A global crisis struck the world in the shape of the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of 2020. As a result, supermarkets have experienced panic buying behaviors, empty store shelves, out of stocks, and a large increase in online sales. Supermarkets, producers, marketers, and businesses have had to adapt to consumers' changed buying behavior in food consumption. In previous research, it has been found that price and quality are two of the most influential factors in the consumer decision- process, in particular, increased price sensitivity and perceived quality of food products concerns consumers in crisis situations. The aim of this study was to research beyond panic buying behaviors, by investigating if consumer buying behavior has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding price sensitivity and perceived quality within two specific food categories, meat as well as fruits and vegetables. In addition, a moderating effect of residency in either Austria or Sweden was tested. A quantitative method has been used, in which consumers in Austria and Sweden were surveyed in an online questionnaire. 169 responses from consumers were analyzed. The result suggests that the buying behavior in regard to price sensitivity and perceived quality of meat, fruits, and vegetables has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. No moderating effect of residency was found. The findings in the study create a foundation in a unique crisis situation that has never been studied before and the exploratory nature of the study gives multiple indicators for future research.

Numerical information is ubiquitous in modern life. The prevalence of numerical information in the marketplace necessitates understanding how consumers handle and interpret that information, for both theoretical and practical reasons. Past research has largely focused on consumers’ encoding of numbers, calculative limitations, and usage of heuristics. This dissertation will contribute to this burgeoning literature in several ways. First, I identify a general tendency in how consumers calculate ratios based on an intuitive model of division. Specifically, consumers tend to divide larger numbers by smaller numbers. The intuitive model of division has marketing implications for both consumers’ evaluations of quantity offers and sensitivities to promotions. Next, I examine how consumers draw inferences from distributional information. In contrast to the assumption that consumers utilize means to assess central tendency, I demonstrate that consumers use the modal response to judge what is typical, with implications for consumers’ inferences about product ratings and other social distributions. / PHD / Numerical information is ubiquitous in modern life. The prevalence of numerical information in the marketplace necessitates understanding how consumers handle and interpret that information, for both theoretical and practical reasons. Past research has largely focused on how consumers’ mentally perceive numbers, how difficult it is to engage in calculation, and usage of mental shortcuts. This dissertation will contribute to this burgeoning literature in several ways. First, I identify a general tendency in how consumers calculate ratios based on an intuitive model of division. Specifically, consumers tend to divide larger numbers by smaller numbers. The intuitive model of division has marketing implications for both consumers’ evaluations of quantity offers and sensitivities to promotions. Next, I examine how consumers draw inferences from distributional information. In contrast to the assumption that consumers utilize means to assess central tendency, I demonstrate that consumers use the modal response to judge what is typical, with implications for consumers’ inferences about product ratings and other social distributions.

<p><strong>Bakgrund:</strong> Svenska transportföretag är utsatta för hård konkurrens från utländska företag. För attkunna överleva måste de svenska transportföretagen skapa mervärde åt sina kunder.</p><p><strong>Problemformulering:</strong> Vilka faktorer är viktiga vid utformning av tilläggstjänster för att svenskatransportföretag ska nå långsiktig överlevnad?</p><p><strong>Syfte:</strong> Syftet med detta arbete är att analysera och utvärdera transportköpande företags behov avtilläggstjänster.</p><p>Metod: Uppsatsen har ett hermeneutiskt synsätt. Författarna använder sig av en kombination avkvalitativa och kvantitativa undersökningsmetoder för att generera en djupare förståelse ochmöjlighet att dra vissa slutsatser. Forskningsansatsen är deduktiv.</p><p><strong>Teorier:</strong> De teorier som används i uppsatsen är: Mervärdesteorin, Involveringsteorin, Nätverkssynsättet.</p><p><strong>Empiri:</strong> Empirin består av primärdata inhämtad via intervjuer och enkäter med representanter fråntransportköpande företag.</p><p><strong>Resultat/Analys:</strong> Vi har kommit fram till att majoriteten av de tillfrågade företagen i dennaundersökning har önskemål om att få ta del av transportföretagens tilläggstjänster och att eventuellti samråd med dessa även utveckla nya.</p><p><strong>Slutsats:</strong> Transportköpande företag är i hög utsträckning höginvolverade i transporter. De är därförmottagliga för relationsmarknadsföring. Detta möjliggör för svenska transportföretag att interageramed kunderna. Genom värdeskapande aktiviteter med kunderna kan tilläggstjänster skapas och ettmervärde uppstår för båda parter.</p> / <p><strong>Background:</strong> Swedish transport companies are facing strong competition from foreign companies. To survive, the Swedish transport companies have to create value for its customers.</p><p><strong>Problem definition:</strong> What factors are important in the definition of additional services to Swedish transport companies to achieve long‐term survival?</p><p><strong>Purpose:</strong> The purpose of this work is to analyze and evaluate transport buying companies need of additional services.</p><p><strong>Method:</strong> This bachelor essay has a hermeneutical approach. The authors use a combination ofqualitative and quantitative research methods to generate a deeper understanding and ability todraw some conclusions. The research approach is deductive.</p><p><strong>Theories:</strong> The theories used in the essay is: Value theory, Involvement theory,</p><p><strong>Empiric:</strong> The empirical data consists of primary data gathered through interviews and questionnaire swith representatives from the transport buyers.</p><p><strong>Results/Analysis:</strong> We have found out that the majority of the companies surveyed in this study want to take part of the transport companies additional services and in consultation with these, and also develop new ones.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Transport buying companies are often high involved in transports. They are therefore susceptible to relationship marketing. This makes it possible for Swedish transport companies tointeract with customers. By value‐adding activities with the customers the companies can create additional services and value for both parties.</p>

