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Purpose: This study examines how formal retail formats (FRFs), and informal retail formats (IRFs) may coexist as substitutes and complements in emerging markets because of store patronage driven by customers' chronic shopping orientations, and differences in salesperson consultation in the two retail formats. Design/methodology/approach: Using a shopping motivational orientation framework, we develop and test a moderated mediation model using survey data from 515 shoppers of formal and informal grocery retail outlets in India. Findings: While task-focused and experiential-focused shopping orientations influence both FRF and IRF patronage, store satisfaction mediates these relationships and crucially attenuates the negative impact of task-focused orientation on FRF patronage. Salesperson consultation moderates the mediating effects of satisfaction in the link between shopping orientation and patronage of both FRFs and IRFs. Research limitations/implications: The findings suggest that FRFs and IRFs could coexist as complements and substitutes when patronage is examined as repeated visits determined by shopping orientation, mediated by satisfaction and moderated by salesperson consultation. Practical implications: For FRFs and IRFs to be complements, both formats must prioritize their distinctive attributes that satisfy a consumer's chronic shopping orientation. Substitution depends on how both retail formats prioritize salesperson consultation and in-store characteristics that appeal to consumers' chronic orientation during specific shopping trips. Originality/value: Whilst FRFs must satisfy task-focused shoppers to compete with IRFs, salesperson consultation can inhibit such satisfaction. However, the extent of coexistence between FRFs and IRFs depends on how each format leverages salesperson consultation to enhance satisfaction of experiential-focused shoppers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tokay geckos are one of the most heavily traded species internationally, largely to supply demand for use in traditional Chinese medicine. Tokay geckos are largely sourced from the wild. While there is a legal trade, illegal collection from the wild as well as laundering through fraudulent captive-breeding operations is common. Very little is known of the status of this species in the wild, though it is understood to be in decline in some parts of its range. Hong Kong is an important destination for tokay geckos in trade, and here, we assessed the availability, reported origin, and monetary value of tokay geckos in Hong Kong's retail market. We surveyed 150 shops and found 220 tokay gecko pairs in 37% of all shops. We estimate that on average 15,000 tokay geckos are offered for sale in Hong Kong on any given day. The mean price of a tokay gecko pair is USD12, and the total retail value of the tokay geckos observed approaches USD180,000. Tokay geckos for sale in Hong Kong are said to be sourced from mainland China, Vietnam, and Thailand, and not from Indonesia despite Indonesia being the world's largest exporter of tokay geckos. However, recent seizures in Hong Kong were from Indonesia. Despite shop staff stating tokay geckos were from Vietnam, there are no such reports in the CITES Trade Database. Tokay geckos are clearly being obtained from a combination of legal and illegal sources, and therefore increased vigilance and further investigation is called for to prevent illegal trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider an e‐tailer's upstream supplier who wants to encroach into retailing to earn additional revenue. The supplier needs to decide whether or not to enter the retail market by either selling to consumers on the e‐tailer's platform by paying commission fees (agency encroachment) or opening an independent online/offline retail store (direct encroachment). The e‐tailer has private demand information and decides whether or not to share it with the supplier. Two leadership scenarios—the supplier‐leads (i.e., the supplier selects the channel before the e‐tailer decides whether to share information) and the e‐tailer‐leads (i.e., the supplier selects the channel after the e‐tailer decides whether to share information)—are examined. Our main findings are as follows. First, we show that the e‐tailer has no incentive to share information under no encroachment and direct encroachment. Interestingly, this result holds in both leadership scenarios. Second, a medium commission rate gives rise to an equilibrium of agency encroachment with information sharing by the e‐tailer. This equilibrium is more likely to sustain in the supplier‐leads scenario than in the e‐tailer‐leads scenario. Third, agency encroachment brings the supplier the highest sales volume (at retail in the encroaching channel plus on wholesale to the e‐tailer) when the two parties compete in quantity while direct encroachment does so for a price competition. Fourth, supplier encroachment always improves consumer surplus, but it is not necessarily welfare‐improving. Last, we find that the e‐tailer is more willing to share information to induce the supplier to encroach through his agency channel if he has a significant selling cost advantage over the supplier or can endogenously determine the commission rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rising competition in the apparel retail industry in India, multi-brand outlets need to create a particular store image in consumers' minds to ensure consumer loyalty and sales. Past studies indicate the impact of visual merchandising (VM) on store image, but few studies discuss how VM can help instore positioning. The current study explores how VM elements can be used for store positioning. The study employed a survey-based approach using a structured questionnaire to find the perception of 385 males and females of the 18e25 age groups belonging to one of India's largest cities, Ahmedabad, regarding VM The multi-branded retail outlets selected for the study were - Pantaloons, Westside, Ahmedabad Central, Brand Factory, and Shoppers Stop. The VM elements identified through a literature review were - atmospherics, window display, mannequin display, product display, signages, fixtures, and store props. In addition, discriminant analysis was used to generate a perceptual map, which revealed the unique position of each store in the consumer's mind based on different VM elements. Findings suggest that different combinations of VM elements can help multi-branded retail stores position themselves successfully in the shoppers' minds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses