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Owners value heritage goods, items that connect them to a shared past, whether through their alma mater or their family history. This research considers the impact of heritage on owners who wish to sell such goods. In five studies, the authors demonstrate that sellers have a lower willingness to accept when selling heritage goods to buyers with a shared heritage connection relative to buyers without this connection (i.e., a heritage discount). This heritage discount cannot be explained by ingroup favoritism, sentimental value, or appropriateness of buyer usage and persists even when sellers perceive that the buyer has a higher willingness to pay. The authors provide process evidence that the effect of the buyer's identity on the seller's willingness to accept is driven by concerns about heritage loss. The findings contribute to literatures on sharing, sentimental goods, psychological ownership, and the endowment effect and have marketing implications for consumer goods (e.g., collectibles) that derive product value by connecting consumers to meaningful history and traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates how a price promotion on a fast-moving consumer good influences the sales of substitute products in a retail shelf or online display. An analysis of supermarket yogurt data finds that when nonpromoted products are strong substitutes for the promoted product, a 1% decrease in the price of the promoted product results in a.25% decrease in the sales of proximal products but no change in the sales of distal products—a negative promotion-proximity effect. However, when nonpromoted products are weak substitutes for the promoted product, a 1% decrease in the price of the promoted product results in a.10% increase in the sales of proximal products but no change in sales for distal products—a positive promotion-proximity effect. Subsequent studies show that these effects occur because a proximal strong substitute is more likely to enter a consideration set with the promoted product (negative promotion-proximity effect) and a proximal weak substitute is more likely to be seen and considered by a consumer who is not interested in the promoted product (positive promotion-proximity effect). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of decision-making for companies buying transportation services has increased due to the presence of more options and pricing schedules for transportation. Many companies make transportation and inventory decisions in an uncoordinated way and select only one transportation mode, missing opportunities for logistics cost savings. The experimental study in this paper is based on a real-world decision problem faced by a Scandinavian company that distributes fast-moving consumer goods and wants to determine its transportation strategy. We propose a novel multi-mode lot-sizing model with dynamic deterministic demand to illustrate the cost impact of accurately modelling piecewise-linear transportation costs and allowing a more flexible usage of transportation modes when planning order replenishments. We compare three transportation strategies with increasing degrees of flexibility: two single mode strategies, where one strategy is more flexible than the other, and a multi-mode strategy. We conclude that managers can significantly reduce costs by increasing the flexibility of mode selection in transportation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers a retail platform selling a product to consumers and voluntarily discloses product quality information by using blockchain technology (BCT). Consumers decide whether to deliberate before making purchase decisions. We develop an analytical model to explore the effects of information disclosure strategies on the retail platform's pricing and consumers' deliberation decisions. Some interesting results are obtained. First, regardless of the information disclosure strategy, consumers' deliberation and purchasing decisions depend on the deliberation cost and product price. Consumers will only deliberate if the price is at the medium level and the deliberation cost is not too high. Second, when the disclosure cost is high, the retail platform either stimulates or prevents consumer deliberation; however, when the disclosure cost is at a medium interval, the retail platform's pricing decision depends on its information disclosure strategy. Specifically, when disclosing quality information, the retail platform will implement the stimulated deliberation (SD) or prevented deliberation (PD) strategy and will never adopt the sold at a low price (SL) strategy; however, when quality information is withheld, the retail platform will only adopt the PD strategy. Third, we identify the conditions under which the retail platform should disclose quality information when facing different disclosure costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies vary on oft-publicized size metrics (number of employees, revenue). Do consumers prefer otherwise identical products made by larger or smaller companies? The answer hinges on whether consumers perceive the products as low-tech or high-tech. This prediction stems from a novel framework charting two lay theories regarding key resources companies utilize to provide value to consumers: employees and finances. In the intrinsic motivation lay theory, consumers believe that employees of larger (vs. smaller) companies are less intrinsically motivated. In the financial resources lay theory, consumers believe that larger (vs. smaller) companies have greater capacity to fund research and development. Critically, product type (low-tech vs. high-tech) differentially affects the accessibility of these two lay theories: For low-tech (vs. high-tech) products, the intrinsic motivation lay theory is more accessible, driving quality evaluations and choice in favor of smaller companies. For high-tech (vs. low-tech) products, the financial resources lay theory is more accessible, driving quality evaluations and choice in favor of larger companies. This research advances theory by reconciling conflicting findings regarding product quality inferences from company size metrics, with guidance for marketers to improve quality evaluations and choice shares by strategically supporting or challenging lay theories and shifting perceptions of company size or product type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multinational companies (MNCs) compete each other in a very tough business environment. They try to gain new customers while maintaining the old ones and improving the relationships with them. In order to achieve customer satisfaction and loyalty, MNCs develop strong customer relationship management (CRM) strategies and techniques to further enhance the existing collaborations. In addition, companies race each other in innovations. In pursuance of providing new or enhanced products to their customers, MNCs innovate continuously. A high degree of innovation preserves customers’ interest. The current paper aims to investigate the potential connection between innovation and customer relationship management at the level of top multinational companies activating in consumer goods industry. The methodology employed is documentation based on the analysis of the web sites discourse of top MNC, followed by testing the correlation between CRM and innovation. Results show that there is a rather weak, negative correlation between CRM dimensions and innovation types in the studied MNC, with only few positive associations. Therefore, practitioners need to adapt their business strategies individually when planning to innovate or to implement CRM at company level.

