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Retailing industry is facing sterner competition in satisfying consumers¡¦ needs due to diversified market demands and shorter product life cycles. Thus, the selling characteristics of retailers have changed significantly into multifunctional retailing. Under the trend of internationalization, multinational retailers gradually entered Taiwan and became the major retailing channel in Taiwan. This thesis aims at analyzing the characteristics of multinational retailers¡¦ managerial control systems, comparing their attributes under different conditions of: level of internationalization, capital structure and styles of managers, and determine whether different retailing chain would yield different managerial control systems. Research objectives are as follows: 1. To analyze the relation between the design, operation and staff styles in managerial control systems of retail stores located in different locations. 2. The relation between the level of internationalization and the level of structuralization of the retail stores¡¦ managerial control systems. 3. Serve retailing industry in Taiwan as an example, whether there are relations between stockholder structures and firms¡¦ managerial control systems. 4. To provide a basic model of improvement on managerial control systems in Taiwan¡¦s retailing firms under different cultural structures. This thesis applied both in-depth interview and questionnaire survey methods to gather practical experiences of the interviewees. Four aspects are used to analyze whether the internal managerial systems of retailers are different. Related studies are also consulted. The research discovered that although retailing is categorized into service industries, the consumers generally possess high price elasticity, thus methods are needed to lower costs. As a consequence, extreme centralization and bureaucratic control systems are necessary to a firm¡¦s success, especially to multinational retailers¡¦ managerial control systems.

This diploma thesis deals with food retailing in the USA. It is divided into 9 chapters. The first chapter includes important theoretical definitions and classifications. The next one explains the formats that are used in food retailing in the USA. The third one adds the area of logistics into the matter, which is also very important in retailing. The next chapter provides general introduction into the US market, like macro-economic data and socio-cultural specifications. The fifth chapter is the most important as it deals with the analysis of food retailing in the USA. The last parts of the thesis are dedicated to the comparison of the US food retailing market and the European food retailing market.

Pricing strategy plays an important role in retail competitiveness. This research is a systematic enquiry into the choice of pricing strategy by mass merchandisers, reviewing whether everyday low pricing (EDLP) or discounting (known as high low pricing or HLP) is more effective, and making recommendations on how pricing can be used to support competitive advantage within the mass merchandise sector. Through measurement of consumer perceptions and analysis of financial and transactional data, key observations are made about the consumer response to retail pricing strategy. A variety of managerial implications are drawn from the results and suggestions for future research are offered.

Study Supervisor: Mr J.H. Visser Completed: 2008 / A loyal customer can mean a consistent source of revenue to organizations. Organizations have shifted their emphasis of finding customers to one of keeping customers. One of the relationship-marketing tools employed to harness customer loyalty is the customer loyalty programme. Loyalty programmes are an established feature of the retail landscape in mature, developed markets. The South African market has recently seen the implementation of such programmes. There is considerable debate as to the effectiveness of loyalty programmes in achieving customer loyalty. Research conducted in mature markets has revealed mixed results. The South African market has been shaped by the recent economic, political and social changes, and is unique in its make-up. The value and effect of loyalty programmes still have to be explored within this market. The study aimed at exploring the awareness, perceptions and effects of customer loyalty programmes within the retail industry of the Durban Metropolitan area. Focus groups were conducted from which a questionnaire was formulated. The questionnaire was then distributed to 115 consumers with the Durban Metropolitan area. The study revealed that the respondents within the sample had an accurate understanding of the purpose of a customer loyalty programme. A slightly higher proportion of respondents belonged to one or more customer loyalty programmes. It was revealed, however, that membership to customer loyalty programmes did not primarily influence purchasing behaviour. Consumers were influenced to join and use the customer loyalty programmes by the rewards and perks offered by the programme. Customers tended to favour programmes offering incentives perceived to be worthwhile and when the benefits of joining such a programme outweighed the cost. Regular customers are more loyalty programmes likely to join customer, thereby increasing the received benefits.

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The aim of this thesis is to explain how the shops (tabernae) of Roman Britain related to society. The buildings of a more humble nature, including tabernae, have been frequently overlooked at the expense of the more ornate public buildings and villas. This thesis proposes to redress this imbalance, as it is believed that retailing and manufacture were one of the most crucial features of Roman society. Varied sources have been used to aid this hypothetical reconstruction and these included the excavated archaeological remains, the extant remains from other parts of the empire and the ancient literary sources. Although these provided a wealth of information they are by themselves limited in what they can reveal about their society. Anthropological and geographical studies have proved an immensely useful tool to illuminate other aspects of society. These were approached with great circumspection and examined in relation to the archaeological evidence. Using all this information the thesis attempts to describe and explain the major factors that helped to create the form and geographical pattern of retail establishments in Roman Britain. It is argued that the tabernae were more responsive to and give a more accurate picture of the social and economic climate of Roman Britain than any other building type. It appears that the Romano-British community was well catered for in life's necessities with a wide variety of merchandise supplied by tabernae. The development of tabernae is difficult to summarise, as more than any other building type they were subject to a multitude of varied and individual circumstances, but it can be demonstrated that a thriving and competitive retailing community existed in the major settlements of Roman Britain.

Pricing strategy plays an important role in retail competitiveness. This research is a systematic enquiry into the choice of pricing strategy by mass merchandisers, reviewing whether everyday low pricing (EDLP) or discounting (known as high low pricing or HLP) is more effective, and making recommendations on how pricing can be used to support competitive advantage within the mass merchandise sector. Through measurement of consumer perceptions and analysis of financial and transactional data, key observations are made about the consumer response to retail pricing strategy. A variety of managerial implications are drawn from the results and suggestions for future research are offered.