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The aim of this thesis is to describe perceived barriers and drivers and analyze its impact on the implementation of strategies among food retailers in order to reduce food waste. On supply chain, food retailers are in the powerful position, communicating both consumers and suppliers. Existing literatures and our findings show that food retailers engage mostly in strategies to prevent and re-use food waste. The methodology used in this thesis is qualitative research through single case study design in order to gain valuable insights from food retailers and develop the existing theories. The empirical date is collected through semi-structured interviews with a store manager, the head of logistics and a project manager and environmental ambassador, Karin Bildsten. The findings had formed several learning points. First, in this case the major barrier is lack of resources in financial and knowledge terms in order to implement strategies. Second, consumers have a strong impact on the implementation of strategies, playing both as drivers and barriers. Lastly, environmental consideration of employees is a strong driver as well as positive response from society toward implementing different strategies. This research intended to give inspiration to other researchers into this new field of research. The authors concluded with practical recommendations to food retailers as well as some advices to different stakeholders.

Background Worldwide, one-third of all produced food is going to waste, and the number is increasing every year which consequently calls for action. A substantial share of the food waste is the outcome of grocery stores throwing away suboptimal food which yet is eatable but due to the date labeling, damaged packaging or in terms of appearance standards cannot be sold. Throughout the last years, numerous unique businesses have been formed in Sweden to offer suboptimal food both online and in physical stores. Still, Swedish grocery stores stand for 30 000 tons of food being wasted which is directly linked to the still evident unwillingness to offer, purchase and consume suboptimal food. By no means, this is a significant problem and need to be changed in order to reach a more sustainable world. Till this day, qualitative research on the topic is scare. Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to understand which components that affected Swedish grocery shoppers’ attitudes and purchase intentions towards suboptimal food in-store. Method In order to fulfil the purpose of this study, a qualitative methodology has been utilized. The qualitative data has been collected through semi-structured interviews amongst Swedish grocery shoppers. To explore the attitudes and purchase intentions towards suboptimal food product, an abductive research approach was applied to strengthen previous research findings and attempt to discover possible new theory.  Conclusion The empirical findings revealed that Swedish grocery shoppers in this research study hold an overall positive attitude towards suboptimal food. The study further reports four prominent barriers towards Swedish grocery shoppers’ purchase intentions of suboptimal food. In result, even though an overall positive attitude presented, the intention to purchase suboptimal food could be severely weakened by substantial restrictions encountered in grocery stores.

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Canadian youth has increased considerably over the past few decades. In spite of considerable efforts, individual-level behavioural modification strategies have not been successful at preventing and treating obesity in youth. Research is emerging that has shifted attention to the environmental-level determinants of obesity. There is some evidence that the number and types of food retailers in a given neighbourhood may impact obesity risk in the individuals living in that neighbourhood, but little is known about the impact of the food retail environment on Canadian youth. Objectives: 1) To describe the food environment surrounding the school neighbourhoods of Canadian youth (grades 6 to 10), and, determine whether access to food retailers around schools differs by area-level SES. 2) To determine whether the number and type of food retailers surrounding schools is related to the overweight status of the students attending those schools. Each of these objectives was explored in a separate manuscript. Methods: A trend test was performed to determine if exposure to food retailers varied by neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES) for 188 schools across Canada. Logistic regression was performed using a multilevel modeling approach to determine if an association existed between exposure to food retailers and overweight and obesity in the 7,281 school-aged youth attending the 188 schools, adjusting for individual- and area-level covariates. Types of food retailers considered included: full-service restaurants, fast food restaurants, sub/sandwich shops, donut/coffee shops, convenience stores, and grocery stores. Results: Objective 1. Nearly 75% of schools had at least one food retailer within 1 km of schools, and over 90% had at least one food retailer within 5 km. Exposure to the different types of food retailers within 1 km of schools did not vary significantly (p<0.05) across schools in low, moderate, and high SES neighbourhoods, with the exception of full-service restaurants. At the 5 km distance, the SES gradient was significant across all food retailer types, with low SES neighbourhoods exposed to the least number of food retailers. This effect disappeared when population density (number of retailers per 10,000 people) was considered, except for sub/sandwich shops and donut/coffee shops. Objective 2. Increased exposure to all six types of food retailers in the neighbourhoods surrounding schools was associated with a decreased likelihood of overweight and obesity. At the 1 km distance, the total number of food retailers had the strongest protective effect, while individual types of food retailers had a stronger effect at the 5 km distance. Conclusions: Objective 1. Most students in Canada have at least one food retailer within walking distance of their school. The food retail environment surrounding schools is not significantly impacted by the neighbourhood SES. Objective 2. Increased exposure to different types of food retailers in school neighbourhoods is associated with a decreased likelihood of overweight and obesity in Canadian youth. This suggests that having access to a large number and variety of food choices may facilitate healthy food choices and protect against the development of overweight and obesity. / Thesis (Master, Community Health & Epidemiology) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-26 10:25:11.453

