The background to this study is the high employee turnover that prevails in the grocery retail. The personnel management in the organisation is considered to have the opportunity to influence the employee turnover and the possibility of influence varies depending on the position. A middle manager is the manager who works closest to the employees and can thus affect the employee turnover in different ways. For example, the middle manager can influence this by creating a group where everyone feels involved. In addition to this, there are a number of studies that show that the relationship with the immediate manager is of importance for whether or not the employee chooses to remain within the organisation. The social relationships between middle managers and employees are important for employees´ choices in remaining within the organisation. Furthermore, employeeship is mentioned as a prerequisite for the employee to not quit. Since a number of studies mention the importance of well–functioning social relations between employees and middle managers, the study's authors have chosen to apply the LMX theory in the study. The LMX theory concerns the purpose of the study–to create an understanding of how the social relationships between employees and middle managers can be shaped and developed to create trust in the grocery retail. The present study has a qualitative approach and the data collection consists of ten semi–structured interviews with both employees and middle managers in the grocery retail. The empirical study shows that the respondents are concerned about the social relationships and consider these as a prerequisite for the organization to function in a desirable way. The empirical material identifies a number of key concepts that contribute to the study's analysis. Some of the concepts that were brought up in the social relationships were respect, responsiveness, communication and feedback. During the interviews, a number of different factors were identified that are considered to lead to high–quality social relationships between employees and middle managers. The conclusions show the importance that both middle managers and employees show an interest in each other and the will to deepen their social relationships. It also appears that none of the parties can perform in a desirable way if there is a lack of well-functioning social relationships. The high–quality relationships are determined by the personal chemistry and commitment to deepen the relationship. Trust must exist between middle managers and employees for a well–functioning social interaction, regardless of the nature of the relationship to each other. / Bakgrunden till denna studie är den höga personalomsättningen som råder inom dagligvaruhandeln. Organisationens personalledning anses ha möjlighet att påverka personalomsättningen och möjligheten till inflytande varierar beroende på befattning. En mellanchef är den chef som finns närmast till hand för medarbetaren, vilket gör att hen kan påverka personalomsättningen på olika sätt. Exempelvis kan mellanchefen påverka detta genom att skapa en grupp där alla känner delaktighet. Utöver detta finns det ett antal studier som visar att relationen till den närmaste chefen är av betydelse för huruvida medarbetaren väljer att stanna kvar inom organisationen eller inte. De sociala relationerna mellanchef–medarbetare är betydelsefulla för att medarbetaren ska välja att stanna kvar i organisationen. Vidare nämns också medarbetarskap som en förutsättning för att medarbetaren inte ska lämna. Eftersom ett flertal studier nämner vikten av välfungerade sociala relationer mellan medarbetare och mellanchef har studiens författare valt att utgå från LMX–teorin. LMX–teorin berör studiens syfte–att skapa förståelse för hur de sociala relationerna mellan medarbetare och mellanchef kan formas och utvecklas för att skapa förtroende i dagligvaruhandeln. Föreliggande studie har kvalitativ ansats och datainsamlingen består av tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med både medarbetare och mellanchefer inom dagligvaruhandeln. I studiens empiri framgår att respondenterna är måna om de sociala relationerna och ser dessa som en förutsättning för att organisationen ska fungera på ett önskvärt sätt. I det empiriska materialet identifieras ett antal nyckelbegrepp som sedan bidrar till studiens analys. Några av de begrepp som uppkom gällande de sociala relationerna var respekt, lyhördhet, kommunikation och feedback. Vid intervjuerna identifierades ett antal olika faktorer som anses leda till högkvalitativa sociala relationer mellan medarbetare och mellanchef. I studiens slutsatser framgår vikten av att både mellanchefer och medarbetare visar intresse för varandra och är villiga att fördjupa de sociala relationerna. Det framgår också att ingen av parterna kan utföra sitt arbete på ett önskvärt sätt om det råder brist på välfungerande sociala relationer. De högkvalitativa relationerna avgörs av personkemin samt engagemang för att fördjupa relationen. Förtroende måste finnas mellan mellanchef och medarbetare för ett välfungerade socialt samspel, oavsett relationens art till varandra.

