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The post-purchase behavioral responses of omnichannel shoppers, who mainly rely on physical stores (acknowledged as a crucial channel in providing a seamless shopping experience and fulfilling the dynamic needs of the shoppers), are still understudied. The purpose of this paper is to examine how integrated store service quality (ISSQ) can contribute to a more optimal shopping experience (cognitive, affective and relational) and have a subsequent impact on shoppers’ psychological ownership toward the store, resulting in the generation of (face-to-face, online and social media) word of mouth (WOM).

The research is descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional investigation. A purposive sampling technique was used for selecting the study respondents. The data were collected from 786 Indian omnichannel shoppers using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The proposed conceptual model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

The results indicate that all three dimensions of omnichannel customer experience (cognitive, affective and relational) positively mediate the relationship between ISSQ and psychological ownership, subsequently impacting all three WOM behaviors of omnichannel shoppers (face-to-face, online store and social media). The customer’s perceived value with the store and their perceived retailer relationship investment significantly moderated the relationship between ISSQ and different WOM behaviors (face-to-face, online store and social media). This research also demonstrated the direct impact of ISSQ on WOM and the indirect impact through different customer experience dimensions and psychological ownership.

The sample used in the study was not probabilistic and, therefore, presents limitations for the possibility of generalizing the results. The study was performed in a cross-sectional methodology in the Indian context; there is a need for longitudinal investigation.

This study addresses the need to investigate different dimensions of omnichannel customer experience that might influence various post-purchase behavioral responses. This study is the first to show that ISSQ might affect omnichannel shoppers' online, offline and social media word-of-mouth behaviors through different customer experience dimensions and the customer’s sense of belongingness to the store. The moderating effect of customer perceived value with the retailer and their perception of retailers’ investment in a relationship on proposed hypotheses was also tested to give managerial recommendations.

Solid, liquid and e-waste pose serious health hazards, environmental pollution and contribute to climate change. To address these issues of solid waste management (SWM), amidst many policy decisions, the Government of India roped in several institutions, including self-help groups (SHGs), into the Swachh Bharat Movement (Clean India Mission). This study aims to illustrate the significant contributions of SHG’s in tackling SWM, particularly the plastic waste menace in India, while fostering socio-economic values and sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Using a from-the-field approach, qualitative data were collected from 30 members of three SHGs to understand their significant contributions in mitigating plastic waste.

This research identifies three major themes: economic value creation, social value creation and SDGs via collection and reduction of plastic waste landfills. Furthermore, several related subthemes are identified.

This study offers pragmatic solutions to deal with plastic waste at personal, community, institutional and governmental levels. Moreover, it recommends engaging SHGs to promote sustainable waste management practices such as segregating wastes at source, regulating plastic bag usage, advocating behavioural change towards waste generation and protecting the environment.

The authors consider a proven case of SHG’s contribution to protect the environment and emphasize the need to involve more such groups in waste management practices.

This study aims to highlight that security and flexibilities remain the main points of contention in the cordiality business. This research points to planning a framework that empowers hotel users to get to the room using a mobile access key. Advancing secured facilities, mobile phone “Near Field Communication” (NFC) innovation as the entrance device by carrying out an application containing an imitated mobile key for explicit verification access is used.

The proposed system is evaluated by triangulation of experimental, numerical and rational evaluation using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with Malaysian hotel guests and employees.

The discoveries with the hypothesis supported validated that the suggested solution can eliminate physical cards, boost protection and encourage a contactless ecosystem. Theoretical, management and societal contributions are discussed here.

This experiment comes with the constraints that it was conducted in only two hotels and does not fully reflect the choices of a wider range of travellers. Secondly, the cost of existing NFC smart locks is still relatively high, and along with the development of technology, the price will decrease when supply exceeds demand.

To promote high-security attributes, NFC technology as the access system by implementing an application containing an emulated smart key for specific authentication access is used. The host-card emulation enables cost-effectiveness profit and initiating a defence system in the pandemic era.

To promote high-security attributes, NFC technology is used as the access system by implementing an application containing an emulated smart key for specific authentication access. The host-card emulation enables cost-effectiveness profit and initiating a defence system in the pandemic era.

The novelty of this study comes from the use of commonly available smartphone NFC features that are yet to be applied in the tourism ecosystem. The research provokes the applied concept of mobile smartkeys.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the thermomechanical condition on the shape memory property of Polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT). PBAT is a widely researched and rapidly developed biodegradable copolyester. In a tensile test, we found that the fractured PBAT samples had a heat-driven shape memory effect which piqued our interest, and it will lay a foundation for the application of PBAT in new fields (such as heat shrinkable film).

The shape memory effect of PBAT and the effect of the thermomechanical condition on its shape memory property were confirmed and systematically investigated by a thermal mechanical analyzer and tensile machine.

The results showed that the PBAT film had broad shape memory transform temperature and exhibited excellent thermomechanical stability and shape memory properties. The shape memory fixity ratio (Rf) of the PBAT films was increased with the prestrain temperature and prestrain, where the highest Rf exceeded 90%. The shape memory recovery ratio (Rr) of the PBAT films was increased with the shape memory recovery temperature and decreased with the prestrain value, and the highest Rr was almost 100%. Moreover, the PBAT films had high shape memory recovery stress which increased with the prestrain value and decreased with the prestrain temperature, and the highest shape memory recovery stress can reach 7.73 MPa.