This article is based on the 2022 Earle F. Zeigler Lecture Award that I presented in Atlanta, Georgia. For this paper, I reflect upon my career as a qualitative sport management researcher, with a specific focus on the mistakes I have made. I have two objectives with this paper. One objective is to advocate for continued learning about and rethinking how we conduct qualitative research. The second objective is to highlight ways in which we, as a field, can improve our qualitative research literacy. In the paper, I discuss eight learnings on the topics of ontologies and epistemologies, research designs, themes, pseudonyms, rigor, generalizability, positionality, and the publisher SAGE. In learning from my mistakes, we can be better consumers, producers, and evaluators of qualitative research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide new evidence that disruptions in firms' access to credit during the Global Financial Crisis significantly affected product innovation in the consumer goods sector. We combine highly granular retail scan data with lending data and find that credit-constrained firms introduced fewer new products, those products were less novel, and new products sold less well. Overall, these findings suggest that disruptions to credit markets impair firms' ability to compete for profits through new product offerings. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix , which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While existing consumer research on political ideology often focuses on ideological differences in preferences for high-status, typically observably superior products, little is known about how political ideology may shape preferences for observably inferior products in non-status-signaling domains. Observably inferior products are product options that are dominated by alternatives along observable dimensions. We propose that, in non-status-signaling domains, conservatives are more interested in observably inferior products than liberals. This happens because conservatives (vs. liberals) have a stronger belief that things, including products, are in balance, whereby positives offset negatives. As a result, when presented with observably inferior products, conservatives (vs. liberals) are more likely to engage in compensatory reasoning and attribute positive qualities to these products, boosting their appeal. Activating belief in balance and preventing compensatory reasoning through cognitive load attenuate this effect. Salience of status-signaling motives serves as a boundary condition. Five studies and four follow-ups provide converging evidence using data collected in the laboratory and in the field, hypothetical and actual product choices, a variety of product categories and participant populations. These findings contribute to research on political ideology, compensatory inferences, and inferior products and provide insights with respect to managing product manufacturing, inventory, and waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of machine learning and "big data," many large yet spurious relationships between variables are discovered, leveraged by marketing communications, and publicized in the media. Thus, consumers are increasingly exposed to many large-magnitude relationships between variables that do not signal causal effects. This exposure may carry a substantial cost. Seven studies demonstrate that the magnitudes of relationships between variables can distort consumers' judgments about whether those relationships reflect causal effects. Specifically, consumers often use a magnitude heuristic : consumers infer that relationships with larger perceived magnitudes are more likely to reflect causal effects, even when this is not true (and even when relationships' correlations are held constant). In many situations, relying on the magnitude heuristic will distort causality judgments, such as when large-magnitude relationships between variables are spurious, or when normatively extraneous factors (e.g. reference points) distort perceptions of magnitudes. Moreover, magnitude-distorted (mis)perceptions of causality, in turn, distort consumers' purchase and consumption decisions. Since consumers often encounter spurious relationships with large magnitudes in the health domain and in other consequential domains, the magnitude heuristic is likely to lead to biases in some of consumers' most important decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary developments in material duplication promise product alternatives that are physically and sensorially indistinguishable from incumbent offerings. When fully realized, such duplicate offerings should obsolete the incumbents as a consequence of wider availability and lower monetary and social costs. Disruption will be impeded, however, if consumers favor incumbent products on the basis of non-material qualities. The authors show that the influence of such qualities depends on both the product category and characteristics of the consumer. In particular, when a creator is central to the product and when the consumer is inclined toward extraordinary beliefs, the influence of origin looms especially large. By contrasting origin and substance, the present research exposes dualistic thinking in consumers' product evaluations, enriches prior research on authenticity and extraordinary beliefs, and contributes to the stubborn problem of technology adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth and innovation are primary arguments for firms that aim to go public and access resources from the stock market. So it is ironic that going public is, for a majority of firms, associated with a pronounced slump in breakthrough innovation. This article proposes an actionable, marketing-related explanation for why some firms that go public manage to beat the post–initial public offering (IPO) innovation slump: innovation imprinting. The authors argue and demonstrate that firms that engage in innovation imprinting before going public attract a segment of concordant investors whose risk preferences are more supportive of breakthrough innovation than investors at large. These investors, in turn, reward the firms' continued introduction of breakthrough innovations after they have gone public. By analyzing the innovation patterns of 207 firms in the consumer packaged goods sector before and after an IPO, the authors observe that one-third of firms are able to maintain or beat their pre-IPO levels of breakthrough innovations after going public. By studying their actions, the investors they attract, and their financial performance and survival rates, the authors provide empirical evidence for the importance of innovation imprinting and concordant investors in helping firms beat the post-IPO innovation slump. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate whether and when a retailer who sells two quality differentiated products supplied by two manufacturers should reveal product fit information to help consumers find a product that better fits their needs. We show that the retailer's optimal information strategy depends on the consumer's unit misfit cost and production efficiencies of both manufacturers. The retailer should reveal product fit information when the ratio of the efficiencies of the two manufacturers is sufficiently low, or the consumer's unit misfit cost is sufficiently high. The retailer is less likely to benefit from revealing product fit information when the consumer's unit misfit cost is either low or very high. Two mechanisms, margin-enhancing (driving the efficient manufacturer to reduce the wholesale price) and market-targeting (setting higher retail prices for both products), that the retailer can benefit from revealing product fit information are discussed, and the associated conditions are identified. Our findings suggest that the inefficient manufacturer is always better off when the retailer reveals fit information, but the efficient manufacturer may suffer. A win-win-win for all supply chain members can be achieved under certain conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in the tax benefits." Californians are accustomed to the occasional earthquake, technically the movement of tectonic plates far below the earth's surface. Most are benign (we stir our coffee with a 5.4 reading on the Richter scale), but a few are significant. In New York, the life and annuity industry--and resident consumers of insurance products--experienced a different kind of tectonic movement in the confirmation of new Client Best Interest and Product Suitability rules governing the sale of insurance products in New York. ("It's not in the stars to hold our destiny but ourselves" is a well-known Shakespearean quote about fate and destiny. The quote similarities are significant!). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We vary greatly in our perception of risk, not just because of differences between risks themselves, but also because of individual, contextual and cultural differences too. To better understand and predict responses to risk, we need to (a) integrate these components, combining approaches from different psychological disciplines and (b) also consider risk tolerance – how individuals trade-off between risks and benefits. We therefore developed an ICONS (individual, contextual, cognitive, social) framework; using it across two empirical studies (n = 4228) to examine how individuals perceive and respond to the quotidian risks associated with consumer products. Three dimensions underlined risk perceptions: benefits, dread and individual responsibility. Risk tolerance was typically predicted by interactions between individual (demographic, cultural worldview, personality) and contextual (product type/category, harm information) factors. In turn, perceived dread, benefits and individual differences shaped how likely participants were to communicate risk information. Our results demonstrate for the first time how the interaction between individual, cognitive (risk tolerance, intensity), contextual, and social (risk communication) factors is key to understanding and predicting risk perceptions. Together, our findings help explain why societal responses to risks are often difficult to predict and have implications for the spread, and amplification, of risk information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child impeding packs are difficult for children to open so protect them from unintended access to hazardous contents inside the pack. However, if packs are difficult for adults to open, in normal usage scenarios, this may result in a higher occurrence of packs being left open. This research explores differences in ease of usage and closure compliance between two types of child impeding packs of liquid laundry detergent capsules. The two packs, "Pinch & Lift" and "Press & Lift", had different opening and closing mechanisms. "Press & Lift" also included an audible "click" signal to confirm complete closure to the user. The research was performed across two studies. In both studies, the packs were used in participants' homes according to their usual storage and usage practices as replacements to their current liquid laundry detergent capsule pack. All participants had small children living with them in their household. In Study 1, self-reported closure and ease of use data was collected from 99 adult participants in Germany. They used each package in their home for 10 days. Study 2 extended Study 1 by measuring closure rates with an objective assessment using in pack sensors for a 10-day period for each pack. Self-reported closure and ease of use data were also collected. Study 2 was conducted with 87 participants in the United Kingdom. Results across both studies showed "Press & Lift" with the audible "Click" close signal to be rated by participants to be significantly easier to open and close and have a higher self-reported closure rate than "Pinch & Lift". In addition, Study 2 results demonstrated higher closure rates using "Press & Lift" based on the sensor-measured closure compliance. Together, the results suggest transition to a pack with a mechanism that is child impeding and easier for an adult to use with an audible closure signal, like the "Press & Lift" system, has potential to reduce child access to a capsule from a pack by reducing the likelihood of the pack being left open by the adult user. Ultimately, such packs could protect children from potential poisoning injury across a range of consumer products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DINP) and di-iso-decyl phthalate (DIDP) have been employed increasingly as plasticizers to replace di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a hormonal disruptor. Through this systematic review, we reviewed their (1) contamination levels in the environmental media, foods, and consumer products, (2) human exposure levels in national biomonitoring studies, and (3) associations with human sex and thyroid hormone disruption. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched and eligible studies were identified. DINP and DIDP were found at higher concentrations in indoor environments, especially with high human activity and PVC use. In foods, contamination levels vary by production methods and tend to be higher in fatty foods. In children's products, both plasticizers were more highly detected in samples measured before 2010. National biomonitoring data from several countries demonstrated that urinary levels of DINP and DIDP metabolites were relatively lower than those of DEHP. However, exposure to DINP has been associated with anti-androgenic potential in male offspring and adults and decreased thyroid hormones in mother–child pairs. In conclusion, existing literatures demonstrated widespread occurrence of DINP and DIDP in the indoor environment, diet, and children's products, and in the human populations worldwide. At the current levels of exposure, DINP exhibited endocrine disruption potentials similar to those of DEHP, especially among males and pregnant women. Knowledge gaps in DIDP exposure among the human population were identified and should be considered for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As e‐commerce emerges as a central mechanism through which customers make purchases, so does the diversity of products they choose to purchase online. One of the fastest‐growing product categories is that of large and oversized items, often referred to as "big and bulky" items. This trend is particularly pronounced in the United States, with the online appliance and furniture markets experiencing substantial growth. Significant growth is also observed in the last‐mile delivery services sector for these large items. This presents a plethora of opportunities for industry stakeholders. Capitalizing on these opportunities and achieving service differentiation requires significant strategic investments in specialized equipment and capabilities by retailers and logistics service providers. These capabilities differ significantly from those typically required to deliver standard consumer products. This shift in operational context requires a deep understanding of customer preferences regarding big and bulky item delivery services. In this study, we determine customer preferences for big and bulky item delivery service features and quantify the effect of customer psychographic traits on those preferences. We accomplish this by conducting a choice‐based conjoint experiment. Our findings indicate significant effects that bear both research and managerial implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyclic and linear siloxanes are compounds synthesized from silicon consisting of alternating atoms of silicone and oxygen [Si-O] units with organic side chains. The most common cyclic siloxanes are octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6), while the most common linear siloxanes are high molecular weight polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) and low molecular weight volatile linear siloxanes known as hexamethyldisiloxane (L2), octamethyltrisiloxane (L3), decamethyltetrasiloxane (L4), dodecamethylpentasiloxane (L5). These