Suzanne Horne

Giving to charity: questioning the donor decision process

Notes that changes in the charity environment mean that fundraisers need to increase income from donations. Argues that to move forward donor behavior research needs to look not only at “why” people make donations but also at the process of “how” donations are made. Proposes that valuable lessons may be learnt through consideration of advances made in the field of consumer behavior where researchers have long focussed on decision‐making processes as a concept which is central to the understanding of how consumers behave. Suggests that taking account of the circumstances in which the consumer acts will give insight into donor behavior, which avoids losing sight of the reality of donation occasions.

Charity shops in the UK

Charity retailing has been a successful sector of the retail market since the late 1980s. Charity shops have blossomed on the streets of towns and cities in the UK to become a feature of interest for retail academics and concern for the conventional retailer. They have the potential to serve four purposes in that they offer a social service, enable the recycling of goods, help to raise awareness of the charity and provide a fundraising medium. With increased professionalism in their operations, competition has escalated for customers, goods and volunteers, both with other charities and with established retailers in terms of business rates relief. The increased competition from within and without poses the problem of retail strategy for the future. Suggestions for future development include developing a strong brand image in order to attract and secure customer loyalty, and joint ventures with other retailers and charities. There is no doubt that the charity shop can provide a very successful means of raising funds.

Culinary tourism: An exploratory reading of contemporary representations of cooking

In Levi‐Straussian terms cooking marks the “transition between nature and culture”. Yet the study of cookbooks as placed cultural artefacts is largely neglected by consumer researchers. This essay seeks to address this oversight, setting out to explore the potential contribution of a turn to cookbooks for enriching our understanding of the character of contemporary consumer culture. It weaves a line of argument that asserts the value of treating cookbooks as cultural products, as objectifications of culinary culture, as constructed social forms which are amenable to textual analysis. In this respect it declares that, rather than simply being understood as reflections of contemporary consumer culture, cookbooks should be understood as artefacts of cultural life in the making. That is, cookbooks contain not only recipes but inscribed cultural tales which can be understood as productive of the culinary culture that they pretend only to display, and performative in their attempt to do things with us. We reveal cookbooks to be sites of aestheticised consumption.

Car boot sales: a study of shopping motives in an alternative retail format

Describes car boot sales as an alternative retail format focusing on consumers’ shopping motives and related shopping behaviour in this type of retail setting. Concludes that car boot sales appeal more to middle and lower social class groups. Further concludes the growth of the car boot sale is largely due to the functional needs and non‐functional wants of these sub‐groups.

Charity shops: a classification by merchandise mix

Little attention has been paid to the evolution of charity retailing. A recent upturn in interest results from an increase in the number of charity shops in operation and their increasingly professional management. Charity retailing has expanded and developed over the past decade and the rapid expansion in numbers in the 1980s has heightened interest in them, although they do not feature as a sector in their own right in retail statistics. Explores the development of charity shops and suggests a three‐fold category classification. The definition of charity trading relies largely on the mix of the merchandise being sold and this mix determines the three categories of charity retailing. The classification highlights trading implications of technology and competition which in turn affect volunteers, customers, other charities and established retailers alike.

Who Volunteers for Charity Retailing and Why

Employment patterns in various sectors of retailing have received much research attention in recent years. Although there is a general awareness of the presence of charity shops in most retail areas, there has, however, been little research to date into the-use of volunteers in charity retailing. This article examines the demographic characteristics of the volunteer workforce for one particular charity chain and reports an analysis of its work patterns and motivations.

Giving at risk? Examining perceived risk and blood donation behaviour

This paper builds on previous research into blood donation behaviour, focusing on perceptions of risk associated with blood donation in the UK. It compares indicators of risk perceptions obtained through probability and importance indicators and calculated using additive versus multiplicative models. It examines the relationships between perceived risk and blood donation with specific attention to donation frequency. The findings demonstrate that apparent perceived risk in blood donation varies substantially depending on the indicator that is used and that a more accurate indicator of risk is obtained if two components of risk are combined through a multiplicative model rather than an additive one. Social risk emerged as the more prominent aspect of perceived risk, implying a high level of trust by donors in the Blood Transfusion Service. Perceived risk was found to be significantly associated with donation frequency, highlighting the need to keep track of donors and to communicate with those whose donations lapse.

Alumni affinity credit cards: making the relationship work

The credit card industry in the UK has a growing number of affinity cards, some of which are specifically aimed at the alumni of universities. Discusses the evolution of the relationship between the university alumni officers and the credit card issuers responsible for the alumni affinity cards. Bases the research on a five‐phase model of relationship formation and describes how the alumni officers perceive their relationship with their affinity card issuers through the phases of awareness, exploration, expansion, commitment and dissolution. Concludes that the entry of the affinity card issuer potentially dilutes the strength of the relationship between the alumni and their university, as the card issuer seeks to build a direct relationship with the alumni affinity cardholders. Alumni officers and others responsible for initiating affinity credit card agreements, therefore, need to be aware of both the benefits and costs of establishing and maintaining relationships with affinity credit card issuers.

Affinity Credit Cards: Card Issuer Strategies and Affinity Group Aspirations

Examines the history and economics of the credit card before describing the origins of the affinity card concept both in the USA and the UK. Explores different strategies of some major UK affinity card issuers and the aspirations of the affinity groups with whom a mutually beneficial relationship is sought. Successful affinity cards occur where the expectations of the card issuer are met by the aspirations of the affinity group and examples are used to illustrate a good and bad “fit”. Considers the current pressures on affinity cards and offers some thoughts on the need for a mutual understanding of the aspirations of both issuer and affinity group.

Charity affinity credit cards—marketing synergy for both card issuers and charities?

Charity affinity credit cards are one of the more recent fund‐raising initiatives of the charity sector in the United Kingdom. This paper explains and exemplifies the concept of the charity affinity card by discussing both the history and economies of the credit card and of its affinity variant. Using charity affinity card examples, the benefits that the card issuer and the affinity charity can derive from this type of credit card are contrasted and con‐pared. Whilst the card issuers often have a clear marketing objectives, their choice of affinity charity is a key factor for success, as is the way that the ongoing relationship with the charity is managed. The charities enter into these affinity relationships with different objectives in mind, but their own marketing expertise and the quality of the relationship that they establish with the card issuer are critical elements in achieving their objectives. In order to demonstrate the marketing synergy available to both card issuers and affinity charities th...