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Generation Z is deemed to be digital native and has been attracting the attention of many companies when developing digital strategies to understand their consumption behaviour and their expectations in the workplace. Although research is progressing in relation to understanding Generation Z’s attributes, very little is known in the context of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where a total of 1.4 million individuals who are part of this generation are located. This chapter aims to provide an overview of Generation Z in the UAE, their needs, characteristics, and preferences to enable companies to offer them targeted products and services and a suitable workplace which in turn will positively impact organisational performance. The findings suggest that Generation Z in the UAE has five main characteristics. They are (1) digital natives; (2) highly influenced by social influencers; (3) risk averse; (4) emotionally mature; and (5) highly involved in political debates. Accordingly, we outline directions for future research on Generation Z consumers and managerial implications for employers, retailers, and shopping malls operating in the UAE.

The consumer behaviour literature is evolving towards the assumption that products are inherently experiential bundles, and after all, all businesses are operating within the experienced economy. Experiences are much more advantageous for the consumers because they advance happiness or enjoyment of life (instead of survival or maintenance). Experiential purchases lead to greater happiness levels compared to material purchases. Reliance on materialism and material purchases is shown to be the reason of low happiness levels in even the most affluent countries.

In this chapter, based on theoretical as well as empirical papers, I analyse experiences and the consumption of experiences in the Turkish context. The arguments are supported by up-to-date market analysis of related industries conducted by independent market research agencies. The first section looks at the rise of experientialism in retail industries, such as in the case of shopping malls. The following sections touch upon main experiential categories such as tourism, dining and sports. Finally, the social aspects of experiences are discussed in the context of third-place experiences, and some empirical findings are presented. The chapter concludes with some recommendations for practitioners, experience designers, service providers as well as researchers.

In confining the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing was key, with traditional, bricks-and-mortar retailing being shut-down for weeks, and have nearly universally moved into online channels. At the same time, online players have started to operate physical stores. This chapter provides an analysis of how COVID-19 has accelerated the digitalization of retailing, focusing on the shift towards the online and mobile shopping channel. On the basis of success stories and failures in retail business practice, lessons are distilled for developing effective future phygital scenarios.

This chapter explores how customer's attributes, shopping behavior, and preferences affect the retail choice in fiercely competitive retail environments of megacities from developing countries. We study how small, family-owned retailers (i.e., nanostores) compete against organized chains from the modern channel (i.e., convenience stores and supermarkets) at different socioeconomic levels in 9 out of 16 boroughs from Mexico City. Primary data were collected using a combination of instruments (i.e., observation, interviews, and surveys) that were applied to relevant stakeholders of the retail footprint where nanostores develop their operations. We analyze the data via statistical tools such as descriptive statistics and independent nonparametric tests to understand the significant factors of the competitive landscape in which nanostores are immersed. We supplement our research methodology by using causal loop diagrams to identify opportunities in the way suppliers, shopkeepers, competitors, and customers interact with each other and new business models for the nanostore supply chains. By breaking down our result analysis into low-, middle-, and high-income areas, we provide insightful recommendations to increase nanostores' survival, improve their operations, and grow them in Mexico City by addressing issues from the supply, store management, and customer service.

The purpose of the study is to understand the perception held by Micro Steel Enterprises in Punjab, India, towards the role played by FinTech in it. The quantitative study uses a structured questionnaire to collect primary responses. A total of 400 Micro Steel Enterprises have been approached from Punjab. Here, statistical analyses are used, including chi-square tests, Principal Component Analysis, Multiple Linear Regression and One-way ANOVA. The satisfaction levels across the three factors revealed a significant relationship with the financial aspect only. This clarifies the situation and reveals that using the FinTech services among the Micro Steel Enterprises is only a modification caused by the financial constraints that generate satisfactory levels in the respondents. However, based on the operational conditions of these enterprises is not the factor causing the satisfaction levels, neither are the banking processes. The advances in the course must be solely made based on the financial aspects of Micro Steel Enterprises. The two variables of the owner of these firms are the owner’s age and the firm’s ownership type. The banking aspect and the Micro Steel Enterprise are also found to have associations with them. To motivate the use of FinTech in the process, the owners can be motivated differently towards its usage. The study is a novel attempt to understand the Micro Steel Enterprises in Punjab and its perception towards the use of FinTech. Punjab is the hub of the Steel Industry in India.

China represents around 20% of the world's population, and her economy is still performing well under economic crisis. Historical events have shaped different parts of China with different economic developments and cultural encounters. The most prominent difference is between Hong Kong and the Mainland. This chapter would like to examine the development and issues of fashion retailing in China. For better understanding, this chapter starts with a brief discussion on apparel industry development and fashion culture in Hong Kong and the Mainland, follows by historical development and then presents systems of fashion retailing in both Hong Kong and the Mainland. Desktop research and exploratory research techniques were employed. Stores of international fashion luxury brands in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing were visited. Comparison of branding issues, particularly for luxury market in Hong Kong and the Mainland are discussed, so are future directions of fashion retailing in these places.

Through the examination of retail space, by the end of this chapter you should be able to demonstrate an understanding of:

The use of space within retailing.

Lefebrve’s spatial triad: perceived, conceived and lived within a retail context.

Disruption innovation and the use of retail space.

The circular economy is a system that aims to conserve resources at every level for as long as possible with a minimization of waste. The core concept of the circular economy is to improve resource efficiency and prevent valuable materials from leaking out of the system. Better use of increasingly scarce resources can provide both economic and environmental benefits. When excess inventory, returned products, and end-of-life products are disposed of improperly, unnecessary waste is created, often with a detrimental impact to the environment. An effective system must exist to facilitate the proper handling of these products, and secondary markets are a crucial component in this system. In this chapter, we discuss the secondary markets’ role as an important mechanism for achieving a circular economy.