As producers of national and international brands, manufacturers and service providers were the focus of brand management literature. However, as retailers have become major players nationally and internationally, managing retailers as brands have become a major challenge. The retailer unique business nature, and managerial needs as well as its ever-changing business environment render managing the retail brand a unique and complex task. For the retail brand to embrace and adapt to its managerial challenges, a multitude of brand management approaches should be employed. However, when addressing retailers as brands, the retail management literature has failed to account for this multiplicity exposing a gap in the literature. To fill this gap, a communal retail brand management model is proposed to help retailers embrace and adapt to their various branding requirements inflicted by their business challenges. To build the model, a common core among the various approaches involved in managing retail brands should be identified so as to simplify, by forming a unified approach, yet maintain the essence of each approach. The holistic, humanitarian and managerial orientations of the concept of organizational culture identify it as the common core and thus act as the backbone on which the model will be built. Since the model will be built through cultural interpretation, the ethnographic tradition of qualitative inquiry is utilized because it provides an emic perspective, which is the best strategy (that consequently provides best tools) for interpreting cultures. Besides, the flexibility of the ethnographic tradition allows the adoption of other qualitative traditions of enquiry to aid in building the model. Thus, the case study tradition is employed to confine the study within the precincts of a single retail brand in order to conduct deep analysis for several stakeholders simultaneously. Additionally, the analytical technique of the grounded theory tradition is employed to capitalize on its systematic ability to form conceptual themes out of raw data that, ultimately, become the model's building blocks. In light of conducting a five-months participant observation study in two grocery stores of a leading supermarket brand in two countries (Sainsbury's stores in the UK and Egypt), the findings revealed that modelling the retail brand culture resembles, metaphorically, a tree. The culture symbols resemble the tree attractive leaves, the rituals & local heroes resemble the supportive trunk, and values resemble the roots that anchor in the soil, which, in turn, resembles the cultures in which the retailer operates. The thesis concludes that the Tree- Model is a road map that guides retailers to build and manage their brand identity and consequently enable them to embrace and adapt to the various branding requirements dictated by their business challenges.

by Yip Kowk Keung. / Questionnaire in Chinese and English. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-83). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / LIST OF EXHIBITS --- p.vii / ACKNOWLEDGMENT --- p.viii / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Objectives --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.2 / Background --- p.2 / The Definitions of Impulse Buying --- p.4 / Explanations of The Occurrence of Impulse Buying --- p.8 / Reasons for The Growing Trend of Impulse Buying --- p.9 / Previous Research Review --- p.10 / Difficulties of Using Previous Results --- p.17 / Factors for Impulse Buying --- p.18 / Characteristics of Impulse Buyer --- p.20 / Chapter III. --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.22 / Research Design --- p.22 / Method of Administration --- p.25 / Measurement Scale --- p.26 / "Population, Sampling, Sample Size and Time" --- p.26 / Data Analysis --- p.28 / Tabulation --- p.28 / Extent of Various Buying Behaviour among Shoppers --- p.29 / Incidence of Various Groups of Purchasers by Product Categories --- p.31 / Histograms --- p.31 / Cross Tabulation of The Results --- p.32 / Chapter IV. --- RESULTS --- p.35 / Tabulation --- p.35 / Extent of Various Buying Behaviour among Shoppers --- p.35 / Incidence of Various Groups of Purchasers by Product Categories --- p.37 / The Effect of Decision Task and Product-related Factors among Different Types of Buyers --- p.39 / The Effect of Visiting Time and Frequency on Different Buying Behaviour --- p.46 / Demographic Profiles of Various Types of Buyers --- p.49 / Chapter V. --- CONCLUSION --- p.52 / Chapter VI. --- LIMITATIONS --- p.54 / Chapter VII. --- RECOMMENDATION --- p.56 / APPENDIX --- p.58 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.82

