Editorial

Citation

Fernie, J. (2008), "Editorial", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 36 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijrdm.2008.08936daa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Volume 36, Issue 4.

This issue has a strong international retailing theme with four of the papers dealing with various aspects of global expansion or indeed withdrawal from markets. The first manuscript is authored by Michael Etgar and Dalia Rackman-Moore and examines the effects of international expansion on the sales volumes of the largest 200 retailers in the world drawn from the Deloitte “Global Retail Power” survey. The results of the research show that internationalisation does not offer major advantages for retailers in terms of larger sales volumes whether companies are “generalist” or “specialist”. Also, US retailers have benefited less from internationalisation compared to others.

Jody Evans, Kerrie Bridson, John Byrom and Dominic Medway continue this theme with their research on the key drivers for retail internationalisation through interviews with 12 (seven UK and five USA) senior executives. Their research shows that profit growth is the key motivator for internationalisation with host countries' market and regulatory conditions acting as the key barriers to expansion.

Our next paper is by Youngsun Park and Brenda Sternquist and it discusses retailers' global expansion within the context of entry mode choice. Drawing upon Dunning's eclectic paradigm, the authors develop a model with seven propositions to offer explanations for choice of market entry. Thus, the strength of a company's retail concept, its private brand development, resource capability and experience in markets will determine whether it uses the wholly-owned entry mode compared with franchising or other alternative strategies.

“Sainsbury's in Egypt” is a case of retail disinvestment. Sainsbury entered the Egyptian market in March 1999 when it acquired a 25.1 per cent share in Edge, raising the stake to 80.1 per cent in October 1999 but withdrew in April 2001, after a strategic review of the Sainsbury business. Ayman El-Amir and Steve Burt chart the Sainsbury Egyptian venture in the context of institutional theory. Using participant observation as part of an ethnographic three month study in Egypt, the authors were able to illustrate through constructed metaphors the Dr Jekyll strategies of Sainsbury's technical retail superiority in Egypt but their Mr Hyde social inferiority in its interaction with stakeholders.

Our final paper by Sooksam Kantabutra examines the relationship between vision attributes/content and customer/staff satisfaction in Thai retail stores. Data were collected from 126 stores at 12 shopping centres in Bangkok interviews were undertaken with store managers, staff and customers. Vision attributes were an indirect predictor of improved staff and customer satisfaction. Results showed that motivation of staff, in particular, was a direct predictor of enhanced staff satisfaction.

John Fernie