In 2006, the German federal government relinquished its power to determine store opening hours to the 16 federal states. Since then, substantial deregulation of shopping hours has occurred in all states except Bavaria and Saarland. Such deregulation could support economic growth, but it has been argued to hurt small businesses. Therefore, this thesis examines different store size categories to find possible effects of deregulation in Germany. Past studies have focused on the employment effects of deregulation, whereas this investigation employs a difference-in-difference approach with OLS regression on the number of stores in each size category. States that have extended store opening hours will be compared to those that have not. Theory predicts large stores to be more able to profit from efficiency gains and higher returns on investment due to extended hours. The results did not support the theoretical framework. Instead, the data indicate no significant effects on the number of stores and suggest that the constraints are not binding. Small businesses do not appear to have been affected by the change. If deregulation can be found to increase consumer spending and welfare, then such a policy change can have positive economic impacts. Further research should be aimed in this direction.

Abstract Not Provided. / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Inherent in the process of marketing is the notion that consumption requires both time and effort. While shopping, consumers may spend time and effort to complete several tasks such as searching for information, traveling to the store?s location, searching for a parking spot, traveling through the store, locating the product they wish to purchase, and completing the checkout process. Convenience is defined as anything that reduces consumer time and effort expenditures and is becoming increasingly important to consumers in the United States. This dissertation provides insight into an emerging consumer need--the need for retail shopping convenience (NRSC). Specifically, this dissertation has four distinct purposes: 1) to examine the nature of the NRSC construct; 2) to investigate time pressure, role overload, various timestyle dimensions, and the willingness to trade money for convenience as antecedents to the NRSC; 3) to examine the role that culture plays in moderating the relationship between selected antecedents and the NRSC; and 4) to identify the consequences and/or retailer benefits of satisfying a consumer?s NRSC. Cross-cultural comparisons were made by examining data collected from two consumer groups--white, non-Hispanic Americans and Mexican Americans. For each respondent, data were collected across three shopping situations: grocery shopping, mall shopping, and online shopping. In an empirical examination of the NRSC, it was found that this consumer need varies across shopping situations. Antecedents significant in influencing this consumer need include time pressure, temporal orientation, planning orientation, and polychronic orientation. Findings show that culture plays an important role in determining the NRSC. When compared to white, non-Hispanic American consumers, Mexican-American consumers experienced more time pressure. In addition, the influence of temporal orientation and polychronic orientation on the NRSC was stronger for Mexican Americans. White, non-Hispanic American consumers were found to have a stronger relationship between planning orientation and the NRSC than Mexican-American consumers. Additional findings confirm the importance of the NRSC to consumers, showing that retailers who satisfy this emerging consumer need are rewarded with higher levels of commitment, stronger repurchase intentions, and positive word-of-mouth communications. Taken together, these findings show the importance of the NRSC in determining consumer behavior.

No description available.

No / Reverse e-auctions are increasingly being used in business-to-business procurement and have been reported to yield significant price reductions for buyer firms. However, the adoption of online auction formats has raised many concerns among suppliers, often being criticized for damaging supplier-buyer relationships and for being antithetical to what is currently regarded as good supply chain management. Against this background this paper aims to examine the reverse auction phenomenon in the UK packaging sector. Data were collected from the direct experiences of one large food-packaging supplier, using case studies of reverse e-auctions, and from exploratory interviews with other suppliers in the sector. While buyers are reaping significant short-term price reductions, the benefits to suppliers are less obvious. In fact, little reference was detected to the often-quoted reductions in overall transaction costs for either buyers or suppliers. However, most respondents were not able to specify their transaction costs and associated risks and did not appear to have adequate costing systems to enable such quantification.