interregional differentiation in the distribution of electronic purchases among the population in Russia. The empirical base of the study is open regional data collected by statistical agencies and authorized government agencies, which were studied using panel regression methods. The aim of the work is to find out what factors are primarily responsible for the interregional spread in the level of online channel use in consumer retail purchases. The study focuses on regional drivers and barriers for the spread of e-commerce. The results show that shares of users of stationary computers and smartphones, as well as gross regional product per capita are the main positive factors, and lack of trust in e-commerce channels is the main obstacle, whereas Internet infrastructure, age structure, educational level, urbanization, aggregated regional preferences for personal purchases and physical availability of retail trade outlets were found to be irrelevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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To understand patterns in demand for emergency contraception (EC), we characterize the sales of over-the-counter (OTC) levonorgestrel (LNG) EC in the United States from traditional retail outlets. We describe sales of OTC LNG EC using retail sales data aggregated from traditional retail channels, including grocery stores, drug stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, dollar stores, and military outlets. Sales of OTC LNG EC doubled between 2016 and 2022 (approximately 7.2–14.8 million). Increasing sales of EC are consistent with increased use and use frequency of EC by those at risk of pregnancy in the United States. OTC LNG EC sales since 2016 exceed what national survey usage estimates would suggest, indicating that national surveys underreport EC use, those using EC purchase it somewhat frequently, and/or individuals stockpile EC for later use. The role of EC in individual contraceptive strategies, particularly as access to reproductive healthcare is restricted, warrants further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study offers an empirical investigation of inventory and sales dynamics in a large‐scale retail network setting. We infer the impact of product shortages on sales in neighboring outlets using unique data from a large fast fashion retailing chain and an Instrumented Difference‐in‐Differences (DDIV) methodology. Our analysis reveals that sales for a particular item at a focal store increases when that same item experiences stock‐outs in neighboring stores. Our empirical findings suggest that there is substitutability across stores, and that this substitutability is the strongest in the period when the stock‐out is observed for the first time, and decreases as time passes following the stock‐out. In order to assess the implications of considering the impact of stock‐outs on inventory allocation, we develop an optimization model that is calibrated using parameters estimated via our earlier DDIV analysis. The simulation analysis confirms that revenues markedly improve on average by 6% under low demand variance and by 14% under high demand variance when neighboring stock‐out information is taken into account for sales forecasting while optimizing initial inventory allocations. Finally, we conduct sensitivity analysis to evaluate how these potential revenue improvements vary with turnover, product price, and inventory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the well-being consequences of value co-creation activities at an ecosystem level, focusing specifically on the micro and meso levels. This study is performed in a retail ecosystem, a highly relevant context where individuals spend a considerable amount of time and resources, but where well-being is usually not deemed as a relevant outcome. Design/methodology/approach: The investigation analyzes qualitative data from micro and meso level actors of a retail ecosystem. At the micro-level, in-depth interviews performed with customers, employees and suppliers were assessed. The meso level analysis included most of the actors embedded in the retail ecosystem: employees' headquarters, suppliers' headquarters, nearby competitors, family, other retail outlets and external employees. Findings: This study is one of the first in the transformative service research area to analyze well-being from a retail ecosystem perspective. Hence, this analysis broadens the literature on transformative service by considering supermarket retailing, an everyday service context that is not assumed to generate well-being outcomes. Results reveal that actors who spend more time or have fewer options available for them in the retail ecosystem see their well-being deeply affected. It also extends the conceptualization of value co-creation to a retail ecosystem, a specific ecosystem, which differs from previous studies that focus mostly on health-care ecosystems. Research limitations/implications: Although useful to understand new insights, a limitation of this investigation is that it is based upon a single qualitative study. Practical implications: The study portrays how activities happening within a business context have consequences beyond traditional measures such as loyalty or turn-over. It proposes specific value co-creation actions to be performed by employees, suppliers and customers to promote positive well-being consequences for the micro and meso level retail ecosystem. Social implications: Retail ecosystems are usually not deemed as relevant when trying to understand societal well-being outcomes. This study empirically depicts that all services, even the ones without transformative goals, need to be aware of the impact they have on societal well-being. Originality/value: This paper provides a novel conceptualization of well-being effects in a retail ecosystem. Specifically, this is the first study in the transformative service research literature to identify the micro and meso level well-being consequences of value co-creation activities within a retail ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the decentralization of retail trade in Boston, Massachusetts. According to the author, during the decade of the 1930s, retail trade in Boston shifted from the metropolitan area to outlying communities. The author notes a number of factors influencing the purchase of shoes in the city. According to the author, women chose certain stores because of better styles, better quality and lower prices, while men chose stores because of quality, style, a larger assortment and based on the store's reliability.

