ICTs and ethical consumption: the political and market futures of fair trade

This paper addresses the relationship between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and ethical consumption as part of a cause for the insurance of a sustainable future. It homes in on fair trade as an ethical market, politically progressive cause and, crucially, form of participation where citizens can engage in the formation of an alternative future and the broader issue of food security. An three-dimensional analysis of agencies and uses of digital structures and content is informed by a case study approach, as well as interviews with fair trade activists, and ethically consuming citizens in the British metropolis. Through this, the argument which primarily rises distinguishes between the dimensions of durability (in terms of time and duration) and sustainability (in terms of time, duration and environmental concerns) of engagement in fair trade as a form of participation. Ethical consumption, then, is part of a durable market which has developed despite general market fluctuation, but is still very much bound in traditional physical economic spaces; in other words, ethical consumption has been integrated in the business as usual paradigm. Additionally, ICTs have not challenged the way in which information about ethical consumption is communicated or the spaces in which it is conducted. ICTs have been employed by fair trade activists, but they have not contributed to the development of fair trade as a political or economic project. Over a period of over five decades since the inception of the cause, their use has not significantly altered the way in which citizens engage with fair trade in the alternative or mainstream marketplace

Point of Sales Promotions and Buying Stimulation in Retail Stores

This paper analyzes drivers of compulsive buying behavior induced by store based promotion through empirical investigation in Mexico. The buying behavior in reference to point of sales promotions offered by retailing firms and determinants of sensitivity towards stimulating shopping arousal and satisfaction among customer in building store loyalty have been discussed in the paper. This study also builds arguments around convergence of attractiveness of point of sales promotions and effectiveness of customer services as a tool for gaining competitive advantage in the retail business environment. The results indicate that point of sales promotion programs have become the principal tool of retailing in Mexico to acquire new customers and retain the loyal customers. It is also found during the study that loyal customers are attracted to the store brands during the promotional offers while new shoppers are price sensitive and are attracted by the in-store ambience of sales promotions and volume discounts.Sales promotion, shopping arousal, store loyalty, buying behavior, retailing, customer relations

MIXED RESEARCH METHOD OF ORGANIC FOOD PREFERENCES AMONG GENERATION Y CONSUMERS

The article analyses by mixed research methods the attitude regarding the purchase of bio and organic food for the population of the Generation Y in Czech and Slovak Republic. The collection of primary data was obtained in the form of a questionnaire survey carried out in the year 2014 and then repeatedly in the year 2019. Both phases of questionnaires were distributed electronically among respondents, university students, ranged from 16 to 35 years in Czech and Slovak Republic. The research questions related to the reasons why respondents purchase or do not purchase organic food and what criteria are motivational for choosing organic food products. In data processing was used statistical software Statistics. Methods applied to the data were statistical hypothesis testing and regression modelling. The key factors have been identified with the software influenced the respondent\u27s decision to buy bio-and organics products in 2019. The research findings prove that visual appearance and brand doesnt play the decision key role for generation Y customers, as they put the main emphasis on the quality and availability of the bio-product

Designing a location model for face to face and on-line retailing for the UK grocery market

The vast and rapid expansion of internet usage has generated widespread online sales, making the UK one of the leading countries for e-commerce. Until now there has been no clear understanding or analysis of the spatial variations of online activities. Many studies have,however, examined the variance in online buying among different demographic groups usually based on limited survey information. These variations have often been explained by reference to two theories – efficiency theory and diffusion of innovations theory (Rogers, 1995). This lack of research to date is also manifest in the lack of consideration of online sales in traditional store location methodologies. The aim of this research is to establish a new model for site location which includes e-grocery shopping on the UK retail sector. Having explored the literature around the geography of e-commerce and the surveys of geodemographic usage, the thesis explores data unique to the academic sector- namely Sainsbury’s store revenue (for both physical and online channels) and customer data based on their loyalty card (interaction data). The analysis of these data sets establishedfour major trends in the relationship between online share and store provision with insights into the substitution of online and physical channels in areas with limited accessibility to physical grocery stores. Using this information, a new, revised SIM is built and calibrated to include estimates of revenue for both face to face and online stores. It is hoped this will provide an important addition to the existing kitbag of techniques available to retail store location planners