Bakgrund: Svenska transportföretag är utsatta för hård konkurrens från utländska företag. För attkunna överleva måste de svenska transportföretagen skapa mervärde åt sina kunder. Problemformulering: Vilka faktorer är viktiga vid utformning av tilläggstjänster för att svenskatransportföretag ska nå långsiktig överlevnad? Syfte: Syftet med detta arbete är att analysera och utvärdera transportköpande företags behov avtilläggstjänster. Metod: Uppsatsen har ett hermeneutiskt synsätt. Författarna använder sig av en kombination avkvalitativa och kvantitativa undersökningsmetoder för att generera en djupare förståelse ochmöjlighet att dra vissa slutsatser. Forskningsansatsen är deduktiv. Teorier: De teorier som används i uppsatsen är: Mervärdesteorin, Involveringsteorin, Nätverkssynsättet. Empiri: Empirin består av primärdata inhämtad via intervjuer och enkäter med representanter fråntransportköpande företag. Resultat/Analys: Vi har kommit fram till att majoriteten av de tillfrågade företagen i dennaundersökning har önskemål om att få ta del av transportföretagens tilläggstjänster och att eventuellti samråd med dessa även utveckla nya. Slutsats: Transportköpande företag är i hög utsträckning höginvolverade i transporter. De är därförmottagliga för relationsmarknadsföring. Detta möjliggör för svenska transportföretag att interageramed kunderna. Genom värdeskapande aktiviteter med kunderna kan tilläggstjänster skapas och ettmervärde uppstår för båda parter. / Background: Swedish transport companies are facing strong competition from foreign companies. To survive, the Swedish transport companies have to create value for its customers. Problem definition: What factors are important in the definition of additional services to Swedish transport companies to achieve long‐term survival? Purpose: The purpose of this work is to analyze and evaluate transport buying companies need of additional services. Method: This bachelor essay has a hermeneutical approach. The authors use a combination ofqualitative and quantitative research methods to generate a deeper understanding and ability todraw some conclusions. The research approach is deductive. Theories: The theories used in the essay is: Value theory, Involvement theory, Empiric: The empirical data consists of primary data gathered through interviews and questionnaire swith representatives from the transport buyers. Results/Analysis: We have found out that the majority of the companies surveyed in this study want to take part of the transport companies additional services and in consultation with these, and also develop new ones. Conclusion: Transport buying companies are often high involved in transports. They are therefore susceptible to relationship marketing. This makes it possible for Swedish transport companies tointeract with customers. By value‐adding activities with the customers the companies can create additional services and value for both parties.

