The aim of the study was to investigate and describe how the South African clothing industry ensures well-fitting garments to their target consumers. The study was approached from the viewpoint that, if body measurements of the population are not current and accurate, all other aspects such as block patterns, sizing systems, and fit and wear testing cannot contribute to the achievement of an acceptable or proper fit. The following procedures were followed: <ul> <li> Literature and research on body measurements and sizing systems were studied.</li> <li> A survey was conducted among clothing and footwear manufacturers and retailers in South Africa, to determine the use of body measurements, problems experienced with body measurements, and knowledge of body measurement descriptions, what the South African sizing system entails, how block patterns are generated and how fit and wear testing is done.</li> <li>The research strategy consisted of postal questionnaires to all respondents and structured interviews with selected respondents.</li> <li>A comparison was made between the international and the respondents’descriptions of body measurements, with regard to consensus among the different descriptions.</li> <li>The findings conclude that various outdated and unscientific practices result in many problems being experienced by the industry. A wide variety of body measurements are needed and are used in the South African clothing industry and an alarming number of problems exist with regard to these measurements, probably resulting in the lack of well-fitting garments that satisfy the South African consumer. The problems experienced with the key dimensions are particularly alarming because these measurements are so important in achieving good fit. The supply of good quality garments to their target customers seemed to be a very important consideration to the retailers and manufacturers, but they need help in solving the problems identified.</li> <li> Recommendations include the establishment of a national standard for identifying landmarks and exact methods of how the measurements should be taken on the body, before a much needed survey of the South African population can be undertaken.</li></ul> Copyright / Dissertation (MConsSc)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Consumer Science / unrestricted

Please read the abstract (Synopsis) in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (DCom)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Marketing Management / DCom / Unrestricted

Please read the abstract (Synopsis) in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Marketing Management / MCom / Unrestricted

The challenges that face MNPCs in making healthcare more affordable is a topic that is being increasingly researched. These companies face challenges such as pressure from governments around the world to lower their prices, stagnant growth in developed markets and the failing blockbuster business model. Turning to new markets, such as emerging markets, for growth will necessitate innovations in their business models. The aim of this research was to understand what business models will work in low-income patient markets, specifically in the South African base of the pyramid context. The investigation of four MNPCs through a case study methodology, allowed the exploration of their current business models and ambidexterity level. Two of the four MNPCs exhibited a purely exploitative business model and as such had very little penetration into the BOP segment. One of the four MNPCs demonstrated a few characteristics of ambidexterity, but applied mainly an exploitative model and had limited access to the BOP segment. One of the four companies implemented all of the characteristics of business models that are successful in entering BOP markets as well as a high level of correlation to the characteristics of ambidexterity. The result of this MNPC described was a successful entrance in the BOP segment. The review of the literature and the findings of this research show that MNPCs can adopt profitable business models to enter low-income markets that not only serve consumers at the base of the pyramid but also provide sustained business benefits to the MNPCs. The research study successfully achieved the research objectives and provides insights to stakeholders as to which strategies are effective when entering a low-income patient market and what are the elements that are missing from business models that are not successful. The research also highlighted institutional voids and barriers that are unique to the South African state health care system. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