Designing a location model for face to face and on-line retailing for the UK grocery market

The vast and rapid expansion of internet usage has generated widespread online sales, making the UK one of the leading countries for e-commerce. Until now there has been no clear understanding or analysis of the spatial variations of online activities. Many studies have,however, examined the variance in online buying among different demographic groups usually based on limited survey information. These variations have often been explained by reference to two theories – efficiency theory and diffusion of innovations theory (Rogers, 1995). This lack of research to date is also manifest in the lack of consideration of online sales in traditional store location methodologies. The aim of this research is to establish a new model for site location which includes e-grocery shopping on the UK retail sector. Having explored the literature around the geography of e-commerce and the surveys of geodemographic usage, the thesis explores data unique to the academic sector- namely Sainsbury’s store revenue (for both physical and online channels) and customer data based on their loyalty card (interaction data). The analysis of these data sets establishedfour major trends in the relationship between online share and store provision with insights into the substitution of online and physical channels in areas with limited accessibility to physical grocery stores. Using this information, a new, revised SIM is built and calibrated to include estimates of revenue for both face to face and online stores. It is hoped this will provide an important addition to the existing kitbag of techniques available to retail store location planners

E-commerce adoption in the pharmacy retailing

The sale online of pharmaceuticals is a recent issue in Italy and still under evaluation by the government because of its sensitive implications for the health as well as the unavoidable consequences it might have in the pharmaceutical market. It will, first, be presented an excursus on the change sustained by the pharmacy over the last years, generated by legislative developments which obliged the pharmacy itself to reconsider its role. The brief normative overview has the objective to describe the Italian-specific pharmaceutical context; from the Bersani Decree, to Law Monti, ending with the recent European Directive 2011/62 UE, which regulates the online sale of the OTC Pharmaceuticals. After that, It will be described in detail the innovation concerning the pharmaceuticals distribution that will be triggered by the above European directive i.e. all the aspects about Internet Pharmacies. In conclusion, an overview on the social commerce, its forecasts and implications for the healthcare retailing sector, will be presented, as well as the proposition of the smart social commerce as combination between social commerce and smart, the leading concepts of the current digital reality

CONSUMERS’ WILLINGNESS TO BUY FOOD VIA THE INTERNET: A REVIEW OF THE LITTERATURE AND A MODEL FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

In the first part of the paper, existing studies on consumer propensity to buy via the Internet are reviewed in an attempt to shed light on factors explaining consumer willingness to buy food via the Internet. Following a model by Sindhav and Balazs (1999), determinants relating to medium, product, consumer, firm and environment are distinguished. In order to draw the various results together and provide a coherent framework for future research, we then propose a model which combines the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the lifestyle construct. The model can be used to analyse how beliefs affecting consumers intention to buy food via the Internet are formed and changed due to experience with such shoppingNo keywords;

A adesão do consumidor paulistano às compras pela internet: um estudo exploratório

