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The aim of the research is to identify the impact of the Tesco Clubcard on customer loyalty. The secondary aim is to contrast customer perceptions of the Clubcard, staff and “feeling valued” to identify which factor has the greater impact on customer loyalty to store.

Quantitative analysis was used based on 60 questionnaires conducted with randomly selected customers in Tesco Metro Dundee in 2005. Tesco were not involved in the research other than to provide approval at a store level for the research to take place outside their premises.

A positive moderate relationship was found r=0.388, p=0.01 between the owning of a Clubcard and loyalty to store. It was also found that there was a positive moderate relationship between the Clubcard returns and customer loyalty, with r=0.334, p=0.01. The research, however, found no relationship between loyalty and customers feeling more valued by Tesco, nor did the research reveal a significant relationship between Tesco staff and customer loyalty.

The research is restricted in so far as it only considers Tesco Clubcard in the grocery retail sector and as it is an exploratory study the research is limited in so far as the number of participants is only 60. A further limitation surrounds the issue of generalisability as only one Tesco retail outlet in Dundee was used. Further research needs to include other Tesco formats and contrast with grocery retailers who do not use loyalty cards.

It is suggested that Tesco consumers are influenced by having a loyalty card in so far as it contributes to making them loyal. However, other factors need to compliment such a card, with consumers seeing the Tesco “provision” as inter‐related.

The paper is useful to both practitioners and academics in the fields of relationship marketing and loyalty. The research provides some initial insight into consumer perspectives in the value of loyalty cards.

This article undertakes a case study‐based analysis of the Tesco Clubcard loyalty scheme that seeks to re‐conceptualise the role of loyalty schemes by focusing on the role of loyalty schemes in branding and brand webs.

The article takes a case study‐based approach. Tesco Clubcard has been chosen as the case under study, because it is a significant scheme, and because Tesco have a reputation for innovation in relation both to the use of technology and to approaches to delivering customer value. The analysis describes the features of Clubcard, with specific reference to the network of relationships facilitated through the scheme and the actual or potential value that Tesco and its partners, be they customers or other organisations, derive from the scheme.

Tesco Clubcard builds relationships on additional dimensions, through: the option to collect Clubcard points through transactions with other retailers; the option to use reward points with a range of leisure and associated outlets, and, the e‐loyalty element of the scheme accessible through the internet. This multidimensional approach to relationships builds a visible relationship web that is central to marketing communication and brand building associated with the Tesco brand. Both brand perceptions and experiences are built as customers make choices regarding the paths through which they will travel. The brand web operates at the three levels of experience, community, and customer data and knowledge.

The research question, “Do loyalty schemes work?”, needs to be reframed to encompass this extended model of the role of loyalty schemes, to surface questions associated with the effect of loyalty schemes on brand perceptions and associated consumer behaviour.

The purpose of this paper is to show how relatively little is known about the consumer perceptions of own brands in the newly emerging markets of central and eastern Europe. The paper attempts to fill a gap in knowledge by investigating various aspects of consumer perceptions of Tesco own brands in the Czech Republic.

The key data for this research were collected by structured questionnaires from Tesco supermarket customers in the Czech Republic and the UK. Non‐probability quota sampling was used and the sample was stratified according to gender, age and income.

The results of the research indicate that the general view of Tesco own brands is slightly less positive among Czech than among British customers. However, significant differences emerge when these are examined in terms of income. Increases in income lead to a decrease in the favourability with which own brands are viewed in the Czech Republic – the opposite to the position in the UK. The age of consumers was also found to be significant, although there is no linear trend. No strong correlation was found to exist between gender and any of the characteristics under investigation.

The sample was limited in size (n=100 in each country). In‐depth interviewing would be necessary to assess consumer attitudes further.

The results of the research may help Tesco in relation to its general expansion in central and eastern Europe and its brand building in particular.

The originality of the paper relates to its study of consumer behaviour in one of the emerging markets of central and eastern Europe.

Examines the debate on internationalisation versus globalisation with specific reference to Tesco UK’s expansion into Ireland. First, Tesco UK and Tesco Ireland are introduced in their respective markets. Following this, an analysis of the relevant elements of the marketing mix is presented. The degree of consistency between the companies’ strategies and tactics is then examined with the help of the MIXMAP model. Finally, conclusions are drawn on the extent to which Tesco UK has had to adapt its marketing strategies to the sensitive Irish consumer.

The European food sector has been hit by a number of serious consumer scares over the past decades. Often, the concerned companies have failed to give appropriate and immediate information to consumers. This article discusses the measures that one food company – Tesco – has taken. Its approach deals with setting up effective guidelines for managing its relationships with meat suppliers. These guidelines make it possible for Tesco to inform consumers appropriately and immediately about serious food scares and to address consumers’ concerns over animal welfare and environmental issues. The article also describes how the meat supplier‐Tesco relationships are being evaluated using the so‐called key performance indicator process. Specific initiatives include different animal, feeds and medicines policies, as well as meat assurance schemes; these policies and schemes have been implemented by both Tesco and the meat suppliers. The benefits of Tesco’s approach to its suppliers and consumers are considered and include the ability to deliver higher value products. The article suggests a number of avenues for future research.

