Between 1913 and 1926, the aged British commercial institution, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), built four monumental department stores across Western Canada in Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, and Winnipeg. In this thesis extensive archival research on the buildings and the HBC's architectural policies is analyzed within the contexts of Canadian social history, and of Company business history. The HBC was making new advances into the department store field, and the stores were clad in a standardized style intended to create a particular image of the Company in contrast to its competitors. Popular in Britain at the time, this Edwardian Classicism emphasized the HBC's history as the official representative of the British Empire across the hinterlands, a history largely defunct by the turn of the century. The opulent style also helped to establish the stores as key cultural institutions and as palaces of consumption. After World War One the HBC also began to stress its specific historical role in the Canadian fur trade and the settlemehtof the nation, through the use of various other architectural features such as the display windows, art galleries and museums set up inside the new stores, and by the historical sites of Company buildings. The competition between historical themes -British Imperial and Canadian frontierist- evidenced in the HBC department stores were tied to social factors. Demographic changes and nationalist sentiment after WWI forced the HBC to recognize Canada's particular pluralist society, and to mediate its image as a purely British organization. Many staff members and customers had no ties to the Company or the Empire, so the HBC invented a tradition that the public could relate to and participate in. The codification of a representational strategy was complicated by the differing agendas of the Company's London Board and its Canadian management. The study of architectural issues such as urban context, style, and building use establishes how the modern HBC employed history through modes of representation in the built environment, to justify its claims to the loyalty of a diverse population of workers and customers.

xvi, 436 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / This study examined the cultural political economic significance of the physical "brick and mortar" independent record store in the digital era. The research was built upon two critical frameworks -- the political economy of communication and critical cultural studies. The political economy of communication situated the independent record store within the dominant music industry, and was concerned with the corporate structuring and standardization of music culture. The study analyzed the extreme market concentration involving the "big four" major record labels (in terms of vertical and horizontal integration, diversification and product synergy), their interconnectedness to the major corporate music retailers, and the implications for the manufacturing of popular musical artists. The independent record store (to varying degrees) counters these tendencies by offering greater cultural diversity in terms of "independent," local, used and obscure music. However, the independent record store is influenced by the policies and practices of the major label system, distribution channels, big box chain retailers, and on-line commerce. The study examined the dominant industry policies and practices, including buying (centralized versus localized), music as a loss leader, co-op advertising, retail "payola," retail censorship, and the overall range of musical diversity, vis-à-vis the practices and semi-autonomous nature of the independent record store. This project was equally invested in the cultural aspects of the independent record store in terms of communities and scenes. Various subcultures gather and connect with each other at independent record stores, where anti-corporate and counter-hegemonic narratives circulate, and individuals learn about the depths of musical history and culture. This project explored the physical atmosphere and vernacular culture associated with the stores, as well as the cultural significance of vinyl record collecting. However, these cultural attributes are framed in terms of the harvesting of commodification, where the perception of "independence" is rendered problematic in terms of the economic realities associated with the logic of capital. The primary ethnographic field sites for this study included the House of Records in Eugene, Oregon; Music Millennium in Portland, Oregon; and Amoeba Music in San Francisco, California. Numerous specialty independent record stores within these geographic areas were also included in the study. / Committee in charge: Janet Wasko, Chairperson, Journalism and Communication; Carl Bybee, Member, Journalism and Communication; Leslie Steeves, Member, Journalism and Communication; Julianne Newton, Member, Journalism and Communication; Douglas Blandy, Outside Member, Arts and Administration

Between 1913 and 1926, the aged British commercial institution, the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), built four monumental department stores across Western Canada in Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria, and Winnipeg. In this thesis extensive archival research on the buildings and the HBC's architectural policies is analyzed within the contexts of Canadian social history, and of Company business history. The HBC was making new advances into the department store field, and the stores were clad in a standardized style intended to create a particular image of the Company in contrast to its competitors. Popular in Britain at the time, this Edwardian Classicism emphasized the HBC's history as the official representative of the British Empire across the hinterlands, a history largely defunct by the turn of the century. The opulent style also helped to establish the stores as key cultural institutions and as palaces of consumption. After World War One the HBC also began to stress its specific historical role in the Canadian fur trade and the settlemehtof the nation, through the use of various other architectural features such as the display windows, art galleries and museums set up inside the new stores, and by the historical sites of Company buildings. The competition between historical themes -British Imperial and Canadian frontierist- evidenced in the HBC department stores were tied to social factors. Demographic changes and nationalist sentiment after WWI forced the HBC to recognize Canada's particular pluralist society, and to mediate its image as a purely British organization. Many staff members and customers had no ties to the Company or the Empire, so the HBC invented a tradition that the public could relate to and participate in. The codification of a representational strategy was complicated by the differing agendas of the Company's London Board and its Canadian management. The study of architectural issues such as urban context, style, and building use establishes how the modern HBC employed history through modes of representation in the built environment, to justify its claims to the loyalty of a diverse population of workers and customers. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2009. / Store layout is an important factor affecting consumer behaviour and a critical determinant towards the creation of store image. Well designed layouts are extremely important because they strongly influence in-store traffic patterns, shopping atmosphere, shopping behaviour, and operational efficiency (Vrechopoulos et al., 2004: 13). When an inconsistency occurs, some consumers will abandon that establishment in search of another one which offers fast, convenient and better services (Andersen, 1997: 118). Taking a more strategic approach to store layout can reap big rewards by boosting sales, increasing customer loyalty and ultimately increasing turnover (Clark, 2003: 42). The overall aim of the study was to ascertain if independent convenience stores in Kwa Mashu are aware of the impact of store layout on purchasing patterns of consumers. In order to accomplish the objectives of the study, a quantitative study was conducted at the convenience stores at Kwa Mashu by means of self-administered questionnaires. A sample of 400 respondents was asked questions pertaining to the study. The respondents were selected through non-probability sampling within which convenience sampling was applied. Conclusions and recommendations were thereafter drawn from the literature and the findings of the study. The results of this study show that consumers experience problems with store layout. It was found that appearance of the store, merchandise display, store atmosphere, instore service and accessibility are the major causes of this discomfort. Therefore, it is recommended that convenience retail owners in Kwa Mashu attend to those areas and see to it that necessary strategies are implemented to help customers where there is a need.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

