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The purpose of this paper is to address the following issue: “Does the products’ perceived quality influences the consumer behaviour in the specialty retailing setting?”

For this purpose, the authors propose and empirically test a conceptual model on the creation of consumer satisfaction and loyalty in specialty retailing, to examine the influence of products’ quality perception and its potential moderating role. Data were analysed through structural equation modelling on a sample of 592 consumers

The findings show that the store-based attributes have different influence on customer satisfaction and loyalty, according to the quality perception of products, and suggest the moderating role of products’ perceived quality.

Retailing managers may use the product’s perceived quality as a segmentation variable in the specialty food retailing context.

The major contribution of this paper is the empirical analysis of one subjective customer-based variable in the specialty retailing setting.

The purpose of this paper is to address the following question: “Does purchase frequency influence consumer behaviour in the specialty food retailing setting?”, since purchase frequency is a consumer-based undertaken variable. For this purpose, the authors provide and empirically test a conceptual model focussed on specialty food retailing.

Data were collected through a structured questionnaire in the USA, gathering 592 valid responses and analysis was developed through structural equation modelling.

Findings indicate that satisfaction and loyalty towards specialty food stores are strongly influenced by consumers’ purchase frequency of specialty food products. Additionally, the findings support the moderating role of purchase frequency on the relationship between store service and satisfaction, as well as on the link store environment satisfaction.

Specialty food retailers should carry out marketing strategies focussing on consumer behaviour and segmentation could be developed considering purchase frequency.

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast customer perceptions related to satisfaction with conventional grocery stores as compared to specialty grocery stores. The study examines store attributes of product assortment, price, quality, and service in order to determine which attributes have the greatest impact on store satisfaction for each store format.

A mail survey was sent to a sample of specialty and conventional grocery store customers. The ten state sample was drawn from US households located in postal (ZIP) codes in areas where national specialty stores (e.g. whole foods) were located.

Perception of satisfaction were higher among specialty grocery store customers compared to conventional grocery store customers. For both store formats, store price, product assortment, service and quality positively influenced satisfaction. Stepwise regression indicated that each store attribute contributed differently to store satisfaction for conventional and specialty store formats.

The results demonstrate that price, product assortment, quality, and employee service influence store satisfaction regardless of store type (conventional stores or specialty stores). However, the degree of influence of these attributes varied by store type. The results imply that while specialty store shopper satisfaction characteristics are clearly delineated, conventional store shopper characteristics are more difficult to pinpoint. Research limitations include a sample that is more highly educated and has higher incomes than the average American household.

Despite the growth of new product categories and new industry players, few studies have investigated customer satisfaction within the retail food industry. Comparisons of specialty and conventional food stores are equally scarce.

The retail sector in a lot of countries consists of many small and medium sized specialty retailers who face a high degree of dynamics and competition. Consequently, these companies also have to constantly evolve and develop resilient strategies that promise their future success. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the resource and capability bundle for operating as and transforming to a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) omni-channel specialty retailer. Therefore, the authors followed the notions of the Resource-Based-View (RBV) and of the Dynamic-Capabilities-View (DCV).

To answer the authors’ formulated research questions, they applied an exploratory research method by conducting 12 semi-structured and guideline-based expert interviews from two countries.

The findings reveal a specific bundle of transformation resources and capabilities and important drivers for the implementation of an omni-channel strategy. Thereby, the human resources factor and the market as well as customer understanding play a decisive role. In addition, the authors have identified country-specific differences in the technological, logistical, product-specific and financial areas.

The results reflect the importance of qualified and well-trained staff for SME retailers to implement omni-channel strategies in alignment with a high level of service quality. Especially in the Covid 19 era, flexible structures and quick adaptability are essential to remain competitive. Nevertheless, everything should always be in line with the company's own philosophy.

The paper provides new insights into important resources and capabilities retailers need to focus on when implementing an omni-channel strategy. The paper concentrates in particular on the groups of SMEs and niche markets as well as examines country-specific differences in a developed and a developing country.

This study aims to frame the authenticity–standardisation relationship in international gastronomy retailing and explores how and to what extent the food place of origin and the urban context in which the gastronomy stores are located shape customers' in-store experience.

This paper analyses the case of Eataly, which combines specialty grocery stores and restaurants disseminating the Italian eating style, quality food and regional traditions internationally. Facebook reviews (1,018) of four Eataly stores – New York City, Rome, Munich and Istanbul were analysed, adopting a web content mining approach.

Place of origin, quality and hosting city categories frame the gastronomic in-store experience. Standardisation elements (shared across the four analysed stores) and authenticity elements (specific to a single store) are identified towards defining three archetypical authenticity–standardisation relationships, namely originated authenticity, standardised authenticity and localised authenticity.