by Kwan Sau-Fan. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-129). / Questionnaire also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS --- p.vi / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vii / ACKNOWLEGEMENT --- p.xi / CHAPTER / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- CATEGORIZATION OF SUPERMARKETS --- p.6 / Conventional Supermarket --- p.7 / Super Store/Combination Store --- p.7 / Warehouse Store --- p.8 / Hypermarket --- p.8 / Chapter III. --- THE SUPERMARKET INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG --- p.10 / Historical Development --- p.10 / Introductory Stage --- p.10 / Growth Stage --- p.11 / Maturity Stage --- p.12 / Recent Development --- p.17 / Influx of New Retailing Concept --- p.17 / Weed Out of the Traditional Store and Grocery --- p.21 / Competitive Environment --- p.23 / The Five Forces --- p.23 / Chapter IV. --- COMPANY PROFILE OF CARREFOUR --- p.36 / The Carrefour S.A --- p.36 / Carrefour in Hong Kong --- p.37 / Chapter V. --- SWOT ANALYSIS OF HYPERMARKET AND CARREFOUR IN HONG KONG --- p.40 / Strengths of Hypermarket and Carrefour --- p.40 / Weaknesses of Hypermarket and Carrefour --- p.42 / Threats to Hypermarket and Carrefour --- p.43 / Opportunities for Hypermarket --- p.47 / Chapter VI. --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.50 / Design of Questionnaire --- p.50 / Sampling Method --- p.53 / Chapter VII. --- FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY --- p.55 / Most-Frequently-Visited Supermarket and Patronage Motive --- p.57 / Patronage Habit --- p.72 / Frequently Purchased Items --- p.75 / Amount of Spending --- p.78 / Transportation Means --- p.81 / Attitudes towards Carrefour --- p.82 / Purchase of Durable Items --- p.83 / Level of Satisfaction --- p.83 / Preferred Retail Outlets for Buying Fresh Food and Durable Items --- p.87 / For Purchase of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables --- p.87 / For Purchase of Fresh Meats --- p.89 / For Purchase of Electrical Appliances --- p.91 / For Purchase of Compact Disc --- p.93 / For Purchase of Furniture --- p.95 / Summary --- p.97 / Chapter VIII. --- IMPLICATIONS --- p.101 / Performance of Carrefour --- p.101 / One-Stop-Shopping is Not An Attraction --- p.103 / Chapter IX. --- RECOMMENDATIONS TO CARREFOUR AND TO HYPERMARKET IN GENERAL --- p.105 / Modify Their “One-Stop-Shopping´ح Strategy --- p.105 / Concentrate on Low-Priced Electrical Appliances --- p.106 / Improve After-Sales Services for Durable Items --- p.106 / "Focus on Apparels for Babies, Children and Pets or on Pajamas" --- p.107 / Develop Better Differentiation Strategies --- p.108 / Highlight the Store's Uniqueness --- p.108 / Educate the Public by Advertising --- p.109 / Develop Core Competence --- p.109 / Compete on Location and Price --- p.110 / Adopt New Marketing Strategies --- p.111 / Bonus Point Scheme --- p.111 / Membership Scheme --- p.112 / Store Design Should Suit with Local Tastes --- p.113 / Chapter X. --- CONCLUSION --- p.114 / Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research --- p.116 / APPENDIX --- p.118 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.127

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Concern over significant increase in obesity has prompted interdisciplinary research to address the physical food environment in various regions. Empirical studies analyze units of geography independently of each other in studying the impact of the built environment in the health of a region. However, we know that geographical spaces have neighbors and these adjacent areas should be considered in analytical analysis that attempt to determine the effects present. This research incorporates the first neighbor influences by developing a refined hierarchical regression model that takes spatial autocorrelation and associated problems into account, based on Relative Risk of corporate supermarkets, to identify clustering of corporate supermarkets in Marion County. Using block groups as the unit of analysis, 3 models are run respectively incorporating population effect, environment effect, and interaction effects: interaction between population and environmental variables.Lastly, based on network distance to corporate supermarkets as a cost matrix, this work provides a solution to increase supermarkets in an optimal way and reduce access issues associated with these facilities. Ten new sites are identified where policy should be directed towards subsidizing entry of corporate supermarkets. These new sites are over and above the existing block groups that house corporate supermarkets. This solution is implemented using TransCAD™

