Titel: Miljövänliga inköp i dagligvaruhandel - En jämförande studie av publika hållbarhetsredovisningar i dagligvaruhandel Kurs: Ämnesfördjupande arbete i logistik, 2FE25E, VT-17 Författare: Arbnora Dervishaj, Anton Lindén Persson, Erik Lingegård Handledare: Åsa Gustavsson Bakgrund: Hållbarhet beskrivs utifrån tre dimensioner; miljö, social och ekonomi. De utvecklade kraven på de miljömässiga dimensionerna sätter press på verksamheter att ta ett större miljöansvar. Med implementering av miljövänliga produkter har de stora aktörerna inom dagligvaruhandeln stor påverkan på marknaden och branschen har blivit ledande för miljövänlig produktion och konsumtion. Genom dess förmåga att kunna påverka hela produktkedjan betraktas inköpsfunktionen som en nyckelfaktor för att driva verksamheten mot en hållbar utveckling. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att identifiera och jämföra vad aktörer inom dagligvaruhandeln i Sverige förmedlar inom miljö vid inköpsfunktionen genom publika hållbarhetsredovisningar. Vidare är syftet att presentera ett förslag till ett ramverk för att öka jämförbarheten av hållbarhetsredovisningar. Metod: Denna studie utgår från en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med ett deduktivt angreppssätt. Vidare har studien tillämpat ett positivistiskt synsätt samt komparativ undersökningsdesign. Studiens teoretiska referensram är sammanställd från vetenskapliga studier, litteratur samt hemsidor. Datainsamling av empiriskt material har utförts genom publika hållbarhetsredovisningar från fyra aktörer inom dagligvaruhandeln; Axfood AB, Coop Sverige AB, ICA Sverige AB och Lidl Sverige KB. Studiens teoretiska referensram och empiriska material analyseras genom mönsterjämförelser mellan urvalet. Slutsats: Studien har identifierat skillnader och likheter i vad som förmedlas angående inköpsprocessen genom publika hållbarhetsrapporter. Genom de genomförda mönsterjämförelserna har ett ramverk operationaliserats utifrån den teoretiska referensramen. Detta ramverk kan användas som en förlängning till de befintliga ramverken för att öka jämförbarheten av prestationer i inköpsfunktionen. Nyckelord: Hållbarhetsredovisning, Dagligvaruhandel, Logistik, Inköp, Miljö, Ramverk, Sortiment, Transport, Leverantörer / Title: Green procurement in grocery trade - A comparative study of public sustainability reports in grocery industry Authors: Arbnora Dervishaj, Anton Lindén Persson, Erik Lingegård Tutor: Åsa Gustavsson Context: Sustainability is described based on three dimensions; environment, social and economics. The developed requirements on the environmental dimension put pressure on businesses to take environmental responsibilities. With implementations of environmentally friendly products, the major companies in the grocery trade have a great impact on the market and the industry has become a leader in environmentally friendly production and consumption. Through its ability to affect the entire product chain, the purchasing function is considered a key factor in driving the business towards sustainable development. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify and compare what companies in the grocery trade in Sweden present about environment in the purchasing function through their public sustainability reports. Furthermore, the purpose is to present a proposed framework to increase the comparability of sustainability reports. Method: This study applies a qualitative research with a deductive approach. Furthermore, the study has applied a positivistic view and comparative research design. The theoretical framework consists of scientific studies, literature and websites. The data collection of empirical materials has been conducted through public sustainability reports from four actors in the grocery trade; Axfood AB, Coop Sverige AB, ICA Sverige AB and Lidl Sverige KB. The theoretical framework and empirical material has been analyzed through pattern comparisons between the selected actors. Results: The authors have identified similarities and differences of the presented material in public sustainability reports regarding purchasing function. A framework has been developed to work as a module to prolong the existing framework and strengthen the comparability. Keywords: Sustainability reports, Grocery trade, Logistics, Purchase, Environment, Framework, Assortment, Transport, Suppliers

I slutet av 2019 upptäcktes ett nytt och okänt virus i staden Wuhan i Kina. Det visade sig vara mycket smittsamt och i början av 2020 hade tusentals människor runt om i världen drabbats av viruset. Utbrottet av coronapandemin har inneburit och innebär än idag stora förändringar för både individer och företag. Dagligvaruhandeln som är en central del av näringslivet är inget undantag. Eftersom dagligvaruhandeln utgör en så stor del av svenska konsumenters vardag ansågs det intressant att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar val av dagligvarukedja. Syftet med studien är att undersöka om de faktorer som ansågs vara viktiga vid val av dagligvarukedja är samma före som under pandemin, eller om pandemin har lett till förändrade konsumentbeteenden. Studien syftar även till att undersöka huruvida den ökade användningen av e-handel kommer att bli bestående i framtiden, när restriktionerna har minskat