Submitted by JORGE JACOB FILHO (jorgejacob@gmail.com) on 2016-05-24T18:36:39Z No. of bitstreams: 2 ~$e price of the threat - dissertação 06.05 (completo).docx: 162 bytes, checksum: 2ae824f3602b738b79fd94cffe5d470f (MD5) Dissertação final para biblioteca 24.mai.pdf: 1505142 bytes, checksum: ed1c813b8dd0d5ad8dadcd26d9c6ebac (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ÁUREA CORRÊA DA FONSECA CORRÊA DA FONSECA (aurea.fonseca@fgv.br) on 2016-06-03T12:36:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 ~$e price of the threat - dissertação 06.05 (completo).docx: 162 bytes, checksum: 2ae824f3602b738b79fd94cffe5d470f (MD5) Dissertação final para biblioteca 24.mai.pdf: 1505142 bytes, checksum: ed1c813b8dd0d5ad8dadcd26d9c6ebac (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2016-06-07T14:42:38Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 ~$e price of the threat - dissertação 06.05 (completo).docx: 162 bytes, checksum: 2ae824f3602b738b79fd94cffe5d470f (MD5) Dissertação final para biblioteca 24.mai.pdf: 1505142 bytes, checksum: ed1c813b8dd0d5ad8dadcd26d9c6ebac (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-07T14:42:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 ~$e price of the threat - dissertação 06.05 (completo).docx: 162 bytes, checksum: 2ae824f3602b738b79fd94cffe5d470f (MD5) Dissertação final para biblioteca 24.mai.pdf: 1505142 bytes, checksum: ed1c813b8dd0d5ad8dadcd26d9c6ebac (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-26 / In field experiments with subjects living either inside or outside Brazilian slums (n=955), we show that consumers living in slums are less price sensitive, in opposition with recent price sensitivity research. Comparing slum and non-slum dwellers, we found that negatively stereotyped consumers (e.g. slum dwellers) were more likely to pay higher amounts for friendlier customer service when facing social identity threats (SITs) in marketplaces such as banks. The mechanism which makes them less price sensitive is related to the perception of how other people evaluate their social groups, and we argue that they pay more because they are seeking identity-safe commercial relationships. This work, besides extending the literature in SITs, presents a perspective for the exchange between economics and psychology on price sensitivity, showing that consumers living in slums are willing to pay more to avoid possibly social identity threating experiences.

This thesis deals with communication mix of company Petr Heyduk. Thesis is created in parallel with practice. There are suggested parts of company marketing strategy with emphasis to communication mix. Market analysis is made primarily by questionnaires, analysis of price sensitivity and analysis of the target segment of the addressed people on the internet.

