DSS (Decision Support Systems) in Indian Organised Retail Sector

Indian organised retail industry is poised for growth. Rapid state of change due to speedy technological developments, changing competitive positions, varying consumer behaviour as well as their expectations and liberalized regulatory environment is being observed in organized retailing. Information is crucial to plan and control profitable retail businesses and it can be an important source of competitive advantage so long as it is affordable and readily available. DSS (Decision Support Systems) which provide timely and accurate information can be viewed as an integrated entity providing management with the tools and information to assist their decision making. The study, exploratory in nature plans to adopt a case study approach to understand practices of organized retailers in grocery sector regarding applications of various DSS tools. Conceptual overview of DSS is undertaken by reviewing the literature. The study attempts to describe practices and usage of DSS in operational decisions in grocery sector and managerial issues in design and implementation of DSS. Comparision across national chain and local organized retailer in grocery sector reveals that national chain having implemented ERP partially are mostly using the same for majority of operational decisions like inventory management, CRM, campaign management. Two local players use spread sheets and in house software to make the above operational decisions. The benefits realized remain the same across the retailers. Prioritization as well as quantification of benefits was not communicated. The issues of coordination, integration with other systems in case of ERP usage, training were highlighted. Future outlook of DSS by the respondents portrayed a promising picture.

Increasing Access to Food: A Comprehensive Report on Food Supply Options

Access to food is one of the most important aspects of a healthy, sustainable community. Grocery stores and other suppliers can serve as an economic anchor to provide social benefits to communities. Unfortunately, many communities do not have convenient and/or affordable access to grocery items, particularly fresh produce. As part of Virginia Commonwealth University\u27s Fall 2019 graduate course on Urban Commercial Revitalization, class members researched 13 retail and other food access options, which are described in this report. Each chapter covers a food access option and provides basic information that will be useful to individuals, organizations, or government agencies that wish to attract and/or develop grocery operations in their communities

The nutrient quality and labelling of ready-to-eat snack foods with health and or nutritional claims.

Master of Science in Dietetics and Human Nutrition. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2018.Aim: The incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and obesity in South Africa is increasing at an alarming rate. The nutrition transition and urbanisation has contributed to the adoption of a diet of highly processed, convenience foods. The development of nutrient marketing has the potential to influence purchasing and consumption behaviour. Nutrient content and health claims are prevalent across convenience foods, it is important to determine whether these claims are accurate and whether these foods possess superior qualities to other similar products to prevent the misleading of consumers. This study was conducted to determine the nutrient quality and labelling of South African-produced ready-to-eat (RTE) snack foods displaying health and or nutrition claims. Objectives: To determine: the types of claims displayed on RTE snack foods and the accuracy of these claims; the average nutrient content per category of snack food items; the accuracy of reported total energy content compared to the energy content calculated using the conversion factors in the R146 labelling legislation; and the eligibility of current claims once the R429 legislation is implemented. Method: A descriptive analysis method was used in this study. The study sample consisted of 93 South African-produced RTE snack food products displaying health and or nutrition claims on the label. The following product categories were included in the study: oat, corn or rice cakes; crisps or chips; pretzels and crackers; protein snack bars; fruit bars or snacks; energy or high-performance bars; trail mix; chocolates; biscuits and popcorn. The compliancy of each type of claim, according to the R146 labelling legislation, was investigated. The mean nutrient content per product category was calculated and compared to the mean across the sample. The reported total energy content was compared to the calculated total energy content, as specified in the R146 legislation. The nutrient profile score of products in the sample was analysed using the proposed R429 nutrient profiling model (NPM) to determine whether current health and nutrition claims will be valid once the new legislation is implemented. Results: Nutrient content claims were the most commonly displayed health and or nutrition claim amongst products, twenty three out of 91 (25.3%) nutrient content claims displayed were non-compliant according to the R146 labelling legislation. Items with comparison claims were compliant according to the legislation, however the overall nutrient profile of two of the items with claims were desirable. In terms of the calculated versus reported total energy content, 64 products (68.8%) had a higher reported total energy content than calculated using conversion factors. The R429 NPM deemed that only 22 (23.7%) of the products would be eligible to make health and or nutrition claims once the R429 legislation is implemented. Conclusion: The results found in this study highlight the need for more stringent regulation of nutrition labelling in South Africa. The proposed R429 labelling legislation may have a drastic effect on current nutrition labelling amongst food manufacturers. It can be concluded that the claims displayed on RTE snack food products are not always accurate and regulatory compliance is therefore important to stipulate amongst food manufacturers. A multi-pronged approach including the strengthening of public nutrition education may be needed to improve food choices which may reduce the incidence of NCDs and obesity in South Africa. The standardisation of front-of-package (FOP) labelling with the proposed legislation may improve the current labelling practices in South Africa. This study has highlighted areas where work can be done to improve public health in South Africa