och smittspridningen i samhället har lugnat sig. Teorierna som har använts för att undersöka syftet är teorier inom konsumentbeteende som inkluderar konsumenters karakteristiska drag och konsumenters köpprocess, marknadsföringsmixen liksom tjänstemarknadsföringsmixen och slutligen customer relationship management. För att samla in empiriska data utformades ett frågeformulär baserad på den teoretiska referensramen i vilken 229 svenska konsumenter deltog i. Deltagarna var både män och kvinnor från 19 år eller yngre upp till 70 år eller äldre. Tidigare forskning har visat att ålder är en faktor som påverkar konsumentbeteende, vilket också visas i denna studie. Deltagarna delades därför in i tre olika grupper som representerar den yngre generationen, mellangruppen och den äldre generationen. Den största skillnaden i preferenser vid val av dagligvarukedja var mellan den yngre och den äldre generationen, därför ansågs det vara mest intressant att undersöka. För den yngre generationen visade det sig att produktutbud, pris, avstånd samt fräscha och välorganiserade butikslokaler var de viktigaste faktorerna före pandemin. Produktutbud, avstånd samt fräscha och välorganiserade butikslokaler var även viktigast under pandemin men istället för pris har öppettider blivit en av de viktigaste faktorerna vid val av dagligvarukedja. För den äldre generationen var de viktigaste faktorerna före pandemin trevlig och hjälpsam personal, produktutbud, pris och butikslokaler. Reklamblad värderades också högt av den äldre generationen. Produktutbud och butikslokaler var viktiga även under pandemin men istället för personal och pris har avstånd och e-handel blivit viktigare för majoriteten i den äldre generationen. Genom studien får svenska dagligvaruaktörer en tydlig bild av vilka faktorer som anses vara viktigast vid val av dagligvarukedja. Dessutom får dagligvaruaktörer en bättre förståelse för vilka faktorer som har omprioriterats till följd av pandemin. Studiens bidrag är därför framför allt att underlätta och vägleda aktörer inom dagligvaruhandeln om coronapandemin blir långvarig eller om liknande situationer skulle uppstå i framtiden. / In the end of 2019, a new and unknown virus was discovered in Wuhan, China which turned out to be highly contagious. In the beginning of 2020, thousands of people around the world had been affected by the virus. The eruption of the corona pandemic has meant and still means major changes for both individuals and companies. The grocery trade, which is a central part of the trade and industry, is no exception. Since the grocery trade constitutes such a big part of Swedish consumers´ everyday lives, it was considered interesting to examine which factors influence the choice of grocery chain. The purpose of the study is to examine whether the factors that are considered important when choosing a grocery chain are the same before as during the pandemic, or whether the pandemic has led to changing consumer behaviours. The study also aims to examine whether the increased use of e-commerce will be consistent in the future, when the restrictions and the spread of contagion in society have reduced.    The theories that have been used to examine the purpose are consumer behaviour, including consumer characteristics and the consumer buying process, the marketing mix as well as the service marketing mix, and at last customer relationship management. To collect empirical data, a questionnaire based on the theoretical framework was designed in which 229 Swedish consumers participated. The participants were both men and women from 19 years or younger up to 70 years or older. Previous research has shown that age is a factor that influences consumer behaviour, which is also shown in this study. The participants were therefore divided into three different groups, representing the younger generation, the middle group and the older generation. The biggest difference in preferences when choosing a grocery chain was between the younger and the older generation, therefore it was considered most interesting to examine. For the younger generation, it turned out that product range, price, distance and store environment were the most important factors before the pandemic. Product range, distance and store environment are most important during the pandemic as well but instead of price, opening hours have become one of the most important factors when choosing a grocery chain. For the older generation, the most important factors before the pandemic were friendly and helpful staff, product range, price and store environment. Offers were also highly valued by the older generation. Product range and store environment were important even during the pandemic but instead of staff and price, distance and e-commerce have become more important for the majority of the older generation.    Through the study, Swedish grocery actors get a distinct picture of what factors are considered most essential when choosing a grocery chain. In addition, grocery actors get a better understanding of what factors have been re-prioritized as a result of the pandemic. The contribution of the study is therefore, above all, to facilitate and guide actors within the grocery trade if the corona pandemic becomes prolonged or if similar situations would arise in the future.

