International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management

Abdelmajid Amine; Sandrine Cadenat

2003 International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management

doi: 10.1108/09590550310497012

This research shows that to reach their prime goal of building an efficient assortment, retailers need, beside increasing the outlet's cost-efficiency, to evaluate shoppers' assortment perceptions so that what the store actually offers can be tailored to meet customers' needs and expectations. Our findings reveal that consumers' perceptions of the assortment range stems from the combination of few indicators, mainly the number of stock-keeping units proposed and the availability of the favorite brands. Also demonstrates that consumers evaluation of the overall store assortment draws on the perceived choice within the product categories where they are highly sensitive to the assortment range.

George Baltas; Paulina Papastathopoulou

2003 International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management

doi: 10.1108/09590550310497021

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.

Claire Gauzente

2003 International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management

doi: 10.1108/09590550310497030

Franchisees' satisfaction is key to a franchise network's continuance over the years. However, at the moment, no robust scale exists in order to assess franchisees' satisfaction. The aim of the present study is to fill this gap by providing a reflection on the nature of franchisee satisfaction. In particular, we favor a managerial approach to satisfaction which should provide franchisers with an appropriate tool for assessing the satisfaction of their franchisees and provide a basis for guaranteeing long-term survival of their network. The study was conducted in France over a representative sample of 401 franchises representing 32 franchise networks and covering all sectors. After a pre-test phase, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. The results led to a short, robust and predictive scale of franchisee job satisfaction.

John W. Pal; John W. Byrom

2003 International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management

doi: 10.1108/09590550310497049

Reviews the academic and practitioner literature on retail operations and identifies five core elements of retail operations. Proposes a method by which managers can examine ways of improving their operations by the use of a modified cause-effect technique. Provides worked examples of the technique.

Mikko Kärkkäinen

2003 International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management

doi: 10.1108/09590550310497058

Short shelf-life grocery goods present some of the biggest challenges for supply chain management due to a high number of product variants, strict traceability requirements, short shelf-life of the products, the need for temperature control in the supply chain, and the large volume of goods handled. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based data capture system can help solve the problems associated with the logistics of short shelf life products. This article discusses the potential of utilising RFID technology for increasing efficiency in the supply chain of short shelf life products. The focus of this article is a RFID trial conducted at Sainsbury's, which is discussed to study the potential benefits of RFID for short shelf-life products retailers. Further this article analyses the potential impact of RFID for other supply chain participants. We conclude that when applied with recyclable transport containers, RFID investments can provide quick amortisation of capital whilst offering a range of operational benefits.