Thesis (MComm (Agricultural Economics)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Small‐scale agriculture is one of the few tools available to support improved rural livelihoods on a significant scale in South Africa. Access to output markets is a key obstacle for small farmers in generating higher incomes. Thus, the rise of modern markets (supermarkets in particular) is generally viewed as positive for the rural poor, although most commentators accede that there are challenges to be overcome in obtaining access to such markets. A literature survey indicates a mainstream point of view about the reasons for modern market exclusion, as well as the most appropriate policy responses. This viewpoint is characterized by an assessment that the “fault” for market exclusion lies largely with small producers – their personal characteristics, their production methods, and their location – rather than with these markets themselves. The corresponding logic is that if these issues are addressed small farmers will almost certainly be included in modern market supply chains. It is this study’s assertion that much of the research that has been undertaken to date is in fact incomplete, because it has excluded two key issues: The dominant supermarket business model; and the actual position of small farmers in those countries with high levels of supermarket concentration. An examination of the supermarket model suggests it is inherently hostile towards most producers, and that modern supermarket supply chain management strategies aim to maximize the extraction of value from other chain participants. Smaller producers are particularly hard hit by this strategy. The South African food retail market structure resembles that of industrialised countries rather than developing countries, and the largest local supermarkets probably have sufficient market share to exercise significant market power. Therefore, we should expect that the position of South African small farmers is similar to that of small farmers in industrialised countries, who are increasingly excluded by modern supermarket‐led supply chains. In light of this analysis, most of the current policy initiatives responses to address market exclusion seem woefully inadequate. Improving the quality of production, and small farmers’ access to skills and assets is important and necessary, but this study proposes that these actions on their own are not sufficient to guarantee access into modern supply chains. Insufficient research attention has been given to understanding how markets themselves become barriers to entry. This is a vital gap in local rural development policy: A market system that favours large over small farmers has the potential to exacerbate rural inequality and to neutralize policy aimed at supporting small farmers. Government needs to take the development of marketing opportunities specifically for small farmers more seriously, understanding that they face a very different set of market access challenges than do large farmers. They need to encourage and support the type of food networks and marketing structures that will have the greatest positive benefit on small farmers and the communities that they live in. This requires a different view of the workings of market networks, and a more critical assessment of how these impact on rural livelihoods. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kleinskaalse landbou is een van die min hulpmiddels beskikbaar vir ondersteuning op beduidende skaal van ’n beter bestaan in landelike Suid‐Afrika. Toegang tot produksiemarkte is een van die struikelblokke wat kleinboere in die gesig staar wanneer hulle meer produseer. Die opkoms van moderne markte word algemeen beskou as positief vir armes op die platteland, alhoewel kommentaar meestal daarop dui dat daar uitdagings is wat te bowe gekom moet word ten einde toegang te verkry. ʼn Literatuurstudie dui op ʼn hoofstroomstandpunt ten opsigte van die redes vir markuitsluiting, asook die mees gepaste beleidsreaksies. Hierdie standpunt word gekenmerk deur ʼn mening dat die “fout” vir markuitsluiting hoofsaaklik by die produsente lê – hulle persoonlike eienskappe, hulle produksiemetodes, en hulle ligging – eerder as by hierdie markte self. Die ooreenstemmende logika is dat, as kleinboere die gehalte en standvastigheid van hulle produksie verbeter, dan sal hulle feitlik verseker by moderne markte ingesluit word. Hierdie studie voer aan dat baie van die navorsing wat tot dusver onderneem is, in werklikheid onvolledig is, weens die feit dat twee belangrike aangeleenthede: die dominante supermark‐sakemodel, en die posisie van kleinboere in daardie lande met hoë vlakke van supermarkkonsentrasie buite rekening gelaat word. ʼn Ondersoek van die supermarkmodel dui daarop dat dit inherent vyandig is teenoor die meeste landbouprodusente. In teenstelling met die siening van gelyke vennote wat in die rigting van ʼn gemeenskaplike doelstelling saamwerk, is die moderne supermarkvoorraadketting daarop ingestel om soveel moontlik waarde uit ander deelnemers aan die ketting te trek. Kleiner produsente kry veral swaar as gevolg van hierdie strategie. Die struktuur van die Suid‐Afrikaanse voedselkleinhandelmark toon ooreenkomste met dié van geïndustrialiseerde lande eerder as met dié van ontwikkelende lande, en die grootste plaaslike supermarkte het waarskynlik voldoende markaandele om aansienlike markkrag uit te oefen. Ons moet dus verwag dat die posisie van Suid‐Afrikaanse kleinboere soortgelyk is aan dié van kleinboere in geïndustrialiseerde lande, wat toenemend uitgesluit word as gevolg van voorraadkettings wat deur moderne supermarkte gelei word. In die lig van hierdie analise skyn die meeste van die reaksies van die huidige beleidsinisiatiewe in ’n poging om markuitsluiting die hoof te bied, bedroewend ontoereikend. Verbetering van die gehalte van produksie en kleinboere se toegang tot vaardighede en bates is belangrik en nodig, maar is op sigself nie voldoende om toegang tot moderne voorraadkettings te waarborg nie. Onvoldoende aandag is tot dusver in navorsing gegee aan begrip van hoe markte self hindernisse op die pad na toegang word. Dit is ʼn kardinale leemte in plaaslike landelike ontwikkelingsbeleid: ʼn markstelsel wat groot boere eerder as kleinboere bevoordeel, het die potensiaal om landelike ongelykheid te vererger en beleid gemik op steun aan kleinboere te neutraliseer. Die regering moet die ontwikkeling van bemarkingsgeleenthede – in die besonder vir kleinboere – ernstiger opneem, en begryp dat laasgenoemde voor baie andersoortige uitdagings ten opsigte van marktoegang te staan kom as groot boere. Hulle moet die soort voedselnetwerke en bemarkingstrukture wat die grootste positiewe voordele vir kleinboere en die gemeenskappe waarin hulle woon sal hê, aanmoedig en ondersteun. Dit vereis ʼn ander siening van die werking van marknetwerke, en ʼn meer kritiese waardebepaling van die invloed wat dit op landelike bestaan het.

