Purpose - The purpose of this study was to deepen the understanding of how showrooming affect the exploited brick-and-mortar businesses. This was done by investigating an industry characterized by high levels of employee knowledge where the expertise of the personnel create showrooming incentives. Methodology - The study applied a qualitative case study where semi-structured interviews was held with employees of a firm representing the case of an exploited firm. Findings - The empirical findings suggest that showrooming may affect the exploited firm in the areas; profits, offerings, channels, and personnel. Profit-losses due to showrooming may force the exploited firm to reduce number of personnel and working hours, decrease store areas and close of unprofitable stores, change the product and services offered, change how products are displayed, and in what channels the products are available. Further it may give rise to internal channel conflicts, and affect personnel motivation and sales performance. Practical Implications - A perceived showroomer should be treated as a paying customer to avoid misjudgment of character and a loss in service level. Private labels and exclusive selling rights allow for higher profits while reducing showrooming opportunities. In addition to this, rewards for cross-channel retention, synchronized channel information, and price consistency across channels may reduce internal conflicts. Contribution - This study contributes to the young research area of showrooming by assessing the effects an exploited firm may encounter when faced with showroomers.

The topic of this diploma thesis was: Consumer marketing research for a chosen company. The research was done for the supermarket Albert. The aim of my thesis was to find out how opening of the commercial - traffic centre ``Mercury centrum{\crqq} has influenced shopping decisions and customer behaviour with respect to the supermarket Albert and, eventually, to propose a solution. I tried to analyse the marketing research process in detail in the theoretical part of my thesis. I tried to analyse the individual steps in detail and I followed these theoretical rules when working up the practical part of this thesis. Further, I dealt with the issue of shopping behaviour and consumers{\crq} decision-making process. In the practical part of this thesis I investigated shopping behaviour of both current and potential customers of the supermarket Albert using the marketing research. In order to acquire necessary information I decided for a personal attitude through questioning as it is supposed to be the most universal way of questioning. Randomly stopped people who went down the Lannova třída answered the questionnaires. I used computer software Microsoft Excel and Statistica 6.0 for evaluating the collected data. After evaluation of the gained data, I tried to propose some solutions that might lead to re-increase in revenues of this supermarket. Predominately I proposed steps that should make the current customers do their shopping more frequently and on a larger scale. Moreover, I believe that the supermarket Albert should try to lure new customers especially of the ranks of the students of the Faculty of Education.

This thesis focuses on leisure time activities and places, which are prefered by urban teenagers for spending their leisure time. My first objective is to focus on a new trend in the sphere of spending leisure time of contemporary teenagers, thereby the passive leisure time spending in large shopping malls. Nowadays shopping malls are very fashionable places for realization of leisure time activities, not only among youth. Teenagers play the pivotal role in my work, because this group of population predestines - to a certain degree - the future evolution in a society. The main aim is to understand why teenagers spend their leisure time this way and find out, what leads them to the passivity in realization of their leisure time activities. What brings them this way of spending their leisure time and what is specific for the space of shopping mall, where they spend their leisure time. I want to understand spatial aspects of using in this micro-space of shopping mall and as well as I want to recognize the role of wider social context. I selected two shopping malls in Prague for my research: Centrum Chodov and Palác Flora. Questionnaire survey, participant observation and in-depth interviews were realized. These malls are not selected randomly, but on the basis of the field research, which preceded to...

With the rise of the Internet and the emergence of online shopping, traditional retailing has transformed substantially. Retailers have developed multichannel strategies and, in particular, have integrated their offline channels with online channels. Such an integration of offline and online channels is associated with the concept of cross-channel integration. This cumulative dissertation aims to investigate cross-channel integration holistically from a demand point of view and a supply point of view. It consists of four independent studies embedded in an overarching introduction and conclusion part. The first study provides the conceptual base by conducting a systematic literature review. It identifies, analyzes, structures, and extracts 169 publications in the research field of cross-channel integration and concludes by suggesting two dominant paths for future research. These two research directions are addressed in three subsequent empirical studies. One empirical study focuses on the consumer perspective by investigating channel switching behavior. It finds that customers have a fundamental need for certainty within and after the buying process when it comes to channel switching. The remaining two studies are related to the supply side of cross-channel integration and investigate effects of strategies, retailers can deploy when integrating channels. One study assesses the profitability of a channel addition. It establishes that adding an offline store to online channels increases profits absolutely, but reduces the profit margin in the short run. The other study related to the supply side conceptualizes cross-channel technologies along the customer’s purchase process and experimentally assesses one of these technologies. Finally, based on the insights of the four independent studies, the dissertation concludes by summarizing the contribution and by deriving overarching implications for researchers and practitioners, the latter are equipped with a checklist for cross-channel integration.

Consumer free riding occurs when consumers gather information about a product through a full-service retailer and then ultimately purchase that product from a limited-service retailer. This phenomenon is becoming more common as consumers have an increasing number of retail channels in which they can evaluate and purchase products. The prevalence of this behavior is causing problems for retailers, particularly small, specialty retailers, as they struggle to deter free riders. The goal of this research is to explore free riding in the context of small, specialty retailers in an attempt to isolate key factors which influence free riding behavior and which may give specialty retailers and managers insights and tools with which to combat this behavior. This is accomplished through three studies, two qualitative and one quantitative. In the two qualitative studies, detailed information regarding free riding motivations and experiences is gained through interviews and open-ended questionnaires. The information gathered in studies one and two is then used in conjunction with the Theory of Reasoned Action to create a model of free riding. The model was tested across four samples and includes firm-controllable factors which may influence free riding. This research yielded many insights into consumer free riding behavior. One of the most illuminating aspects of free riding uncovered through this research is the emotional factor associated with free riding for some consumers. This emotional element, a sense of obligation to purchase from the retailer, was discovered and explored. Factors such as desire to support local merchants, personal connection to the retailer and extra-role service were revealed as firm controllable elements that retailers might be able to use to influence purchase obligation and therefore deter free riders. Other factors, such as subjective norms, were also found to impact free riding attitudes, while the impact of price sensitivity on free riding met with mixed results in this study. The results of this research offer managers possible tools for deterring free riders and offer researchers future areas for research.