compounds (1) exhibit low dermal toxicity, (2) are generally inert and non-reactive, and (3) are compatible with a wide range of chemicals offering beneficial chemical properties which include the following: wash-off or transfer resistance from the skin, sun protection factor (SPF) enhancement, emolliency in cleaning products). Because of these properties, these compounds are incorporated into multiple consumer products for use on the skin, such as cosmetics and health-care products, with over 300,000 tons annually sold into the personal care and consumer products sector. Because of their widespread use in consumer products and potential for human dermal exposure, a comprehensive understanding of the dermal absorption and overall fate of siloxanes following dermal exposure is important. This review summarizes available data associated with the dermal absorption/penetration as well as fate of the most commonly used siloxane substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We combine nonparametric price response modeling and dynamic pricing. In particular, we model sales response for fast-moving consumer goods sold by a physical retailer using a Bayesian semiparametric approach and incorporate the price of the previous period as well as further time-dependent covariates. All nonlinear effects including the one-period lagged price dynamics are modeled via P-splines, and embedding the semiparametric model into a Hierarchical Bayesian framework enables the estimation of nonlinear heterogeneous (i.e., store-specific) immediate and lagged price effects. The nonlinear heterogeneous model specification is used for price optimization and allows the derivation of optimal price paths of brands for individual stores of retailers. In an empirical study, we demonstrate that our proposed model can provide higher expected profits compared to competing benchmark models, while at the same time not seriously suffering from boundary problems for optimized prices and sales quantities. Optimal price policies for brands are determined by a discrete dynamic programming algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background When detecting Salmonella spp. in food samples, unlike with culture-based procedures where there are solid standards, PCR techniques are generally dominated by commercial solutions, often backed by the conformity of reference organizations, and based on rigorous validation studies. The few independent standards that exist are not subject to revision and improvement to the same extent as the manufacturer's methods. Moreover, since commercial networks do not promote them, they are implemented less in everyday practice. The German standard DIN 10135 is an example of this. In this method, before PCR detection, a primary enrichment (16–20 h) followed by a secondary selective enrichment of at least 6 h is needed. Nevertheless, it allows the possibility of only applying the first step if evidence of their correct operation is provided. Objective To evaluate how necessary is the secondary enrichment for DIN 10135 standard. Methods Short and complete enrichment steps were compared in the context of the evaluation of the limit of detection for 11 types of food. Additionally, a blind assay was performed with 75 food samples. Results The data show that a simple primary enrichment may be sufficient and that the second selective enrichment with the tested matrixes would not be strictly essential. The blind study obtained a 98.6% of trueness and precision of 100%. Conclusions At least for the end consumer products, a secondary enrichment of 6 h is not necessary for all the products tested. Highlights In the context of the DIN 10135 standard, the primary enrichment (16–20 h, 37 ± 1°C) can be enough for detecting Salmonella spp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: While consumers are increasingly used to purchasing online, virtual reality (VR) is well acknowledged to enhance consumer experience via immersive and interaction systems. In our research, we recruited 160 participants (80 per experiment) to compare their consumer experiences of choosing Fast‐Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) in a virtual store (via VR) and on an online webpage. Specifically, each participant was asked to choose four FMCGs (foods in Experiment 1 and non‐foods in Experiment 2) for the next 4 weeks, and they filled out the Positive and Negative Affect Scale before and after completing choice tasks. Results of the anova showed that there was a significant decrease in negative affect scores following both food and non‐food choices (Mbefore = 1.3 vs. Mafter = 1.2). Positive affect ratings were significantly higher for food choices in VR than online (MVR = 2.5 vs. Monline = 2.1), with no significant difference for non‐food choices. This highlights the impact of VR on food choice and its potential to transform human–food interactions. The study reveals that VR can narrow the gap between consumers' expectations and actual perceptions by creating an immersive and interactive shopping experience, thus significantly influencing consumer behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible polyurethane foams (PUF) are used in many consumer products. PUF may contain trace levels of aromatic diamine impurities that could represent a potential health risk. The risk associated with sleeping on a PUF mattress was evaluated. Toxicity benchmarks for sensitization and non-cancer endpoints were derived from the respective points-of-departure using standard assessment factors. For the cancer endpoints, toxicity benchmarks were derived from the 25th-percentile values of animal studies. Recently published emission and migration data allowed to link exposure with the CertiPURTM voluntary quality limits of ≤5 mg.kg−1 for 2,4-toluene diamine and 4,4'-methylene dianiline in PUF. Using conservative exposure scenarios, lifetime-average daily internal doses from the combined inhalation and dermal exposures were calculated. Margins of safety for non-cancer and sensitization endpoints were >104. The theoretical excess cancer risk was ≤1.5 × 10−7. It is concluded that sleeping on a mattress that satisfies the CertiPUR limit value does not pose undue risk to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This scoping review aims to describe factors that facilitate consumer-level transitions to more environmentally sustainable diets. Methods: Using scoping review methods, four databases were searched for articles published in English examining facilitators to consuming an environmentally sustainable diet and focused on consumers, using data collected in Western countries, and were published between 2012 and 2022. Researchers extracted study characteristics and factors influencing adoption or uptake of sustainable foods or dietary patterns. Using this data, researchers conducted a thematic analysis to determine five main themes describing leverage points (modifiable) for dietary transitions. Results: Results are reported per PRISMA guidelines: 21 studies were included with data from the U.K., U.S., Australia, and Europe. The results of this review indicate that values, knowledge, marketing, consumer-product relationships, and support networks, along with their respective subthemes, may be central drivers of consumer adoption of sustainable dietary patterns. Consumers are more likely to purchase and consume products which are familiar and appealing and align with their values. Cost, lack of knowledge, and lack of social support act as barriers to dietary change to more sustainable food choices. Income, education, ethnicity, sex, and employment were common individuallevel characteristics identified as influential over likelihood of adopting environmentally sustainable dietary patterns. Individual-level characteristics create nuances in both likelihood to adopt, and the experience of barriers to adopting, sustainable dietary patterns. Conclusion: Knowledge of leverage points and