This thesis examines the nature of labour usage within a market-leading Australian food retail firm and the employment relations consequences of the labour usage strategies employed by the firm. Retail employment is well established as a research subject in the UK, but has received comparatively little research attention in Australia. Given that retail industry employment accounts for 15 per cent of the Australian workforce, this represents a significant oversight. Within the retail industry, the supermarket and grocery sector employs 6 per cent of the Australian workforce. The sector is dominated by two major chains and is highly competitive, with a reputation for low profit margins, mundane jobs and low pay. The sector is recognised for an employment structure that is segmented with one segment holding full-time jobs with core employment conditions and the other segment, part-time jobs with poor working conditions. The dominant theory used by scholars to explain this employment structure is the dual labour market model and later iterations such as Atkinson's flexible firm model. This research assesses the value of these models, in particular Atkinson's flexible firm model, as a representation of the labour usage strategies of a market-leading Australian food retail firm. This analysis demonstrates that, in a general sense, Atkinson's model has applicability to the labour usage strategies exhibited in food retailing. The research found that, contrary to the theories of dual labour markets, a strong internal labour market operated within the firm with short hours casual employment as the port of entry. The benefits of this practice for the organisation were flexibility in labour usage and substantial wage savings, while the negative consequences were recruitment difficulties, exacerbated by high levels of staff turnover. For the employees, the consequences depended on their position in the organisational hierarchy and their individual circumstances, but involved initially accepting limited working hours and low pay in order to gain entry into the organisation. The research undertaken for this thesis leads to the development of a revised model, the casual internal labour market model, which more accurately depicts the labour usage strategies within the case study organisation. Retail researchers argue that it is necessary to understand the dynamics of the industry in order to understand the structure of labour usage. Additionally, employment relations and retail researchers both stress the need to contextualise labour usage patterns within broader environmental constraints and supply side factors. In seeking to achieve this, this research examines business strategies, retail specific employment relations literature and the Australian employment relations context. Furthermore, this study addresses the issue of retail employment strategies at several levels within one of Australia's market-leading food retailers: corporate level, store level and at the level of individual departments within the store. In doing so, this thesis highlights the differences in labour usage between stores and between departments within the stores and thereby provides a more detailed picture of the labour use practices within food retailers.

<p>The Swedish food retail market contains of three major actors, ICA, KF and Axfood, all in all dominating 75 percent of the total market shares. The scant number of retailing actors indicates that the Swedish food retail market is a highly concentrated oligopoly, which as a fact has given rise to definite discussions and argumentations concerning the market situation. But is the food retail market imperfect and how do we reach a workable competition? Economic theory does not provide any clear answer on these questions, but is rather divided into two fundamentally different approaches to define competition: the static and the dynamic perspective on competition. </p><p>In an attempt to examine the competition on local Swedish retail markets, the purpose of this study is to carry out an econometric model estimating the situation. The model serves to explain the variation of ICA’s achievements measured in terms of turnovers obtained in the company. The explanatory variables composing the model are divided into three separate groupings: degreeof market concentration, storespecific factors and region-specific factors. Furthermore, in order to find out which one of the competitive explanations best fits the reality, the regression results are interpreted from a static and a dynamic perspective of competition. In part, we also aim to compare the results with the outline of the Swedish competition law. </p><p>We found that the level of concentration obtained in our material is high and is steadily increasing. We also found that stores do not, in any great extent, use price, service and quality as competitive methods. Thus, to gain competitive advantage, market actors must find other ways to carry out strategic market activities. The region-specific variables had either none or very little influence on ICA’s turnover. According to these findings, neither the static nor the dynamic perspective of competition is solely able to produce an accurate method for reaching a state of a workable competition. Instead, a combination of the static and the dynamic ideas may be regarded as the most advantageous way to generate suitable conditions for competition to be efficient. Therefore, in order to promote workable competition, the Swedish competition law must consist of a balance between the static and the dynamic view of competition.</p>

