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Food technology and innovation have had a large impact on British food retailing affecting suppliers, retailers and their markets. Technology has invaded many areas of the British food industry providing efficient technical knowledge and new products. Innovative retailers have anticipated the food market metamorphosis and have repositioned their retail activities to take advantage of the changing market environment. The central objective of this study was to assess retailers′ technical innovations in food manufacturing, and to achieve this a research technique was adopted and conducted with leading UK food retailers. The results suggested that food retailers′ technological capabilityi affects the method of own‐label procurement and choice of suppliers. Those retailers who were able to influence food innovation all have large food technology departments, employing food technologists to meet consumer food requirements and legal obligations, and who collaborate with their suppliers to develop new products. Concludes that innovation is vital to the future of both food manufacturers and retailers, and novel and significantly different new products and/or services will ensure success either way.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate food retailers food waste reduction practices in Germany. The focus is on selling and redistributing agricultural produce with visual impairments and other surplus food items. In addition, drivers and barriers regarding the implementation of both waste reduction practices are explored.

In total, 12 in-depth interviews with managerial actors in the food retail sector and a food bank spokesperson were recorded, transcribed and analyzed through a qualitative content analysis.

In contrast to organic retailers, conventional retailers were reluctant to include agricultural produce with visual impairments in their product assortments, due to fears of negative consumer reactions. Another obstacle was EU marketing standards for specific produce. All retailers interviewed engaged in redistribution of surplus food. Logistics and the regulatory framework were the main barriers to food redistribution.

The present study adds to the existing body of literature on food waste reduction practices as it explores selling produce with visual impairments and elaborates on the legal background of food redistribution in German retail. The results are the foundation for providing recommendations to policy makers and charitable food organizations.

This paper aims to present the methodology used to develop an index for assessing retailers' efforts to promote regional foods, and to provide an analysis of the evaluation of 278 retailers.

A three‐step procedure was used to develop the index. First, the dimensions of the index were identified through a literature review and interviews with retailers. Next, face‐to‐face interviews with retailers, food producers and regional development experts were conducted to define the best way to measure the index dimensions. Finally, a Delphi approach with an expert panel was used to determine the relative importance of the dimensions. The index was used to evaluate 278 food retailers from the province of Quebec in Canada. Data collection was conducted through store observation and interviews with managers or owners.

The results reveal a weak level of commitment toward regional foods. Only a small group of retailers, 16 per cent of the sample analysed, adopted practices that demonstrated commitment toward regional foods. A lower level of commitment was observed among corporate stores and discount supermarkets.

The index provides an overview of retailers' level of commitment toward regional foods within a region. It is simple to use and the results are easy to communicate. However, further research is needed to validate the index dimensions and their relative importance.

This is the first study to provide a means of measuring retailers' commitment toward regional foods based on their behaviour.

The purpose of this paper is to offer a preliminary case study exploration of the ways in which the UK's top ten food retailers are addressing healthy eating agendas as part of their CSR agendas and how these agendas are being promoted within their stores.

The paper begins with a short discussion of the healthy eating of CSR and a brief outline of food retailing within the UK. The paper draws its empirical material from the CSR reports and information posted on the world wide web by the UK's top ten food retailers and from a simple inspection and information collection survey conducted in the largest store in Cheltenham and Gloucester, UK operated by each of these ten retailers.

The findings reveal that there are considerable variations in the extent to which healthy eating is addressed in the CSR information posted on the world wide web by the top ten food retailers and how healthy eating is promoted within stores. The paper concludes that the leading food retailers could do more to address healthy eating agendas within stores.

The current case is a preliminary exploration of the ways in which the leading UK food retailers are addressing healthy eating issues as part of their CSR agendas and while it raises a number of interesting issues, more work will be needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.

The paper provides an accessible review of the ways the UK's leading food retailers are addressing healthy eating issues as part of their CSR agendas and as such it will interest academics and practitioners working in and on both this sector of the retail marketplace and health promotion.

The authors assessed the certification of street food retailers in Ghana in terms of awareness, training, willingness to be certified, determinants, agreement with certification requirements and impacts on performance.