Alla människor är beroende av mat. Sverige har en god livsmedelsindustri där sista steget är dagligvaruhandeln som hjälper till att Sveriges befolkning får mat på bordet. I och med att digitaliseringen ökat i vårt samhälle har det även senaste åren rapporterats i media om dataintrång riktade mot företag i Sverige. 2021 fick Coop stänga ner sina butiker då kassasystem slutade fungera på grund av en utpressningsattack mot leverantören av mjukvaran till kassasystemen som företaget använder.  Ökningen av dataintrång i Sverige har lett till att det blir allt viktigare att skydda informationen hos företagen. Information spelar en stor roll i en organisations affärsverksamhet där informationen kommer i kontakt med både teknik och människor. Det gör att ett aktivt informationssäkerhetsarbete är viktigt för att säkerhetsställa konfidentialiteten, integriteten och tillgängligheten hos företagets information. Genom en kvalitativ studie bestående av intervjuer med ledning och medarbetare på ett företag inom dagligvaruhandeln studerades hur företaget förhåller sig och arbetar med informationssäkerhet. Resultatet från intervjuerna analyserades genom att använda en tematisk analys där teman identifieras ur empirin. Resultaten av studien analyserades och diskuteras utifrån teorin med fokus på informationssäkerhetspolicys, säkerhetsmedvetenhet och organisationskultur. Slutligen diskuteras vikten av utbildning och träning för att öka säkerhetsmedvetenheten i företagets organisationskultur. / All humans need food. Sweden has a well functioning food industry, where the final step in the chain is the grocery trade and where the people can buy their food. As digitalization has increased in our society there have also been reports in the media in recent years about ransomware attacks on companies in Sweden. In 2021 the grocery chain Coop had to close their stores when their cash register system stopped working because of a ransomware attack against the supplier of the software of the system for the company’s cash registers.  The increase of computer breaches in Sweden has made it increasingly important to protect the information at companies. The information plays an essential role in an organization's business processes where it comes in contact with both technology and people. This means that active information security work is important to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the organization’s information. With the use of a qualitative study consisting of interviews with the management and employees of a company in the grocery trade a study was performed on how the company relates to and works with information security. The result from the interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis where themes were identified from the collected data. The results from the study were analyzed and discussed based on the theory with focus on information security policies, security awareness and organizational culture. Lastly the importance of education and training to increase the security awareness in the company’s organizational culture was discussed.

Online grocery retailing holds potentially fruitful outcomes for retailers in South Africa. However, South African retailers and consumers have been slow to adopt and participate in this form of grocery retailing. This study explores the barriers and motivators to online grocery shopping in South Africa from a supply chain perspective. Therefore, the study was done from both the customer and the retailer’s perspective. Three qualitative data collection methods were employed to collect the data. Firstly, a website analysis of four e-grocers was conducted and compared. Secondly, two focus group discussions were conducted – among consumers who use online grocery shopping, and those who do not. Thirdly, an in-depth interview was conducted with one of the online operations managers of an e-grocer in South Africa. The results revealed four different ‘sets’ of motivators or barriers to online grocery shopping in South Africa: consumer-specific, retailer-specific, website-specific and supply chain-specific. Results from this study could be used to shed some light on how to overcome the hurdles of becoming a multi-channel grocery retailer in South Africa. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

This study is an in-depth investigation of the factors that affect store brand purchases. It aims to help both retailers and manufacturers predict store brand purchases through an improved understanding of the effects of three latent variables: customer satisfaction and loyalty with the store; which is expressed through word-of-mouth; and trust in store brands. An additional aim is to explore variations in the level of store brand adoption and the inter-relationships between the selected constructs. Data was collected through a telephone survey of those responsible for household grocery shopping, and who shop at the nine leading grocery retailers in Greece. A total of 904 respondents completed the questionnaire based upon a quota of 100 respondents for each of the nine retailers. Data were analyzed through chi-square, analysis of variance and partial least square. The proposed model was tested by partial least square path modeling, which related the latent variables to the dependent manifest variable: store brand purchases. The findings provide empirical support that store brand purchases are positively influenced by the consumers’ perceived level of trust in store brands. The consumer decision-making process for store brands is complex and establishing customer satisfaction and loyalty with the store does not appear to influence store brand purchases or the level of trust in the retailer’s store brands in the specific context under study. Consequently the most appropriate way to influence store brand purchases in the Greek market is through increasing in the level of trust in the retailer’s store brands. It is suggested that retailers should therefore invest in trust building strategies for their own store brands and try to capitalize on their brand equity by using a family brand policy. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed and opportunities for further research are suggested.