<p>Technology based self-service (TBSS) used in supermarket self-scanning checkouts is a relatively new phenomenon in Sweden. Studies on TBSS as a self- checkout device have been formerly carried out but with focus on the customer perspective. The authors therefore saw a challenge in covering the self-scan checkout concept, from a company perspective. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate, through a management perspective, the changes brought about by implementing an innovative TBSS system in Swedish supermarkets, and its effect on the competitiveness of the company. This is done by presenting and linking the theoretical framework and empirical study in the research. The theoretical framework of the paper includes the following topics: role and importance of innovation in a business context and TBSS as innovation as well as product life cycle connected to innovation; competitive advantage theory and complementary concepts, value chain theory, and finally the importance of customer relationship management in the ‘new’ self-service economy. The empirical study consists of two Swedish supermarkets in the city of Linköping, Coop Forum and ICA Maxi. Results of the research paper mainly include the following: Changes brought about by implementing technology-based self-service systems in supermarkets must be discussed in the view of short-term and long- term perspectives separately. Changes involve the value creating activities of supermarkets and include increased quality of services to customers. It has been further found that TBSS can add to the competitiveness of supermarkets. However, positive financial results can only be expected in the long-term which in the case of Swedish supermarkets offering TBSS services is not yet apparent. The empirical findings have shown that Coop Forum and ICA Maxi had to carry out changes and make adjustments to their value activities and customer relationship management in order to operate TBSS checkouts successfully. Competitiveness between them has been also affected due to the TBSS service offering.</p>

The Swedish food retail market contains of three major actors, ICA, KF and Axfood, all in all dominating 75 percent of the total market shares. The scant number of retailing actors indicates that the Swedish food retail market is a highly concentrated oligopoly, which as a fact has given rise to definite discussions and argumentations concerning the market situation. But is the food retail market imperfect and how do we reach a workable competition? Economic theory does not provide any clear answer on these questions, but is rather divided into two fundamentally different approaches to define competition: the static and the dynamic perspective on competition. In an attempt to examine the competition on local Swedish retail markets, the purpose of this study is to carry out an econometric model estimating the situation. The model serves to explain the variation of ICA’s achievements measured in terms of turnovers obtained in the company. The explanatory variables composing the model are divided into three separate groupings: degreeof market concentration, storespecific factors and region-specific factors. Furthermore, in order to find out which one of the competitive explanations best fits the reality, the regression results are interpreted from a static and a dynamic perspective of competition. In part, we also aim to compare the results with the outline of the Swedish competition law. We found that the level of concentration obtained in our material is high and is steadily increasing. We also found that stores do not, in any great extent, use price, service and quality as competitive methods. Thus, to gain competitive advantage, market actors must find other ways to carry out strategic market activities. The region-specific variables had either none or very little influence on ICA’s turnover. According to these findings, neither the static nor the dynamic perspective of competition is solely able to produce an accurate method for reaching a state of a workable competition. Instead, a combination of the static and the dynamic ideas may be regarded as the most advantageous way to generate suitable conditions for competition to be efficient. Therefore, in order to promote workable competition, the Swedish competition law must consist of a balance between the static and the dynamic view of competition.

Technology based self-service (TBSS) used in supermarket self-scanning checkouts is a relatively new phenomenon in Sweden. Studies on TBSS as a self- checkout device have been formerly carried out but with focus on the customer perspective. The authors therefore saw a challenge in covering the self-scan checkout concept, from a company perspective. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate, through a management perspective, the changes brought about by implementing an innovative TBSS system in Swedish supermarkets, and its effect on the competitiveness of the company. This is done by presenting and linking the theoretical framework and empirical study in the research. The theoretical framework of the paper includes the following topics: role and importance of innovation in a business context and TBSS as innovation as well as product life cycle connected to innovation; competitive advantage theory and complementary concepts, value chain theory, and finally the importance of customer relationship management in the ‘new’ self-service economy. The empirical study consists of two Swedish supermarkets in the city of Linköping, Coop Forum and ICA Maxi. Results of the research paper mainly include the following: Changes brought about by implementing technology-based self-service systems in supermarkets must be discussed in the view of short-term and long- term perspectives separately. Changes involve the value creating activities of supermarkets and include increased quality of services to customers. It has been further found that TBSS can add to the competitiveness of supermarkets. However, positive financial results can only be expected in the long-term which in the case of Swedish supermarkets offering TBSS services is not yet apparent. The empirical findings have shown that Coop Forum and ICA Maxi had to carry out changes and make adjustments to their value activities and customer relationship management in order to operate TBSS checkouts successfully. Competitiveness between them has been also affected due to the TBSS service offering.