Outlet stores offer attractive prices at locations far from central shopping districts. They form a large and growing component of many firms' retailing strategies, particularly in the fashion industry. I use a structural demand model to show that consumers are segmented according to their sensitivity to travel distance and taste for product newness. I then develop a supply model to predict product development responses to changes in store locations. Through policy simulations, I discover that the firm uses outlet stores to serve lower-value consumers who self-select by traveling to outlet stores from central shopping districts. The firm sells older, less desirable merchandise through outlet stores to prevent cannibalization of regular store revenues by means of exploiting the positive correlation between consumers' travel sensitivity and taste for new products. I find that the rate of new product introduction in regular stores would fall by 16% if outlet stores were closed down, while variable profits would decline by 23%. These results imply that the existence of outlet stores may enable firms to improve quality in their regular channels, thus counteracting brand dilution effects. Data are available at . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using daily unleaded gasoline data for almost the totality of Western Australian retail outlets over twenty years, we find that retail prices are most rigid when they are 9-ending as opposed to other price endings. Upward rigidity from a 9-ending retail price is found to be greater than downward rigidity in terms of a lower number of price movements. Irrespective of whether or not a 9-ending price is being charged, an upward gasoline price movement is likely, in absolute terms, to lead to a larger size of price change than a downward movement. In sharp contrast, we find that wholesale gasoline prices are not characterised in such ways and that irrespective of whether or not taxes are included, there is uniformity across the frequency distribution of price endings. The presence of 9-ending pricing affects the nonlinear response of retail gasoline prices to wholesale price movements. • A large sample of daily retail gasoline prices is analysed for twenty years. • For number of price changes, 9-ending prices are more rigid upwards than downwards. • Wholesale gasoline prices do not exhibit such behaviour. • When 9-ending prices do change, the magnitude is larger upwards than downwards. • 9-ending retail pricing affects the link between wholesale and retail prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various aspects and attributes of discount houses. The author believes that these stores have received little attention in marketing research at the time of publication because of possible fair trade violations, store owners are trying not to attract attention to themselves. According to the author, marketing students and others at the time of publication believe discount houses are a new phenomenon. The author asserts that these stores have been operating for a number of decades prior to the date of publication.

Retail attraction evolves with increasing consumer mobility. This article develops a method for analyzing purchase flows based on the use of localized databases, in order to estimate opportunities for sales outlets to capture customer stocks and flows in a market area. This method facilitates the evaluation of actual rather than speculative purchase behavior from a limited number of explanatory variables. It leads to new possibilities for evaluating purchase behavior induced by changes in the offering. The method is compared to traditional attraction models and shows greater reliability of results in measuring the attraction of outlets. It highlights the complementarities in local markets between territories and retail leakage phenomena. The method is an aid to decision making regarding the choice of location, size, format and product mix of stores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco retailers are key players in the ongoing tobacco epidemic. Tobacco outlet density is linked to a greater likelihood of youth and adult smoking and greater difficulty quitting. While public policy efforts to address the tobacco problem at the retail level have been limited, some retailers have voluntarily ended tobacco sales. A previous pilot study examined this phenomenon in California, a state with a strong tobacco program focused on denormalizing smoking and the tobacco industry. We sought to learn what motivated retailers in other states to end tobacco sales and how the public and media responded. Methods: We conducted interviews with owners, managers, or representatives of six grocery stores in New York and Ohio that had voluntarily ended tobacco sales since 2007. We also conducted unobtrusive observations at stores and analyzed media coverage of each retailer’s decision. Results: Grocery store owners ended tobacco sales for two reasons, alone or in combination: health or ethics-related, including a desire to send a consistent health message to employees and customers, and business-related, including declining tobacco sales or poor fit with the store’s image. The decision to end sales often appeared to resolve troubling contradictions between retailers’ values and selling deadly products. New York retailers attributed declining sales to high state tobacco taxes. All reported largely positive customer reactions and most received media coverage. Forty-one percent of news items were letters to the editor or editorials; most (69%) supported the decision. Conclusion: Voluntary decisions by retailers to abandon tobacco sales may lay the groundwork for mandatory policies and further denormalize tobacco. Our study also suggests that high tobacco taxes may have both direct and indirect effects on tobacco use. Highlighting the contradictions between being a responsible business and selling deadly products may support voluntary decisions by retailers to end tobacco sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer behaviour is changing as a result of the adoption of smartphones, in particular the way individuals shop. This article considers the way in which 'showrooming' - considering goods in a retail outlet and then purchasing them online - is moving into the mainstream, and suggests marketing strategies that retailers might adopt to cope with this shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]