Aunque sea una actividad en expansión, el comercio electrónico es una práctica relativamente nueva y el comportamiento y las opiniones de los consumidores con relación a él son relativamente poco conocidos. El objetivo de este estudio fue examinar la adhesión al comercio electrónico por los consumidores en la ciudad de Sao Paulo e identificar qué variables pueden intervenir en ese fenómeno, incluida entre ellas una posible insatisfacción con el comercio tradicional. También se estudiaron los posibles factores que pueden contribuir para que un individuo adopte ese procedimiento para hacer sus compras. Así, hemos desarrollado un estudio de campo basado en 408 entrevistas a personas de niveles de ingresos altos, medios y bajos, y los resultados, en resumen, muestran que la mayoría de las personas todavía está lejos del comercio electrónico, que el factor más importante para los consumidores que utilizan ese canal de compra es su sentido práctico y que, para los no adoptadores, no fueron identificados factores que parezcan contribuir decisivamente a una adhesión efectiva. El estudio sugiere que los bajos precios que se encuentran en Internet no son la principal motivación de los consumidores para elegir ese canal. Basado en la investigación de campo fue presentada una propuesta de cómo evaluar la probabilidad de una persona interesarse por el comercio electrónico a partir de sus opiniones.Embora seja uma atividade em expansão, o comércio eletrônico é uma prática ainda recente, em relação à qual o comportamento e as opiniões dos consumidores são relativamente pouco conhecidos. O objetivo deste estudo foi examinar a adesão ao comércio eletrônico por parte dos consumidores da cidade de São Paulo e identificar quais variáveis podem intervir nesse fenômeno, dentre as quais pode estar uma eventual insatisfação com o comércio tradicional. Também foram estudados fatores que podem contribuir para que um indivíduo adote esse procedimento na realização de suas compras. Para tanto, foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa de campo com base em 408 entrevistas com pessoas das faixas de renda alta, média e baixa, cujos resultados, em síntese, mostram que a maioria das pessoas ainda se encontra distante do comércio eletrônico, que o fator que mais atrai os consumidores que usam esse canal de compra é a sua praticidade e que, para os não adotantes, não foram identificados fatores que decisivamente pareçam contribuir para uma efetiva adesão. O estudo sugere que os preços baixos encontrados na Internet não são a principal motivação entre os consumidores para a escolha desse canal. Com base na pesquisa de campo foi apresentada uma proposta de como avaliar a probabilidade de uma pessoa se interessar pelo comércio eletrônico a partir de suas opiniões.Although of increasing importance, electronic commerce is relatively new and little is known about consumer behavior and opinion. Internet shopping in Sao Paulo was examined to identify variables of influence including dissatisfaction with traditional options and other reasons that may affect this choice. During field interviews conducted with 408 people of high, medium and low incomes, most said they were not accustomed to electronic commerce. The major attraction was convenience while low Internet prices were not important. The interviews provided the basis for a proposal to determine individual interest in electronic commerce as a function of opinions expressed

“Listen, did you hear…?” A structural equation model explaining online information sharing on the risks of nanotechnology in food

In order to encourage consumer informed decision making, it is in the interest of risk communicators in the food industry and authorities to facilitate consumer risk information sharing. Focusing on the risks of nanotechnology in food products, this study aimed to develop and test a model that describes the processes that result in the online sharing of risk information on food products. The model was based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the Risk Information Seeking and Processing model and the broader risk perception and communication literature. A cross-sectional online survey has been carried out among a representative sample of adults > 18 years of age in the Netherlands (n = 511). Attitude, self-efficacy, and injunctive and descriptive subjective norms in relation to information sharing were measured, as were information need, information seeking, trust, risk perception and anxiety in relation to the application of nanotechnology in food products. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to test the determinants of information sharing behaviour, and their relationships. Results showed that the intention to share information about the risks of nanotechnology in food online was medium-low. The hypothesized model as a whole fitted the data and nine of the fourteen path coefficients were highly significant. Results showed injunctive norms to be the main determinant of information sharing. Attitude and information seeking also contributed to the explanation of the variance in information sharing. Results are put into the perspective of relevant theoretical viewpoints and empirical findings. Implications for food risk communication and the facilitation of informed decision making are discussed

Changes in food chains in the context of globalization

This article highlighting the political and ideological conditions necessary for globalization and the role of the technologies associated with this process is an attempt to explain the nature and dynamics of change in food chains. In this text, a political-economic perspective is employed, relying on well-known theoretical and empirical examples that abound in the literature about globalization of food, and on the underlying theoretical explanation of the structural changes brought about or intensified by the globalization process. It seeks to understand the logic and dynamic that explains why the corporate retailers became the main economic motors of deep and rapid changes in food chains and after a short appraisal of the effects of the changes it seeks to identify the winners and losers of the process