individual-level nuances is useful in informing strategies to facilitate transitions to more sustainable diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problem definition: Inaccurate records of inventory occur frequently and, by some measures, cost retailers approximately 4% in annual sales. Detecting inventory inaccuracies manually is cost-prohibitive, and existing algorithmic solutions rely almost exclusively on learning from longitudinal data, which is insufficient in the dynamic environment induced by modern retail operations. Instead, we propose a solution based on cross-sectional data over stores and stock-keeping units (SKUs), viewing inventory inaccuracies as a problem of identifying anomalies in a (low-rank) Poisson matrix. State-of-the-art approaches to anomaly detection in low-rank matrices apparently fall short. Specifically, from a theoretical perspective, recovery guarantees for these approaches require that nonanomalous entries be observed with vanishingly small noise (which is not the case in our problem and, indeed, in many applications). Methodology/results: So motivated, we propose a conceptually simple entrywise approach to anomaly detection in low-rank Poisson matrices. Our approach accommodates a general class of probabilistic anomaly models. We show that the cost incurred by our algorithm approaches that of an optimal algorithm at a min-max optimal rate. Using synthetic data and real data from a consumer goods retailer, we show that our approach provides up to a 10× cost reduction over incumbent approaches to anomaly detection. Along the way, we build on recent work that seeks entrywise error guarantees for matrix completion, establishing such guarantees for subexponential matrices, a result of independent interest. Managerial implications: By utilizing cross-sectional data at scale, our novel approach provides a practical solution to the issue of inventory inaccuracies in retail operations. Our method is cost-effective and can help managers detect inventory inaccuracies quickly, leading to increased sales and improved customer satisfaction. In addition, the entrywise error guarantees that we establish are of interest to academics working on matrix-completion problems. History: This paper was selected for Fast Track in M&SOM from the 2022 MSOM Supply Chain Management SIG Conference. Funding: Financial support from the National Science Foundation Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation [Grant CMMI 1727239] is gratefully acknowledged. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.0146. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have documented the decisive impact of various product design elements on consumers' attitudes and decisions. However, research is missing on the impact of visual complexity. Using four studies that consider wine and perfume products, the present research manipulates visual complexity by focusing on the degree of elaborateness of front‐pack images. Using an affective priming task as an implicit technique, more positive automatically activated affective responses are shown for lower complexity designs (Study 1), in line with a processing‐fluency account. However, explicit measures show that higher complexity is associated with greater product evaluations (regarding esthetics, quality, prestige, trustworthiness, acceptable price, and purchase intention; Studies 2 and 3). In addition, more pronounced effects emerge for participants with higher sensitivity to design (Study 3). Finally, using an alternative implicit technique that does not involve very brief presentations of the products (implicit association test (IAT); Study 4), the association between higher complexity and product evaluation is also found under conditions of automaticity. Overall, this research provides insights into the diverging affective and cognitive effects of visual complexity. It suggests that the positive effect of lower complexity through higher processing fluency is restricted to responses that are affective and generated under conditions of automaticity that involve particularly low‐level processes. It also suggests that priming techniques based on very short presentations of the products' visuals may be unsuitable for examining responses to fairly complex concepts such as consumer products. On the whole, this research emphasizes that design complexity should receive more attention from consumer researchers and marketers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the influence of two significant product labelling strategies (geographical indication [GI] vs country-of-origin [COO]) on shaping customer product attitude and purchase likelihood, considering consumers' ethnocentric and cosmopolitan tendencies. The authors also investigate the boundary conditions and intervening mechanisms to manage the adverse consumer product evaluations and present mitigating procedures which reinstate favourable product evaluations and purchase likelihood. Design/methodology/approach: The collected data from these all these studies were analysed using ANOVA and mediation anlaysis. The study tests the proposed hypotheses using three follow-up experimental investigations. Findings: The study found that GI (vs COO) labels have a more significant impact on customers' product evaluation and likelihood of purchase and supported the dispositional effect of ethnocentric and cosmopolitan inclinations. Further, the results indicated that self-product congruence can efficiently regulate consumer dispositions. Also, the results confirmed the significant impact of product identification on influencing consumer attitudes. Practical implications: The above-said insights add practical insights, particularly concerning product labelling. Also, the insights on product attitudes and purchase likelihood intricacies in the context of product labelling enable companies to comprehend better the significance of GI labels, COO labels and self-product congruence. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time a study has compared the role of two significant product labelling strategies (GI vs COO) in shaping customer product evaluations, confirmed its boundary conditions and shown how to transform them into helpful customer product outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol-based disinfectants have protected people in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but olfactory stimuli of ethanol may evoke unpleasant memories associated with stressful situations in the devastating infectious disease. The smell of ethanol in household cleaning and disinfectant products can be covered up by the fragrance additives, and 3-hexenol is especially appreciated for the characteristic, strong odor of green plants. Industrial production of 3-hexenol relies on the selective hydrogenation of 3-hexyn-1-ol, where Lindlar catalyst is normally used for the superior selectivity. Although achieving such catalytic transformation in ethanol solution seems as a direct way to produce a disinfectant with green aroma, a popular consumer product in the post-COVID era, severe leaching of toxic Pb hinders Lindlar catalyst as a promising candidate. We find that the Fe2O3 supported Pd single-atom catalyst is highly selective to fulfill semi-hydrogenation of 3-hexyn-1-ol in 75% ethanol, and the aforementioned household product is readily generated after filtrating the stable, solid catalyst out of reaction solution. Single-atom catalysts have been frequently utilized for fine-chemical synthesis, while in this work they make stunning debut in practical manufacture of daily used products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study looked into the impact of capital allowance on the operational effectiveness of firms producing consumer goods in Nigeria. The proxies of capital allowances are: initial allowance, annual allowance and balancing charge while operation efficiency was measured with asset turnover ratio. Population of the study was all the 21 consumer products companies listed on the Nigeria Exchange Group between 2014 and 2021. 