Titel: Sambandet mellan country-of-origin och svenska konsumenters varumärkeslojalitet och priskänslighet – En kvantitativ studie om huruvida svenska konsumenters associationer till Sverige kan påverka deras lojalitet och priskänslighet mot svenska livsmedelsvarumärken. Nivå: Examensarbete på Grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi. Författare: Julia Nordin &amp; Emilia Tušetić Handledare: Blanca Astrid Moreno Datum: 2023 – maj Syfte: I tider då matvarupriser stiger ändrar svenska konsumenter ofta sina köpbeteenden. Tidigare studier har dock visat att varumärkeslojala konsumenter generellt är mindre priskänsliga. Andra studier har även diskuterat om ett varumärkes ursprungsland kan ses som en betydande faktor som gör kunden mer lojal och därmed mindre benägen att byta till ett billigare varumärke då priserna stiger. Få studier har däremot gjorts i svensk kontext, varför denna studie finner ett stort intresse i att undersöka vilket samband country-of-origin har med svenska konsumenters lojalitet och priskänslighet för svenska livsmedelsvarumärken. Studiens frågeställningar blir således: Vilket samband har country-of-origin med svenska konsumenters lojalitet för svenska livsmedelsvarumärken, samt vilken effekt har country-of-origin på valet av svenska livsmedelsvarumärken när dessa ökar i pris?  Metod: Studien grundar sig i den positivistiska forskningsfilosofin med en hypotetisk-deduktiv forskningsansats. Studien åtar en kvantitativ strategi med en surveydesign som bidragit med data från 135 respondenter. Datamaterialet har sedan analyserats i statistikprogrammet SPSS. Resultat &amp; Slutsats: Studiens resultat visar att country-of-origin inte har något signifikant samband med svenska konsumenters lojalitet för svenska livsmedelsvarumärken men att det finns ett positivt signifikant samband mellan country-of-origin och svenska konsumenters val av svenska livsmedelsvarumärken. Studien kunde också fastställa att svenska konsumenter med positiva attityder till Sverige, svenskar och människor som köper kött från svenska varumärken, är mindre priskänsliga beträffande svenska livsmedelsvarumärken än konsumenter med negativa attityder. Examensarbetets bidrag: Examensarbetet har bidragit till det företagsekonomiska forskningsområdet såväl teoretiskt som praktiskt genom att visa vilket samband som finns mellan svenska konsumenters associationer till Sverige och deras lojalitet och priskänslighet mot svenska livsmedelsvarumärken. Kunskapen om de prisrelaterade konsekvenserna av ett varumärkes ursprungsland kan komma till användning när prissättningsstrategier eller strategier för marknadskommunikation ska utformas, framför allt då prisnivån stiger och konsumenternas köpbeteende förändras.  Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Denna undersökning har gjorts på ett begränsat urval av respondenter. Av denna anledning föreslås att framtida forskning tar del av ett heterogent sannolikhetsurval med ett större antal respondenter. Det finns även möjlighet att utvidga studien till att omfatta andra dimensioner av varumärkeslojalitet, andra produktkategorier och produktklasser, konsumentens grad av etnocentricitet, samt andra länder. / Title: The relationship between country-of-origin and Swedish consumers' brand loyalty and price sensitivity – A quantitative study on whether Swedish consumers' associations with Sweden can influence their loyalty and price sensitivity towards Swedish food brands. Level: Student thesis, final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration.  Authors: Julia Nordin &amp; Emilia Tušetić Supervisor: Blanca Astrid Moreno Date: 2023 – may Aim: In times when food prices are rising, Swedish consumers often change their purchasing behavior by buying less or by switching to cheaper brands. However, previous studies argue that brand loyal consumers are less price sensitive. Other studies have also discussed whether a brand's country of origin is a significant factor that can make the customer more loyal to a brand, and thus less inclined to switch to a cheaper brand as prices are rising. However, few studies have been done in a swedish context, which is why this study finds great interest in investigating the relationship between the country of origin of a brand and Swedish consumers' loyalty and price sensitivity for Swedish food brands. The research questions are: What relationship does country-of-origin have with Swedish consumers' loyalty to Swedish food brands, and what effect does country-of-origin have on the choice of Swedish food brands when these increase in price? Method: The study is based on the positivist research philosophy with a hypothetical-deductive research approach. The study adopts a quantitative strategy with a survey design that contributed data from 135 respondents. The data has then been analyzed in the statistical program SPSS. Results &amp; Conclusion: The results of the study show that country-of-origin has no significant relationship with Swedish consumers' loyalty to Swedish food brands, but that there is a positive significant relationship between country-of-origin and Swedish consumers' choice of Swedish food brands. The study was also able to determine that Swedish consumers with positive attitudes towards Sweden, Swedish people and people who buy food from Swedish brands, are less price sensitive regarding Swedish food brands than consumers with negative attitudes. Contribution of the thesis: This thesis has contributed to the business economics research area both theoretically and practically by showing the connection between Swedish consumers' associations to Sweden and their loyalty and price sensitivity towards Swedish food brands. The knowledge of price-related consequences of a brand's country of origin can be used when pricing strategies or marketing communication strategies are to be designed, especially when the price level rises and consumers' buying behavior changes. Suggestions for future research: This survey has been conducted on a limited sample of respondents. For this reason, it is suggested that future research includes a heterogeneous probability sample with a larger number of respondents. It is also possible to include other dimensions of brand loyalty, different product categories and product classes, the customer's level of ethnocentricity, and other countries.

This bachelor thesis within mathematical statistics studies the possibility of modelling the renewal probability for commercial non-life insurance policyholders. The project was carried out in collaboration with the non-life insurance company If P&amp;C Insurance Ltd. at their headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. The paper includes an introduction to underlying concepts within insurance and mathematics and a detailed review of the analytical process followed by a discussion and conclusions. The first stages of the project were the initial collection and processing of explanatory insurance data and the development of a logistic regression model for policy renewal. An initial model was built and modern methods of mathematics and statistics were applied in order obtain a final model consisting of 9 significant characteristics. The regression model had a predictive power of 61%. This suggests that it to a certain degree is possible to predict the renewal probability of non-life insurance policyholders based on their characteristics. The results from the final model were ultimately translated into a measure of price sensitivity which can be implemented in both pricing models and CRM systems. We believe that price sensitivity analysis, if done correctly, is a natural step in improving the current pricing models in the insurance industry and this project provides a foundation for further research in this area. / Detta kandidatexamensarbete inom matematisk statistik undersöker möjligheten att modellera förnyelsegraden för kommersiella skadeförsärkringskunder. Arbetet utfördes i samarbete med If Skadeförsäkring vid huvudkontoret i Stockholm, Sverige. Uppsatsen innehåller en introduktion till underliggande koncept inom försäkring och matematik samt en utförlig översikt över projektets analytiska process, följt av en diskussion och slutsatser. De huvudsakliga delarna av projektet var insamling och bearbetning av förklarande försäkringsdata samt utvecklandet och tolkningen av en logistisk regressionsmodell för förnyelsegrad. En första modell byggdes och moderna metoder inom matematik och statistik utfördes för att erhålla en slutgiltig regressionsmodell uppbyggd av 9  signifikanta kundkaraktäristika. Regressionsmodellen hade en förklaringsgrad av 61% vilket pekar på att det till en viss grad är möjligt att förklara förnyelsegraden hos försäkringskunder utifrån dessa karaktäristika. Resultaten från den slutgiltiga modellen översattes slutligen till ett priskänslighetsmått vilket möjliggjorde implementering i prissättningsmodeller samt CRM-system. Vi anser att priskänslighetsanalys, om korrekt genomfört, är ett naturligt steg i utvecklingen av dagens prissättningsmodeller inom försäkringsbranschen och detta projekt lägger en grund för fortsatta studier inom detta område.

