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This paper seeks to examine how young consumers attribute and select product prices according to their presentation (i.e. format and ending).

A questionnaire, administered to a sample of children between six and 12 years of age, reveals that children's allocation of prices and children's choices depend on different price formats (i.e. non‐decimal versus decimal prices and varied price endings).

Children tend to prefer round prices and to choose a 0‐ending in the decimal portion of decimal prices. However, their preferences also depend on their position as either a salesperson or a buyer.

Research into the relationship between children and price is a relatively new field. This study uses recent works as a basis and extends the field with new insights.

Assortment planning, the determination of the range of choices to be made available at a given time, is a primary merchandising function. Many people with different job titles in both apparel manufacturing and retailing make decisions that impact merchandise assortments. The purpose of this paper is to explain the concept of assortment diversity as measured by volume per stock‐keeping unit for an assortment (VSA), describe the relationship of VSA to per cent gross margin (%GM), and propose topics for further research.

To establish a strategic resource allocation model to capture and encapsulate the complexity of the modern global supply chain management problem.

A mathematical model was constructed to describe the stochastic multiple‐period two‐echelon inventory with the many‐to‐many demand‐supplier network problem. Genetic algorithm (GA) was applied to derive optimal solutions through a two‐stage optimization process. A practical example and its solution were included to illustrate the GA‐based solution procedure.

The model simultaneously constitutes the inventory control and transportation parameters as well as price uncertainty factors.

The model can be utilized as a collaborative supply chain strategic planning tool to determine efficiently the appropriate inventory allocation and effectively manage the distribution/re‐distribution process according to real‐time demand.

The Amelia Frances Howard‐Gibbon medal of the Canadian Library Association, established in 1971 to honour outstanding illustrators of Canadian children's books, has been awarded this year to William Kurelek for A Prairie Boy's Summer, published in Montreal by Tundra Books. Kurelek was born near Whitford in Alberta but spent most of his early life in a Ukrainian farming community in Manitoba and his illustrations vividly capture life on a prairie farm in the '30s.

User‐supported software is copywrited and supported by the developer(s) of the software. Users are encouraged to copy and share the software. In return for a “suggested contribution” payable to the software developer, detailed documentation and user support are available. Many quality programs, of this type, exist. Four programs for the IBM PC are evaluated.

A three‐year consumer research programme, using both qualitative and quantitative techniques, was undertaken to assess whether additional voluntary nutrition information for calories and fat would aid consumers’ ability to use the nutrition information that is given on food packs. A variety of label formats was investigated. The research established that providing information for calories and fat per serving, either separately from the nutrition panel or highlighted within the nutrition panel, and providing Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) for calories and fat helped to make the nutrition information more accessible to consumers. GDAs were felt by consumers to be new and useful information. The research findings were developed into voluntary industry guidelines by an IGD working group consisting of representatives of manufacturers, retailers, consumer organizations, nutrition scientists and government. The guidelines represent best practice for industry.

Knowledge of spreadsheet tools like Microsoft Excel is a valuable skill to have in today’s job market. The preliminary assessment of a group of business school students shows that most of them struggle to perform simple tasks in a spreadsheet. The purpose of this paper is to propose using student tutors to teach these skills.

The authors identify students proficient in Excel as tutors and organize one-on-one peer tutoring lessons. The authors compare the Excel competency level of students prior to and after the tutoring sessions.

The results suggest that most students with minimal Excel skills significantly improve their competency level after tutoring.

The proposed hands-on approach appears to be effective in helping students acquire basic Excel capabilities.