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Previous research on the internationalization of retailing typically focused on retail companies crossing borders to enter other countries. Yet, a large number of people cross country borders to outshop in neighboring countries. This form of inward retail internationalization has received little attention in the literature. To address this void, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the strategies of retailers in a border zone setting.

The authors collected data from 109 US retailers on the USA–Mexico border. The survey instrument included questions that captured the participants’ opinions regarding the importance of Mexican consumers, retail mix strategies, performance issues and overall retailer characteristics.

The findings show that US retailers perceive cross-border consumers as important to their performance. Interestingly, the findings also suggest that border zone retailers do not adapt their retail mix strategies with this target market in mind.

The research was conducted at one particular border zone with its own unique characteristics. It is not clear whether the authors’ findings would apply in other inward internationalization contexts (e.g. medical tourism) or border zones. Future research should delve much more deeply into understanding outshopping motivations in border zones, but also the reasons why retailers do not actively engage in marketing their establishments to this target market.

The authors’ findings have interesting implications for retail managers in border zones. While exogenous and uncontrollable advantages on one side of the border may attract customers away from the other side of the border, retail mix customization under the control of retail managers may actually stimulate similar or better results. Border zone retailers are encouraged to engage in efforts to understand the border zone consumer and engage in programs directly targeted at them.

The study is grounded in theory and empirically assesses the retailers’ own contributions to enhancing their inward internationalization performance. By using the model of secondary boundary effects developed by Clark (1994) as their theoretical prism, the authors have put forward hypotheses, which address the aforementioned issues.

Previous research on global marketing has typically focussed on marketing strategies across national markets. Yet, the cross‐national mobility of individuals has increased heterogeneity within country markets. The purpose of this study is to examine how immigrant consumers perceive advertising appeals in the context of the consumer acculturation process. Specifically, our study focusses on the reactions of Mexican, American, and Mexican‐American consumers to puffery‐laden advertisements.

Using two‐factor theory as our theoretical prism, the study offers salient hypotheses regarding consumer perceptions of puffery‐laden advertising appeals, which are then tested in a cross‐national experiment in the USA and Mexico.

The results show that Mexican consumers are more susceptible to puffery‐laden claims than Americans. In contrast, American consumers are more susceptible to advertising that does not contain puffery‐laden claims than their Mexican counterparts. Interestingly, the findings also reveal that Mexican immigrants are highly susceptible to both, puffery‐laden and no puffery appeals. The mixed results show that recent Mexican immigrants struggle as they transition to the dominant American consumer culture. First and second generations of Mexican‐Americans, however, react to puffery‐laden advertisements just as typical American consumers.

The paper discusses relevant implications not only for the study of puffery and acculturation of immigrant minority groups, but also for companies engaged in global advertising campaigns in countries with diverse immigrant communities.

The paper offers a worthwhile and unique examination of consumer acculturation in an international cross‐cultural setting and puts forward interesting insights regarding the application of international advertising strategies.

This paper on Mexican college students aims to examine the effects of general consumer variables (i.e. normative interpersonal influence and brand consciousness) and brand‐specific variables (i.e. perceived quality and emotional value) on purchase intention toward a US apparel brand.

The study is designed to determine the factors influencing Mexican college students' purchase intention toward a US apparel brand. Purchase intention is explained with several variables: normative interpersonal influence, brand consciousness, perceived quality, and emotional value. A total of 256 college students in Mexico participated in the survey.

Using structural equation modeling (SEM), the study finds that Mexican college students' normative interpersonal influence positively affected brand consciousness. Brand consciousness is positively related to emotional value, but not to perceived quality of a US brand. Emotional value positively influences purchase intention toward a US brand, while perceived quality negatively influences purchase intention.

This study provides valuable strategic implications for US retailers who plan to enter the Mexican market. According to the findings of the study, US retailers could focus on the emotional aspects of US brands in order to appeal to Mexican college students, especially those who are brand conscious.

Given that the Mexican market provides growth opportunities for US apparel retailers, there has been a dearth of empirical research on Mexican college students' attitudes and perceptions toward US brands. In this regard, this paper is designed to determine the factors influencing Mexican college students' purchase of US apparel brands.