The results showed that PBAT had a broad shape memory transform temperature, exhibited excellent thermomechanical stability and shape memory performance, especially for the sample programmed at high temperature and had a larger prestrian, which will provide a reference for the design, processing and application of PBAT-based heat shrinkable film and smart materials.

This study confirmed and systematically investigated the shape memory effect of PBAT and the effect of the thermomechanical condition on the shape memory property of PBAT.

Inaction inertia occurs when people are less likely to act on a similar but inferior option after missing a superior opportunity, compared to if they had not missed out. This study aims to explore how promotional formats and their sequence affect the inaction inertia effect in online shopping, under the assumption of economic equivalence.

The authors performed two online experiments and analyzed the data by analysis of variance.

The findings indicate that, under the premise of economic equivalence: Monetary promotions exhibit a higher inaction inertia effect on consumers than nonmonetary promotions. When consumers miss a more favorable promotion and subsequently encounter a relatively less attractive one presented in a different promotional format, the inaction inertia effect is lower than when reencountering the same promotion format. When consumers miss a better monetary promotion and presently encounter a relatively less attractive nonmonetary promotion, the inaction inertia effect is lower than when they miss a superior nonmonetary promotion and currently encounter a relatively less attractive monetary promotion.

This study reveals the sequence effects of promotional formats, indicating that nonmonetary promotions following monetary ones effectively reduce inaction inertia. A strategically sequenced set of formats enhances consumer recommendations, mitigating inaction inertia. These findings open new research paths, providing insights into the impact of promotional format sequences on the inaction inertia effect. Consequently, this knowledge helps e-retailers in implementing effective promotional strategies and driving online purchases.

The case is written on the basis of published sources only.

Doodlage, a start-up incorporated in 2012 by Kriti Tula, Paras Arora and Vaibhav Kapoor, used discarded waste to create sustainable fashion products. It had a first-mover advantage in recycled fashion goods in the first 10 years of its existence. The company contributed to sustainable fashion by providing an alternative to fast fashion production, creating enormous clothing waste and environmental degradation. In the first quarter of 2022, it saved and reused 15,000 m of fabric waste. From 2018 to 2021, the company grew 150% annually, targeting the right customers and regions to expand its business. It ensured that postproduction industrial waste and postconsumption garments were used to produce clothes. It also confirmed that the waste generated in its fabric screening process was used to create stationery items and other valuable accessories.

However, the sustainable fashion model that gave the company a competitive advantage became obsolete in 2022 due to increasing competition in the industry as various players using unique ideas entered the market. The company is encountering operational and logistical challenges that are affecting its performance. The demand for its products was also subdued due to high prices of upcycled and recycled clothes and less consumer spending post-COVID pandemic. The competitors of Doodlage offered multiple products produced using environmentally friendly farming and manufacturing techniques, attracting sustainable purchasers. What should be the new portfolio of products for the company to explore future growth opportunities? Considering their vast price, can consumers be encouraged to buy upcycled clothes? How should the company ride the winds of change in the industry?

The instructor should initiate the class discussion by asking questions such as how frequently do you shop for clothes? Do you care about the fabric of your apparel? After you discard your clothes, do you think about where these goods finally end up? Data on the amount of total waste generated in the fashion industry should be communicated to students to connect it with the importance of the concept of circular economy. Post this, the instructor should introduce the business model of Doodlage to bring the discussion into the context of the fashion industry before going ahead to discuss the company’s dilemma.

The COVID-19 pandemic is not a foodborne infectious disease, but it has dramatically impacted food safety practices worldwide due to its potential for transmission through contaminated surfaces and food. Accordingly, the Omicron variant seems to have affected food-related activities and behaviours and disturbed food supply networks since its appearance in November 2021. Hence, this paper aims to assess how the Omicron variant impacted food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices amongst adult consumers in five countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Russia.

The study is based on an online survey. The questionnaire was developed and revised based on previous research on the impact of previous COVID-19 waves on food-related activities in several countries. The questionnaire was distributed through the SurveyMonkey platform from January 15 to February 25, 2022. It consisted of 29 multiple-choice and one-option questions organised into three sections. A total of 6,483 valid responses were received. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 was used to analyse the survey results.

According to the survey findings, food safety practices evolved during the Omicron wave in the studied countries. Firstly, less than half of the sample used a face mask whilst purchasing food. Secondly, regarding food safety knowledge, the survey results suggest that there is still a lack of knowledge in the studied countries. Thirdly, the survey indicates a lack of knowledge amongst the respondents regarding food safety attitudes. For instance, more than a third of the sample (34.4%) are unsure whether the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted through food. These results are surprising and alarming, especially considering that our sample has a higher education than the population of the studied countries.

