Product packaging and consumers’ emotional response. Does spatial representation influence product evaluation and choice?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of different spatial representations (foreground and background) of a product image on the package on the consumer emotional state and intention to buy the product, drawing upon the construal level theory (CLT). Design/methodology/approach – Two between-subjects experimental designs were conducted. A face-reading software was used to measure the emotional reactions of participants while watching the stimuli. Findings – Empirical results showed that the foreground representation of the product, triggered by a lower perceived psychological distance between the subject and the product, generates more positive emotional responses compared to the background representation. However, the purchase intention did not significantly differ between the foreground condition and the background condition. Research limitations/implications – The study enriches the literature on CLT and provides some guidance to manufacturers and product managers for the understanding of the role of packaging in influencing consumer behaviour. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the research on the presence of the product imagery on the package. The focus is shifted from the presence/absence of the picture to its position (proximal or distal). This aspect has been neglected in previous studies. Moreover, it is the first application of face reading to support CLT basic assumption and enrich extant marketing research on packaging

Predictors of cross-buying in grocery retailing: the role of non-traditional product/service categories

Purpose of the paper: This study investigates cross-buying in retailing, with the aim to identify consumers’ purchase predictors of non-traditional product/service categories (NTPS) offered with the grocery retailer’s brand. Methodology: A structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of 598 retail customers. Data were processed through a standard Poisson regression model considering the number of extension categories bought. Findings: Among shoppers’ socio-demographic characteristics, age and education were found to have an impact on the number of NTPS purchased. Behavioural loyalty, value consciousness and perceived private label quality proved to be additional determinants of cross-buying by retail customers. Research limits: The analysis focuses on the North Italian context, while the consideration of different retailing systems, with different levels of evolution also in terms of the NTPS mix offered, could benefit our understanding of cross-buying patterns. Practical implications: The findings provide retailers and professionals with valuable insights for effective marketing strategies aimed to exploit customer cross-buying potential. Originality of the paper: The study sheds light on the role of a number of predictors of cross-buying in the non-core offer of grocery retailers. Addressing how cognitive, social and personal characteristics interact in consumer decision-making process for NTPS in cross-buying, the study makes a new effort to better develop a profile of the PLs consumers, thus contributing to the literature on PLs and developing a managerial impact for retailers and practitioners

Guest Editorial. Service-mix: new channels and consumption patterns in services

The world’s economies are dominated by services. The average value added in the services sector as percentage of GDP was 55.43% in 2021 (TheGlobalEconomy.com, 2022). In the most advanced economies, services account for an even larger share of their GDP - 75% on average (Nayyar et al., 2021). In addition to its economic relevance, a vital services sector is also increasingly important for the competitiveness of agriculture and manufacturing, as the intertwin of the product-service bundle highly enhances value for customers. Actually, manufacturers have transformed themselves in service or solution providers (Gebauer et al., 2011). The acknowledgement that services are transversal to all business sectors (Gustafsson et al., 2016) has been furthered by the recognition that today all businesses in any sector compete on service, therefore, “it makes little sense to treat service as a special case; all businesses are essentially service businesses” (Gustafsson and Kristensson, 2020, p. 609), regardless of country and context (Gustafsson and Bowen, 2017)

Development of new microalgae-based sourdough "crostini": functional aspects of Arthrospira platensis (spirulina) addition

The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of Arthrospira platensis F&M-C256 (spirulina) incorporation on the nutritional and functional properties of “crostini”, a leavened bakery product largely consumed in Italy and Europe. Sourdough was used as leavening and fermentation agent and three concentrations of A. platensis F&M-C256 were tested: 2%, 6% and 10% (w/w). Despite a lower volume increase compared to the control, the A. platensis F&M-C256 “crostini” doughs reached a technological appropriate volume after fermentation. At the end of fermentation, no significant differences in microorganisms concentrations were observed. A. platensis F&M-C256 “crostini” showed higher protein content compared to the control. Considering the European Commission Regulation on nutritional claims, “crostini” incorporated with 6% and 10% biomass can be claimed to be a “source of protein”. Six and ten percent A. platensis “crostini” also presented significantly higher antioxidant capacity and phenolics. A significantly lower value of in vitro dry matter and protein digestibility between A. platensis F&M-C256 “crostini” and the control was found. The overall acceptability decreased with increasing A. platensis F&M-C256 addition. The combination of spirulina biomass addition and the sourdough technology led to the development of a novel microalgae-based bakery product with nutritional and functional featuresinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Panel di insegna longitudinale. Possibile fonte del vantaggio competitivo

Abstract: The paper explain the use of customer panels by retailers for primary data systematic collection in order to support the marketing decision process. The aim is to analyze corporate, point of sale and category panels contribution to the generation of knowledge elements related to the competitive assessment, the service quality, the communication and assortment effectiveness and the definition of retail mix policies. Keywords: Panel, primary data, retailers, marketing decision process, retail mix