Introduction: The retail market in the 21st century will be determined on how quickly and efficiently the retailer can respond to shifts in consumer demands. Due to the physical environment of the store (store value) and the interaction with the consumer (shopping trip value), the local retail store has the advantage of generating this tangible and intangible information. It is then of importance that this information will be transferred towards the retailer, who has the opportunity to use this information and generate it into outputs that can be used as negoitables; this value creation process is an unique success indicator for creating a value network within retail supply chain. Purpose: The aim of this research is to present an understanding on the value creation process in the grocery retail chain. Methodology: Having an inductive nature, this thesis tried to bring a new understanding on value creation in grocery retail business, by using hermeneutics as a methodology approach. For empirical study, the qualitative approach was used. Data was collected through open-ended interviews with representatives in grocery retail chains. Conclusion: The main players in the value network were determined in a grocery retail chain as retailer, local retail store and other stores in the chain; and the suppliers. An intensive value exchange between the retail store and the retailer was found and following that, it was concluded that the retailer converts the value input from the local retail store into tangible and intangible value outputs towards suppliers. Combining the conclusions, the research defines that a value network is existing, but on a very low level. But more to the point, the study shows the importance of value creation by the retail chain, and that creating the possibility to share information about products, in-store experience, consumer knowledge, and consumer requirements is one of the biggest advantage the grocery retail chain has to develop this value network further.

New technology is revolutionizing the retail industry by providing new conditions and questioning the traditional way of shopping. Wearable devices have gained popularity lately and smartwatches are one of the most popular among them [12]. However, little research has been made in the area of creating experiences for grocery retail purchases using smartwatches, which is where this study aims to contribute. Through establishing what affordances and challenges there might be when creating a digital experience for people using smart watches with the intent of purchasing groceries. With the support from CompanyX, one of the leading companies with their core business in grocery retail, the study was built around Apple Watch users as the target group. An experience-centered design method was used to incorporate the end user at each stage of the design process. A high fidelity prototype was created based on the decoded material from the semi-structured interviews performed. The prototype was then evaluated in a remote setup using both in-depth test sessions and a broader evaluation questionnaire. The results showed that the prototype proposed added value for the user by providing an experience that would encourage a more structured and inspirational way of purchasing groceries. The attitude towards the prototype was positive. However, further improvements are suggested and discussed aiming to suit the limited interaction options of a smartwatch, better. The study provides insights in what the attitude looks towards different types of functionalities aiming to create an enhanced grocery shopping experience among Apple Watch users. / Nya tekniska förutsättningar revolutionerar handelsmarknaden genom nya förutsättningar som ifrågasätter traditionellt sätt att handla på. Teknologier som Wearables har under de senaste åren blivit mycket populära där de vristburna enheterna är de som står ut särskilt i popularitet. Dock har lite studier gjorts på hur man med hjälp av Wearables skulle kunna skapa en upplevelse ämnad att underlätta shoppingupplevelsen hos personer som handlar matvaror. Vad öppnar en smartklocka upp för förutsättningar och vad finns det för utmaningar att skapa en upplevelse med hjälp av en smartklocka? Med stöd från CompanyX, en av Sveriges ledande företag inom dagligvaruhandel, byggdes studien kring Apple Watch-användare. Användaren var central genom hela studien då den var byggt runt användarbeteenden och användarupplevelser. En prototyp skapades baserat på de resultat som fastställdes kring användandet, samt testad på slutanvändarna. Resultaten visade att prototypen skapade värde för användaren då den uppmuntrade till ett mer strukturerat samt inspirerande sätt att handla matvaror på. Prototypen togs emot positivt men skulle gynnas av ytterligare förbättringar och design iterationer främst kring smartklockans begränsade interaktionsmöjligheter. Studien bidrar med insikter kring hur attityden ser ut kring skapandet av en användarupplevelse för matvaruhandel i en smartklocka hos Apple Watch användare.

