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The study of sustainability in retail has experienced an exponential interest in recent years as a result of greater awareness on the part of consumers of the negative effects of the current way of producing and consuming on society and the environment. This work examines the heterogeneous evaluation based on behavioural variables in retail trade and how consumer perceptions towards sustainable practices implemented in stores can influence the overall store equity.

The authors propose a theoretical model based on the literature, tested through a mixed regression model in a sample of 510 customers of food retail establishments.

The dimensions of sustainability are postulated as driving forces of brand equity towards the retail establishment. Specifically, social sustainability shows a greater impact on consumer perception, being the main factor in the development of the store's brand equity. Furthermore, the analysis of unobserved heterogeneity identifies three latent classes in which the effects of perceptions on sustainable retail activities vary across consumer segments.

The study analyses in a single model the effect of sustainability dimensions on store equity from the consumer's perspective, analysing the differences between these relationships as a consequence of the unobserved heterogeneity of consumers.

This work aims to attempt an in-depth study of the link between relationship benefits and store loyalty, examining the moderating role of the retailer’s degree of innovation in these relations.

An equations model has been contrasted based on 820 valid individual structured questionnaires administered to consumers of 13 trade names in four retail distribution sectors (food, textile, electronics and household goods).

The results provide evidence of the positive influence of relationship benefits on store loyalty and in particular the benefits stemming from trust. The links between social and special treatment benefits in relation to loyalty are, however, significantly stronger in the less innovative establishments.

This paper provides evidence of the moderating role of innovation on the relationship between social benefits and special treatment benefits and loyalty.

Technology may be used as a differentiation tool. The retailer should concentrate its investments on information and communications technology solutions that contribute to enhance the customer experience at the point of sale without neglecting the social dimension to increase the benefits of trust and ultimately, customer loyalty.

The paper provides an in-depth examination of the retail innovation variable which is scarcely analysed in the literature, offering support for the idea that innovation at the point of sale plays a moderating role in the links between relational benefits and customer loyalty.

The purpose of this study is to identify groups of employees based on their motivations, detecting the main barriers that may influence their willingness to participate in the pro-environmental initiatives proposed by their employer.

To identify the different groups of employees, an online survey was conducted, and the Chi-square automatic interaction detection algorithm segmentation technique was used with a sample of 483 employees from 9 Latin American universities.

The results allowed us to identify various segments, in which the main obstacle linked to intrinsic motivation is the university culture and, to a lesser extent, the lack of equipment, while for extrinsic motivation, the lack of infrastructure is the most determining factor. Likewise, the results reflect that, compared to the less motivated employees, those who show greater motivation (both intrinsic and extrinsic) are the ones who encounter the greatest barriers, so that the perceptions of the most motivated, as expert observers, help to identify the main obstacles that organisations must remove to promote pro-environmental behaviours among staff members.

The results obtained help to guide the representatives or organisational leaders on the actions that generate the greatest impact in the mitigation of climate change from a motivational approach of behavioural prediction.

This study contributes to a more sustainable society by developing an understanding of how employees react to issues related to climate change. Knowing the perceptions of employees can be a turning point so that other members of society can get involved in pro-environmental behaviours.

Many studies have analysed the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of employees to engage in pro-environmental behaviours; however, as far as the authors are aware, this has not been analysed from the perspective of barriers to motivation.

The present research aims to analyse the retailer's commitment to sustainable development (RCSD) perceived by the consumers and how it contributes to store equity creation through image, perceived quality and loyalty.

A primary research was conducted through a structured questionnaire to analyse the relationships between the variables included in the proposed model. The fieldwork was conducted in 2019, obtaining responses from 617 retail consumers from four cities in Ecuador – Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Machala – obtained. A structural equation model is estimated with the partial least squares technique.

There is evidence in favour of the contribution of sustainability to store equity. The positive influence of RCSD on perceived quality and the impact of the latter, together with store image, contribute to loyalty, which emerges as a critical construct in building store equity.

Some limitations of the present study – geographic scope limited to Ecuador, analyses restricted to food retailers and pre-COVID-19 data collection – may open new research opportunities replicating the study in other regions for other retail activities and in the post pandemic context.

The retailer's actions demonstrate a commitment to economic, social and environmental sustainability. As a result of this, the establishment's perceived quality improves, which is of interest to academics and retail management professionals.

The present research provides evidence on the chain of effects that explains the positive contribution of RCSD to store equity creation in grocery retailing.

Innovation and sustainability are two key factors for retailers seeking a competitive advantage. However, the way in which the joint effect of both of these variables impacts consumer satisfaction is still unknown. To address this gap, based on the concept of sustainability-oriented service innovation (SOSI), the authors introduce a new construct named sustainability-oriented commerce innovation (SOCI) in the context of the retail sector.

The relationships between the variables defined in this research were examined using a structural equations model for 510 customers of grocery retail establishments.

The authors find support for a direct positive impact of SOCI on customer satisfaction and an indirect impact through store equity. These chained effects are modified according to the client participation in the development of sustainable and innovative initiatives.

This research analyses the joint effect of innovation and sustainability in the retail context by introducing a new concept – SOCI – and a scale for its measurement whose psychometric properties are validated.

The food sector is currently undergoing a process of transition as a result of the increased level of consumers' awareness towards issues related to sustainability. This work aims at analyzing the existence of links between technological innovation and sustainability and its consequences on variables of paramount importance in the retail sector such as store image and loyalty towards the establishment. Moreover, we examine if the strength of these relations differs across store formats.

