Re-mining item associations: methodology and a case study in apparel retailing

Association mining is the conventional data mining technique for analyzing market basket data and it reveals the positive and negative associations between items. While being an integral part of transaction data, pricing and time information have not been integrated into market basket analysis in earlier studies. This paper proposes a new approach to mine price, time and domain related attributes through re-mining of association mining results. The underlying factors behind positive and negative relationships can be characterized and described through this second data mining stage. The applicability of the methodology is demonstrated through the analysis of data coming from a large apparel retail chain, and its algorithmic complexity is analyzed in comparison to the existing techniques

Price Stabilization in the Taiwan Hog and Broiler Industries: Evidence from a STAR Approach

The paper examines the effectiveness of the price stabilization mechanism for the broiler and poultry industry in Taiwan during the period 1999 to 2008. After presenting some background information on the domestic marketing system and price stabilization mechanisms for the broiler and pork industry in Taiwan, the paper discusses the smooth transition autoregressive (STAR) methodology. Monthly hog and broiler price data from 1999 to 2008 at farm, import and retail levels are analyzed using the nonlinear, non-asymmetric logistic STAR model in order to determine price transmission structure. A price threshold parameter is used so that price transmission levels can vary, thereby allowing an examination of the efficacy with which the hog and broiler price stabilization mechanisms take effect.Broiler industry, Pork industry, Price stabilization, Domestic marketing system, Smooth transition autoregressive (STAR) methodology

The influence of country and brand image on the evaluation of foreign products the moderating role of the nationality of the consumer

El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar la relación bidireccional o no recursiva entre la imagen del país and la evaluación del producto. Nuestro objetivo es contribuir al debate sobre la dirección causal entre estos conceptos que existe en la literatura. Además, se confirma el papel mediador de la imagen de marca and su contribución a la relación entre la imagen del país del país and la evaluación del producto. Con el fin de contrastar las hipótesis propuestas, los datos de tres grupos de consumidores se compilan mediante una encuesta en un hipermercado simulado. Los resultados confirman la relación no recursiva entre la imagen del país and la evaluación del producto, sin embargo, ni el papel mediador de la imagen de marca es el mismo para ambas direcciones de la relación antes mencionada ni para los diferentes grupos de consumidores en cuestiónThe purpose of this research is to analyze the bidirectional or non-recursive relation between the image of the country and the evaluation of the product. Our aim is contributing to the debate about the causal direction between these concepts that exists in the literature. Additionally, the mediating role of brand image and its contribution to the relation between the country image of the country and the evaluation of the product is confirmed. To contrast the proposed hypotheses, data of three groups of consumers is compiled by means of a survey in a simulated hypermarket. Results confirm the non-recursive relation between the image of the country and the evaluation of the product, however neither the mediating role of brand image is the same for both directions of the relation nor for the different groups of consumers in question

Consumers’ Demand for Pork Quality: Applying Semantic Network Analysis, May 2006

Abstract Consideration of consumers’ demand for food quality entails several aspects. Quality itself is a complex and dynamic concept, and constantly evolving technical progress may cause changes in consumers’ judgment of quality. To improve our understanding of the factors influencing the demand for quality, food quality must be defined and measured from the consumer’s perspective (Cardello, 1995). The present analysis addresses the issue of food quality, focusing on pork—the food that respondents were concerned about. To gain insight into consumers’ demand, we analyzed their perception and evaluation and focused on their cognitive structures concerning pork quality. In order to more fully account for consumers’ concerns about the origin of pork, in 2004 we conducted a consumer survey of private households. The qualitative approach of concept mapping was used to uncover the cognitive structures. Network analysis was applied to interpret the results. In order to make recommendations to enterprises, we needed to know what kind of demand emerges from the given food quality schema. By establishing the importance and relative positions of the attributes, we find that the country of origin and butcher may be the two factors that have the biggest influence on consumers’ decisions about the purchase of pork

Print Advertisement Characteristics and Apple Variety Attraction: A Mimic Model Approach

A structural latent variable model of apple variety demand is used to analyze the effect of variety specific newspaper advertisement characteristics on variety attraction (preferences), and in turn on variety demand. The influence of advertisement size, the use of color and the Washington apple logo were analyzed. The estimated variety attraction variable is important in explaining demand. Model specifications which exclude this variable tend to understate demand elasticities. Advertisement size has a positive impact on Granny Smith, Fuji, and Gala sales. Red Delicious sales are positively influenced by color ads, but negatively affected by ads with the Washington apple logo.Apple demand, newspaper advertisements, structural latent variable model, Marketing,

Potential gains for Bolivia of the subscription of an association Agreement with the European Union