Globalization has influenced the grocery retail industry and the most impactful changes are the preferences and habits of consumers. The increased consumption of consumers is one of the habits that have created a demand for sustainable products. The sustainable products can be marketed towards consumers by the frontline employees. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how grocery retail store personnel can be used as ambassadors toward consumers that will result in sustainable purchase behaviour. To answer the research question, several interviews have been conducted. The interview with the grocery retail expert aided us in the formulation of interview questions. The four interviews with two ICA stores’ personnel provided us with the empirical data needed for reaching the conclusions. Findings reveal that the involvement of personnel in communication with the consumers has positive a positive outcome. In this way, they can be seen as CSR ambassadors and, therefore, efficiently market the organization. To achieve CSR ambassadorship, employees and consumers must enhance organizational identification. One conclusion is that consumers may reach sustainable purchase behaviour when CSR ambassadorship is developed in coherence with a grocery retail store.

This thesis aims to conduct a market analysis of the Swedish grocery retail market, with a primary focus on the current market competition and strategic choices. The market analysis is done in order to investigate whether insufficient competition is a contributing factor to the high food prices today. Furthermore, the essay aims to identify and evaluate the strategies used by market players. The market analysis has been conducted by using the Structure-Conduct-Performance model as a theoretical framework to map out and analyse the market's structure, strategy, and outcomes. Over the past year, the prices of groceries have increased drastically, resulting in significant media coverage of the market. The high prices, combined with the timeliness of the topic, justifies the choice of the essay’s subject. The methodology used in the essay is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The market structure is analysed for two different years, 2012 and 2021, in order to enable the evaluation of the firms’ strategic choices. In the thesis’ conclusion, it is stated that the Swedish grocery retail sector is an oligopoly market with high market concentration, where the three largest firms account for 90 percent of the market shares. The market structure is a result of the underlying demand and the barriers of entry identified in the thesis. The strategies processed in the thesis are vertical integration, customer bonus systems, mergers and acquisitions, and price strategies. The evaluated strategic choices of the companies are deemed effective for increasing their market power, while also inhibiting competition and making market entry difficult. Because of this, the market outcome is considered not to be fully functional from a welfare perspective. Furthermore this study allows the assumption to be made that the current competitive situation is a contributing factor to today's high food prices. / Uppsatsen syftar till att göra en marknadsanalys av svensk dagligvaruhandel, med stort fokus på den rådande konkurrenssituationen. Detta görs för att utreda huruvida bristfällig konkurrens är en bidragande orsak till dagens höga matpriser eller inte. Vidare syftar uppsatsen till att kartlägga samt utvärdera de strategier som marknadens aktörer använder sig av. Marknadsanalysen har genomförts med Structure-Conduct-Performance-modellen som teoretisk grund för att kartlägga samt analysera marknadens struktur, strategi och utfall. Priserna på dagligvaror har under det senaste året ökat drastiskt, vilket har resulterat i att marknaden har getts stort medialt utrymme. De höga priserna i kombination med ämnets aktualitet motiverar valet av uppsatsämne. Metodvalet i uppsatsen är en kombination av kvalitativ och kvantitativ metod. Marknadsstrukturen undersöks för två olika år, 2012 och 2021, med anledning att möjliggöra utvärdering av aktörernas strategival. I uppsatsens slutsats konstateras det att den svenska dagligvaruhandeln är en oligopolmarknad med hög marknadskoncentration där de tre största aktörerna står för 90 procent av andelarna på marknaden. Marknadsstrukturen är ett resultat av den grundläggande efterfrågan som finns, samt de etableringshinder som identifierats i uppsatsen. De strategier som behandlas i uppsatsen är vertikal integration, kundbonussystem, fusioner och förvärv samt prissättningsstrategi. Dessa strategival utvärderas som effektiva vad gäller utökandet av aktörernas marknadsmakt, samtidigt som de hämmar konkurrens och försvårar för nyetablering på marknaden. Detta leder till att marknadens utfall inte ses vara helt välfungerande utifrån ett välfärdsperspektiv. Efter genomförandet av denna studie görs dessutom antagandet att den rådande konkurrenssituationen är en bidragande orsak till dagens höga matpriser.