Primary data was sourced from 200 street food retailers. Descriptive statistics, Likert scale, mean comparison test, heteroskedastic probit, inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA), inverse probability weights (IPW) and augmented inverse-probability weighting (AIPW) were applied.

Most uncertified retailers were willing to be certified. Awareness about certification was high. Most of the certified retailers had been trained on certification, while most uncertified retailers had not been trained. Being a female, being educated, being a migrant vendor, possessing experience in retailing, training in certification, trust in the local certification process, the amount spent in preparing food and the number of customers are crucial variables that increase the probability of being certified among street food vendors. Street food retailers agreed to all the requirements for certification. Certification boosts the performance of street food retailers in terms of the number of customers and contracts received. Training on certification is recommended for street food retailers.

The limitation of this study is mainly due to the type of food retailers selected. Street food vending in Ghana is done among those who cook food for selling, those who sell processed products such as drinks and those who sell vegetables and other uncooked agriproducts. Meanwhile, the authors selected unorganised retailers who primarily cook local and regional dishes for sale in this study. Thus, the study did not include organised food retailers such as restaurants. Therefore, generalising the study results for street food vendors should be made with caution.

Several studies have been conducted on street food retailing across the globe on knowledge of food-safety practices, risk practices, bacterial contamination of street retailing food, toxicological hazards of street foods and compliance with technical and hygienic requirements by street food retailers, among others. However, empirical studies on the certification/licensing of street food retailers and its impact have been given little attention. As a result, this study investigates the certification of street food retailers and its impacts on retailers' performance in Ghana.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of green self-identity, green peer influence, service and product quality of organic food retailers on Indian consumers’ perceived trust and transaction risk.

The sample consisted of consumers purchasing organic food products from organic food retailers. A mix of judgemental and convenience sampling was used.

Green peer influence, perceived organic food quality and service quality had a positive influence on perceived trust towards organic food retailer. Green self-identity had a negative influence on perceived transaction risk, and green peer influence had a positive effect on perceived transaction risk.

The findings can be used by organic food retailers to increase trust by improving organic food brands and service quality at the stores. The organic food market is in nascent stage and consumers’ trust towards organic food retailers is crucial in improving intention to purchase organic food. Peer influence should be used in cultivating trust towards products sold by organic food retailers.

The study adds to existing research by analysing the role of green self-identity, peer influence, organic food and service quality on perceived trust and transaction risk. The results can be used by retailers for marketing organic food brands.

The purpose of this paper is to identify in what way logistics service providers are involved in the logistics operations of omnichannel retailers. Given the importance of logistics in omnichannel retail and the complexities that it brings forth, it is unclear if the current tendency towards logistics outsourcing continues, and how logistics service providers should adapt to remain relevant in the omnichannel retail environment.

The research draws on both desk and field research. The authors analysed the scientific information available on omnichannel retail logistics and conducted semi-structured expert interviews with food and non-food retailers that adopt an omnichannel model.

The research demonstrates distinct differences between food and non-food retailers. While food retailers are inclined to organise fulfilment and last mile activities in-house, non-food retailers partner closely with logistics service providers. Nonetheless, the store network of non-food retailers is attracting a growing part of logistics activities, which retailers are building themselves. To sustain their relevance in the omnichannel environment and strengthen their position for the future, the authors created a competency recommendation framework for logistics service providers, in which service differentiation is proposed as a viable direction for growth.

The research is based on insights from retailers based in the Brussels-Capital Region (Belgium) and requires further and wider testing in other contexts and geographical areas.

The findings have strategic importance for retailers that are developing an omnichannel retail model and logistics service providers that (aim to) serve clients and operate activities within the retail sector.

The research provides a holistic view of logistics in omnichannel retail by identifying insourcing and outsourcing mechanisms and developing competency recommendations to fulfilment, internal transport and last mile transport in omnichannel retail.

The purpose of this paper is to offer an exploratory case study of how the UK's top ten food retailers are communicating sustainable consumption agendas to their customers within stores.