The main limitation of this research is the sample bias. Survey participants were randomly chosen, enrolled voluntarily and not rewarded. As a result, the questionnaire was self-administered and completed exclusively by people motivated by an interest in the topic. Consequently, our survey does not represent the general population of the studied countries. People with a high degree of education and women, for example, were overrepresented in our sample.

This study is unique in that it is the first to gather information and analyse people’s perceptions of the effects of the Omicron variant on food safety. As a result, the findings of this survey offer a solid basis for future investigations into the impact of the pandemic on food safety in the Balkan region and Russia. This study can help further understand the changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides crucial insights that can be used to guide future decision-making and policy development regarding improving food safety practices. This and other future studies will be a foundation for organisational and government readiness for future shocks, crises and pandemics. The effects of the present Ukrainian conflict on agricultural systems and supply chains throughout the globe (e.g. increased food prices) show that this is timely, urgent and highly required.

The person who works in an office starts his or her day with a choice of attire. The way they look in the office depends on the decisions they make on their clothes. This study aims to identify the challenges faced by employees in the management positions in the Sri Lankan apparel industry who regularly come into contact with customers when they have to decide upon the most appropriate work attire for the position they are occupying in their organization.

Collection of data was primarily achieved through a well-structured questionnaire containing a mixture of open- and closed-ended questions. Targeted employees were managers, designers and merchandisers belonging to Generation Y whose total number was sufficient to obtain 50 feedbacks. Six more interviews were conducted with the intention of finding out more about this matter.

The majority of employees in the management positions in the Sri Lankan apparel industry who have regular contact with customers prefer to dress in “smart casual attire”, which means semi-formal clothes. Lack of availability of certain varieties of business attire in Sri Lanka proved to be a major challenge for some employees. Overpriced clothing, less comfortable clothing and lack of the right fabrics and designs were also challenges. These findings highlight the importance of manufacturing a wider variety of business attire using moderately priced but comfortable fabrics to make affordable and good quality products. There is a need to have a persuasive merchandising method to achieve good sales and provide a pleasant shopping experience to the customers.

Sri Lankan workwear retailers as well as apparel designers can benefit from the findings of this research as there is no evidence of any other studies on this subject. Therefore, this will help them to fill the market gap for business attire by addressing these challenges.

Given the continuing need to study service marketing adaptations that emerged in the wake of Covid-19, this paper aims to look at the formation and evolution of purchase groups (PGs) that arose in Indian gated communities during the pandemic and have continued functioning in the post-pandemic marketplace. Not only did these groups act as much-needed interstitial markets during a time of significant external disruption, but they also served as sites of value co-creation, with consumers collaborating with each other and with service providers.

Using a phenomenological research approach, the authors conducted 22 in-depth interviews with Indian consumers and small service providers to gather accounts of how PGs started and evolved with time. Subsequent data coding and analyses are conducted with NVivo 12.

Using the service ecosystem perspective, the authors illustrate seven distinct themes that capture the nuances of the formation and evolution of PGs. These consist of entrepreneurality, collectivity, and fluidity at the service ecosystem level, hybridity and transactionality at the servicescape level, and mutuality and permeability at the service encounter level.

This study provides an empirical and theoretically grounded account of a long-term service marketing adaptation that has persisted in the post-pandemic marketplace. This helps us address recent calls for such research while also adding to the work on value co-creation in collective consumption contexts and extant discourse on service ecosystems.

The key learning objectives are as follows: analyze Mamaearth’s growth trajectory in the Indian market, illustrate the meaning of a direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand, analyze the importance of social media in building a D2C brand, analyze the challenges and advantages associated with a D2C brand, analyze growth and expansion options available with Mamaearth and evaluate the strategies for Indian start-ups in the beauty and personal care space.

In 2016, what began as a quest to find safe baby care products for the first-time parents Varun and Ghazal, turned into an entrepreneurial opportunity. The couple started Honasa Consumer Private Limited at Gurugram, which owned the brand Mamaearth. Conceived as a D2C brand for mothers opposed to harsh baby care products, it debuted with just six baby care products with exclusive online availability. For the brand to grow, it recreated the marketing mix to be perceived as a brand for all ages. The step successfully garnered a customer base of over 1.5 million consumers in 500 cities and a valuation of INR 1bn within four years of operations. In February 2021, Mamaearth became a brand with INR 5bn annualized revenue run rate and aspired to double it to INR 10bn by 2023. Though Mamaearth debuted as a D2C brand, after tapping around 10,000 retail stores, the Alaghs realized that many consumers still preferred transacting in the offline space. Alaghs decided to expand by acquiring a robust offline space in 100 smart cities in India. Would it be wise for Mamaearth to take forward their offline expansion plans? Alternatively, would an aggressive product innovation coupled with a more substantial online presence be a more sustainable proposition?

The case study is appropriate for Post Graduate Diploma in Management/Master of Business Administration level courses of second year in strategic brand management, digital marketing, integrated marketing communication and marketing strategy. The case stuudy may also be useful for prospective entrepreneurs planning to embark upon a D2C venture. The case study elaborates on the emergence, marketing and branding of Mamaearth. The case study helps students understand the meaning of a D2C brand and the growth options available in the Indian market for a D2C brand from the perspective of Mamaearth.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.