Editorial

Citation

Towers, N. (2011), "Editorial", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 39 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijrdm.2011.08939faa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Volume 39, Issue 6

For this edition, there is a strong retailing theme that addresses the relationships between the role of subjective norm, online shopping anxiety and perceived playfulness for Turkish consumers, the roles and implications of a manufacturer’s branded retail operations on its international strategy for four international brands, the various means of communication available to franchisors in attracting prospective franchisees more effectively than their competitors and the impact of anchor stores on the performance and results of shopping centres.

The first contribution by Hakan Çelik investigates the relationships between the role of subjective norm (SN), online shopping anxiety (ANX) and perceived playfulness (PPL). The study investigates these variables and the variables of technology acceptance model associated with customer’s online shopping intentions in an international environment. It was found that PPL had positive direct effects on both perceived ease of use of online shopping (PEOU) and behavioural intentions to shop online (BI). Nevertheless, SN and ANX appeared to exert significant positive and negative influences respectfully on only PEOU. This study provides additional insights for the retailers and researchers into the effects of SN, ANX and PPL on online shopping intentions of Turkish consumers, which could be used in formulating the online marketing strategies and considering the future research directions. A suggestion for future research should carry a longitudinal nature to show the temporal change effects and remedy the possibility of self-selection bias with a broader research sample.

The next paper, by Laura Ilonen, Jody Wren, Mika Gabrielsson, and Markku Salimäki, seeks to clarify the different roles and implications of a manufacturer’s branded retail operations on its international strategy. The roles are analyzed through two dimensions, brand strength and the role of branded retail as a sales channel. A multiple case study approach is used to look at the international development of branded retail in four companies: LEGO, Nokia, Iittala and H & M. The study finds that there are at least two approaches to implementing branded retail strategy internationally that can be and often are overlapping. Emphasis on branding appears to be important in both approaches. However, the role of the branded retail as a direct sales channel differs between the case companies. The paper discusses and demonstrates the importance and role of branded retail for companies not generally seen as retailers, from both sales and brand management perspectives. This paper offers guidance to managers of B2C manufacturing firms looking to use branded stores as a way to promote their brands and/or generate sales in fragmented industries, even if they would not have access to the shelves of major retailers. Finding the balance between everyday profitability and brand building as well as developing the capabilities needed to run a retail business is an important challenge.

The purpose of the third paper, by Rozenn Perrigot, Guy Basset, and Gérard Cliquet, is intended to highlight the various means of communication available to franchisors in attracting prospective franchisees more effectively than their competitors. In addition, it explores the potential use of Web 2.0 resources by franchisors. The simultaneous use of various means of communication by franchisors is examined through a case study. One of the largest franchised chains in the world is the focal case study company, which is in the process of expanding its chain of restaurants in many countries, with France being heavily targeted: Subway. This case study reveals the complementarities of push communication, pull communication and communication relayed by influencers, along with the development of new means of communication through the use of Web 2.0 tools (Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.). The implications of this research for franchisors relate primarily to the means of communication used in order to appear more attractive in the eyes of potential franchisees. Few journal articles have assessed the way new franchisees are attracted from a franchisor’s perspective. The study of franchisor communication strategy and franchisor use of Web 2.0 resources to bring in new franchisees is indeed original, in comparison with the existing literature.

The final paper, by Diana Simona Damian, José Dias Curto and José Castro Pinto, investigates the impact of anchor stores on the performance and results of shopping centres and on the prices practiced by other stores. It analyses the customer spillover effect of the anchor stores on the Sonae Sierra shopping centre in Portugal. The empirical analysis shows that a greater presence of anchors in a mall directly increases the sales, and consequently the rents of non-anchor stores in a mall. The paper suggests that externalities are internalized by efficient allocation of space and incentives across stores and that the anchor stores increased the malls’ customer drawing power. This is measured as the number of people who visited the mall at a given time, although lately they have had less impact on the sales per person visiting the centres. It is demonstrated that the total sales of the shopping malls are directly influenced by the number of anchors, and that the area allocated to them is a strategic tool.

Neil Towers