Freight transportation is an integral element of various supply chains and has a complex and dynamical interrelationship with human economic activities. Modern logistical strategies paved way to the current supply chain organisation and logistics network design resulting in a more global economy and huge economies of scale. Recent trends of volatility of oil price have major implications in the movement of commodities across the supply chains. Likewise, climate change issues have presented urgent challenges in reducing carbon emissions for the transport and logistics sector. Pressure on the sector comes from both governments and consumers alike, demanding future sustainability as well as corporate environmental and social responsibility. The original contribution of this research is to investigate the system-wide dynamics of freight transportation and production in the context of supply chains. A theoretical framework called the ‘Geographic Adaptive Potential’ or GAP is built to understand how constraints in energy and emissions affect the production and distribution of commodities. The changes in the supply chain were investigated in four different components, namely a) the potential to shift to less energy and emissions intensive modes for long-haul freight, b) logistical strategies in the last leg of the chain or urban freight and c) local production and distribution, and d) the accessibility of potential customers to the markets. The design of the GAP components is in correspondence with the links of the supply chain. The analyses yielded an evaluation of the adaptive capacity of the freight transport and production system. For long-haul freight, a GIS-based model was created called the ‘New Zealand Intermodal Freight Network’ or NZIFN. It is an optimisation tool integrating the road, rail and shipping network of New Zealand and calculates that minimum time, operating costs, energy and emissions routes between 2 given locations. The case studies of Auckland to Wellington and Auckland to Christchurch distributions of non-perishable products established that even a marginal increase of rail and coastal shipping share produced around 10% reduction in both freight energy and greenhouse gas emissions. In the study of the last leg of the supply chain, the truck trip generation rates of different food stores were investigated. The strongest factors influencing the trip rates to a store are its size and product variation, the latter being a new parameter introduced in the dissertation. It is defined as the total number of brands for 6 chosen commodities commonly found in the stores. The trip rates together with the truck type and distance travelled were used to compute the freight energy usage of the stores. Results revealed that supermarkets consume the most energy for their delivery operations but relative to its physical size, they are more energy efficient than smaller stores. This is due to the utilisation of advanced logistical strategies such as freight consolidation and the effective use of distribution centres. The localised production chapter was explored in the context of Farmers’ markets and their difference with the conventional supermarket distribution system. Using a freight transport energy audit, the energy intensities of both systems were compared. The findings showed that Farmers’ markets were more energy-intensive than supermarkets owing to the low volumes of goods delivered to the market and the lack of freight consolidation effort in the system. The study on the active mode access of potential customers to both Farmers’ markets and supermarkets captured the interplay between freight and personal transport and is the final component of GAP. The results of the ArcGIS based model called ‘Active Mode Access’ or AMA demonstrated that both Farmers’ markets and supermarkets have the same level of accessibility for walking or biking customers. However, the calculations also showed that almost 87% of New Zealanders have no AMA to stores and are at risk for fuel price increase. Finally, the key result of this dissertation is the assessment that there is actually limited adaptive capacity of the freight transport and production system. This is due to network infrastructure and geographical constraints as well as commodity type and mode compatibility and other operational concerns. Due to these limitations, the GAP model assessed that reduction in energy and allowable emissions will ultimately reduce the amount of commodities moved in the system.