This research compares partners required to be competitive in the low income market to the partner network of the more traditional upper income market in South Africa. The research examines the non-traditional partnerships engaged by firms which include local communities, government and NGO’s. It further looks at the broader alliances formed by firms competing in the low income market compared to the traditional market and lastly investigates institutional voids and their effect in the respective markets. The research is exploratory in nature and considers the perceptions of managers in eight companies through the use of semi-structured interviews. 14 managers were interviewed across the 6 industries selected. Insights were gained through the use of a semi structured interview guide. The research indicates that non-traditional partnerships do take place in both the low income and traditional markets but for different reasons, with the low income market focusing on these partnerships to access the consumer. It was further apparent from the interviews that those competing in the low income market tend to partner more with other firms operating in the market but in different industries, whilst the traditional market managers tend to partner more with smaller business set up to fulfil the needs of the larger firm. The research further indicates that institutional voids may present an area to develop first mover advantage by locking down successful partnerships before competitors do. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / zkgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to explore the various forms of brand loyalty, to understand the drivers of brand loyalty and disloyalty, and to determine within which product categories consumers were brand loyal or disloyal at the base of the pyramid (BoP) in South Africa. The study was exploratory, therefore a qualitative research design was adopted where individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with 18 low income consumers in Living Standard Measure (LSM) 2 to 4, residing in urban Gauteng. The findings show that low income consumers are increasingly brand conscious with proven access to media and therefore marketing messages. Primary brand loyalty drivers at the BoP include perceived quality, durability, brand experience, brand trust and affordability, while in their absence consumers are disloyal. Affordability is important to these consumers, but they also value these other aspects of brands, making them discerning and value driven. Consumers are loyal to those brands that are relevant to them at an acceptable price value proposition. Consumers spend more of their money on consumables than durables and branded services. Brand loyalty is minimal across product categories; consumers seek variety and are prone to sales promotions, making them multiple brand users. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

The uptake of micro insurance products by low income consumers has been low, especially in the short term insurance industry. Many studies have identified a number of challenges that insurers are faced with when trying to penetrate this market. This study explores this problem from a different angle, where it investigates whether low income consumers already apply risk mitigating strategies to their circumstances, precluding them from purchasing short term micro insurance products. A qualitative design was followed, specifically to understand what the target population understood of insurance and whether they had their own existing methods of how to respond to risk events regarding their assets. 20 interviews were conducted with 10 from two townships namely Thembisa and Alexandra in the Guateng province of South Africa. The research found that risk mitigating behaviour did indeed exist amongst low income consumers; however this behaviour was driven by a prioritisation process. This process was developed considering low income consumers’ dilemmas of having limited resources but needing to mitigate the effect of what they would term as the most significant risk in their household. These risks would differ per household because of the different criteria that households would use to determine what is important, and this will lead to mitigating solutions that these consumers will engage in, thus resulting risk mitigating behaviour. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmgibs2015 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / Unrestricted

In this doctoral dissertation, I study markets in which the private information held by various agents may be reflected in prices, and as a result may be leaked to other market participants. Specifically, I study how the market microstructure interacts with the price discovery process, the market efficiency, agents' market power, and social welfare. This dissertation consists of two chapters. The first chapter studies the implications of leakage of information through prices for the efficient operation of markets with heterogeneous agents. Focusing on uniform-price double auctions, I first characterize how the presence of heterogeneity (e.g., in terms of agents’ trading costs, information precision, or risk attitudes) can shape the information content of prices and hence the market’s informational efficiency. I find that price informativeness decreases with the extent of heterogeneity in the market. I then establish that such reductions in price informativeness can in turn manifest themselves as an informational externality: in the presence of heterogeneity, agents do not internalize the impact of their trading decisions on the information revealed to others via prices. This chapter also shows that the welfare implications of this heterogeneity-induced informational externality depends on the intricate details of the market. The results thus indicate that accounting for the possibility of information leakage should be an important consideration in designing markets with asymmetric information. I conclude by exploring the welfare implications of market segmentation in the presence of heterogeneous agents and information leakage. The second chapter studies how information asymmetry shapes price impact in the presence of strategic interactions, i.e., agents' actions being strategic substitutes or strategic complements. Focusing on demand-function competition with strategic interactions, I first establish the existence and characterize the equilibrium. The characterization indicates that strategic interactions have a direct impact on the weights agents put on their private information: as strategic interaction increases, agents put less weight on their private information. I also characterize the relation between price impact, strategic interaction, and information asymmetry. While price impact decreases as the level of information asymmetry decreases, the relation between price impact and strategic interaction is more subtle, and it depends on whether agents submit upward- or downward-sloping demand schedules. When agents submit downward-sloping demand curves, price impact decreases as the extent of strategic substitutability increases, and increases as the extent of strategic complementarity increases. Furthermore, strong interaction may mitigate or exacerbate the effect of information asymmetry on agents' price impact, depending on the slope of the inverse supply curve. The results in this chapter thus emphasize the importance of accounting for strategic interactions between market participants, when assessing their price impact in markets with asymmetric information.