New trends in marketing: the impact in convenience store's atmosphere

The decision to apply atmospheric elements to the store environment has been implemented by many managers with favorable outcomes for the company and the clients. Despite the usual application of the traditional stimulus (e.g. color, light, music, scent) the effect of implementing new trends in marketing on the retail space remains unclear. These future trends include hybrid stores, interactive screens, new payment methods, customer-employee interaction, revolving decors, retailtainment, storytelling, co-creation, reverse channels and store mood zones. The effects of these trends become even more unpredictable if these are implemented in the convenience store sector. Hence, the goal of this master’s dissertation is to validate the impact of the new trends in marketing in convenience store’s atmosphere to impact the Portuguese customers. This dissertation reached the established goal through the study of the relevant literature and empirical application. Based on case studies from the literature, the research questions were formulated. These research questions consider the impact of hybrid stores, interactive screens, new payment methods, customer-employee interaction, revolving decor and new products, services and retail formats on the convenience store environment. Furthermore, the empirical research included an exploratory and qualitative methodology (focus group and virtual reality). The following results were confirmed in this study: displaying a parapharmacy showcase will increase the sales of the store (hybrid stores); an employee’s positive attitude will increase the satisfaction of the experience and affect the loyalty of the customer (customer-employee interaction); selling healthy food will increase the shopping intentions; the existence of a printer/copy machine will increase the interest of going to a convenience store and a fresh and natural convenience store concept will attract more customers (new retail products, services and retail formats). Other trends such as the interactive menu screen and the revolving decor (digital signage) were considered with some potential even though the insights were not sufficient to validate the research questions. The rest of the research questions were not conclusive or rejected by the empirical findings. Despite the shortcomings of this study, convenience store retail managers in Portugal must, therefore, understand the potential of these solutions towards convenience stores, but must also always consider the consumption habits of Portuguese consumers.Estímulos sensoriais em ambiente de loja (cor, luz, música e aroma), têm sido largamente implementados por muitos gestores trazendo resultados bastante positivos tanto para as empresas como para os clientes que entram na loja. Pelo contrário se considerarmos as novas tendências de marketing estas acabam por ainda não ser muito abordadas na atmosfera de loja. Estas novas tendências incluem lojas híbridas, ecrãs interativos, novos métodos de pagamentos, relação empregado-cliente, decoração rotativa, "retailtainment", "storytelling", co-criação, canais invertidos e criação de vários ambientes em loja. O impacto destas novas tendências é ainda menos estudado no sector das lojas de conveniência. Assim sendo, o principal objetivo desta dissertação é validar o impacto destas novas tendências de marketing no contexto do ambiente das lojas de conveniência, em especial para os consumidores portugueses. A questão de partida foi definida após um estudo intensivo da literatura científica e aplicação empírica existente sobre o tema. As questões de investigação foram definidas tendo por base estudos de caso das novas tendências existentes na literatura. As questões de investigação pretendem avaliar o impacto de algumas tendências num ambiente de loja de conveniência, tais como lojas híbridas, ecrãs interativos, novos métodos de pagamento, interação entre empregados e clientes, decoração rotativa e novos produtos, serviços e formatos de retalhos. O método adotado para responder a estas questões foi uma metodologia exploratória e qualitativa ("focus group" e experimentação de realidade virtual). Foram aprovadas as seguintes questões de investigação: a exposição de uma vitrine de parafarmácia irá aumentar as vendas da loja (lojas híbridas); uma atitude positiva por parte dos empregados aumenta a satisfação do cliente e influencia e lealdade do mesmo (interação entre empregados e clientes); vender comida saudável numa loja de conveniência aumenta as intenções de consumo de quem visita a loja; a existência de uma máquina de fotocópias aumenta o interesse a ir a uma loja de conveniência e por fim um novo conceito de loja de conveniência com produtos frescos e naturais vai atrair mais consumidores (novos produtos, serviços e formatos de retalhos). Outras tendências de marketing apresentadas na parte empírica, como menus interativos e decoração rotativa (sinalização digital) foram consideradas com algum potencial, apesar do "feedback" dos participantes não ter sido totalmente conclusivo. As restantes questões de investigação do estudo foram rejeitadas ou tiveram resultados inconclusivos.Apesar das limitações deste estudo, os gestores das cadeias de lojas de conveniência em Portugal devem capitalizar estas soluções para as suas lojas, não esquecendo os hábitos de consumo do consumidor Português

Sodium content and labelling of packaged foods and beverages in Nigeria: A cross-sectional study