The paper's aim is to explore how bicultural consumers differ from monocultural consumers, and among themselves, in terms of country‐of‐origin effect and ethnocentrism.

A multidisciplinary literature review pointed to a set of hypotheses regarding the differences between biculturals (Mexican Americans) and monoculturals (Mexicans and Americans), and between bicultural groups (integrating biculturals versus alternating biculturals). Two pilot tests and two experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses.

Bicultural Mexican Americans are less ethnocentric than either American or Mexican monoculturals; exhibit more favorable quality evaluation and purchase intention toward American brands than Mexican monoculturals; and exhibit more favorable quality evaluation and purchase intention toward Mexican brands than American monoculturals. Although ethnocentrism does not significantly demarcate alternating biculturals from their integrating counterparts, alternators are more likely than integrators to provide a favorable evaluation of foreign brands and entertain the intention to purchase them.

As a starting‐point for understanding the bicultural consumer, this study is subject to exploratory research limitations.

The country‐of‐origin literature implicitly assumes that consumers identify with either the country where the product is originated or the country where it is sold. This assumption, however, might not hold for ethnic groups who identify with both countries. Such bicultural consumers might identify with the product's origin country as well as target country and, therefore, be less amenable to the country‐of‐origin hypothesis. We address this important research gap.

This paper aims to uncover patterns of Mexican craft beer consumers and guide companies’ decisions in the creation of new products, marketing strategies, advertising and promotion to increase craft beer sales and contribute to faster growth.

This is a conjoint analysis with a selection of attributes for new or renewed products, marginal disposition to pay for particular characteristics through brand-specific choice-based design, and market simulation.

This paper clearly demonstrates consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay in Mexico, with a cutting-edge market research technique combining the prioritization of preferred craft beer characteristics, and the price consumers are willing to pay for such product characteristics.

The study's sample size of 501 responses is relatively small compared to the total number of craft beer consumers in Mexico. To enhance the validity and reliability of the findings, future studies should aim to obtain larger samples and compare their results with those of this study.

This study has important implications for craft beer producers, allowing them to develop targeted craft beers with appealing attributes for Mexican consumers, such as color, aroma intensity, alcohol degree intensity, bitterness, foam level and price.

This study's market forecasting simulation technique is based on assumptions of consumer behavior and market dynamics. Although relevant variables were considered, unanticipated external factors or market changes could impact the forecasts' accuracy. This will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of craft beer consumer preferences in different markets and enhance the reliability of forecasting techniques.

This paper informs craft beer producers by providing valuable knowledge on customers’ preferences and willingness to pay to enhance craft beer companies’ product development processes.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical background of the tomato dispute, review the USA trade law and its effect on the tomato trade, discuss the role of the North American Free Trade Agreement and other supply and demand factors on increased tomato imports from Mexico and present a conceptual analysis of the effects of a Suspension Agreement (a form of Voluntary Export Restraint) on the USA and Mexico. In 1996, the USA and Mexico signed the Suspension Agreement which sets a guaranteed minimum price for Mexican tomato imports.

Conceptual analysis graphically illustrates how the Suspension Agreement affects the tomato trade for the USA and Mexico and shows the benefits and losses of consumers and producers in these two countries.

There is no consensus regarding whether Mexico dumps tomatoes onto the US market. However, US trade law favors domestic producers, leading to the signing of the Suspension Agreement. It is shown here that this agreement has substantial welfare effects in both Mexico and the USA. While it was designed to protect US producers, it also aids Mexican consumers and may potentially improve Mexican producer surplus as well. Only US consumers unambiguously suffer a loss.

As the theoretical model indicates, the Suspension Agreement’s minimum price does help Floridian farmers but, if the rents are large enough, may also aid Mexican producers. If Mexican producers do gain, then quota rent is shifted from tomato consumers to Mexican producers. On the other hand, US consumers are hurt as well as tomato processing plants because they purchase fresh tomatoes for use as inputs. The higher price minimum after the 2013 agreement will likely intensify the welfare effects, and the addition of different categories with distinct prices is likely to have additional consequences for both welfare and trade distortions.

