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Several authors have suggested that the concept of flow is useful for understanding consumer behaviour in computer‐mediated environments. Previous Internet flow research has used self‐completion questionnaires. This research uses focus groups to facilitate the identification and discussion of respondents’ Internet experience. Explores respondents’ awareness and experience of flow. Finds that half of the respondents recognised Internet flow experience and that Internet flow seems to prolong Internet and Web site usage. Identifies several factors that promote or inhibit Internet flow. These factors may help practitioners design Web sites that stimulate flow and encourage users to stay on the site.

It is estimated that 73 percent of purchase decisions are made at point of sale. In scanning packs at point of sale, perception is rapid, and quick recognition is important for inclusion in the decision process. Under conditions of rapid perception, there is an advantage for verbal stimuli perceived from the right‐hand side, and for non‐verbal stimuli perceived from the left‐hand side. This advantage probably derives from the laterality of the brain, with word processing generally being handled by the left hemisphere, while the right hemisphere generally processes pictorial matter. This asymmetry of perception implies that to maximise recall, words should be on the right‐hand sides of packs, pictures should be on the left. We tested this, using a tachistoscope to measure difference in recall. The results confirm the asymmetry of perception of elements of packaging.

The aims of the paper are twofold: to assess the usage of Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis (CAQDAS) in the UK market research industry; and to evaluate the use of CAQDAS as a supplement to paper‐coding in market research.

CAQDAS usage was assessed by a questionnaire, sent to a sample of 400 UK market researchers. The second part of the research is a case study of a research experiment. The authors conducted focus group research into online grocery shopping, supplementing a paper‐coding‐based analysis with a further analysis based on computer coding.

Usage of CAQDAS in commercial market research is very low at only 9 percent. The research suggests that CAQDAS can be a useful supplement to traditional methods. Using computer software, the paper was able to mine the data for more detail; clearly identify minority views; and produce a useful resource for future research.

The survey response rate was 38 percent, but only 13 respondents used CAQDAS. Generalisation from a single experiment is problematic; the findings are affected by the research topic, research briefs and the two research analysts.

The study has important implications for commercial qualitative market research. Repositioning CAQDAS as supplementary, rather than as an alternative, circumvents arguments about time pressure, and highlights its data management role.

This is the first large‐scale survey of qualitative research analysis in the UK market research industry. The case study describes an approach to CAQDAS that is innovative and relevant to commercial market research.

The purpose of this paper is to present details of a large-scale experiment that evaluated the impact of communicating two types of feedback to householders regarding their domestic electricity consumption: feedback on their own consumption and feedback of both their own consumption and that of others in their locality.

Digital technologies were used to automatically measure and communicate the electricity consumption of 316 UK residents for a period of 16 weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: one involving no feedback; one involving feedback about a household's own usage, and one involving a household's own usage plus social norms feedback (the average consumption of others in the locality). At the end of the study, a selection of participants took part in interviews or focus groups.

Both types of feedback (individual and individual-plus-social-norms) led to reductions in consumption of about 3 per cent. Those receiving social norms feedback were significantly more likely to engage with the information provided. However, the social norms information had no additional impact on consumption. Survey and interview data confirmed that participants from both conditions had been encouraged to adopt new energy-saving practices. The study concludes that near real-time individual feedback can be sufficient for usage reduction if it is provided in a historical format. It also suggests that the impact of social norms information may previously have been confounded with that of individual feedback.

This is the first time that a controlled experiment in the field of domestic electricity consumption has compared the impact of real-time social norm information with that of information that only contains individual household usage.

This paper seeks to understand the triggers which influence the adoption (and the discontinuation) of online grocery shopping. Specifically, the research aims to establish the role of situational factors in the process of adoption.

A two‐step research process is employed. First, exploratory qualitative research is carried out, with the purpose of gaining an in‐depth understanding of consumers' online grocery shopping behaviour. This is followed by a large‐scale quantitative survey extending the findings of the qualitative research and validating the role of situational factors in instigating the commencement (and discontinuation) of online grocery buying. Cluster analysis is used to segment consumers based on the importance of specific types of situations.

Both qualitative and quantitative results establish the importance of situational factors, such as having a baby or developing health problems, as triggers for starting to buy groceries online. Many shoppers are found to discontinue online grocery shopping once the initial trigger has disappeared or they have experienced a problem with the service.

