Background: Every fifth physical electronics store has been closed during the period between 2011 to 2017, and 30 % of all electronic products are now purchased online. As digitalization has affected both the number of physical stores negatively, but also loyalty towards firms among consumers, as price has become a more crucial role in decision making online, there is a need for physical stores to exploit the advantages that cannot be facilitated online to stay competitive. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to extend the understanding of how the valuation of sensory cues is related to consumer types in an electronics retail store context.Research Questions: To what extent are consumers in an electronics retail store utilitarian and hedonic in their needs and behavior? How do these consumers, in comparison to each other, value sensory cues in an electronics retail store environment?Methodology: The study uses a quantitative research approach with a cross-sectional research design and collects data through an online questionnaire. Findings: Consumers in an electronics retail store context tend to possess a higher degree of utilitarian traits and valued the importance of addressing the human senses significantly lower than consumers with a higher degree of hedonic traits. A significant difference between the groups is found for sight, sound and smell. Touch was found to be the most important sense for both groups. Managerial Implications: Contributes to knowledge managers could consider when relating the human senses to the strategic build-up of a store concept or the design of a retail environment.Further Research: Further research could investigate how the relationship, interplay and potential overload of stimuli affect consumers, either based on hedonic and utilitarian characteristics or other factors such as age and gender. Originality: To the best of the author’s knowledge, no other studies is researching the valuation of sensory cues in an electronics retail store environment from the consumers perspective. Keywords: Sensory Marketing, Consumer Types, Utilitarian, Hedonic, Atmospherics, Electronics Store, Retail Marketing

The thesis is focused on retail marketing and its main goal is to analyse consumer's attitudes to the various retailing formats. First part is dedicated to some theoretical terms of retailing, stores typology, consumer behaviour, segmentation and specifics of retail marketing. Next part analyses available information from public researches, articles and MML database to reveal present situation and trends on retail market. In the last part is executed own primary research with aim to discover consumer behaviour and attitudes to the retailing formats and its perception.

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<p>This dissertation focuses on exploring U.S. food retailers’ strategic interactions and the impacts on consumers. Specifically, I examine food retailers’ strategies on segmenting consumers, conducting price discrimination, and designing their product portfolio in the context of the U.S. yogurt market. The first essay examines the segmentation strategies employed by food retailers, with a focus on the use of advanced machine learning techniques (i.e., K-means clustering) to group consumers based on various characteristics, including demographics and purchase history. The second essay applies the data-driven market segmentation obtained in the first essay to a second-degree price discrimination model. The third essay relaxes the implicit assumption made in the first two essays that consumers’ choice set is fixed, and studies a non-price strategy, namely, adjusting assortment, that is adopted by food retailers in response to regulations. By analyzing the retailers’ strategies on market segmentation and responses to regulations, this dissertation aims to shed light on the strategic interactions of food retailers and consumers, and the competitive landscape of food market in general.<br> </p> <p>Understanding the strategies employed by food retailers is of utmost importance in agricultural and food economics as it directly influences consumers and their purchasing decisions. The food retail industry in the U.S. is highly competitive, with retailers continuously devising tactics to attract and retain customers. Dimensions of competition such as pricing strategies, product assortment, promotional activities, and customer service can significantly impact consumers’ choices and behaviors. Investigating the strategies employed by food retailers not only provides insights into their business operations but also sheds light on how these strategies affect consumers.<br> </p> <p>The first essay explores the application of machine learning methods in consumer segmentation under different information environments. Machine learning methods become popular in economic and marketing research, partly because of their flexibility in application. Although recent studies apply these advanced methods to various topics including water, housing, health, and food markets, much is less known about using machine learning methods to facilitate firms’ market segmentation decisions. Using Nielsen Consumer Panel data, I show that K-means clustering, one of the unsupervised learning methods, can be applied to conduct market segmentation. From the retailers’ perspective, incorporating more consumer information (i.e., purchase history) leads to the change in segments consumers belong to.<br> </p> <p>The second essay assesses the effectiveness of data-driven market segmentation in enhancing price discrimination models. Price discrimination models are commonly adopted by firms to optimize revenue and profitability by customizing prices to different customer segments. Existing studies often rely on exogenous assumptions for consumer segmentation, which may or may not be applicable in practice. This study advances the existing literature by replacing the consumer segment assumption with data-driven market segmentation obtained through K-means clustering. The results are then applied to the second-degree price discrimination model to analyze how sensitive the firms optimal profits are under different consumer information environments. The findings reveal that adding consumer information to consumer segment leads to a more inelastic demand for the consumer segments and an increase in firm’s profits.<br> </p> <p>The third essay focuses on the non-price strategies retailers adopt to respond to the Unit Pricing Regulation (UPR). UPR requires retailers to display unit prices in addition to product prices and helps consumers make more informed decisions. Despite extensive research on consumers perceptions of unit prices, little is known about retailers price and non-price responses under intensified price competition brought by UPR. Relying on the geographic variation in UPR implementation across U.S. states, we use product-store-level scanner data on the U.S. yogurt market and identify UPR effects on store product offerings and pricing. We find that mass merchandisers reduce product offerings under UPR. Grocery stores that belong to a retail chain entirely under UPR add brands, while other grocery stores make no significant assortment responses. UPR price effects are limited for mass merchandisers as well as grocery stores. Using a structural demand model, we find that the average consumer surplus falls under UPR, highlighting an unintended policy effect.</p>