The growing South African domestic organic food industry is a new feature of the recent structural shifts in food demand in the country. Consumer demand preferences for organic food impact on agricultural production methods due to the unintended positive consequences of improved soil fertilisation, increased productivity and increased use of indigenous knowledge. Understanding consumer demand for food, specifically organic food, in South Africa is becoming increasingly important as consumers’ attitudes and preferences strongly influence the direction of food retailers’ strategies. This study used a single bound dichotomous choice contingent valuation method (CVM) to analyse the determinants of organic food in SA, specifically organic fruit juice and wine. Data was collected from a CVM questionnaire administered to 550 respondents in a food retail store over 3 days. Findings from this study indicate consumers believe organic food is more nutritious and tastier than conventional food, organic agriculture benefits both small-scale and local farmers and that consumers require a guarantee of the organic origin of organic products. Emphasising these benefits and directly referring to the small-scale and local farmers from whom organic products have been procured in advertisement campaigns may improve retail marketing strategies for organic food. It also highlights that South African policy makers urgently have to finalise the promulgation of the draft legislation on organic standards to provide certainty to local consumers and hence a positive signal to current and prospective investors in the local organic industry. Empirical results from this study show that socio-demographic factors do influence consumer demand and supports the need for disaggregated food demand analysis in South Africa. Socio-demographic factors do influence South African consumers’ decision to purchase organic food and younger age increases the probability of the decision to purchase organic food; whereas being married and being in possession of non-formal training qualifications decreases this probability. Organic consumer awareness and education programmes should therefore be targeted at older, unmarried consumers with high levels of formal education. The domestic market may provide a niche for South African wine producers as this study showed that the majority of respondents interviewed are prepared to pay higher premiums for organic wine. A limitation of this study is that these results may reflect consumers’ demand for wine as a luxury good as no separate analysis and questions were included on consumer demand for wine. Policy makers should support small-scale producers and black vintners in the Western Cape to exploit growing organic wine industry by conducting further research for a organic wine marketing campaign that brands organic wine highlighting procurement from small-scale producers, local farmers and positive contribution to environment, providing extension services to small-scale producers on organic wine production, investing in research and development in organic wine production facilitating mentorship between small-scale farmers and existing organic wine producers and lobbying national department of agriculture to finalise the draft South African organic standard given that South African consumers require guarantee of organic origin. Agents in the private sector may exploit opportunities in the organic wine industry by targeting consumers that are younger and old age of Christian faith, lobby the South African government to finalise the draft organic standard, highlight attitudes that organic wine contribute positively to the environment, local and small-scale farmers in organic wine marketing campaigns and procure more organic wine from small-scale and local organic wine producers. Local and small-scale fruit producers and fruit processors in the Western Cape are well positioned to exploit growth forecasted in the domestic organic fruit juice sector given its global reputation for producing high quality fruit, proven manufacturing capabilities and expertise in fruit juice production. Both younger and older age positively influences willingness to pay for organic fruit juice but younger consumers are willing to pay higher prices than older consumers for organic fruit juice. Consumers that are the head of households, by being in the position of food purchaser, are also willing to pay higher prices for organic fruit juice. Afrikaans speaking consumers, 77 percent belonging to the coloured population group of which 69 percent earn less than an average monthly income of R3500 are less likely to pay higher prices for organic fruit juice due to lower disposal incomes. South African citizens that represent almost 90 percent of the Western Cape population are concerned about environmental issues confirmed by beliefs that organic food contributes to the environment, small-scale and local farmers. This concern is expressed in the higher prices that South African citizens are willing to pay for organic fruit juice. These empirical findings indicate the target consumers that organic fruit juice marketing campaigns should focus on. Specific policy interventions to promote the industry include public investment in research and development in organic production methods, extension service provision on organic production methods to small-scale farmers and development of mentorship programmes between existing small-scale and existing organic producers. Copyright / Dissertation (MInstAgrar)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