Increased consumption of unhealthy processed foods, particularly those high in sodium, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The nutrition information on packaged foods can help guide consumers toward products with less sodium and support government actions to improve the healthiness of the food supply. The aims of this study were to estimate the proportion of packaged foods displaying nutrition information for sodium and other nutrients specified by Nigerian nutrition labelling regulations and to determine the amount of sodium in packaged foods sold in Nigeria using data from the nutritional information panel. Data were collected from November 2020 to March 2021 from in-store surveys conducted in supermarkets in three states. A total of 7039 products were collected. Overall, 91.5%

THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY: TRENDS AND CHANGING STRUCTURE IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM

By 2010, foodservice establishments are projected to capture 53 percent of consumers' food expenditures, whereas in 1980, foodservice captured less than 40 percent. The foodservice industry accounts for approximately 4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and about 11 million jobs. It has been rapidly changing due to economic factors, technological advances, and labor matters.1 This overview covers many of the issues and trends affecting the different segments of the foodservice supply chain including the foodservice operators, distributors and food manufacturers. Changing customer demographics are a driving force in the evolution of the foodservice industry. As the baby boomers reach middle age, they do not seem to have time to cook and their children and grandchildren do not seem to have the interest, or talent. The U.S. population in 2000 had over double ($6,500) the per capita discretionary income that it had in 1975 ($3,109) 2 and, with a high value for recreation and pleasure they are pulled out of the kitchen and into the restaurants. An ever-shrinking world also brings variety to menus as cultures and cuisines converge, introducing new flavors and textures. A tight labor market has affected the foodservice industry from top to bottom leading to a derived demand for convenience products from manufacturers. At all links in the chain, companies are experiencing mergers and acquisitions. Operators, manufacturers, and distributors are all fighting for a share of the profits as competition continues to intensify. This review of the foodservice industry incorporates interviews with industry professionals, current information from leading foodservice associations, and predictions from the top industry research firms and consultants.Agribusiness, Industrial Organization,

Market Response to Two Alternative Packages for U.S. No. 2 Grapefruit

Packages, U.S. No. 2 Grapefruits, Grapefruit, Alternatives, Crop Production/Industries, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Marketing,

Wissensstandsanalyse zum Verbraucher- und Ernährungsverhalten bei ökologischen Lebensmitteln mit Einbezug der Außer-Haus-Verpflegung

Die vorliegende Studie enthält einen umfassenden Überblick zur nationalen wie internationalen Verbraucherforschung für Öko-Lebensmittel. Insgesamt wurden 562 Publikationen basierend auf 338 wissenschaftlichen Studien aus dem Zeitraum Januar 2000 bis Juni 2011 zu den Themengebieten Determinanten des Verbraucherverhaltens, Verbrauchersegmentierung, Produkt-, Preis-, Kommunikations- und Distributionspolitik sowie Außer-Haus-Verzehr analysiert und hinsichtlich ihrer Datengrundlage und Methodik bewertet. Die Betrachtung der einschlägigen englisch- und deutschsprachigen Literatur lieferte Erkenntnisse zum Wissensstand über die Verbraucherforschung für Öko-Lebensmittel und ermöglichte die Identifizierung relevanter Forschungslücken für Deutschland, die richtungsweisend für die zukünftige Forschung ist. Insgesamt ergab sich eine hohe Publikationsdichte insbesondere in den letzten vier Jahren. Zu den zahlenmäßig am häufigsten behandelten Themengebieten gehören die Determinanten des Verbraucherverhaltens, die Produktpolitik sowie die Preispolitik. Dennoch sind auch hier viele gänzlich unbearbeitete Fragestellungen, bspw. zu den Geschmackspräferenzen unterschiedlicher Verbraucher-gruppen, zu umweltfreundlichen Verpackungen sowie zur Preiskenntnis und Preispsychologie des Konsumenten, zu finden. Darüber hinaus konnten innovative Aspekte der Trendforschung zum Thema Öko-Lebensmittel ausgemacht werden. Andere Themengebiete wie zum Beispiel Kommunikationspolitik und Außer-Haus-Verzehr sind bisher kaum untersucht. Die Status-Quo-Analyse wurde mit den Ergebnissen aus einer Online-Befragung und einem Experten-Workshop ergänzt, um die Relevanz der identifizierten Forschungslücken einzuschätzen und den Forschungsbedarf aus Praktiker- und Expertensicht zu ermitteln. Aus dieser umfassenden Analyse konnten konkret Empfehlungen für zukünftige Forschungsschwerpunkte in Deutschland abgeleitet werden

A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Australian Supermarkets’ Corporate Social Responsibility Commitments to Public Health: The Case of Supermarket Own Brand Foods

This PhD examined Australian supermarkets’ corporate social responsibility commitments that impact public health, and evidence of practical application, by analysing the contribution of supermarket own brand foods to Australian within-store food environments. A mixed-methods approach was used because so little was known about the topic. Findings from the eight included studies show how Australian supermarkets exert power over the food system and impact public health by the decisions they make