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Article
Publication date: 26 April 2013

Jan Logemann

This paper calls for a reconsideration of standard narratives regarding the role of small, independent retailers for twentieth‐century urban communities. The paper aims to discuss…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper calls for a reconsideration of standard narratives regarding the role of small, independent retailers for twentieth‐century urban communities. The paper aims to discuss the issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking the German city of Bremen as an example, the paper problematizes the nostalgic treatment of independent “Aunt Emma” (or “mom‐and‐pop”) stores in Germany during the last quarter of the century, by recounting the often conflict‐laden history of small retailers within the urban community. It draws on primary documents from retail associations, the chamber of commerce, municipal administrations, as well as media coverage.

Findings

The romanticization of the corner grocer overlooked the often divisive role of small store‐keepers in the interwar years as well as the social considerations behind some forms of retail modernization.

Originality/value

Beyond the particular examples of Bremen or even Germany, the paper urges historians of modern retailing to critically analyze the everyday role shops and shopkeepers have played within their communities without at the same time embracing a market‐liberal narrative of retail modernization as a function of consumer demand.

Details

Journal of Historical Research in Marketing, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-750X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2021

Cara Peters and Charles D. Bodkin

The purpose of the study was to examine the potential outcomes of consumers' intention to engage retail store community. The research question focused on: what impact will…

1055

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to examine the potential outcomes of consumers' intention to engage retail store community. The research question focused on: what impact will intention to engage retail store community have on store satisfaction, store commitment, shopping enjoyment and store employee trust?

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from a national panel of 232 adult consumers in the USA. The theoretical model and hypotheses were tested using path analysis in AMOS.

Findings

The model was supported. Intention to engage retail store community had a significant impact on store employee trust, shopping enjoyment, store satisfaction and store commitment. In addition, store employee trust and store satisfaction had a significant impact on store commitment.

Research limitations/implications

The study identified a breadth of outcomes that result from an intention to engage with retail store community. Furthermore, the study is limited to a grocery shopping retail store context and only outcomes are identified.

Practical implications

Managerially, retailers want to find innovative ways to compete in the marketplace, and the findings of this study highlight the benefits that can accrue to retailers who want to pursue a community strategy.

Originality/value

Few papers have examined retail store brand communities, and none has identified the outcomes of intention to engage with retail store community.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 49 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 April 2011

Katy Mullis and Minjeong Kim

The purpose of this study is to determine factors influencing rural consumers' inshopping behaviours and to examine rural retailers' perceptions of the current rural retailing

2138

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine factors influencing rural consumers' inshopping behaviours and to examine rural retailers' perceptions of the current rural retailing environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was comprised of two phases. In Phase 1, consumer surveys were conducted in three rural US communities. In Phase 2, in‐depth interviews with retailers selected from the same communities were conducted.

Findings

The findings of the consumer surveys supported all hypothesised relationships, except the direct effect of community attachment on inshopping intention. The findings of the retailer interviews provided useful insights as to the challenges rural retailers are currently facing.

Research limitations/implications

The findings have implications for both retailers and community leaders in rural places who wish to improve their understanding of the challenges and opportunities rural retailers face and subsequently develop strategies to promote inshopping behaviours.

Originality/value

This study examined both consumers and retailers in the context of rural retailing. Thus, the findings provide a more complete picture of the current retail industry in rural communities.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 39 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2012

Eric Calderwood and Keri Davies

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key features of the community retail enterprises sector in the UK.

898

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key features of the community retail enterprises sector in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports on the results of a postal questionnaire survey of 197 community retail enterprises. The information gathered from this survey was supplemented by visits to 21 of the shops run by these enterprises and short interviews with some of the shop staff.

Findings

The community retail enterprise sector is growing very quickly, with a significant number of new shops opening every year in the UK. It is a very diverse sector that provides a wide range of goods and services, reflecting the desire to meet the needs of members and local residents. It is heavily dependent on the involvement of the local community, particularly as volunteers, but this can lead to other tensions around the role of the shop and the enterprise in general.

Originality/value

This paper provides an overview of an area of retailing that is growing in size and will be of interest to those involved in policy‐making in rural areas.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 40 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2000

Mark Peterson and Jeffrey E. McGee

A mail survey of 428 Nebraska and Kansas businesses from five towns in which Wal‐Mart opened stores between 1989‐1994 resulted in 191 returns regarding retailer response and…

2049

Abstract

A mail survey of 428 Nebraska and Kansas businesses from five towns in which Wal‐Mart opened stores between 1989‐1994 resulted in 191 returns regarding retailer response and subsequent performance impact. Less than one third of the businesses with $1 million or more in sales reported a negative impact. In contrast, nearly one half of the businesses with less than $1 million in sales reported a negative impact, with the effect most felt among those retailers located in the central business district. An inverse relationship was observed between changes in retail strategy and store performance.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 28 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2001

Bruce R. Klemz and Christo Boshoff

Addresses two critical issues for the small retailer faced with competition from large national one‐stop chains: do customers perceive environmental and induced emotional…