<p>Abstract</p><p><strong>Date: </strong>2010-05-28</p><p><strong>Authors</strong>:        Aamer Shahzad & Syed Nadeem Hussain Shah.</p><p><strong>Advisor: </strong>Mr. Konstantin Lampou</p><p><strong>Program: </strong>M.S. International Marketing</p><p><strong>Title: </strong><em>If and how environmental friendliness be a profitable marketing strategy in the current recession? </em><em>A comparative study on managements’ perspectives at two food retailers in Sweden.</em><em> </em></p><p><strong>Problem: </strong>During the current recession, consumers are not as much willing to pay more for green but expensive products as were in the past. However, despite this changing consumer attitude, food retailers in Sweden claim their marketing strategy as environmentally friendly. When maximizing profits is considered major corporate goal of every business, investigating the managements’ point of view on environmental friendliness as profitable marketing strategy in the recession period becomes an interesting topic for research.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The objective of this paper is to get insight on management’s perspectives from large-scale food retailers in Sweden on their choice of environmental friendliness as marketing strategy with respect to profitability in the current recession.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>This qualitative study utilizes realist approach to research and exploratory research method. Through literature review, a conceptual model was developed for study. Primary data comes from interviews whereas secondary data from websites and annual reports of the companies.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The green marketing strategy is profitable even in recession as it is a great source of competitive advantage and numerous profitable opportunities. This commitment to environment in hard times yields favorable reputation and helps companies in developing new products; finding new markets and suppliers; expanding customer-base; improving processes and stores; enhancing efficiency; etc.</p><p><strong>Key Words: </strong>Environmental friendliness, green marketing strategy, food retailers in Sweden, green products, impact of recession, profitability, communication.</p>

Abstract Date: 2010-05-28 Authors:        Aamer Shahzad &amp; Syed Nadeem Hussain Shah. Advisor: Mr. Konstantin Lampou Program: M.S. International Marketing Title: If and how environmental friendliness be a profitable marketing strategy in the current recession? A comparative study on managements’ perspectives at two food retailers in Sweden. Problem: During the current recession, consumers are not as much willing to pay more for green but expensive products as were in the past. However, despite this changing consumer attitude, food retailers in Sweden claim their marketing strategy as environmentally friendly. When maximizing profits is considered major corporate goal of every business, investigating the managements’ point of view on environmental friendliness as profitable marketing strategy in the recession period becomes an interesting topic for research. Purpose: The objective of this paper is to get insight on management’s perspectives from large-scale food retailers in Sweden on their choice of environmental friendliness as marketing strategy with respect to profitability in the current recession. Method: This qualitative study utilizes realist approach to research and exploratory research method. Through literature review, a conceptual model was developed for study. Primary data comes from interviews whereas secondary data from websites and annual reports of the companies. Conclusion: The green marketing strategy is profitable even in recession as it is a great source of competitive advantage and numerous profitable opportunities. This commitment to environment in hard times yields favorable reputation and helps companies in developing new products; finding new markets and suppliers; expanding customer-base; improving processes and stores; enhancing efficiency; etc. Key Words: Environmental friendliness, green marketing strategy, food retailers in Sweden, green products, impact of recession, profitability, communication.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) in food retailing has generated a considerable amount of attention in both the media and the business world throughout the 199Os, with a strong focus on Asian and Central and Eastern European countries. Among these countries, China is a key player and a nation that no international retailers can afford to ignore due to its population size of 1.2 billion and its rapid economic development. Food retailers from different parts of the world have been keen to use their modern retail concepts and technology to seek expansion opportunities in China. Consequently, two important questions emerge: What does the process of FDI in food retailing entail? Is the retail and distribution market in China easily entered? Regarding the first question, substantial research effort has been vested in this topic. However, a conceptual framework that incorporates the whole scope and complexity of the process is still lacking. For the second question, a prudent scrutiny reveals that foreign food retailers are confronted with a lot of complications due to the legacy of the previous command economy and the unique Chinese social and business structure. The thesis develops an analytical model in which critical variables, and their logical relationships, are used to analyse and explain the process of FDI of food retailers in the contemporary era, using China as the domain for the empirical work. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative approach using case studies with thirteen foreign food retailers in China. The research focuses on three main areas: long-term strategic objectives behind retail international expansion, market entry issues, and retail operational issues. Firstly, the long-term strategic objectives that underlie retailers’ undertaking of foreign direct investment are investigated. Evidence shows that the prevailing concept of reactive retail internationalisation and the tenet of psychic distance do not fully reflect the reality of retail internationalisation. Secondly, three issues related to market entry are explored. The first issue is the legal and regulatory infrastructures that foreign retailers face when entering China. The second issue is the selection of Chinese partners, managing partner relationships and the share of managerial control. The third issue is the technical and political procedures of site selection and store development. The empirical work reveals that the lack of a systematic and well-developed legal system complicates the process of foreign direct investment and having a Chinese partner who possesses the appropriate guanxi network alleviates the problem. Furthermore, the exercise of dominant control over operational and managerial issues is practised by the foreign retailers in their joint ventures. Significant conflicts between partners appear not to exist under such an arrangement. On the other hand, political procedures of site selection and store development are found to be onerous. In terms of technical procedures, respondents reported that the methods that are being used in developed countries are not entirely applicable in China. The third area on which the research focuses is operational issues that foreign food retailers confront in the host countries. These include supply chain management; adjustment and adaptation; and development of human resources. Findings suggest that there are two types of retail know-how: core and peripheral. No changes to core elements should be made in the overseas operation so that the uniqueness of the individual retailer is preserved. Adjustments, however, have to be made to peripheral elements in order to match particularities of local consumer demand. A learningoriented culture within a retail organisation is found to be an important underlying element that contributes significantly towards successful retail internationalisation. Taking a holistic perspective, the foreign direct investment behaviour in the retailing sector and the manufacturing sector, from which the prevailing foreign direct investment theories were developed, appear to be very different. The foreign direct investment behaviour of retailers seems to be better explained and understood within a framework that emphasises market power seeking, stresses the dynamics of different elements that constitute retail know-how, and underscores the notion of knowledge accumulation and utilisation.