12 companies were selected as the sample size using purposeful sampling. Through the use of the firm's publicly available financial filings, data was acquired from secondary source. The research design was expo-facto, both descriptive and inferential statistics such as correlation analysis, variance inflation factor, serial correlation, heteroskedasticity and multiple regression were employed in analyzing the data. Redundant fixed and hausman tests were also carried out in order to know the most appropriate statistical estimator. The results of the analysis showed that capital allowance improved efficiency. According to the study's findings, there was positive and significant relationship between the variables of capital allowance and proxy of operation efficiency, this implies that consumer items firms operate more efficiently when their capital allowances are advanced. Based on the outcome of the findings, It was advised that the Nigerian government reevaluate the capital allowances now enjoyed by firms in order to improve operational effectiveness and financial performance of consumer products enterprises. Additionally, greater capital allowances ought to be granted to more consumer products companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNP) are omnipresent as either pollution or intentionally used in consumer products, released from packaging or even food. There is an exponential increase in the production of plastics. With the realization of bioaccumulation in humans, toxicity research is quickly expanding. There is a rapid increase in the number of papers published on the potential implications of exposure to MNP which necessitates a call for quality criteria to be applied when doing the research. At present, most papers on MNP describe the effects of commercially available polymer (mostly polystyrene) beads that are typically not the MNP of greatest concern. This is not a fault of the research community, necessarily, as the MNPs to which humans are exposed are usually not available in the quantities needed for toxicological research and innovations are needed to supply environmentally-relevant MNP models. In addition, like we have learned from decades of research with particulate matter and engineered nanomaterials, sample physicochemical characteristics and preparation can have major impacts on the biological responses and interpretation of the research findings. Lastly, MNP dosimetry may pose challenges as (1) we are seeing early evidence that plastics are already in the human body at quite high levels that may be difficult to achieve in acute in vitro studies and (2) plastics are already in the diets fed to preclinical models. This commentary highlights the pitfalls and recommendations for particle and fibre toxicologists that should be considered when performing and disseminating the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluate injury trends in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) participation by presenting to U.S. emergency departments over a 10-year period and formulate an injury profile. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was queried for martial arts related injuries from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2021. Codes and narratives were examined to compile data for patients sustaining BJJ-related injuries. From 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2021 there were 7,722 (NE = 282,315) ED-diagnosed martial arts related injuries with 911 (NE = 36,023) BJJ-related injuries identified. Regression analysis demonstrated an increasing trend in the annual incidence of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu injuries presenting to the ED (R2 = 0.934; SE = 2.069: p <.0001). Average age was 25.68 years of age (range 4–83). The most common injury diagnoses were sprains/strains and other/not listed at 27.68% and 26.39%. The most commonly injured body parts were the upper trunk, and the shoulder comprising 13.66% and 12.14% of injured body parts, respectively. The most commonly fractured region was toes, at 14.15% of all fractures. The most common dislocations occurred at the shoulder and knee, at 32.49% and 28.45% of dislocations, respectively. The most common mechanisms of injury specifically identified were indeterminate contact between players, fall onto ground, or fall onto another player comprising 18.62% and 17.17%, of injuries, respectively. There was an increasing trend of BJJ-related injuries presenting to U.S. Emergency Departments. The most common diagnoses and body parts injured were sprains/strains and upper trunk and shoulder, respectively. The most commonly fractured and dislocated regions were toes and shoulder, respectively. The most common mechanisms of injury were indeterminate contact or falling. This study provides novel information concerning trends in injury and injury profiles for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu related injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common experience with rotting wooden buildings demonstrates that fragmentation is a necessary natural process during biodegradation. In analogy, the loss of structural integrity of biodegradable plastics during biodegradation produces interim microplastic fragments. It is currently not known which parameters govern fragmentation kinetics: chemical structure, physical shape, and composite layers, or composting conditions may all be relevant. Here we investigated the influence of physical shape on the fragmentation of a polyester blend during laboratory tests simulating industrial composting. Methods previously validated on micronized granules as model shape were applied to shapes that better represent consumer products, such as micronized thin films and shredded plastic-coated paper cups. The peak interim number of detected fragments, which are between 3 and 2000 µm, ranked highest for micronized films, lower for micronized plastic granules, and even lower for coated paper cups. The layered structure of polyester on cellulose may thus have stabilized the biodegrading polyester compound against fragmentation. For thin films, fragment counts dissipated with halftime of 2.5 days, and less than 10–8% of the initially added polyester mass was detected in fragments between 3 and 25 µm at the last sampling time point. The physical shape and multilayer structure of the polymer-containing product were found to be decisive for fragmentation kinetics, indicating that tests on micronized polymer granules might not be representative of the release mechanism of fragments from consumer products containing plastic coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics including microbeads that are heavily utilized in our daily necessities such as cleaners, toothpastes, and cosmetic products as well as in industrial applications have become a severe environmental issue because of their non-degradable characteristics. Upon accumulation in aquatic organisms, microplastics eventually enter the human food supply chain, where these are possibly hazardous to humans. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of microbeads comprising abundant, sustainable, and biodegradable cellulose through an electrospray-based process of cellulose acetate and subsequent chemical treatment as a sustainable alternative to microplastic particles, which are widely used in a range of consumer products in our daily lives. We further show that inferior mechanical properties, which degrade the potential of cellulose, can be improved dramatically by incorporating triazine-based covalent organic nanosheets (CONs). The compressive strength of composite microbeads at breakage is measured to be 238 ± 18 MPa, which is higher than those of cellulose microbeads without CON (142 ± 22 MPa) and polypropylene microbeads (199 ± 6 MPa). The study proposes a simple albeit effective approach to fabricating cellulose microbeads with enhanced mechanical properties. Thereby, it provides insights into the replacement of petroleum-based microplastics with an environmentally friendly material system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BPNT/Sembako is a social assistance program the government provides to improve the welfare of people experiencing poverty by providing food with balanced nutrition and choice and control over food. BPNT/Sembako uses e-wrong as the only distribution. Households must come to e-wrong with a KKS. Because e-wrong is the only place for distribution, e-wrong is very important, including the distance of the e-wrong from the beneficiary's location. However, e-wrong still has a limited distribution. The purpose of this study is to generally investigate the effectiveness of the e-wrong program and specifically investigate the effect of e-wrong accessibility on household consumption, especially rice consumption, taking into account aspects of price and quality of rice, characteristics of other consumer goods, household characteristics, residential area characteristics, local government assistance, and consumption motivation. This study uses 4-month panel data (November 2019-February 2020) of BPNT/Sembako recipients in the March 2020 Susenas and the random effects (RE) approach. The results of the study show that the accessibility of e-wrong has a significant effect on household consumption (rice consumption). The farther the e-wrong is, the higher the consumption of rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multinational companies (MNCs) compete each other in a very tough business environment. They try to gain new customers while maintaining the old ones and improving the relationships with them. In order to achieve customer satisfaction and loyalty, MNCs develop strong customer relationship management (CRM) strategies and techniques to further enhance the existing collaborations. In addition, companies race each other in innovations. In pursuance of providing new or enhanced products to their customers, MNCs innovate continuously. A high degree of innovation preserves customers' interest. The current paper aims to investigate the potential connection between innovation and customer relationship management at the level of top multinational companies activating in consumer goods industry. The methodology employed is documentation based on the analysis of the web sites discourse of top MNC, followed by testing the correlation between CRM and innovation. Results show that there is a rather weak, negative correlation between CRM dimensions and innovation types in the studied MNC, with only few positive associations. Therefore, practitioners need to adapt their business strategies individually when planning to innovate or to implement CRM at company level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Israel was founded in 1948, and immediately afterwards, numerous immigrants came to the country. The Israeli government decided to provide provisions to these immigrants, along with trying to develop the country and investing in the military. This fiscal expansion was funded by seigniorage, and the government attempted to restrain inflation by imposing price controls and rationing food and other consumer goods. This policy failed to stop inflation, and there were persistent shortages of many goods in the country, except for bread which was not rationed. There were even shortages of eggs, which were all produced domestically and whose output increased on a per capita basis by more than 250% in comparison to the number of eggs produced prior to the founding of the state. This indicates that the shortages in the stores were due to the rationing. The shortages led to a flourishing black market, and a reduction in consumer welfare. The rationing made a difficult situation worse and the government began to end the rationing in 1952. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficiently managing retail space is critical as the increase in product variety is in conflict with limited shelf space and instore replenishment constraints. This paper develops a general framework for retail space management and presents a decision support model with the related problems within the framework of optimizing assortment, shelf space assignment and replenishment. An integrative approach to these planning problems becomes particularly relevant for fast-moving consumer goods and groceries, where stores are regularly replenished from distribution centers. The planning problem at hand is a multi-product shelf space allocation problem where demand is a composite function of the shelf space allocated and assortment-related demand substitution, and actual replenishment practices from retail are incorporated. The model developed extends existing models of shelf space management by jointly considering space-elastic demand and assortment-based substitution and integrating restocking constraints. For the latter, we consider real-world replenishment processes of retailers that distinguish between period-based and ad-hoc replenishment from the backroom. We develop three solution approaches that are based on efficient pre-processing and a nonlinear binary integer programming formulation of the problem. The computation tests based on retail data show the efficiency of the solution approaches in terms of computation time and solution quality. We reveal the improvement in profit levels that can be achieved from integrating assortments, shelf space planning and replenishment where challenges arise in obtaining feasible solutions with limited shelf space and replenishment constraints. We also use sensitivity analyses to demonstrate the high impact of replenishment constraints on profits and solution structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we develop a model that assesses product risk using online reviews from Amazon.com. We first identify unique words and phrases capable of identifying hazards. Second, we estimate risk severity using hazard type weights and risk likelihood using total reviews as a proxy for sales volume. In addition, we obtain expert assessments of product hazard risk (risk likelihood and severity) from a sample of high‐ and low‐risk consumer products identified by a computerized risk assessment model we have developed. Third, we assess the validity of our computerized product risk assessment scoring model by utilizing the experts' survey responses. We find that our model is especially consistent with expert judgments of hazard likelihood but not as consistent with expert judgments of hazard severity. This model helps organizations to determine the risk severity, risk likelihood, and overall risk level of a specific product. The model produced by this study is helpful for product safety practitioners in product risk identification, characterization, and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer product manufacturers utilise a spectrum of alternative ocular irritation assays, as these tests do not require the use of live animals. Despite their usefulness, no regulatory-accepted assay assesses the reversibility of ocular damage, a key criterion of GHS ocular classification, like the rabbit eye test (i.e., Draize Rabbit Eye Test [DRET]). The Porcine Corneal Opacity Reversibility Assay (PorCORA), an ex vivo intact corneal tissue culture model, predicts the reversibility of damage by ocular irritants. Inclusion of the damage reversibility endpoint in the PorCORA supplements other alternative test methods for ocular irritation, by assessing induced eye damage and the ability of this damage to reverse (heal) without the use of live animals to distinguish between Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) ocular classifications. In this focused study, results of a Bovine Corneal Opacity and Permeability (BCOP) test of a laundry detergent, neat and 10% dilution, (product mixture from