3643

Abstract

Addresses two critical issues for the small retailer faced with competition from large national one‐stop chains: do customers perceive environmental and induced emotional influences the same for these different retailers and do these influences have differential effects on a customer’s willingness‐to‐buy (WTB)? Two studies were performed within a small town in the mid‐western USA. It was found that the small downtown retailers primarily use empathy to influence WTB. It was also found that the large national one‐stop chains in this small town primarily use assurance to influence WTB. It was further found that small retailers manage empathy through responsiveness, where the large national chains balance tangibility, reliability and responsiveness to jointly influence assurance.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 35 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2003

Andrew Mitchell and Malcolm Kirkup

Explores the role of retail development in urban regeneration. Focuses on Castle Vale in Birmingham and considers the benefits arising from new retail development, the challenges…

4570

Abstract

Explores the role of retail development in urban regeneration. Focuses on Castle Vale in Birmingham and considers the benefits arising from new retail development, the challenges for retailers and lessons for the future marketing of deprived areas. Castle Vale is one of the best examples of public sector regeneration. Managed by a Housing Action Trust, the regeneration scheme sought to improve housing, improve the quality of life for residents and work with the community to achieve positive change. A key retail element focused on the redevelopment of a run‐down shopping centre and the attraction of new tenants. The Castle Vale story demonstrates how obstacles can be overcome through the application of effective organisation, consultation, partnerships and marketing principles, and the importance of creating (or re‐creating) a positive image for an area (and its community) to attract retail investment. Draws on in‐depth interviews with key managers and stakeholders associated with the Castle Vale project.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 31 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2001

Caroline Hare, David Kirk and Tim Lang

The number and proportion of older people in the UK are increasing and it has been found that this population segment is a nutritional risk group. Food choice research and health…

2710

Abstract

The number and proportion of older people in the UK are increasing and it has been found that this population segment is a nutritional risk group. Food choice research and health promotion reports have sought to identify the influences on diet and the food retailing sector has been found to particularly impact upon older people. Low income, poor mobility and an inability to access food shops disadvantage many. This paper considers the food shopping experiences of older consumers by identifying, through critical incident technique, positive and negative aspects of the food shopping activity. A total of 120 interviews were conducted and 248 incidents collected from people aged 60/65+ in various locations in Scotland. Content analysis produced eight primary categories and 22 sub‐categories of key elements in the shopping experience. The main factors that contribute to the quality of the shopping experience were merchandise related, retail practices and staff issues. The internal store environment, accessibility, external shopping environment and personal factors were also identified and featured both positive and negative incidents, with social aspects only having positive incidents.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 29 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 February 2008

Seung‐Eun Lee, Kim K.P. Johnson and Sherri A. Gahring

To identify factors that influence small‐town consumers' satisfaction with local independent retailers and the subsequent relationships of consumer satisfaction to in‐shopping…

2747

Abstract

Purpose

To identify factors that influence small‐town consumers' satisfaction with local independent retailers and the subsequent relationships of consumer satisfaction to in‐shopping, community attachment, and support of local independent retailers.

Design/methodology/approach

Oliver's expectancy‐disconfirmation model (1980) was used as the framework to predict consumer satisfaction. Consumer mailing addresses were attained from independent retailers in three small Midwest communities in the USA wherein at least one big box retailer was located. A survey questionnaire was sent to 903 consumers of independent retailers. The return rate was 36 per cent with 328 responses.

Findings

Most strategies performed by small‐town independent retailers did not meet their local consumers' expectations. Specially, merchandise assortment and availability, such as offering a unique and large selection of products, showed the largest discrepancy between respondents' expectations and retailers' performance, indicating that independent retailers are not meeting their consumers' needs in these areas. Participants who were satisfied with their independent retailers, shopped locally, were strongly attached to their communities, and were willing to support their local independent retailers.

Practical implications

Small‐town independent retailers need to continuously examine and re‐examine their business strategies to meet the changing expectations of their local consumers. Small‐town consumers' expectations of local independent retailers are shifting due to varying dynamics of retail environment including the entry of big‐box retailers. It is essential that independent retailers know their local customers and exploit niche strategies that big‐box retailers do not provide.

Originality/value

The authors adopted the concepts of satisfaction and disconfirmation from Oliver's expectancy‐disconfirmation model. On the basis of Oliver's model, the authorss predicted that consumer satisfaction with local independent retailers would be affected by possible disconfirmation between consumers' expectations and independent retailers' performance.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1997

Pauline Sullivan and Ronald Savitt

Presents results of a study on outshopping grocery patterns of rural shoppers. The researchers mailed a questionnaire to residents in a rural Vermont area, asking them to record…

2845

Abstract

Presents results of a study on outshopping grocery patterns of rural shoppers. The researchers mailed a questionnaire to residents in a rural Vermont area, asking them to record their grocery expenditures for one week. The questionnaire solicited information about respondents’ store patronage, psychographic behaviour and socio‐economic status. The study had two objectives: first, to determine the proportion of outshopping for groceries, i.e. the per cent of total grocery expenditures in stores away from the major retail centre; and second, to identify store patronage and psychographic factors associated with rural grocery shoppers, and to determine if such factors correspond with the proportion of grocery expenditures outlaid elsewhere. Consumers were divided into the three groups by level of shopping activity: low, medium and high. Results indicated that each group had different store patronage practices, psychographic profiles, and income levels, suggesting that grocery retailers should work with communities to organize retail mixes that appeal to different shopping groups.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 25 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

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