Cette thèse a analysé l'innovation au sein de grands réseaux de commerce de détail installés au Brésil. Pour cela, cette étude est partie du présupposé selon lequel l'innovation dans le commerce de détail se développe à différents niveaux et de différentes façons. L'analyse bibliographique concernant les théories de l'innovation, plus spécifiquement dans le commerce du détail, locus de cette recherche.Les résultats de cette recherche démontrent que la demande des clients permet de développer des innovations et que celles qui sont les plus utilisées correspondent aux innovations incrémentales. Il est également clair que les innovations présentées font partie d'une logique dominante du service. De façon générale, ces organisations n'ont pas dû affronter beaucoup d'obstacles pour mettre en place leurs innovations. De plus, grâce à elles, les clients y gagnent en efficience et se sentent plus impliqués. Enfin, pour les entreprises, la plus-value vient avant tout d'une fidélisation de la clientèle. / This thesis aimed at investigating the innovation in major retailing chains acting in Brazil. The presupposition assumed is that the innovation on retailing takes place in several levels and in several processes. The research results showed a trend to use the demand pull as way for the innovation arising and the predominant use of incremental innovations. It was realized, also, the Dominant-Logics Service as context of the innovations presented. Few were the barriers found by the organizations for the implantation of the innovations. As value creation for the clients, it was signalized the efficiency and the client´s involvement. Concerning the value appropriation, the companies showed the client´s loyalty.

Studien uppmärksammar det svenska företaget Jula, som vid en tidpunkt då tillväxt råder på den elektroniska marknaden, väljer att lägga ner den elektroniska försäljningskanalen, för att istället satsa på den fysiska försäljningskanalen. Forskare har de senaste decennierna fokuserat på att företag bör vara verksamma genom kombinerade försäljningskanaler, fysisk försäljning och elektronisk handel, för att nå framgång. Därmed har de inte haft fokus på att företag slutar driva kombinerade försäljningskanaler, vilket företaget Jula kan illustrera. Genom att studera företaget Jula, med hjälp av en intervju och sekundärdata, påvisas att forskare hittills inte beaktat väsentliga faktorer i praktiken, och att det idag finns företag som kan vara framgångsrika och konkurrenskraftiga utan kombinerade försäljningskanaler. Även faktorer som ligger till grund för valet av att inte bedriva elektronisk handel påvisas. Detta mynnar sedan ut i en modell som berör kombinerade försäljningskanaler, där Julas fall och agerande finns implementerat, för att illustrera företagets tillvägagångssätt. / This study shows that in a time when electronic commerce is increasing, the Swedish company Jula has decided to closure their electronic retailing channel, to instead expand their physical retailing channel. The last decades the academics have focused on multichannel retailing business to reach success on the market. They have accordingly not focused on business stops running multichannel retailing, which the example with Jula can illustrate. Through an interview with Jula and indirectly data proves that the academics have not included essential aspects in practice, and that there are business today that can reach success and have competitive advantages without multichannel retailing, plus factors that influenced Jula in the decision to closure. This discharges in a model of multichannel retailing, which includes Julas specific case and their choice, to illustrate Julas different procedure.

<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>In fashion industry, customer demand is constantly changing. One of the main reasons is due to the time of delicate fashion awareness among the consumers, which has come into larger variety and frequent assortment changes. The changing trends in fashion industry allow researchers to get into the postponement strategy as a customized operation in order to focus on quality and flexibility. In today’s fashion market the key for success is to keep an eye on and react to the customer demand. H&M is Europe’s second largest fashion retailer in terms of sales and our work will reflect on H&M supply chain particularly. We try to figure out business strategies such as mass customization and standardization, which H&M is using in their entire supplier chain and in his different processes. Keeping this view in mind, we design our research question, which is about mass customization and standardization and we try to relate these business strategies to the postponement. We try to find out the structure and implementation of these strategies in H&M supply chain with the help of our respondent answers in our proposed questionnaire.</p><p>For this purpose, an electronic interview with the H&M senior merchandiser in Pakistan liaison office was carried out. The questionnaire contains different questions related to postponement strategy, customization, and standardization and other processes which are used in the supply chain of any fashion industry. The questionnaire consists of 22 major questions. Our research is purely qualitative. We include both types of the data; namely secondary and primary. Secondary data was collected from earlier studies of the literature and related theories of postponement, customization, and standardization and certain areas of fashion retailing, whereas primary data was collected through the electronic interview with Mr. Syed Naqeeb who is working in H&M liaison office as a senior merchandiser in Pakistan.</p><p>After receiving the questionnaire, we have tried to highlight our research questions with the help of our proposed Frame of Reference in Chapter 2. The Frame of Reference consists of theories which will help the reader to get the clear picture of fashion retailing and the related theories.</p><p>In the Analysis section, we talk about the activities of H&M and its background followed by its business concept. We define H&M SCM model and draw a figure of H&M complementarities, which we developed by the help of electronic interview. In the Conclusion part, we come to the point that customization and postponement affect fashion retailing by choosing raw material, components, and apparel accessories plus logistic management. The other aspect of our research area is standardization. After the analysis we come to know that Standardization and postponement are also used together in the supply chain of H&M, in raw material, cotton and yarn, dying, packaging and in the care instruction of labels (washing instructions).</p>