Since vegetables are of such importance in the nutrition of human beings, it is natural that they should play a large part in Army feeding. They are high in food value. The different kinds vary widely in their energy values; some-- like potatoes--are high in carbohydrates, others--like lettuce and cucumbers-- are low. Fresh or canned they are high in minerals and vitamins, low in protein and fat, and are valuable for bulk and palatability. When purchasing fresh produce it was necessary to know something of quality, appearance, and texture. Quality is made up of many characteristics-- some external, internal, chemical, and physical. Appearance is concerned with shape, color, freedom from blemishes and dirt. Texture contrasts hard or soft, smooth or granular, stringy and fibrous or free from fiber, crisp or flabby, wilted or tough. The flavor of vegetables is due to several constituents: sugar, organic acids, mineral salts, and aromatic compounds. A combination of these gives flavors that make vegetables palatable and attractive. The nutritive value of a given vegetable depends on the part of the plant to be used, as well, as the variety, climate, soil in which it is grown, conditions of storage, and preparation. The leaf, stem, flower, seed, and fruit are all edible parts. When purchasing vegetables for the Army it was well to know that the initial price was by no means the ultimate cost as there was a wide margin between the cost as purchased and edible-portion cost. Waste in preparation, storage, and losses in the cooking of highly perishable produce would cost six cents per pound as purchased and thirty cents per pound edible portion. The condition of the vegetables when delivered has a great influence on the probable yield. When purchasing canned vegetables, grades were used as purchasing guides. Samples of each grade of produce were requested for testing to find out if the product was satisfactory. The highest grade was not purchased for general use; Grade B or Standard was acceptable for the Army mess. Fresh and frozen vegetables were used largely in Army camps and fields in the United States. Canned and dehydrated products were to be used in combat areas overseas because they were easy to prepare, there was little or no waste, and the nutritive value was fairly well retained. The problem of storage was not difficult, and shipping space was saved when dehydrated food was shipped because of its lightness and lack of bulk. The Army food purchasing officer needed to be familiar with the local vegetable supply and market center facilities. A knowledge of standardizing, grading, packaging, sorting, and transporting produce was necessary in order to purchase food economically and intelligently. Because of uncertainty of crops due to curtailed planting and harvesting occasioned by labor shortages, it was difficult for producers and distributors to cooperate at all times. The Quartermaster's office arranged with local marketing centers for information on prices, substitutions, and quantities of local produce available, several days in advance, so that suitable substitutions could be made on menus if sufficient fresh vegetables were not obtainable. Inspection of all food on delivery was required, and if low grade or unsatisfactory produce was discovered it was returned to the dealers or an adjustment requested. This was done to determine whether or not supplies met the contract requirements for quality and conditions specified by the Army. / Graduation date: 1947

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate how grocery stores perceive the increasing demand for organic food among Swedish consumers. Furthermore, I have studied how Swedish consumers perceive the supply of organic foods in grocery stores. This comparative study aimed to shed light on the problems and opportunities this development brings, and how the control of organic food is conducted. The primary source for the results consisted of information gathered from two surveys: a consumer survey and a store survey. The majority of grocery stores in this study answered that there has been an increase in sales of organic food and this trend is noticeable. More consumers are demanding organic food in the stores and shortages in the organic supply is becoming increasingly prevalent. This development encouraged consumer’s environmental awareness in the grocery store and promotes increased interest in how the goods are produced and transported. Large areas of agricultural land should be converted to organic agriculture to meet this increasing demand for organic food. Some studies have proven large scale- shift to organic farming without food shortages. Sweden has both preconditions for sustainable agriculture produced with local renewable resources and has the most stringent regulations and higher standards in food production than other countries. Therefore, local production needs to be prioritized. A sustainable agriculture is a necessity in the future; that can both reduce its carbon footprint and at the same time respond to the world's increasing food supply.

Thesis (MBA) --University of Limpopo, 2017 / Middle management at Shoprite faced challenges and their role is diverse and they lack strategies to cope with challenges within the organisation.Middle managers, in trying to balance the needs of senior and junior managers, often feel like ‘piggy-inthe- middle’, with potential for conflict and tension (McConville, 2006; Floyd and Wooldridge, 1992). A lack of leadership from senior management may compromise middle managers’ ability to take a professional approach to managing their area. Middle managers in Shoprite say that they want to be more professional Burgess, (2011)but are being inhibited by the lack of support and awareness from senior managers, with a negative impact on their motivation and their job satisfaction. In addition lack of middle manager’s involvement in decision making and strategy formulation. Middle managers become reluctant to change due to lack of communication on strategy alteration. This study intends to investigate the challenges faced by middle management at Shoprite Holdings Limited in Limpopo Province. The findings of the study show that the roles are challenging and varied, strategy implementation is a major challenge and support for middle managers is generally insufficient. Middle managers require support in induction into the middle management role and ongoing mentoring and appraisal. The little studies have been conducted about the challenges faced by middle management from different perspectives and organisations. Finally, further research into the challenges faced by middle management at Shoprite Holdings Ltd is required as it could either endorse or challenge the findings of this study and might also inform Top management about the Challenges faced by middle management and prompt an evaluation of the existing role, challenges and needs. Key words; Middle management