This research is focused on three food multiple retailers, Sainsbury plc, Tesco plc, and Safeway plc. The research is designed to explore the relationship between technology and strategy in these organisations. The currently held view among the researchers and managers of these organisations is that technology has a limited impact on the processes that formulate strategy, and as such may be regarded as having an enabling role. This thesis proposes that while this view may have been correct in the past it is so no longer, and that technology is not following strategy but leading strategy in the food retailers examined. In order to confirm this thesis the history, technical development and technical structure of the three retailers was investigated. The results of this research was subsequently analysed and the following conclusions were made: a. Technology has a much greater impact on the strategy of multiple food retailers than has been previously thought. Technology defines the boundaries of operational activities, and, through controlling a substantial proportion of the information that managers use in the strategy making process, technology de facto if not de jure greatly influences the retailers strategies, and in some cases may actually lead them. b. The food multiples, in not appreciating the extent to which their fate is tied up with the information technology they are using, are failing to educate and train the general management of the organisations technologically. c. Technological progress is widening the gap between the general management and technical management, and in the long run this will cause serious strategic problems unless this gap is closed through positive action

This thesis contributes to research on agrifood systems in Africa. The research agenda is especially relevant in the context of revived developmental interest in agrifood sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa. Existing scholarship has tended to focus on economic restructuring and the way supermarkets and agribusiness firms increasingly transform African food economies. This thesis is an empirically grounded research endeavour that presents insights about key dynamics in the domestic food system in urban Sub-Saharan Africa, as seen through the case of Lusaka, Zambia. It also challenges existing scholarship by looking at transformations in domestic political economy contexts in Africa that promote the development of agrifood systems. The thesis is concerned with (1) what shapes Lusaka’s urban food system or what the key influencing factors are; (2) the institutions that are critical to the functioning of the urban food system; and (3) whether agribusiness firms and retailers govern economic interaction in Zambia or whether these firms and their economic interaction are governed by other institutions, and/or determined by the domestic political economy context. The thesis considers the changes in Zambia’s food system which point to growth paths that are intentionally pursued to strengthen the domestic economy so that it meets domestic priorities. Unexpectedly, this is not the concern of the state alone, but also of agribusiness firms. Other fascinating contradictions also became apparent in the course of the fieldwork, which looked at large agribusiness in the poultry sector, the Zambian National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU), the South African supermarket, Shoprite, urban markets, market traders and small-scale farmers, between January and November 2007. For instance, contractual arrangements between small-scale farmers and agribusiness firms are common, but the supply chain almost always incorporates intermediary traders; urban markets are formalising at management levels; and the supermarket faces growing pressure by the state to source locally. The methods consisted of in-depth interviews with the ZNFU, firms, farmers, traders, managers of urban markets and supermarkets, and the Ministry of Trade and Commerce. In sum, the thesis argues that urban food systems in Africa can be seen as situated or located in a domestic political economy, influenced by domestic and regional processes, and that they are the result of intersecting forms of governance by different firms and non-firm institutions. In offering a detailed case study of localised food systems in Africa, these findings lend to a robust research agenda on food studies and economic growth in Africa, and are well-placed to contribute to work on food security.

No description available.

The purpose of this paper was to understand the factors affect on consumer behavior while buying organic and non-organic food. The author of this study aims to answer the research question: “What types of factor effect on consumer ́s behavior and decision-making process while buying organic and non-organic food?” The structure of this chapter based on these models “Factor effects on consumer behavior” and “the process of consumer ́s decision shaping” to understand consumer behavior, decision- making process, followed by the information about organic food and rules and regulation for organic selling. A combined qualitative and quantitative study used to answer the research question. The layout of the research was based on questionnaires and the interviews from the manager of five different supermarkets (ICA Maxi, Coop, Willys, Netto, Lidl). The sample size of the questionnaire was 393. Both models from the existing literature restructured according to the results. Location of the supermarkets, quality of the food, services, prices of the food, plays important role in terms of decisions making process. Motivation plays a trigger role for the consumer to buy or reject the product and the most important is knowledge. Knowledge helps the consumer to make a better decision.