The liberalization trading has become a really important factor to determine both, the economic growth and the level of poverty in a country. It can be observed that in developed countries, international trading is essential, while in most of the developing countries do not get the same benefits. Although commercial openness could not raise the economic welfare in the same proportion in all of the countries where it was applied, it is still a model used in order to achieve development. The following paper looks for determining, theorically and empirically, the impacts of an Association Agreement with the European Union over the economy in general and the poverty levels. Then, a specific case is used, when talking about the impacts on the exports of quinoa and the benefits that the raise in the exports of this product can bring to the rural communities that produce it. The paper concludes that the only way to get the benefits of the Association Agreement with the European Union is to diversify the products that Bolivia exports and use more modern technology that can give the products a higher aggregate value.Economic Growth; Poverty; Export; Bolivia; European Union; Quinua; Added Value; diversification; Technology

Testing for linear and quadratic effects between price adaptation and export performance: The impact of values and perceptions

Managerial perceptions are essential in explaining strategic decisions. It is, therefore, surprising that despite the number of studies that have examined the impact of managerial characteristics in exporting, little research has been reported in the export literature that investigates the importance of managers' perceptions on strategic decisions and resultant performance outcomes. To address this gap in the literature, the authors examine the key determinants of managers' psychic distance as well as its influence on international pricing decisions, and this in turn, on the export performance of SMEs. We also examine the quadratic effects of price adaptation on export performance. This is particularly relevant since price adaptation and export performance have been assumed in the literature to have a linear relationship. The results show that managers' perceptions have a significant impact on pricing decisions and resultant performance outcomes. Our findings also indicate that price adaptation has an inverted U-shaped relationship with export performance

Consumers\u27 Awareness and Perceptions of Luxury Counterfeits

Counterfeiting is a global phenomenon. Because counterfeiting has drastically increased over the past several decades, it is easier for consumers to obtain counterfeited merchandise without any penalties. As the seriousness of the issue increases, companies and scholars suggest that consumer education and awareness may reduce the impact of counterfeit manufacturing. Recently, the luxury goods industry has become one market that is highly affected by counterfeiting, due to their popularity with consumers (Phau, Teah, & Lee 2009). Based on a thorough analysis of literature, many factors have been examined that influence consumers’ attitudes and purchasing intentions towards luxury counterfeits. Results show that luxury counterfeit products are purchased because of their low price and the specific characteristics that the genuine luxury brand portrays such as uniqueness and exclusivity. This pilot study presents the topic of luxury counterfeiting, consumers’ awareness and perceptions of counterfeiting, and attitudes and behaviors towards counterfeit products. A survey was conducted on a Mid-southern university campus to measure consumer awareness and perceptions on luxury counterfeits. Three primary factors were measured: awareness of luxury counterfeits, purchase intentions towards counterfeits, and the specific type of luxury counterfeit products owned. Results indicate strong support for the effectiveness of a consumer education seminar on knowledge, attitudes, and planned behavior towards consumption of counterfeit merchandise. No statistical significance between the three variables, participants’ sex, ethnicity, and annual income can be determined due to the low number of respondents. However, the descriptive statistics indicate that further study utilizing a larger population is warranted

Adding Bricks to Clicks: The Contingencies Driving Cannibalization and Complementarity in Multichannel Retailing

This paper empirically explores the contingencies that drive cannibalizing and complementary effects across channels to provide sales forecasting, promotion planning, and customer relationship management guidance to multichannel managers. We investigate three contingencies in a sales analysis of a leading U.S. retailer who adds a new retail store channel to existing catalog and online channels. We show that the emergence and strength of cannibalizing and complementary effects varies over time, across type of channel, and by type of customer, and provide insight into when and where managers can expect these effects to dominate and how to counter cannibalization and promote complementarity across channels. We find that opening retail stores cannibalizes sales in the catalog and online channels in the short term, but produces complementary effects in both channels in the long term; cannibalization is magnified in the catalog channel, while complementarity is magnified in the online channel. Customer analysis suggests that opening retail stores paves the way for higher rates of customer acquisition and higher rates of repeat purchasing among existing customers in the direct channels in the long term.Multichannel Retailing, Channels of Distribution, Direct Marketing, E-commerce, Channel Management

Opportunity Knocks: An Economic Analysis of Television Advertisements

Certain aspects of advertising–especially on television–are not easily explained with conventional economic models. In particular, much of the imagery and repetitive thematic content seen in advertisements suggests it is "psychological" in nature, as opposed to "informative". To understand the economic rationale for incorporating such material, we develop a theory of preferences in which information about threshold payoffs induces sudden shifts in demand. These threshold payoffs are best understood in the context of human evolutionary history. Furthermore, the presence of threshold payoffs in consumer preferences gives firms incentive for providing threshold-type information. To examine the use of threshold-related content in television advertisements, we look for this con- tent in a sample of 370 television advertisements. We find considerable evidence that advertisers make strategic use of threshold-type content in television advertisements. Specifically, threshold-related content occurred in 83% of food and beverage advertisements for children and in 71% of advertisements for general audiences. Furthermore, the threshold-related content in children’s food and beverage advertisements occurred with statistically greater frequency than factual content, which isn’t true for food and beverage advertisements for general audiences