As the USA and Mexico recently signed a new Suspension Agreement, this paper deals with a very timely and contentious trade dispute and contributes to the area of research international trade war. The literature on Suspension Agreements is also expanded by providing welfare analysis of both producers and consumers.

This article investigates whether a negative country of origin bias facing imported wine can be offset when it is distributed in marketing channels alongside already accepted complimentary products. Specifically we consider the case of Mexican wine being introduced to consumers in a Mexican restaurant versus a more general themed contemporary restaurant. An experimental design was employed to investigate consumers' perceptions and future purchase intentions after tasting Mexican wine in a proposed restaurant with one of the two themes. Findings suggest that the best method for introducing Mexican wine to US consumers may be through Mexican restaurants although adoption of the wine for consumption at home may be slow.

The fact that young Hispanic consumers spend even more than others in their age category suggests the strategic importance of a deeper understanding of these consumers. To what extent do they resemble their U.S. non-Hispanic counterparts as opposed to those in Mexico? Has the acculturation process affected their cultural values? What role might watching television have played in that process? In the present study, we investigate these key questions across three segments – U.S. non-Hispanic, U.S. Hispanic, and Mexican college students. Hispanic students fall between the non-Hispanic and Mexican respondents in terms of self-reported levels of religiosity and materialism; they more closely mirror their Mexican peers in higher levels of life satisfaction. There are no significant differences between the groups in terms of quantity of television viewing. Overall, Hispanics seem to be slowly adopting American values, while the acculturation process does not seem to be affecting satisfaction with their lives.

The purpose of this paper is to understand how consumers in three countries (Mexico, South Korea, and Japan) perceive a US global brand versus domestic brands and their marketing efforts. There has been an increasing number of global brands and corresponding competition among global retailers. At the same time, markets in the world are becoming complex, and consumers in many markets demand localized marketing and branding strategies.

The hypotheses are developed based on the brand analysis framework that consists of brand‐specific associations (emotional value, perceived quality), general brand impressions (brand awareness, brand image), and brand commitment (brand loyalty, purchase intention).

The results revealed significant main effects of country and brand type (global v. domestic) on brand‐specific associations, general brand impressions, and brand commitment. Interactive effects also existed on brand‐specific associations, general brand impressions, and brand commitment (only brand loyalty).

While almost all of the hypotheses are supported, future research should test other global brands to generalized findings of the study. Sample can be extended to consumers in many other countries to provide more comprehensive insights into consumer perceptions and brand behaviors towards global brands.

The findings demonstrate that clear‐cut and unique brand analysis patterns exist among consumers in three different countries for both a US global brand and domestic brands. Based on this, potential strategies for both US global brands and domestic brands are suggested for each country.

This study discovered the effects of country (i.e. Mexico v. South Korea v. Japan) and brand type (i.e. US global v. domestic) on consumer responses to three brand analysis components: brand‐specific associations, general brand impressions, and brand commitment. The results provide significant insights into what global and domestic companies must emphasize to be successful in capturing and sustaining consumers' desire to buy and use their brand.

Cinco de Mayo celebrations have become more popular in the United States than in Mexico. In the past few decades, this historic day has changed from a regional celebration of Mexican American culture into nationwide Latino/a holiday hijacked by the alcohol industry and other commercial interests. This chapter closely examines the varied ways in which Cinco de Mayo has been represented by U.S. advertisers, marketers, and restaurant owners. Using content analysis of Cinco de Mayo advertisements in magazines, billboards, liquor ads, and store displays from 2000 to 2006, five mediated representations emerged: Mexico's Fourth of July, Mexican St. Patrick's Day, Drinko de Mayo, Sexism in a Bottle, and Mexican Otherness. These representations are anchored in a new racism ideology that emphasizes cultural difference, individualism, liberalism, and colorblindness, which reinforce existing racial inequalities. The implications of the alcohol industry's Cinco de Mayo advertisements is the increased targeting of Latino/a youth from working-class communities with high rates of alcohol-related violent deaths and illnesses.