George Baltas

Consumer characteristics and demand for store brands

Purpose – Store brands represent an important part of the consumer goods market and a prominent research area. The purpose of this paper is to address a well‐defined problem of store brand research and is concerned with individual characteristics that explain heterogeneous preferences for store brands. Understanding how preferences vary with consumer factors is a key element in developing successful marketing strategies.Design/methodology/approach – A survey is designed and implemented to a large random sample of consumers, using computer‐assisted telephone interviewing.Findings – Specific consumer characteristics are associated with interpersonal differences in store brand demand. Store brand preferences derive from a broader evaluation process, in which quality has the most significant role. The results also demonstrate the changing image of store brands, the endorsement of such products by consumers of higher socio‐economic status, and lead to important implications for both retailers and manufacturers...

Random utility models in marketing research: a survey

Abstract Random utility (RU) models are well-established methods for describing discrete choice behavior. Recently, there has been a strong upsurge in interest driven by advances in data gathering and estimation technology. This review paper describes the principles and issues, and develops a taxonomy of three major families of models. The paper summarizes and classifies the different approaches. The advantages and limitations of the various alternatives are outlined. Practical issues in implementing the models are also discussed.

Shopper characteristics, product and store choice criteria: a survey in the Greek grocery sector

Considers the brand and store choice behaviour of grocery shoppers and explores relationships among consumer characteristics, brand choice criteria and store selection criteria. A survey was carried out to collect data on demographic profiles and decision criteria of shoppers in the Greek grocery sector. The data were collected through in‐store, personal interviews and subsequently analysed using descriptive as well as optimal scaling methods. The data reveal asymmetric evaluations of choice criteria and some clear and interesting patterns regarding the two choice processes. In addition, several associations between brand and store preferences are identified and related to specific demographic characteristics of the consumers. The present work is a first attempt at addressing these issues in the grocery Greek market and leaves considerable room for further research.

A combined segmentation and demand model for store brands

This paper presents an empirical study on store brand demand and its determinants. A two‐stage model is considered, in which the consumer decides whether to buy store brands, as well as how to allocate category expenditure between retail and manufacturer brands. The first stage identifies the segment of store brand customers and the second level determines customer demand. The model incorporates consumer characteristics and examines their effects in the light of behavioural data. Discrete and continuous outcomes flow from the same preference structure and are determined by consumer characteristics. The results provide insights into explanatory factors and useful implications for brand management. Extensions of the present work are also discussed.

Nutrition labelling: issues and policies

Nutrition labelling of food products has received considerable attention in the marketing literature due to increasing consumer interest in health and diet issues. Nutrition labelling of food products is intended to enable informed consumer choices and stimulate the consumption and production of healthful products. Reviews nutrition labelling research, organises the literature, and discusses implications for policy makers, managers and researchers. Analysis of the literature suggests heterogeneous utilisation and comprehension of on‐pack nutrition information by consumers. The effectiveness of nutrition labelling depends also on the organisation and presentation of the information, implying the importance of regulatory issues. The topic is rich in public and marketing policy implications and provides several opportunities for further research.

Web site characteristics and business performance: some evidence from international business‐to‐business organizations

This paper addresses the effectiveness of Web site capabilities. It is intended to empirically determine the importance of site properties for Internet sales performance. More specifically, we consider the relationship of characteristics such as navigability, interactivity, multimedia design and marketing communications content with sales attributed to the Internet. Advanced econometric modeling of cross‐section data on business‐to‐business firms demonstrates that interactive responsiveness of the site, enabling customized interactive programs and club membership, fast‐downloading multimedia, such as frames and animation, corporate information stressing corporate positioning and active information submission on behalf of the target audience may influence sales performance. Important implications for optimization of business‐to‐business Internet strategies are also considered.

A model for multiple brand choice

Abstract This paper considers a simultaneous choice model that describes consumer selection of multiple brands. The proposed model considerably extends research possibilities in the demand area by relaxing the restrictive assumption of mutually exclusive alternatives, which characterizes multinomial discrete choice methods. An essential contribution lies in the explicit treatment of stochastic dependencies among latent brand utilities. Two empirical applications illustrate how the model determines brand demand functions and yields quantitative insights into the competitive structure of the examined markets. An alternative specification of the multivariate, simultaneous probit model assuming independent covariance structure is also addressed.

Relationship Value: Drivers and Outcomes in International Marketing Channels

Although collaborative business arrangements based on relationship marketing have become ubiquitous over the past decades, research studies of relationship value in international marketing channels are scarce. Drawing on the relational view of competitive advantage, this study investigates the drivers of relationship value in exporter–importer relationships and its impact on customer loyalty. The study findings reveal that relationship-specific investments, knowledge sharing, complementary capabilities, and relational norms are powerful contributors of importer-perceived value in an overseas supplier relationship. Importantly, exporter cultural sensitivity weakens the negative effect of psychic distance on relationship value; when cultural sensitivity is low, psychic distance takes on greater importance in attenuating relationship value, whereas when cultural sensitivity is high, psychic distance has no discernible effect. In addition, the results demonstrate that relationship value results in insensitivity to competitive offerings and future purchase expansion. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for international marketing theory and practice.

Hedonic Price Methods and the Structure of High-Technology Industrial Markets: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract This article develops a hedonic price model to investigate empirically the structure of a rapidly evolving industrial market. The model postulates price distortions that arise out of intersegment and interfirm heterogeneity. The application of the model supplies evidence in support of the hypotheses. Empirical results are consistent with existing work on the role of technical performance and technological change in hedonic evaluations of high-technology industrial products. Particular emphasis is placed on policy implications for industrial marketing management.

Econometric models for discrete choice analysis of travel and tourism demand.

Abstract Discrete choice analysis is theory-driven and has proved valuable in empirical applications. It is an effective way to determine preferences and assess the tradeoffs that individuals make in considering various product and services bundles. Discrete choice analysis deals with qualitative choice behaviour on discrete choice situations. In travel and tourism research, random utility models have received considerable academic and industry attention and become a well-established framework. These models relate to discrete choice behaviour and permit structural analyses of demand at the level of individual decision. This approach exploits the theoretical infrastructure of utility maximization and heterogeneity in decision-makers and choice alternatives. Applied to travel research, discrete choice analysis refers to travel mode choices that differ in their attributes such as cost, comfort, safety, and travel time. This paper focuses on the application of analysis of travel and tourism demand.