The purpose of this paper is to propose that the traditional definition of monopoly needs to be extended to accommodate twenty‐first century marketplaces. The concept of superpoly is defined and discussed. Superpoly is a development of the concept of monopoly to accommodate market structures in networked and knowledge‐intensive economies characterised by a high underlying level of consumer choice.

A definition of superpoly is offered and each of the seven market spaces in superpoly are defined and illustrated with reference to Tesco, the UK supermarket chain. A discussion section explores the issues that arise from over‐dominance of one business in each of these spaces in terms of the positives (typically emphasised by the dominant business) and the negatives (typically emphasised by other stakeholders).

In order to achieve a state of superpoly, businesses focus on seven interrelated market spaces, including respectively: commercial space, channel space, consumption space, community space, cultural space, career space, and communication space. These are the seven spaces of superpoly. The proposed concept of superpoly suggests that researchers should take a broader perspective on competition and competitive practices.

The article is the first to propose a development of the concept of monopoly and business dominance for knowledge‐based, consumption focussed and networked societies and economies.

The purpose of this paper is to report a case study analysis of the major retail loyalty scheme, Tesco Clubcard, with a view to exploring how loyalty schemes can be used to add brand value.

The paper provides a literature review that establishes the limitations of the present research on loyalty schemes and thereby establishes the rationale for this article. The methodology section explains the case study approach adopted and the reasons for focussing on the specific case, Tesco Clubcard. A content analysis of a recent book which “tells the story” of the development of Tesco Clubcard is used to surface and explore a number of key characteristics of the scheme and its development.

Key characteristics of Tesco Clubcard are summarised under the following headings: commitment and championing, being integral to business processes, innovation and evolution, multi‐dimensional reward design, alignment with brand strategy and values, customer contract and value, and customer focus in information systems design and use.

Further research is needed to explore the complexities associated with designing loyalty schemes that work for different organizations with a range of different types of interactions with their customers.

The article suggests that current research on loyalty schemes is too preoccupied with the relationship between loyalty and loyalty schemes and the design of rewards. Through a case study analysis of the reward scheme of a major UK retailer the article demonstrates the way in which loyalty schemes can be used to enhance and tailor an organisation's offering, and thereby enhance customer value and loyalty.

This study seeks to develop previous research into value branding by investigating potential misalignments between brand identity as intended by the brand owner, and the way in which the brand image is perceived by young consumers.

Kapferer's model was used to create a detailed brand identity for a value fashion brand. A survey of 150 business students provided a map to identify any gaps between the intended and perceived brand image. Theoretical concepts underpinning the paper include value branding and the relationship between brand identity and brand image.

A marked difference was observed in the way in which value brands are intended and how they are perceived; these misalignments may have significant implications. In particular, young consumers' perceptions of value brands' fashion content could create barriers during decision making. However, the relationship facet indicates potential for developing lifelong loyalty from the sample.

The research provided a visual map of perceived brand image to allow comparison between identity and image. A longitudinal study could identify how attitudes might change throughout the purchasing life of the sample group.

It was found that the brand owner needed to develop and effectively communicate the reflection element of brand identity to improve the perception of how the typical customer is viewed by others.

The relationship between brand identity and brand image is particularly important in the value fashion sector. Although some research has been undertaken in this field, it mainly relates to how corporate brands are perceived, while this study focuses on the product level.

This article examines the internationalisation of Tesco and extracts the salient lessons learned from this process.

This research draws on a dataset of 62 in‐depth interviews with key executives, sell‐ and buy‐side analysts and corporate advisers at the leading investment banks in the City of London to detail the experiences of Tesco's European expansion.

The case study of Tesco illuminates a number of different dimensions of the company's international experience. It offers some new insights into learning in international distribution environments such as the idea that learning is facilitated by uncertainty or “shocks” in the international retail marketplace; the size of the domestic market may inhibit change and so disable international learning; and learning is not necessarily facilitated by step‐by‐step incremental approaches to expansion.

The paper explores learning from a rather broad perspective, although it is hoped that these parameters can be used to raise a new set of more detailed priorities for future research on international retail learning. It is also recognised that the data gathered for this case study focus on Tesco's European operations.

This paper raises a number of interesting issues such as whether the extremities of the business may be a more appropriate place for management to experiment and test new retail innovations, and the extent to which retailers take self‐reflection seriously.

The paper applies a new theoretical learning perspective to capture the variety of experiences during the internationalisation process, thus addressing a major gap in our understanding of the whole internationalisation process.

The financial crisis and the subsequent distrust of the existing banks have created an opportunity for new competitors to enter the market for financial services. Organisations from outside banking could use their trusted brands, their stronger grasp of information technology and their stronger customer service ethos to potentially shake‐up the provision of financial services and hence to take business away from the “traditional” players. This paper aims to examine the potential for these “non‐banks” to enter and expand into the UK financial services sector and to analyse their prospects, before finally reflecting on how big a challenge they face in entering this market.

The paper is based on a report entitled “Tesco Bank and Virgin money: prospects for banking without the banks” released in 2010, which offers an analysis of the UK market and of the main potential entrants. It presents a much abridged version of the report and has also been revised to provide a more international relevance.

The paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the two main potential entrants, Tesco Bank and Virgin Money, and draws conclusions based on some of the challenges that they will face in seeking to enter this market.

The paper is very relevant, given the publicly espoused aspirations of both Tesco Bank and Virgin Money to enter the market for financial services in the UK. It may also have lessons for other new entrants in other countries.