Arieh Goldman

The transfer of retail formats into developing economies: The example of China

Abstract The focus of this research is the strategy of international format transfer by retailers into developing countries. Transfer strategies are defined in terms of a format change pattern and the factors motivating the format change decision. Earlier studies and anecdotal evidence have indicated that retailers have pursued different format transfer policies. Some retailers transfer their total format unchanged while others introduce extensive changes. The research intent is to ascertain the set of determinants that control the extent of change to be employed. As basis for this evaluation, I interviewed executives from twenty-seven different foreign retailers with respect to their entrance into Chinese home market. These retailers emanated from a variety of other countries and operated a range different retail formats such as supermarkets, hypermarkets, specialty stores, department stores, wholesale-clubs and shopping centers in China. The analysis of these data revealed the existence of six distinct transfer strategies. Basic conditions affecting the extent of transfer change were found to relate to differences in economic conditions between China and the home countries and the market segments that were targeted in China.

Satisfaction measurement in guided tours

Abstract Companies offering guided tours dwell on participants satisfaction in controlling the tour quality. The responsibility for achieving participants satisfaction is mostly delegated to the guide who is in a good position to customize the tours quality to the individual needs and preferences. This article questions the widespread assumption that the tour companies are directly credited with the success of the guide and with the customers satisfaction of the tour performance. The findings of an empirical study, investigating 15 guided tours from Israel to Europe and the United States, highlight the vulnerability of the tour company in the tripartite company-guide-consumer relationship. The managerial implications of the findings are explored.

Barriers to the advancement of modern food retail formats: theory and measurement

Abstract The recent expansion of global food retailers into emerging economies has made the study of food retail modernization especially relevant at this time. We present a framework to analyze limitations to market share growth of retail formats based on diffusion across consumer segments and by product category. We then propose a measurement approach, based on consumer surveys, that quantifies the impact of these processes on supermarket market share. Food retail modernization is then examined in Hong Kong by this approach for two points in time. In a 1995 diagnostic study, we find that geographic and economic segment diffusion of supermarkets is complete, but that product category-dependent diffusion (specifically perishables) is not. The latter, thereby, becomes the major restriction on supermarket share gain. In 1999, a second study measures the impact of the introduction of superstores, a large modern format, on the perishable restriction to modern format share growth. Consumers perceived superstore perishables to be superior to supermarkets’, but these views had little impact on the ability of modern format to wrest additional share from traditional markets. We discuss diagnostic and monitoring applications, and extensions of the approach to other retail contexts.

Duality in consumer post-purchase attitude

Abstract The paper discusses possible inconsistencies in consumers post-purchase attitude when faced with disconfirmed expectations. The main argument, based on an extension of cognitive dissonance theory, is that post-purchase attitude may be characterized by duality. It is argued that satisfaction with past purchase may not be closely related to intentions to repurchase because of the different functions they may fulfill. Whereas satisfaction reflects the need to justify past purchase behavior, intentions to repurchase, which are of instrumental importance, reflect learning from experience. This approach contrasts the prevalent satisfaction-intention paradigm which assumes a causal link from satisfaction with the purchase to intentions to repeat it. The specific conditions under which duality is likely to appear are specified and empirical support from a field study involving consumers who participated in guided tours abroad is presented and discussed.

Adoption of Supermarket Shopping in a Developing Country: The Selective Adoption Phenomenon

Looks at a study of issues involved in the introduction of the supermarket into a developing country — Israel. Discusses how urban consumers food shopping patterns have been affected, and reveals many respondents, despite easy accessibility to the supermarket, continue to buy some of their foods in traditional stores. Analyses 310 questionnaires of residents of Jerusalem and bases results on this, as the random sample of 75‐80 households was then drawn from each of four areas. States that the study results demonstrate problems involved in the common practice of using supermarkets share of market type data as the sole basis for indicating rate of a countrys diffusion of rates and limitations of share. Implies that the supermarket will transform the traditional system of small one‐line food stores, which are considered costly, and with inefficient distribution of food items, into one which will consist mainly of supermarkets.

Changes in the Perception of a Service during its Consumption: A case of Organised Tours

Changes in both content and structure of consumers′ perceptions of an organised tour over its duration are investigated. Participants in 15 organised tours evaluated various attributes describing the tour at its beginning and at its conclusion. A comparison of the factor structure underlying their evaluations showed a major change in perceptual structure. At the early stages of the tour perceptions are not well formed and the tour is mostly perceived in terms of one set of attributes. Over time, consumers′ experiences in the tour resulted in their forming a clearer view and an emphasis on different sets of attributes. The implications of these findings for tour operators and management are also discussed.

Stages in the development of market orientation publication activity: A longitudinal assessment

Purpose – Market orientation (MO) is at the center of the marketing discipline and has been the focus of one of the longest and richest research efforts in the field. This paper aims to study the development of the MO research area and changes in its nature, and the implications these have for MO research in particular as well as for the marketing discipline as a whole.Design/methodology/approach – The study is guided by sociology of science research and studies of the history of the marketing discipline. It is based on a review of all MO articles and references in the period 1957‐2005.Findings – The findings reveal three periods in the development of MO research: 1950s‐late 1970s, late 1970s‐early 1990s, and early 1990s until today. In terms of diffusion over time, MO research has diffused from marketing mostly to management, from generalist to specialist journals, from higher to lower quality journals, and from the USA only to Europe. Over time more scholars have become involved in MO research and the n...