While situational factors are beyond a marketer's control, they could be used as a basis for marketing communications content and target advertising, for instance, by using magazines directed at new parents.

The importance of situational factors as triggers for the adoption of online grocery shopping suggests an erratic adoption process, driven by circumstances rather than by a cognitive elaboration and decision. The adoption of online shopping seems to be contingent and may be discontinued when the initiating circumstances change.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on complaint satisfaction with a particular emphasis on the qualities and behaviours that affect customers during personal complaint handling encounters.

Following a literature review of complaint satisfaction and the role of customer contact employees in complaint encounters, an exploratory study using both the laddering interviewing technique and Kano questionnaires is presented.

The laddering results indicate that being taken seriously in the complaint encounter and the employee's friendliness, listening skills and competence are particularly important. The fact that interpersonal factors are highly regarded indicates that customers want to satisfy these process needs first and their outcome expectations second. The Kano results show that employees' active listening skills are the only must‐be requirements while the two concepts “Apology” and “Respectful Treatment” are close to being must‐be criteria. In addition, the employee's feedback after the complaint handling encounter can almost be categorized as an excitement factor.

Owing to the exploratory nature of the study and the scope and size of the chosen sample, the results outlined are tentative in nature.

By combing two research methods, this paper develops an area of research that could reap considerable benefits for researchers interested in the area of customer complaint satisfaction.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the use of the personal video recorder (PVR) in the home and the impact on TV advertising exposure.

A video ethnographic study of 22 participants in eight homes with PVRs.

Use of the PVR differed widely between and within homes but of the 22 individuals, 21 used the PVR – if at all, as a backup when there was nothing on that they wanted to watch live. Consequently, of 3,480 individual opportunities to see commercials during the study, Only 30 per cent were time‐shifted and 70 per cent viewed live. Even for the 30 per cent of commercials that were time‐shifted, there was variable but significant ad exposure. This paper suggests that in combination with other, complementary studies, the impact of PVRs on advertising exposure will be limited.

Many respondents perceived themselves as using the PVR much more than they actually did and claimed to have zero exposure to commercials when they watched time‐shifted programmes. In line with previous research, this shows that claimed behaviour is not reliable and it is important to observe actual behaviour in the natural context in order to understand future use of technology. As with all qualitative research the main limitation of this study is the small sample size. In practice, however, the results were very consistent with comparable results from the two main quantitative sources BARB and the Sky + panel. What our methodology provides, which quantitative methods cannot, is breadth and richness of insight into actual consumer behaviour in a natural context. The two methods are consistent and complementary. Further research could be improved if it was longitudinal and focused on the motivations to use and value of use of PVR and other emerging technologies, e.g. video on demand, internet protocol television and mobile TV.

The paper highlights the necessity of observing actual behaviour in order to gain an accurate understanding of the impact of new technologies on behaviour.

Pioneer advantage is derived from two sources: producer‐based advantages and consumer‐based advantages. The latter is relatively under‐researched. This research replicates and extends Alpert and Kamins’ (1995) research, which was the first to directly survey consumers. Since their research occurred only in the USA, cross‐cultural replication is appropriate, (Hubbard and Armstrong, 1994). Key results show that: consumers are able to recall a brand’s pioneering status; pioneer brands generally have higher recall or retrieval than other brands including the market leader; communication of pioneer status may enhance purchase interest, both at the time of the product’s introduction and years after its introduction. These results support the US findings, and are rather more positive. However, British consumers did not agree that, if all other things were equal, they would prefer the pioneer brand. This research also shows for the first time that identification of pioneer status is related to actual purchase of that brand.

The purpose of this paper is to examine multiple channels in retail banking and demonstrate how qualitative market research investigations can inform strategic decision making. Research into customer acquisition and retention has only recently begun to consider them as part of a single marketing process Inviting exploratory qualitative expert investigation.

A review of the literature suggested an outline guide for interviewing a selection of expert informants, from a variety of high‐street banks and building societies. The interview data were analysed using both computer‐aided and manual techniques in parallel as part of strengthening the findings.

The analysis of the interview data suggest five themes of that make up the management of channels in UK high‐street banks that have an impact on customer acquisition and retention and which are as follows: customer groups, interaction style, relationship and loyalty, networks and service and satisfaction.

The themes identified in this preliminary investigation provide a model that maps five aspects that underpin customer acquisition and retention in traditional high‐street banks including for the purposes of this research, building societies in the UK.