Marianne C. Bickle

Consumers' uniqueness in home décor: Retail channel choice behaviour

Abstract This study focuses on consumer choice behaviour using home décor retail channels to explore uniqueness as a motivator of retail channel usage. Consumers decision to shop among brick-and-mortar stores, catalogues, and e-retailers because of preference or necessity is addressed. The importance of home décor retailers becoming multi-channel operations (i.e. brick-and-mortar stores, catalogues, and websites) creates an opportunity for consumers to choose products from a variety of retailers and retail channels lessening the probability that others have the same collection. Further study suggestions, such as developing a measure for multi-channel operations rather than measuring each channel individually are provided.

The digitization of health care retailing

Purpose This paper aims to offer insights into the impact of digitization technology on consumer goods manufacturers and retail organizations. The authors propose that the “next phase” of digitization will entail the employment of digitization technology to offer consumers personalized product offerings and recommendations based on their internal biomarkers. Design/methodology/approach The authors draw on past investigations into digitization and their retailing experience to speculate on how the next phase of digitization will affect both consumer goods manufacturers and retailers. Findings The next phase of digitization will entail the use of nutrigenomics (DNA sequencing), exhaled breath analysis, fitness tracker devices, sensory patches, radio frequency identification tags and quantum ID tags to create customized and recommend products, and support product-to-customer communication regarding authenticity. Research limitations/implications Consumers will increasingly rely on technology to inform them of their bodily needs and to receive personalized solutions to help satisfy those needs. Consumer behavior theories must be reconsidered because consumers will become more passive participants in retail consumption as they rely on technology for need-recognition and product-fulfillment. Social implications Digitization technologies that use consumers’ biomarkers for new product creation or product recommendation raise new risks and uncertainty. For example, the legal implications of an incorrect product recommendation based on customer biomarkers are unknown. Furthermore, retailers would need to maintain data privacy of biomarker data and be responsible for data breaches. Originality/value The research explores how digitization will affect consumers’ in-store experiences with consumer goods products.

Local retailers’ perspectives on social responsibility

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the types of social responsibility actions that small local retailers implement in their local community and to explore their underlying motivations and perceived benefits. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research method is used to explore small local retailers’ social responsibility practices and underlying motivations. Owners/managers of small apparel retailers in the USA were interviewed and their responses transcribed and analyzed. Findings Findings highlight that local retailers are active in giving back to their community using various means from monetary donations to promotion of community events. Such contributions to their local community are largely driven by their affection for the community, and the motivation is to maintain a good reputation. It was also found that episodes of giving were also triggered externally by customers, local organizations, and local events. Small retailers’ social responsibility contributions to the community are typically not undertaken in an effort to stimulate sales, profits and/or customer traffic. Rather, local retailers find their experiences enjoyable and their contributions build a sense of connection to the community. These retailers enjoy an extra sense of enrichment and perceive social benefits accrued from actively engaging in social responsibility within the community. Originality/value Much has been written about social responsibility from a manufacturing and large retailer viewpoint, but there is a dearth of information on small local retailers. This study explores the understanding of small businesses’ social responsibility practices from a local retail perspective and provides valuable insights about retailers approach to social responsibility in relation to their local community.

Avoiding cultural misconceptions during globalization of tourism

Purpose – The purpose of this editorial is to introduce the current special issue of research related to cultural misconceptions during the globalization of tourism.Design/methodology/approach – The four peer reviewed articles presented in this special issue are introduced.Findings – All of the research articles examine the potential or actual result of misconceptions when different cultures interact. Culture identity is a common theme throughout the articles. Sub‐themes include how cultural identity is changed (positively or negatively) when other cultures interact. The data collection sites include: Zakopane, a small village of 30,000 residents located in the Tatra Mountains in the South of Poland; Ubud, a village in Bali, Indonesia; Great Britain and Ireland; Shandong, China; and a framework to compare data collected throughout different cultures in Asia. The first two articles presented examine the influence of tourism on a village. The third article focuses on service providers working in large citie...

Integration of Boyer's Theory of Teaching and Learning into Undergraduate Education: Application to Resident Instruction and Distance Education

According to Boyers theory of teaching and learning, teaching becomes scholarly when four components (discovery, integration, application, and teaching) are integrated within and throughout the educators efforts. Scholarship is holistic, and the elimination of one or more components diminishes the strength of scholarship. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how Boyers theory of scholarship is applied to resident instruction and distance education at a midsize university in the West. The infusion of Boyers components results in communication and content skills students learn while completing assignments that go beyond the memorization of apparel and merchandising concepts. Regardless of the method of instruction delivery, Boyers theory of scholarship may be applied to course concepts to assist students in the long-term learning process. Students also gain valuable leadership skills that are used to benefit the community.

Bridging the Gap between Millennial Consumers, Social Media, and Agricultural Branding Programs: A Qualitative Assessment

ABSTRACT With a growing trend for geographical branding efforts within the United States, particularly for individual states, the need to better understand how consumer groups respond to these efforts becomes prevalent, particularly for agricultural brands. The current study analyzes Millennial consumer response to agricultural branding programs within the United States and the effects of social media on this process. Using the Generational Cohort Theory (GCT) and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (HoN) as key foundations, a qualitative assessment was completed on Millennial consumers across various university campuses within one U.S. state. Results revealed that five key themes emerged relating to locally produced foods (definition, users, access, experiences and marketing/branding) while four themes emerged from the discussions on social media (applications, activity, advertising and information flow/communication). From these themes, a new conceptual ‘hierarchy’ is proposed that can be used to explain how Millennial consumers can become better connected with agricultural programs and branding messages moving forward. Implications and future research directions are provided.