Title: Mystery shopping in selected stores of specialized retail chain Hervis. Objectives: The aim of the thesis is to introduce a specific method of market research called the Mystery shopping as a marketing tool that is useable in the field of sport retail. The main point of the thesis is to practically use the technique in selected stores of sport retail chain Hervis in the territory of capital city Prague and compare them to each other to identify proposals. Methods: To obtain data, which allows to identify proposals, was used special technique of market research called the Mystery shopping, which represents a combination of questionnaire and covert observation. Results of the observation were immediately filed in drawn up sheets. Results: The results of the research indicated many faults in mutual interaction between staff and customers, especially in the areas of sales skills, customer needs analysis and circumstances entering the retail shop. That is why there were made some measures in the synthetic part, that can lead to improvement in Customer Relationship Management. Keywords: marketing research, sporting goods retail, questionnaire, covert observation, secret shopping

The diploma thesis analyzes marketing activities of retail chains in the Czech Republic. It summarizes basic knowledge about trade, marketing, marketing communications and basic methods of marketing research. It deals with particular retail chains with focus on modern trade, from the traditional trade it focuses on COOP chain. It examines different marketing activities of retail chains and sets best practice. For COOP chain is carried out a deeper analyses of marketing activities based on approach of SWOT analyses. The thesis also uses a knowledge from questionnaires: one was the internet questionnaire and the other was conducted via personal questioning among COOP customers. Final proposals incorporate marketing activities that can be used in any retail chain and also a set of recommendation of marketing activities designated especially for COOP chain.

The purpose of this study was basically fivefold: 1) to examine the historical development and significance of the retail mix as a retail management concept; 2) to identify the nature and structure of the independent variables which make up a retail management mix; 3) to distinguish the nature and significance of each variable within the structure of the retail management mix; 4) to propose and develop an interrelated set of propositions in the form of a retail management mix for retail grocery establishments belonging to a retailer-cooperative in the state of Texas; and 5) to relate the retail management mix theory to dependent variables gross profit margin, net profit margin, gross profit return on inventory, and net profit return on inventory. The major thrust of this study was to propose and research a retail management mix theory for retail grocery establishments belonging to a retailer-cooperative in the state of Texas.