The paper begins with a discussion of the growing awareness of the role that retailers, and more particularly food retailers, can play in promoting sustainable consumption. This is followed by a short literature review of current thinking on sustainable consumption. Information obtained from two simple “walk through/visual observation and information collection” surveys conducted within the largest store operated by each of the top ten food retailers within the towns of Cheltenham and Gloucester, UK, provided the empirical material for the case study. The paper concludes with some reflections on how sustainable consumption fits into the large food retailers' business models.

The survey revealed that, while the UK's top ten food retailers were providing customers with some information on sustainable consumption, the dominant thrust of marketing communication within stores was designed to encourage consumption. More generally, the paper concludes that, at best, the UK's leading food retailers are pursuing a weak model of sustainable consumption and that their definitions of, and engagement with, sustainable consumption is driven as much by commercial imperatives as by commitments to sustainability.

This paper provides an accessible review of the extent to which the UK's leading food retailers are communicating sustainable consumption agendas to their customers within stores and as such it will be of value to academics, practitioners, consumer organisations and policy makers interested in the role retailers can play in promoting sustainable consumption.

Healthy food sales have increased in recent decades. Retailers are widening their marketing management approach, including the use of social media to communicate with consumers and to promote healthy food. The purpose of this paper is to investigate European retailers’ social media communication content used to promote healthy food products, by analysing retailers’ Twitter messages and accounts characteristics, retailers’ Twitter messages content on healthy food and retailers’ Twitter accounts orientation on healthy food.

Data include approximately 74,000 tweets sent in 2016 from 90 corporate and brand accounts. The tweets were sent by the top 36 European retailers. Data elaboration includes quantitative content analysis of Twitter messages, which is used to identify healthy food categories’ occurrences and co-occurrences. Then, multiple multivariate-linear regression analyses explore the relation between retailers’ characteristics and healthy food messaging and between the overall content of retailer accounts and a healthy food focus.

The vast majority of retailers’ tweets on healthy food issues mainly address general health and sustainability issues. Tweets about food health and nutrition refer to food types, meals or consumer segments. Tweets about food sustainability refer to general issues. Analysis of retailer accounts shows that the larger the retailer is, the lower the relevance of healthy food. Retailers with high numbers of tweets and followers tend to decrease their attention to healthy food promotion. Compared to retailers with lower revenues, retailers with higher revenues tend to send a higher number of tweets that focus on healthy food but the incidence is lower compared to the overall accounts’ messaging.

As the study focuses on a single category of food products, further research into other categories of retail products may contribute to a wider perspective. Future research may include graphical content/emoticons and extend the analysis to other social media platforms. Finally, social media data allow studies to cover a wide geographical area. However, in order to also value non-English written messaging, this research introduces some approximations in language interpretation.

The research provides insights into how retailers use social media and provides an overview of how retailers manage their social media communication in one of the most promising food product categories. Retailers manage social media communication content cautiously to minimise controversial issues. This study provides insights into the need to more effectively target the increasing number of social media users.

The research approach and findings of this study extend prior research on retailers’ communication management by improving the understanding of retailers’ use of social media and marketing communication content for their key products, focusing on healthy food.

Regarding the retail internal supply chain (SC), both retailers and research are currently focused on reactive food waste reduction options in stores (e.g. discounting or donations). These options reduce waste after a surplus has emerged but do not prevent an emerging surplus in the first place. This paper aims to reveal how retailers can proactively prevent waste along the SC and why the options identified are impactful but, at the same time, often complex to implement.

The authors follow an exploratory approach for a nascent topic to obtain insights into measures taken in practice. Interviews with experts from retail build the main data source.

The authors identify and analyze 21 inbound, warehousing, distribution and store-related options applied in grocery retail. Despite the expected high overall impact on waste, prevention measures in inbound logistics and distribution and warehousing have not been intensively applied to date.

The authors provide a structured approach to mitigate waste within retailers' operations and categorize the types of barriers that need to be addressed.

This research provides a better understanding of prevention options in retail operations, which has not yet been empirically explored. Furthermore, this study conceptualizes prevention and reduction options and reveals implementation patterns.