Abstract In fashion industry, customer demand is constantly changing. One of the main reasons is due to the time of delicate fashion awareness among the consumers, which has come into larger variety and frequent assortment changes. The changing trends in fashion industry allow researchers to get into the postponement strategy as a customized operation in order to focus on quality and flexibility. In today’s fashion market the key for success is to keep an eye on and react to the customer demand. H&amp;M is Europe’s second largest fashion retailer in terms of sales and our work will reflect on H&amp;M supply chain particularly. We try to figure out business strategies such as mass customization and standardization, which H&amp;M is using in their entire supplier chain and in his different processes. Keeping this view in mind, we design our research question, which is about mass customization and standardization and we try to relate these business strategies to the postponement. We try to find out the structure and implementation of these strategies in H&amp;M supply chain with the help of our respondent answers in our proposed questionnaire. For this purpose, an electronic interview with the H&amp;M senior merchandiser in Pakistan liaison office was carried out. The questionnaire contains different questions related to postponement strategy, customization, and standardization and other processes which are used in the supply chain of any fashion industry. The questionnaire consists of 22 major questions. Our research is purely qualitative. We include both types of the data; namely secondary and primary. Secondary data was collected from earlier studies of the literature and related theories of postponement, customization, and standardization and certain areas of fashion retailing, whereas primary data was collected through the electronic interview with Mr. Syed Naqeeb who is working in H&amp;M liaison office as a senior merchandiser in Pakistan. After receiving the questionnaire, we have tried to highlight our research questions with the help of our proposed Frame of Reference in Chapter 2. The Frame of Reference consists of theories which will help the reader to get the clear picture of fashion retailing and the related theories. In the Analysis section, we talk about the activities of H&amp;M and its background followed by its business concept. We define H&amp;M SCM model and draw a figure of H&amp;M complementarities, which we developed by the help of electronic interview. In the Conclusion part, we come to the point that customization and postponement affect fashion retailing by choosing raw material, components, and apparel accessories plus logistic management. The other aspect of our research area is standardization. After the analysis we come to know that Standardization and postponement are also used together in the supply chain of H&amp;M, in raw material, cotton and yarn, dying, packaging and in the care instruction of labels (washing instructions).

ABSTRACT An Explorative Analysis Evaluation of Electronic Retailing Customer Adoptions In the Context of Saudi Arabia To learn more about what people in Saudi Arabia thought about online shopping, a survey was distributed throughout public locations in three major cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Medina. The questionnaires investigated consumers’ intersecting views regarding online and in-store shopping, and attempted to learn more about the perceived usefulness and attractiveness of online shopping in Saudi Arabia, as well as privacy or trust issues related to online shopping that are relevant for Saudi customer. The main findings of this study revealed several important tendencies. For one, the study found that males favoured shopping online more than females. Moreover, respondents appeared to find online shopping to be relaxing due to reduced sales pressure. Also, proficiency in the English language seemed to be a determining factor in the consumer’s preference to shop online. In addition, people who seemed to dislike physical shopping favoured the idea of e-shopping. The findings above are exploratory in nature due to the limited sample size and sampling process. Additional study with expanded sample across a broader Saudi Arabian geographic base could be used to confirm the use initial exploratory findings.