近年來行動裝置已是相當地普遍且普及率逐年快速成長，由Google在2013年對台灣的市場調查報告中可知，台灣智慧型手機普及率已達51%，而隨著各種不同功能的應用服務之增加，行動裝置已經改變了我們許多的生活習慣，其影響力更是不可忽視。 過去許多的文獻在探討與研究價格敏感度與消費者的比價行為之關係，但在行動裝置普及的情形下並沒有相關之研究，行動裝置對其關係之影響仍有許多探討之空間。因此本研究的目的是由行動裝置之自我效能作為調節變數，探討對價格敏感度與行動比價行為意圖之間關係的影響。 本研究採用網路問卷進行研究資料的蒐集，調查對象為擁有智慧型手機的一般消費者，共得有效樣本504份，並利用結構方程模式與多群組分析來驗證整體研究架構。研究結果顯示，行動裝置自我效能之調節效應被確立，當消費者的行動裝置之自我效能越高時，則會更加地影響價格敏感度高的消費者，使他的行動比價意圖相對變得更加強烈，且本研究揣測未來行動裝置自我效能高的消費者，只會隨時間而不斷增加，而商品資訊變得更加透明化，將造成消費者的價格敏感度大幅提升，使得消費者的行動比價意圖變高，進行比價行為。在行動裝置的普及下，消費者的價格敏感度與行動比價之間的關係會更加地強烈。未來後續研究可針對某感興趣的產品類別進行研究以便瞭解訂價策略之研擬，對於特定產品之研究在學術界與實務上皆深具意義。 / Mobile devices are more and more popular today. According to Google’s market report, smart phone penetration rate has reached 51% in Taiwan in 2013. With various features and increasing applications, mobile devices have changed our daily lives in many ways. There is much literature exploring the relationship between price sensitivity and price comparison behavior. However there is no such research exploring the relationship in a mobile device setting. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to study price comparison behavior on a mobile device. Specifically, I explore the moderating effect of mobile device self-efficacy on the relationship between price sensitivity and price comparison on a mobile device. In the paper, I develop a conceptual model according to literature review. To measure constructs in the model, I identify appropriate items based on literature and revise the items to fit the study. Data were collected using online questionnaires. The survey population is common shoppers in Taiwan who are using mobile device. Total 504 valid samples were obtained. As for data analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM) and multiple-group analysis were used to test the model. The results show that the moderating effect of mobile device self-efficacy is significant. Price-sensitive shoppers compare prices on a mobile device only when they consider themselves capable of operating the device. Specifically, for high price-sensitive shoppers, high mobile device self-efficacy make them much more intend to compare prices on a mobile device. The study has many implications especially when mobile device is becoming a commodity and product prices cannot be more transparent.

This research was driven by Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to examine the impact of ecological knowledge, ecological concern, and man-nature orientation on green purchasing (including both intention and actual behavior), with the moderating effect of price sensitivity and allowance and/or income. This research surveyed 602 Malaysian university students within the age bracket of 18 to 25, because this specific demographic is a sizeable market and such research is lacking in an emerging economy like Malaysia. The results demonstrated that ecological concern and man-nature orientation influenced purchase intention and actual purchase. The findings also indicated that price sensitivity and allowance and/or income moderated the relationship between behavioral intention and actual behavior. This study has two implications: (1) it extends TRA by exploring the potential moderating variables between behavioral intention and actual behavior, and its findings adds to the body of knowledge in the area of green consumer behavior; (2) marketing managers can formulate their green marketing strategies effectively by consistently driving heart-warming campaigns to create or stir consumers’ emotions. Marketers should keep in mind that Malaysians are highly influenced by man-nature relationship belief, and additionally, marketers need to be careful in justifying pricing difference between non-green and green products for consumers that are sensitive to price.