N. Sanghavi

Retail Franchising as a Growth Strategy

The structure of the retail sector has altered dramatically during the last decade, as high fixed cost structures and static or minimal growth situations have intensified competition in virtually all consumer retail markets. Retailers have become aware of the need to identify with specific market segments, reduce competition and achieve competitive advantage. Franchising has developed as a viable alternative to “traditional” forms of retail organisation. This article examines the development of retail franchising in the UK and European markets and its market penetration, compared with the US, and the potential for franchising as an operational strategy to achieve profitable business growth.

The Role of Online Reviews in Services Sector and Implications for Services Firms

Today, consumers share their positive and negative experiences about products and services using social media sites and online platforms provided by companies. Electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) usually spreads through social networking sites (e.g., Facebook), and it affects how consumers make their decisions on what to buy or recommend within their network (Simonson and Rosen 2014). In particular, online reviews have been noted as providing useful information (Yin and Zhang 2014) not only for other customers but also for companies searching for new ways to attract their customers to visit their websites. This chapter aims to investigate the role of online reviews in social media in the services sector and offers implications for services firms.