This study proposes original modelling that disentangles the authenticity–standardisation paradox in international gastronomy retailing. It provides evidence of the intertwining of the place of origin and the city brand in customers' in-store experience.

The purpose of this paper is to explore and typify the characteristics and diverse features of urban speciality stores selling rural provenance food, taking the case of three cities in Portugal.

The study was based on hierarchical cluster analysis, performed upon data collected from a survey to 113 shops, located in Aveiro (n = 15), Lisbon (n = 56) and Porto (n = 42).

The study identified three clusters of shops according to the type of rural provenance products sold, services provided and clientele characteristics: the wine focused, the rural provenance focused and the generalist. The study confirms that in Portugal, small food retail outlets, with different rural provenance patterns and degrees of specialization have considerably grown in large cities over the last decade.

The study contributes to typifying urban speciality food stores selling rural provenance products and to addressing critical research gaps on this topic. The study highlights the dynamism of small food retail outlets and their significance, mediating and responding to changing patterns of food consumption in urban spaces.

This study contributes to a better understanding and characterization of food speciality shops in urban settings and their links with rural territories of provenance, an under-researched topic on the food retail literature.

The purpose of this paper is to examine a specialty food loyalty model which includes perceived quality, satisfaction, and motivation, and to assess the model’s applicability in two distinct groups of customers: tourists and residents.

Data were collected from 455 specialty food customers in Bandung, Indonesia. Variance-based structural equation modeling (partial least squares (PLS)) was used to examine the relationship between the drivers (perceived quality, satisfaction and motivation) and loyalty according to the data presented by tourists and residents.

This study indicates that the perception of quality is an important factor affecting tourists’ and residents’ satisfaction with, and loyalty to, a product. Furthermore, this study suggests that motivation factors are important for tourists and residents in regard to developing loyalty to specialty foods.

This study provides a venue for retail managers and producers to improve their business performance by developing specialty foods of high quality. To improve their quality, this research suggests that managers and retailers focus on innovation based on exotic and unique traditional food reflecting the richness of local culture. To ensure their loyalty, customers of specialty foods need to be motivated by internal and external factors.

This study is one of the first to examine the formation of specialty food loyalty in two distinct groups of customers: tourists and residents.

Presents a case history of a specialist health food retailer to illustrate the effect of the growth in interest during the 1980s in consuming “healthier” products. Health food shops had earlier benefited from the trend, but found it more difficult to survive once the concept was exploited by mainstream grocery and chemist retailers. The study is based upon two earlier analyses of the sector by the author. Raises questions about the future for all specialist health food retailers.

The study regarding retail grocery considers the mediating effect of store atmospheric responsiveness (SAR) on the relationship of purchase intentions (PI) and extent of purchase (EP) for locally produced foods as well as potential moderators of trust and price consciousness (PC). The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The study used survey methodology of 755 grocery store shoppers for locally produced foods and structural equations modelling to test proposed relationships.

A significant positive relationship between PI and EP for locally produced foods exists and that SAR mediated the relationship. Trust was found to moderate the relationship of PI and EP, while PC moderated the SAR to EP.

The use of a survey methodology which may lack generalizability. Customers may report desired vs actual intentions or behaviours, and the sample included a large majority of female and Caucasian shoppers. The framework can serve as a guide for future research on store atmospherics in retail grocery.

In-store atmospheric factors are important to customer PI and their EP behaviours for locally produced foods. Trust of store and PC are also important. Results may aid managers in determining appropriate in-store “atmospheric” variables to help support customer decision making as they grocery shop.

This paper adds value to the literature by considering the role of the store environment on behavioural outcomes like EP of locally produced foods and adds a unique perspective by creating a combined assessment of store atmospherics and individual consumer traits in the grocery shopping domain.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential of digital displays to enhance consumers’ shopping experience and sustainable consumption by more specifically informing consumers on the origin and sustainability of products.

An experimental field study was conducted in the Supermarket of the Future at the World Expo where sustainability information was displayed on interactive screens. There were three experimental groups: supermarket visitors who were put in a sustainability mind-set, supermarket visitors without a sustainability mind-set activation and non-visitors.

Store visitors extensively used the interactive displays, they intent to behave more sustainable in the future, and act more sustainable outside the food domain. Sustainability information through digital displays thus triggers consumers to think more about environmental concerns. Consumers who were activated to process sustainability information before entering the supermarket, show increased interest in the innovative shopping concept. Strong evidence that the increased interest translates into more sustainable consumer choices in the supermarket itself is lacking.

The authors obtain insight in consumer use of sustainability information presented on interactive displays in a retail environment and how this in turn affects behaviour. The study reveals that consumers can successfully be motivated to become more sustainable through interactive displays.