel retail stores associated with shopping environment, price, and fashion innovativeness and their self-perception of appearance and fashion innovativeness. These served as the dependent and independent variables, respectively. University of North Texas students residing in on-campus housing completed a self-administered questionnaire measuring each variable. Repeated measure ANOVAs determined differences in self-perceptions and store images across four stores varied by fashion (innovative/mass) and price (high/low). Results indicated that perceptions for shopping environment, price, and fashion innovativeness differed by store. Students' appearance and fashion innovativeness had no significant effect on their perceptions of apparel retail store image. Students perceive stores differently based on shopping environment, price, and fashion innovativeness.

Historicamente, as indústrias conquistaram espaço no mercado a partir do aumento de seu volume de produção e da redução no preço dos produtos. Tal estratégia, no entanto, não se mostrou eficaz nas últimas décadas, visto que a mesma foi copiada por todos os fabricantes. Dessa forma, uma nova estratégia foi adotada pelas indústrias com o objetivo de diferenciar seus produtos da concorrência, especialmente no âmbito varejista. As indústrias passaram, então, a criar novas linhas de produtos, com o propósito de atingir esse objetivo. Todavia, mais uma vez as estratégias adotadas pelas indústrias não tiveram o impacto esperado. Em especial no setor de bens de consumo não duráveis, os espaços varejistas passaram a ficar super abastecidos, sendo que muitos dos produtos comercializados apresentavam baixo giro e baixa rentabilidade, além de muitas marcas possuírem pouco apelo junto ao consumidor final. Diante desse cenário, o varejo começou a ditar os produtos e marcas que seriam comercializados em seus estabelecimentos, elevando seu poder frente à indústria. Essa inversão de poder no mercado varejista obrigou os fabricantes a reverem a maneira como desenvolviam o relacionamento com seus clientes de canal, principalmente com o varejo. Antes preocupada em atender apenas as necessidades dos consumidores finais, a indústria buscou atender também as demandas de seus clientes de canal, criando, então, os departamentos de trade marketing. As atividades de trade marketing foram inicialmente aplicadas pelas indústrias de bens de consumo não duráveis em grandes redes varejistas. Esse fenômeno se reflete na academia, aonde a maioria dos estudos sobre trade marketing tem como objeto de pesquisa essas indústrias, com poucos estudos realizando uma abordagem a partir da visão do varejo. No entanto, os poucos estudos que abordam a visão do varejo sobre o trade marketing não são aplicados no segmento alimentar, no qual ocorreram as transformações varejistas mais intensamente. O pequeno varejo, apesar de possuir considerável importância na economia brasileira e na comercialização de muitas categorias de produto, é pouco explorado na literatura de trade marketing. Dessa forma, torna-se interessante compreender como funciona o trade marketing quando desenvolvido em pequenos varejistas do segmento alimentar e, se não for desenvolvido, quais as razões para esse fenômeno. Diante dessa oportunidade de pesquisa, esta dissertação foi conduzida com um referencial teórico abordando os grandes tópicos \"canais de distribuição\" e \"trade marketing\". A pesquisa, do tipo exploratória e qualitativa, utilizou-se do método de estudo de casos múltiplos. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com três pequenos varejistas da cidade de Piracicaba, e tiradas fotos do interior dos estabelecimentos. Os resultados proporcionaram a conclusão que as atividades envolvendo comunicação e promoção são realizadas tanto em conjunto por indústria e pequeno varejo, quanto individualmente pelo varejista; que a definição de preços é realizada individualmente pelo varejista; que o relacionamento estabelecido entre indústria e pequeno varejo é eficaz, apesar dos varejistas não acreditarem na existência de cooperação entre ambos; que o compartilhamento de informações é pessoal, sem o auxílio de ferramentas eletrônicas e que a gestão por categorias é desenvolvida pelo pequeno varejo sem o auxílio da indústria. / Historically, industries have gained market space by increasing their production volume and reducing product prices. Such a strategy, however, has not proved effective in recent decades since it has been copied by all manufacturers. In this way, a new strategy was adopted by the industries with the objective of differentiating their products from the competition, especially in the retail area. The industries then started to create new product lines, in order to achieve this objective. However, again the strategies adopted by the industries did not have the expected result. Particularly in the non-durable consumer goods sector, retail spaces became overcrowded, with many of the products marketed presenting low rotation and low profitability, as well as the fact that many brands have little appeal to the shopper. Faced with this scenario, the retailer began to choose the products and brands that would be marketed in their establishments, which increased their power. This exchange of power in the retail market forced manufacturers to review how they developed the relationship with their channel partners, particularly retailers. Previously concerned with meeting only the needs of shoppers, the industry also began to meet the demands of its channel partners, creating the trade marketing departments. Trade marketing activities were initially applied by non-durable consumer goods industries in large retail chains. This phenomenon is reflected in the academy, where most of the studies on trade marketing have as object of research these industries, with few studies taking an approach from the perspective of the retail. However, the few studies that approach the retail vision about trade marketing are not applied in the food segment, where the retail transformations occurred more intensely. Small retailers, despite having considerable importance in the Brazilian economy and in the commercialization of many product categories, are little explored in the trade marketing literature. In this way, it becomes interesting to understand how trade marketing works when developed in small retailers in the food segment and, if not developed, what the reasons for this phenomenon. Faced with this research opportunity, this dissertation was conducted with a theoretical framework approachig the major topics \"distribution channels\" and \"trade marketing\". The research is exploratory and qualitative and used the multiple case study method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three small retailers in the city of Piracicaba, and photographs were taken of the inside the establishments. The results provided the conclusion that the activities involving communication and promotion are carried out jointly by industry and small retail and also individually by the retailer; that the pricing is carried out individually by the retailer; that the established relationship between industry and small retailers is effective, although retailers do not believe in the existence of cooperation between them; that the sharing of information is personal, without the help of EDI and that category management is developed by small retailers without the help of industry.

by Koo Yee-yin, Irving. / Bibliography: leaf 59 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1983

This article investigates the influence of competition on price and product quality among Austrian camping sites, a market characterized by both horizontal (spatial) and vertical product differentiation. Theoretically, the effect of competition on quality is ambiguous and depends on the degree of cost substitutability between output and quality. Estimating a system of equations shows that intense competition has a positive impact on product quality and a negative effect on prices (conditional on quality). As high quality is associated with high prices, the total effect of competition on prices is rather small.

Purpose The purpose of the thesis is to present, analyse and verify a self-constructed strategic retail model, consisting of four constituents: product, service, positioning and technology. Each constituent represents a focal area, which forms a basis for discussing and interpreting factors and challenges connected to the future of retailing. Additionally, the thesis aims to examine the significance of the strategic retail model in regards to the future of retailing in a fashion context. Method The study is characterised by a qualitative nature, conducted with an abductive approach. The background has been rooted in reality, taking in account the digital revolution, the assumption that traditional marketing is dead and current retail trends. The problem discussion has been based in an academic approach where the concept of business models has been elaborated, along with a presentation of the traditional marketing mix and criticism of its changing nature. The empirical data collection has been conducted through nine interviews, seven face-to-face interviews and two online interviews. The strategic retail model has been verified through an empirical study and a second stage of literature review. Conclusion In a market where the consumer empowerment has fundamentally affected the retail environment, and traditional marketing has lost its former importance, the issue regarding the future of retailing remains. It could therefore be assumed that the significance of the strategic retail model is high. By managing each constituent and consistently strive to achieve an integration of the consumer focus in the strategic retail model, the four constituents and translated underlying consumer understanding is unified. / Program: Master Programme in Fashion Management