In pace with a growing awareness among customers, so does the demand for sustainable products increase in various markets. Sustainability is even referred to become a mega-trend (Lubin & Esty, 2010). Although, extensive research can be found on sustainability and its three pillars; environment, social and economic, little is known whether there is a general customer demand for sustainability for any type of good. Therefore, this study’s purpose has been to compare sustainability demand for convenience goods and shopping goods, with the research question ‘Is the customer’s sustainability demand different between different types of goods? And if so, what are the differences?’ By using a deductive approach, hypotheses has been drawn by examining existing research in the fields of consumer behaviour, customer behaviour and sustainability in general but also for the food and apparel industry respectively.With a quantitative method using a questionnaire, primary data has been collected of customers’ sustainability demand within the food and the apparel industries as representatives for convenience goods and shopping goods respectively. The questionnaire was designed to capture customers’ sustainability demand based on their perceived importance of the three pillars of sustainability. A comparison between the industries resulted in significant mean answers of 3,97 for food and 3,17 for apparel, on a six-point scale. Further,a marginally equal level was demanded for the three pillars within food whereas the environmental pillar was considerably less ranked within apparel. The study further compares the sustainable attitude against sustainable behaviour. Actual buying of sustainable goods within all three pillars was shown to be lower than demand for both types of goods. Lastly, an exploratory research was conducted on the two types of goods in combination with demographic factors, resulting in indications of what factors companies should take into consideration. The final conclusion of the research question was that there is a difference in customers’ sustainability demand for different types of goods.

Purpose: The aim of this research is to investigate if positive attitudes influence the intentions to purchase groceries online. In order fulfil the purpose and test the relationship between attitudes and intentions, the Theory of Planned Behaviour is used as the underlying theoretical model. Background: The e-commerce market in Sweden is regarded as one of the most developed e-commerce markets in Europe, however the grocery market is still striving for an online breakthrough. One of the largest obstacles for the online grocery market is the lack of consumer adoption. Previous research has emphasized the importance of understanding consumer attitudes and its influence on the consumers’ intention to adopt an e-commerce behaviour. Existing theories recognize a gap within positive attitudes’ and their influence on the intentions to adopt e-commerce. Method: An explanatory strategy and a deductive approach were applied in order to test the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Three hypotheses were developed based on the model. The empirical study was based on a quantitative approach and the data collection was made possible through an online survey targeted towards adults in Sweden. Furthermore the analysis of the data was done in SPSS through factor analysis, correlation matrix, descriptive variables and multi linear regression analysis, this provided answers for the hypotheses with a 95% confidence interval. Findings and conclusion: The analysed empirical findings presented overall positive attitudes, as well as a strong correlation between positive attitudes and intentions within online grocery shopping. This answers the research question and fulfils the purpose of examining the influence that positive attitudes have on intentions within the field of online grocery shopping. This research successfully tests the Theory of Planned Behaviour and suggestions for further research is to examine the underlying factors in a qualitative study.

The shopping centre phenomenon in South Africa received more attention as the number of shopping malls increased significantly in the townships in the mid-1990s. The increase in shopping centres led to a change in consumer behaviour. It became important for retailers and developers to understand the effects of consumer behaviour when structuring the retail system. As such this study explores the changes in consumer behaviour in South African townships in relation to the emergence of Mega City shopping centre in Umlazi Township in the city of Durban. The study is based on in-depth interviews with randomly selected customers at Mega City shopping centre and also household surveys conducted in the Umlazi V section to determine the change in consumer behaviour induced by the introduction of shopping centres. These interviews were also conducted with shopkeepers from various service shops within shopping centre and other key informants from Umlazi V section. The study reveals that shopping experiences in South African townships have drastically changed due to the introduction of shopping malls as the consumers can now access a variety of services within their communities. This is due to the possibility of shopping within a short distance as it reduces costs both in time and money. The study highlights that the development of shopping centres in South African townships in the mid-90s changed consumer behaviour both quantitatively and qualitatively. The key factors that were identified by the study as playing a big role in influencing consumer choices and experiences due to the development of shopping centres include location, accessibility, services offered, competition and affordability of products and services.