Background: In fashion market, with the emergence of new brands and changing customer preference in style, competition is fierce nowadays. Brand is an intangible asset that fashion brands build and leverage to secure market position and customer loyalty, which leads to a competitive advantage. Among different brand building models and methods, co-branding alliance strategy is increasingly adopted between fashion brands in the past 20 years. Co-branding alliance refers to a marketing strategy that leveraging different brand names on a product or service, which suggests a strategic alliance between different brands. For fashion brands, either in fast fashion or luxury fashion, cobranding alliance with other brands is a popular trend.  Purpose: This research aims to investigate the factors that influence the perception of the Chinese millennial consumers to purchase co-branding fashion products. Method: Interpretivism philosophy and inductive approach are used in terms of methodology. Moreover, qualitative data are dominantly collected, and content analysis is conducted as analysis tool. A structured video interview is conducted through WeChat and open-end questions are asked to get empirical primary data.  Conclusion: Chinese millennial consumers prefer the co-brand between LV and Supreme, compared with H&amp;M and Moschino. It is noticed that currently Chinese young consumers have highly preference towards collaboration which has perfect fit of two brand images and perfect connection connecting the co-branded image with consumers’ self-image.

La investigación se enfoca en los efectos del rebranding de la marca Rosatel y evalúa las consecuencias que ha tenido en la relación con sus consumidores. También, examinar cómo el branding emocional se relaciona con sus efectos y con el comportamiento de los consumidores. Asimismo, identificar cómo los elementos gráficos fueron percibidos y sus respectivas condicionantes. La hipótesis se basa en que la implementación de los elementos gráficos ha generado efectos ambiguos los cuales se han visto reflejados en la relación con sus consumidores y en su corto periodo de duración. Se realizó una investigación de clase mixta. Se utilizó una técnica cualitativa para encontrar características del fenómeno que estudia los efectos del rebranding en la relación con sus consumidores. Y también se empleó una técnica cuantitativa que buscaba recolectar información a través de encuestas online y físicas. Los resultados demostraron que un bajo porcentaje de los consumidores reconocían el rebranding, en contraste con los que realizan sus compras presencialmente, ya que estos en su totalidad eran conscientes del cambio. Además, en un porcentaje mayor, consideraron que la renovación encajaba con el perfil de la marca, demostrando su fidelidad con esta, entre otros resultados relevantes. Se concluyó que los efectos no fueron negativos en la relación con sus consumidores pues esto no afectó en sus decisiones de compra. El posicionamiento que posee la marca en la mente de los consumidores es lo suficientemente fuerte como para no afectar en las decisiones de compra de estos, a pesar que bajo una mirada profesional, la renovación posee deficiencias estéticas. / The research focuses on the effects of the rebranding of the Rosatel brand and assesses the consequences it has had on the relationship with its consumers. Also, examine how emotional branding is related to its effects and consumer behavior. Also, identify how the graphic elements were perceived and their respective conditions. The hypothesis is based on the fact that the implementation of the graphic elements has generated ambiguous effects which have been reflected in the relationship with its consumers and in its short duration. A mixed class investigation was conducted. A qualitative technique was used to find characteristics of the phenomenon that studies the effects of rebranding on the relationship with its consumers. And a quantitative technique that sought to collect information through online and physical surveys was also used.. The results showed that a low percentage of consumers recognized rebranding, in contrast to those who make their purchases in person, since they were fully aware of the change. In addition, in a higher percentage, they considered that the renewal fit the profile of the brand, demonstrating its loyalty to it, among other relevant results. It was concluded that the effects were not negative in the relationship with their consumers as this did not affect their purchasing decisions. The positioning that the brand has in the minds of consumers is strong enough not to affect the purchase decisions of these, despite the fact that under a professional look, renewal has aesthetic deficiencies. / Trabajo de investigación