To achieve the objective of this work, a theoretical model based on the literature is proposed, contrasted through an empirical study carried out in a sample of 510 customers from three food retail formats: hypermarkets, supermarkets and discount stores.

The results indicate that technological innovation strengthens sustainability. In addition, sustainability is postulated as a dynamic element of the store's image and loyalty. The intensity of these relationships may vary depending on the commercial format.

The implementation of innovative and sustainable practices such as reducing energy consumption, the use of recycled materials to manufacture products, and the participation of retail companies in collective social actions is considered to be of primary importance.

The study sheds light on the knowledge of the relations between customers' perceptions of technological innovation and sustainability in retailing, confirming their influence on store image and customer loyalty. Moreover, the findings reveal the importance of sustainability and innovation for the main types of retail food store format, although with some peculiarities that allow to draw relevant managerial implications for practitioners.

This paper aims to analyze the relationship between sustainability practices and the degree of innovation in the service provided by restaurants. The study identifies relevant restaurant segments in relation to sustainable practice-based service innovation so that effective actions to raise awareness and train managers and staff may be developed. Segmentation has been identified as a key tool when designing strategies and proposing actions. Yet, the use of segmentation techniques is still scarce regarding service innovation and sustainability in restaurants.

A segmentation analysis was carried out applying the CHAID algorithm from 300 valid questionnaires completed by restaurant owners or managers from coastal Ecuador, where tourism and gastronomy may be drivers of service innovation.

A typology of restaurants based on the sustainability-service innovation interrelation suggests three final segments: sustainable innovators focused on the value chain, moderate innovators focused on saving resources and restaurants with a low innovative profile.

The three segments derived from the analysis present differences in terms of the degree of implementation of sustainability practices, as well as in terms of the demographic profile of the restaurant manager. These segments are measurable, substantial, accessible and actionable, so that tailored initiatives to raise awareness and boost sustainability-oriented innovativeness among restaurant owners/managers may be targeted to each group of establishments.

The present research provides evidence of the positive relationship between sustainability practices and service innovation in foodservices. The segments of restaurants identified enable the design and implementation of actions that facilitate the transition of less sustainability-oriented restaurants towards more innovative and sustainable business models.

The purpose of this study is two-fold. First, to examine the relationship between the retailer’s innovativeness and sustainability from the customer standpoint. Second, to assess the impact of the retailer’s innovativeness and commitment toward sustainability as perceived by the consumer on store image and store equity.

To achieve this objective, a theoretical model is proposed based on the literature that is tested through an empirical study conducted on a sample of 510 customers of three grocery retail formats – i.e. hypermarkets, supermarkets and discount stores.

The results obtained confirm the hypotheses proposed and, consequently, both innovation and sustainability emerge as key elements in the development of store equity through store image.

This study allows to draw a set of managerial recommendations for food retailers based on the benefits of investing in innovative processes, that boosted by the implementation of innovative solutions, assist in the development of sustainable practices, thus allowing improvements in store image and store brand equity.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of participative franchising on performance from the franchisee perspective. In particular, the paper analyses the impact of the franchisee autonomy – in human resource management and marketing decisions – affective commitment to the network and network innovativeness on the franchisee relative performance.

A survey answered by 226 franchisees in France allowed to estimate a structural equations model through partial least squares regression analysis to test the hypothesised relations between autonomy, affective commitment, innovativeness and performance.

According to the authors’ findings, franchisee’s autonomy in commercial policies, mediated by to franchisor’s ability to innovate and acknowledge innovations stemming from the franchisees, and the affective commitment to the network, emerge as strong determinants of the franchisee’s performance.

The results confirm the conclusions of other research, but extend and integrate them, providing evidence that the role of participative franchising should not be neglected.

The results obtained provide evidence about the importance of bidirectional communication instruments in the relations between franchisor and franchisee, and participation tools for the identification, recognition and support to the innovative successful practices developed by franchisees to be quickly implemented by other franchisees in the network.

This paper looks at franchisee autonomy, affective commitment and innovativeness as potential determinants of franchisee’s performance, being the latter an underexplored topic.

The purpose of this paper is to understand loyalty in the multichannel retail context. The paper analyses the interplay between offline and online loyalty and the direct and indirect effects on loyalty of brand trust and brand attachment, in a cross-cultural study.

Online survey answered by 761 multichannel apparel shoppers in two countries (UK and Spain). Structural equation model multigroup analysis is performed to test the hypothesized relations and the role of culture as a moderating variable.

Online loyalty is largely driven by offline loyalty, which is also positively affected by brand trust and brand attachment. These relationships hold across the two different cultures.

The findings confirm the validity of applying the theory of cognitive dissonance to explain multichannel shopping behaviours. The authors did not find culture that affects the relationships in the model; however, the validity of these findings should be tested considering other cultural variables different from nationality.

Multichannel retailers should focus on building trust and attachment towards the brand if they want to get online and offline loyalty. The efforts to build stronger bonds between the customer and the retail brand translate into higher loyalty, particularly towards the offline channels.

This paper extends the literature on the interactions between online and offline behaviour by focussing on the power of the brand to build strong customer bonds. The model considers the role of brand attachment together with brand trust in offline and online loyalty simultaneously.