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to measure the effectiveness of a grocery store tour that emphasized sources of iron-rich, kid-friendly foods on the participants’ knowledge about dietary iron and iron-rich food sources. A second purpose was to determine if, three months after the grocery store tour, the serum iron levels of the children who had previously been identified by the WIC (Supplemental Women, Infants, and Children) program as being low was higher as compared to the serum iron levels of the control group. Ten parents of children with low iron levels participated in this study, 5 in the control group and 5 in the treatment group. Data collection took place for this research study over the course of three months. The results of this study indicated that the grocery store intervention seemed to have no impact on the children’s hemoglobin levels. The results of this study also indicated that the grocery store tour intervention seemed to have no impact on children’s consumption of iron rich foods. However, the grocery store tour intervention did have a positive impact on parents’ knowledge of iron rich foods and their ability to use unit pricing. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Low socioeconomic families must make many difficult decisions when purchasing foods for their family. As a result, many low-income families base their diets on less expensive, nutrient-poor convenience foods. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the impact of a virtual grocery shopping tour on the ability of low-income Delaware County adults to understand and use the Nutrition Facts Panel. Twenty-one low-income adults participated in the virtual grocery tour that focused on how to use the Nutrition Facts Panel to select healthier food items. Results indicated participants’ confidence in their ability to “use the Nutrition Facts Panel” (7.0 ± 3.5 vs. 9.2 ± 1.8; t=2.53, p=0.021) and to identify a low sodium breakfast cereal (t=3.375; p=0.003) increased after the intervention. However, there was no increase in the participants’ confidence to choose healthy items at the grocery store (t=1.34; p=0.196) or in their ability to identify if a cereal was “high” in fiber (t=1.714; p=0.104), “high” in iron (t=0.438; p=0.667), or a “good” source (e.g., 10-19% DV) of calcium (t=0.438; t=0.667). Future efforts should focus on a narrower curriculum so as not to overwhelm participants. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

禮多-禮品購物網站創業計畫 / Riddle.com.tw - Gift Shopping Website Business Plan

Spurred by changing retail and development patterns, as well as continuous suburban growth, greyfield sites can be found at the heart of most postwar suburbs in North American municipalities. Ranging in definition, greyfields are best described as an “underused, economically obsolete, retail tract located in an inner ring suburb that requires significant public and private involvement to curtail decline” (Feronti, 2003, p.11). However, tied to demographic trends and increased municipal urbanization, these vacated retail sites are positioned well for redevelopment. Yet, the redevelopment process of these sites is fraught with impeding and facilitating factors that can have significant implications for redevelopment options and viability. As such, research questions considered were: Do municipalities address greyfield challenges and opportunities? What factors impede and facilitate greyfield redevelopment? This thesis also asks these questions within the context of the City of Edmonton’s current policy and existing built form, and asked: How should greyfields be planned in the City of Edmonton? This thesis attempts to answer these questions through a review and analysis of existing literature, case studies (Belmar in Lakewood, Colorado and Century Park in Edmonton, Alberta) and through primary research conducted with key stakeholders. The research found that municipalities were largely unacquainted with the challenges and opportunities of greyfield redevelopment. Where support guidelines did exist, they were largely aspirational and lacked consideration for the unique impeding and facilitating factors of greyfield redevelopment. It was found that impeding factors to greyfield redevelopment ranged from administrative hurdles fraught with inexperience in greyfield redevelopment, to financial and land economic constraints. Facilitating factors were found in collaborative stakeholder consultation, municipal and administrative leadership, and a range of supportive fiscal mechanisms. Lastly, ten recommendations to facilitate greyfield redevelop within the City of Edmonton were discussed.

從1988年起，星座在台灣即展開大規模流行，時至今日成為當紅的話題之一。無論是在報紙、雜誌或是電視媒體、網站等，開闢專欄提供星座運勢的資訊已經成為不可缺少的內容；同時，在行銷上之運用也越來越多。 雖然星座在台灣蔚為風潮，但國內關於星座的研究卻非常缺乏，並且尚無學術性之科學驗證。因此，本研究從現象觀察出發，初步分析不同星座對於人格特質和購物傾向之影響是否有所差異、星座和人格特質是否同時對購物傾向產生影響、以及探討星座自我歸因（self-attribution）之效果是否存在。 研究結果發現有三大部分：首先，星座對於人格特質以及購物傾向皆具有顯著的影響力；其次，人格特質與購物傾向不但有顯著的相關性，並且當星座和人格特質同時存在時對於購物傾向之影響是最大的；第三，星座對於人格特質和購物傾向之影響並不在於星座自我歸因的效果，而是星座本身就具有預測的效果。 由於本研究為初探性研究，所得之結果及經驗仍有不足，有待未來相關研究繼續探討。因此，建議實務界可以針對大台北地區，年輕、具上網習慣之學生族群使用星座作為行銷宣傳工具，其訊息及產品之吸引力會更大。同時，建議學術界對於星座不該再以完全迷信之態度對待，而是可以多進行相關之星座學術探討以及學理驗證，為這個世界上最古老的天文科學注入新的學術研究生命。