The overall focus of this doctoral thesis is the examination of the role of store design-architecture in consumer perceptions of retail brand loyalty. More specifically, it examines how consumers’ perceptions at the store design-architecture level promote brand loyalty and attachment at the overall retail-level. This research, therefore, aims to address the underdeveloped extant knowledge of the role of the store design-architecture in retail branding. This thesis addresses two research questions: 1) is it possible to improve on the specification or measurement of the store environment beyond the novelty, complexity collative constructs proposed in traditional studies of the store environment?; and 2) what effect, if any, do these improved store environment constructs (from answering research question number one) have in explaining the role of store design-architecture in consumer perceptions of retail brand loyalty? In its examination of the role of store-level design-architecture in overall retail-level branding, the theoretical significance of this thesis is based on two activities. First, this thesis proposes a conceptual framework that draws on multiple, diverse literatures from design-architecture, psychology and marketing. The critical review of pertinent literatures from these three sources then enables the second activity: the generation of novel empirical insights based on surveys of consumer perceptions of store-level design-architecture. A research instrument is developed that compares higher and lower levels of design in two stores of Penneys, a discount fashion retailer. The responses of 145 consumers are examined in an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). A separate dataset of 403 consumer responses are analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equations Modelling (SEM). Multiple-group invariance testing is also completed on this dataset. The primary theoretical contributions of this thesis to the extant literature are five-fold. First, the principal contribution of this thesis confirms that store aesthetic preference is positively associated with retail brand loyalty. Thus, the second research question is satisfactorily addressed; I explain that there is a mild association between store aesthetic preference and the emotionally valenced retail brand attachment construct in higher-level design contexts. Instead, a store aesthetic preference association is observed with the more behaviourally valenced retail brand loyalty construct in lower-level designs. Consequently, this principal contribution to the extant literature reveals the perceptive dynamic of how consumers processing of store-level design-architecture correspond with their perceptions of retail-level brand loyalty. A host of global-attribute, objective-subjective, and cognitive-emotional perceptive processing at the store and retail levels are observed in the proposed theoretical framework. Second, to confirm the role of store design-architecture in retail brand loyalty, I develop: a new scale for retail brand product; modify scales for store prototype, store novelty, store aesthetic preference, store complexity and retail brand price; and introduce scales for brand attachment and brand loyalty from non-retail contexts into a retail context for the first time. This research, therefore, addresses research question number one by making a notable conceptual and measurement contribution to the specification of the store environment. Third, as a progression from the previous contribution, I use these improved store environments constructs to better specify the store environment, and examine the associations between store prototype, store novelty and store aesthetic preference. I demonstrate that theory such as the preference-for-prototypes literature helps to improve the extant understanding of the associations between store prototype, store novelty and store aesthetic preference. The confirmation of the existence of these associations essentially means that the proposed model is robust, credible and able to account for consumers objective-subjective, global-attribute discriminations of the store-level aesthetic. Fourth, in an effort to explain the relative visual and non-visual contributions to retail brand attachment and retail brand loyalty, I examine associations concerning retail brand product and retail brand price. Retail brand product is confirmed to have stronger associations with retail brand attachment than store aesthetic preference or store prototypicality. Thus, this research extends the extant knowledge of the relative contributions of visual and non-visual constructs to understanding retail brand loyalty. Fifth, this research contributes to the extant understanding of how non-invariance analysis can be employed in Structural Equations Modelling (SEM) to confirm differences between groups. This research examines differences in parameter values to confirm differences in perception of the higher and lower levels of store design-architecture. This type of use of non-invariance analysis is not frequently employed in SEM and I propose that this research instrument can be generalised to other retail contexts also. Finally, this thesis concludes by presenting the limitations of this research. It makes suggestions on potential future research that could be completed, and raises some pertinent implications for practitioners arising from this research.