Title: Perishable Inventory Management Solutions and Challenges of Kosovo FFRs. Avoiding Product Expiration at Retails ShelvesPurpose: In this thesis perishable inventory management solutions and challenges at Kosovo FFRs have been studied and identified. Hence, after identifying PIM solutions and challenges the research suggests ideas that will contribute to avoid the expiration of perishable products if selling them takes more time than their actual shelf life. This contributes to minimizing food waste in food supply chains and fresh food retailers. Methodology: Thesis consist of qualitative methods where multiple case studies in cooperation with Kosovo FFRs have been performed. Data collection methods included semi structured interviews, site visits and some financial data accessed from annual and government reports. Theory: Theoretical chapter has been developed from preexisting theory on perishable inventory management. Five phases of fresh food retailing inventory management have been developed and used as the basis for practical research. Moreover, part two of the theoretical chapter talks about the perishable inventory management challenges and is the basis for the second research question. Findings: The findings have shown that Kosovo FFRs use a mixture of PIM solutions with a focus on shelf life and replenishment solutions. The study also revealed that Kosovo FFRs are outdated regarding to product identification and software solutions, however, manage to perform somehow satisfactorily. Consequently, because of the lack of contemporary identification technologies Kosovo FFRs PIM challenges where found to be related to data accuracy and real time data access.

Purpose: The increasing importance given to sustainability issues by governments, companies, consumers, suppliers, researchers, students and the authors of this paper in addition to the scarce empirical studies on the topic of sustainable last mile logistics operations in the food retail industry in Sweden provides relevance to the choice of topic. This paper presents an exploratory single-case study on a Swedish food retailer with a strong sustainability-oriented decision-making body, and will seek to understand how they manage to adopt best sustainable practices and which drivers and most responsible for it. Objective: The aim of this study is to present through an empirical study, how food retailers operate their last mile logistics operations according to the triple bottom line approach, contributing to this young field where a profusion of data to confirm the existing theory remains deficient. Furthermore, the focus is placed on the different drivers for food retailers to adopt sustainable practices in their transportation operations from the distribution warehouse to their stores located in urban areas. Approach: A Swedish food retailer that strives for best practices will be studied in order to obtain key empirical data, which will allow the authors to compare theory and empirical data.  The study will focus on the sustainability-oriented operations approach in the Last Mile Logistics of the chosen retailer and observe the different drivers regarding their operations following all aspects of the triple bottom line. A single-case study analysis of a leading company in terms of sustainability-driven operations will provide more insight on how this “category” of food retailers manages to operationalize their environmental-friendly culture and strategy for inbound Last Mile Logistics successfully, without losing their competitive edge and remaining economically sustainable. Findings: After juxtaposing the secondary data issued from the existing theories on sustainable LML in the food retail industry to the primary data obtained from Axfood, a Swedish food retailer, the results have demonstrated that a business cannot neglect economic drivers to be financially sustainable, (cost optimization, enhanced efficiency, etc.) it remains important and cannot be overridden to enable a shift towards optimal sustainability practices in LML operations. However, the drivers that have proven to make the cut in order to succeed in achieving best sustainable practices are; a highly proactive management, stakeholder pressure (particularly consumers and NGOs amongst others) and innovative technology (including those that imply a short-term economic trade-off for long-term greater good to the TBL dimensions). Keywords: Sustainability; Sustainable practices; Last Mile Logistics; Sustainable Last Mile Logistics; Triple Bottom Line; Food Retailers; Food Retail Industry; Drivers.