Form-finding in Architecture looks at processes in nature to discover a more correct way in which to organize building. It is a study into the capability of discovering optimum form, dynamic adaptability, and exposes a set of unique relationships not relevant to Architecture previously. The beauty of these objects does not have to be designed. It is an emergent property of natural form. However, the wonder lies not in aesthetics, but in the manner in which natural forms come into being seemingly without a plan, at a multitude of scales, and in a vast array of materials. Alone, pattern in nature opens a vast array of potentialities for the study into new methods of architectural design. It is important to note that this inquiry will not be into the aesthetics of self-organized pattern, but the mathematical and procedural processes of formation itself. This study forms a set of principles, methodologies and tools for structuring a full-scale form-finding inquiry through the self-organization of pattern in nature. Following this inquiry one should be able to apply the organizational principles of patterning in nature, specifically breakdown patterns, to inform the programmatic design and layout of shopping malls. The rules set forth outline the formation of breakdown patterns, and the ordering of shopping malls. Through the use of parametric modeling software and computer programming language, sets of digital models efficiently explore of the vast number of potential pattern organizations by mimicking their formation in digital space. Through computational scripting, digital models also reveal formation changes due to the adaptation to site, circulatory loads, and spatial distribution, while still maintaining the laws of pattern formation.

Consumers tell stories every day: stories about the products they buy, the experiences they consume, even their friends� and families� consumption experiences - in fact, stories about most aspects of their lives. People live �storied� lives. Consumption experiences are understood and related to others through stories (2003). These stories are loaded with personal, social and cultural meaning that varies significantly dependent upon the intended audience and effect (Bruner 1987) Stories are everywhere and understanding these narratives in relation to consumer experience is a challenge that consumer research must embrace (Stern 1998b). The study of such narratives must address issues such as the content of the story, how it is told, who is actually doing the telling and for what purpose. All these stories exist in context. These contexts are not a means in themselves; rather, they are a means to understand a particular aspect of a consumer phenomenon. In this case, the research presented in this thesis seeks to understand the purpose and function of consumers� narratives about commercial adventure experiences. Hence the context of this research is commercial adventure experiences consumed in Queenstown, New Zealand, billed in promotional tourist literature as �the adventure capital of the world� (Smitz et al. 2004). This specific focus on commercial adventure therefore defines the sample group as consumers of commercial adventure experiences in Queenstown. Hence, the scope of this research is limited to understanding the phenomenon under investigation (consumer narratives) in relation to members of Generation Y, as they are the primary consumers of commercial adventure experiences in New Zealand. This research adopts an interpretive, inductive approach utilising qualitative tools to frame and develop an evolving research question. The primary data collection has an initial framing of the research question phase and then three main phases utilising a variety of qualitative tools including observation, in-depth interviewing and videography. The research addressed many issues, including the preference of consumers to narrate these adventure consumption experiences to their most valued community, their home community, and how they intended to tell their stories to their home community when removed from that community. Additionally, consumers� perceptions of �cool� were investigated, together with the reactions they anticipated receiving from their audiences. This research investigated �cool� as a more meaningful term than status, used by the members of Generation Y to describe the most desired outcome for the narration of their consumption experiences. Several key themes emerged from this research. They were the use of these consumer experience narratives in the identity-construction process, both collectively and individually, and how this related to the classic hero myth identity construction (Campbell 1972) and how �cool� was acquired by these consumers through their narrations. Implications of the findings are presented for consumer research with specific reference to a model of community formation based on consumption practices and Generation Y as a community sharing a consciousness of kind.