Online grocery retailing holds potentially fruitful outcomes for retailers in South Africa. However, South African retailers and consumers have been slow to adopt and participate in this form of grocery retailing. This study explores the barriers and motivators to online grocery shopping in South Africa from a supply chain perspective. Therefore, the study was done from both the customer and the retailer’s perspective. Three qualitative data collection methods were employed to collect the data. Firstly, a website analysis of four e-grocers was conducted and compared. Secondly, two focus group discussions were conducted – among consumers who use online grocery shopping, and those who do not. Thirdly, an in-depth interview was conducted with one of the online operations managers of an e-grocer in South Africa. The results revealed four different ‘sets’ of motivators or barriers to online grocery shopping in South Africa: consumer-specific, retailer-specific, website-specific and supply chain-specific. Results from this study could be used to shed some light on how to overcome the hurdles of becoming a multi-channel grocery retailer in South Africa. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

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Institute for Rural Development / PhDRDV / Studies conducted in some parts of the world have highlighted the fact that Asian-owned small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) always thrive better than those that other racial groups own. For example, a Global Entrepreneurship Monitor study revealed that in South Africa, Blacks owned few businesses and rarely took advantage of the entrepreneurial opportunities available to them even though there are policies that underpin the promotion of SMME. The aim of this study was to compare the determinants of performance of Asian and Black-owned small supermarkets in Thulamela Local Municipality. Specific objectives of the study were to: (1) assess the indicators of performance of small supermarkets; (2) compare the performance factors of Asian- and Black-owned small supermarkets; and (3) suggest intervention strategies to improve the performance of the small supermarkets. A cross-sectional study underpinned by a mixed methods approach and techniques was applied in two sequentially integrated phases. The first phase was qualitative in nature and participants were officials from the Local Economic Development units in Thulamela Local and Vhembe District Municipalities, representatives of Associations of Business Owners, Blacks (Venda and Shangaan speaking) small supermarket owners and Asian (Indians/Pakistanis and Chinese) small supermarket owners. Snowball sampling was used to select interviewees. Data was analysed using the Atlas- ti.7.0.81 software. The second phase was quantitative in nature. Small supermarket owners who were involved during qualitative phase also participated in phase two. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) ver 24.0 for windows. Mann-Whitney tests were conducted to establish if there were differences in the perceptions of participants due to race, gender and geographic location. The indicators of success commonly mentioned were number of employees, profit, survival of the business over a long period, and stock or inventory and growths. Asian-owned small supermarkets were performing better because they used more effective and efficient purchasing plus supply systems. Their collectivist culture and networking abilities made them realise higher levels of efficiency when purchasing goods compared to the Black entrepreneurs. Black-owned small supermarkets were performing poorly because of their weak entrepreneurship culture, human capital and business ties. Unfair competition from spaza shops negatively affected their performance. Other factors hindering the performance of the latter were crime and rigid labour laws. In small supermarkets owned by Asians, shoplifting and burglaries were monitored using surveillance cameras during the day. Security companies were deployed during night hours. iii Regarding perception of motivation to start a business, there were significant differences due to race of small supermarket owners and location or area of operation (P < 0.05). Significant differences in perception (P < 0.05) among the races and due to gender and location were attributed to the culture of business owners. Effects of social capital on performance of small supermarkets were reported (P < 0.01). Based on the findings of this study, small supermarket owners should strengthen their human capital through participating in training programmes, especially on supply chain management, marketing and financing. The need for creating networks that help to access information needed to take advantage of the support from the state institutions and the non-governmental sector was evident. Thus, it was concluded that improved performance of small supermarkets could be realised through strengthening human capital, joint purchasing, establishing effective networks and diversifying business activities.