Uppsatsens titel: Stockholm – the fashion capital of Scandinavia? En studie i strategiskplanering utifrån detaljhandelns företagsperspektiv, i samverkan med turismsektorn. Kurs: Kandidatuppsats i företagsekonomi, inriktning marknadsföring, 15 hp, StockholmsUniversitet Författare: Linda Holdo, Hanna Jäderholm och Mariah Lindborg Handledare: Doktorand Andrea Lucarelli Nyckelord: Detaljhandeln, turismsektorn, strategisk planering, varumärkesbyggande,destination, detaljhandelsmarknadsföring, Stockholms stad Problemformulering: Handeln vill nyttja den växande turismsektorn för att vinnamarknadsandelar. Problematiken för detaljhandeln är avsaknad av strategisk planering, isamverkan med turismsektorn, som bottnar i bristande kunskap och erfarenhet. Syfte: Syftet är att skapa ett förslag på strategisk planering som detaljhandelsföretagen, i samverkan med turismsektorn, kan använda för att fylla det praktiska gap som i dagsläget existerar. Metod: Studien har genomförts med 12 stycken kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med relevanta personer inom respektive bransch. Deltagande i två seminarier samt granskning av fyra rapporter utgör primärdata. Sekundärdata är baserad på vetenskapliga artiklar samt litteratur. Tolkning av insamlad data har gjorts utefter en hermeneutisk ansats. Teori: Teoridelen utgörs av litteraturgenomgång följt av teoretisk referensram. Litteraturgenomgången presenterar citymarknadsföring utifrån ett destinationsperspektiv. Teoretiska referensramen behandlar huvudämnet strategisk planering med anledning att skapa en tillförlitlig strategisk modell ur ett företagsperspektiv. Därefter redogörs faktorer som ligger till grund för strategisk planering. Därefter redovisas varumärkesbyggande med fokus på image och- identitetsskapande samt skapande av kundvärde ur ett företagsperspektiv. Ämnet fördjupas sedan i detaljhandelns värdekedja, kunddrivet värdesystem, kundlojalitet ochrelationsmarknadsföring samt upplevelser som en betydande faktor för detaljhandeln. Slutsats: Slutsatsen består av en modell för detaljhandelns strategiska planering. Modellen inleds med definiering av målgruppen. Därefter kartläggs turistgruppens behov samt lösning inom respektive kärnaktivitet i företaget. Nyttjande av strategin resulterar i en tillfredsställd kund, vilket kan generera ekonomiska fördelar, public relations samt marknadsandelar. Det krävs att en aktör tar övergripande ansvar för att verkställa den strategiska planeringen och skapa tydlig kommunikation mellan detaljhandelsbranschen och turismsektorn. / Thesis titled: Stockholm – the fashion capital of Scandinavia? A study in strategic planningbased on retail company perspective, in collaboration with the tourism sector. Course: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, focus on marketing, 15 credits, Stockholm University School of Business Author: Linda Holdo, Hanna Jäderholm and Mariah Lindborg Supervisor: PhD Andrea Lucarelli Keywords: Retail, tourism sector, strategic planning, brand building, destination, retail marketing, Stockholm city. Problem: The trade want to utilize the growing tourism sector in order to gain market share. The problem for retailers is the lack of strategic planning. Purpose: The aim is to create a proposal on strategic planning that retail companies, in collaboration with the tourism sector, can use to fill a practical gap that currently exists. Method: The study was conducted with 12 pieces of qualitative semi-structured interviews. Participation in two seminars and examining four reports provides the primary data. Secondary data are based on scientific papers and literature. Interpretation of the collected data has been made along a hermeneutical approach. Theory: The theory part consists of a literature review followed by a theoretical framework.The literature review presents city marketing from a destination perspective. Theoretical framework addresses head of strategic planning with the need to create a reliable strategic model from a business perspective. Then outlines factors that form the basis for strategic planning. Brand building is recognized as a factor with focus on image and identity. It then looks at the creation of customer value from a business perspective. The subject deepened with the retail value chain, customer grated value systems, customer loyalty and relationship marketing and experiences as a significant factor for retailers. Conclusion: The conclusion consists of a formed strategic model containing factors that are considered important for retailers future strategic planning. The model starts by mapping the definition of the target audience. Then the tourist group demand is mapped in a needs assessment in each core activity of the company. Along the client's needs a solution. Use of the strategy result in customer satisfaction, which can generate economic benefits, public relations and market share. It requires that an operator takes an overall responsibility for the execution of the strategic planning and creating clear communication between the retail and tourism sectors.

Principal objective of my authorized work has been to make analyse of retail´s opportunities and threat in section of quick high turnover goods in Strakonice. Information, which has been obtained, base on the analyse and observation, to write to the simulation software RetailOpportunitySim, to introduce screenplay of development and base on the results from the software to propose suitable actions for chosen retail´s subject. To calibrate the software was necessary to define the market geographically and define the real structure of the settlement. Survey was carried out and observations of the retail units on my chosen market. Scenarios were defined hypotheses were confirmed or rejected by software. The scenarios were applied to the retail unit Gastro.