S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. [SCJ]) classified the product into GHS Category 1; however, the BCOP test cannot assess the reversibility of ocular damage. The laundry detergent was evaluated using the PorCORA, where ocular damage induced by the detergent was fully reversed within seven days. Evaluation of the reversibility of ocular damage using the PorCORA in this focused study can add strength to the weight-of-evidence (WoE) analysis approach in ocular hazard assessment. This WoE approach strengthens the argument that the PorCORA can be used to supplement BCOP data, and that this laundry detergent is not an irreversible eye irritant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the effectiveness of two theoretically and practically relevant interventions designed to increase familiarity with and thereby stimulate the appeal of and willingness to pay (WTP) for remanufactured (refurbished) consumer products that are often found repulsive by consumers: (1) educating consumers about the remanufacturing process, (2) providing physical exposure to remanufactured products. We find that education does not cause an increase in the appeal of and WTP for remanufactured consumer products. Providing physical exposure to remanufactured products, relative to text and text‐plus picture or video modalities, significantly increases both the appeal and WTP as a result of increasing perceived quality and decreasing disgust. Sellers can benefit from marketing remanufactured consumer products through physical channels (i.e., brick‐and‐mortar, outlet, showroom stores) as opposed to solely through online channels, which is the common practice among many sellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) supply chains are experiencing various challenges due to the interactions between consumers and decision-makers during physical distribution, manufacturing, wholesale and retail. One possible strategy to address these challenges for smoothing the supply chain (SC) and logistics operations is to adopt Industry 4.0 (I4.0) based technologies in the FMCG business processes. In this regard, digitalization and automation of the FMCG supply chain can be strengthened by the alluring properties of I4.0 technologies. Methods: This study identified nine significant challenges through a literature review and expert validation. Later, the challenges were evaluated using a novel multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) framework, the Bayesian best worst method (BWM). Results: The findings indicated that "requirement for substantial investment and resources", "incompatible technological infrastructure" and "poorly structured value chain" are the most significant challenges to implementing I4.0 in the FMCG industry. Conclusions: The study is expected to significantly contribute to improving the FMCG supply chain's resilience, sustainability, visibility, traceability and responsiveness. Additionally, the research can provide industrial practitioners valuable insights into implementing I4.0 in FMCG and similar sectors and thus promote SC sustainability and resilience in those industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conditions of widespread application of information and communication technologies, intellectual resources as a result of human intelligence, knowledge and experience are the leading source of development and growth. Intellectual capital, encompassing all the intellectual resources from which businesses derive growth in various forms, is emerging as the leading form of capital today. The aim of this publication is to assess the significance of joint impact and the extent to which elements of intellectual capital contribute to value creation and the establishment of conditions for manifestations of competitive advantages in retail trade. The study was carried out using conjoint analysis. After a brief historical overview of the development of the conjoint analysis methodology, its relationship with the hierarchical process analysis developed by Thomas Saaty is shown and a full profile conjoint analysis is conducted. The necessary data were obtained by carrying out surveys with managers from consumer goods retail chains. Based on the obtained ratings - partial, average, and overall - of the 'utility' and 'importance' categories, conclusions have been drawn regarding the joint impact and the extent to which the elements of intellectual capital contribute to value creation in retail trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work introduces a novel cue that consumption advisers, like stylists and interior designers, can use to signal expertise: combinatory recommendations. In a combinatory recommendation, a person offers an opinion about compatibility among multiple products intended for joint usage. Across nine studies conducted in the lab and field, the authors find that offering a combinatory recommendation signals greater expertise (Study 1a, Study 2a) and, specifically, greater depth of knowledge (Study 1b), compared with other types of recommendations involving the same number of products. This effect does not depend on the helpfulness of the adviser (Study 2b) but is qualified by features of the recommendation itself (Study 3a) as well as the type of combination recommended (Study 3b). Importantly, the authors find this effect to have important downstream consequences, as the increased perceptions of expertise that follow a combinatory recommendation improve consumers' attitudes both toward products included in the recommendation and toward subsequent recommendations made by the adviser (Study 4, Study 5). The real-world persuasive value of combinatory recommendations is also tested in a field study (Study 6) that explores the effect of combinatory recommendations on click-through rates of Instagram advertisements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the strategic role of a recommender who cares about accuracy and whose recommendations influence product quality. In the presence of such feedback effects, recommendations have a self-fulling property: the recommendation agent can select any firm that will end up being the firm with the best quality. This produces important inefficiencies that include (a) a lack of incentive to acquire valuable information, (b) a status quo bias, and (c) the avoidance of risky innovations. Monetary payments from firms may work in mitigating these inefficiencies, while competition between recommenders and monetary payments from consumers are ineffective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates when and why consumers purchase products with social costs (e.g., environmental harm). Six studies demonstrate that upper-class consumers are more likely to purchase a product with social costs when it has a higher price because they experience greater entitlement, which the authors term the "price entitlement effect," allowing for purchase justification. In contrast, lower-class consumers do not feel entitled to purchase a product with social costs when it is higher-priced. This effect occurs because upper-class consumers tend to have a greater self-focus, with a higher price entitling them to more resources than others. Consistent with the entitlement mechanism, when egalitarian values are made salient, the price entitlement effect is mitigated, reducing upper-class consumers' purchase of socially costly products. Notably, the price entitlement effect occurs only when products have social costs rather than for all higher-priced products. However, when the social costs of a product are severe, price entitlement does not sufficiently justify product purchase. This research provides theoretical and practical insights regarding when and why higher price entitles purchase of socially costly products, contributing to research on social class and socially responsible (vs. costly) consumption as well as choice justification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]