Generation Z consumers' expectations of interactions in smart retailing: A future agenda

Retailing is witnessing a transformation due to rapid technological developments. Retailers are using smart technologies to improve consumer shopping experiences and to stay competitive. The biggest future challenge for marketing and consequently for retailing seems to be generation Z, since members of this generation seem to behave differently as consumers and are more focused on innovation. The aim of this paper is to explore Generation Z consumers' current perceptions, expectations and recommendations in terms of their future interactions in smart retailing contexts. To do so, we used a qualitative approach by conducting a series of semi-structured in depth interviews with 38 university students-consumers in the UK market. The findings showed that smart technologies have a significant influence on generation Z consumers' experiences. Moreover, this particular group of consumers expects various new devices and electronic processes to be widely available, thus offering consumers more autonomy and faster transactions. In addition, they expect the technology to enable them to make more informed shopping decisions. Interviewees also stressed the importance of training consumers how to use new smart retailing applications. In addition, some of the participants were sceptical about the effects of further advancing smart retailing on part of the job market. Relevant theoretical and practical implications are also provided

The yield and quality of tomato from organic and convetional plastichouse production practicies in Northeastern Greece

Three tomato varieties (Robin-F1, Amati-F1 and Elpida-F1) were grown in the greenhouse (plastic tunnel 3.5 m high, covered by termolux 180 μm) during 2008-2010 located in the Sapes, Nort-Eastern Greece, using organic and conventional growing system. Planting was done on April 18 (with plant density 2.64 plant/m2). Production systems were differ about the fertilizer used (organic: goat manure; conventional: mineral fertilizer NPK 12-12-17, Nitrophos blue special+2MgO+8S+Trace elements - amount of 400 kg/ha), the number of phytosanitary treatments (larger in organic system), and the pesticide types applied (preventive in the organic system and preventive or healing with variable period of effectiveness in the conventional one). Harvest period lasted from mid-June to late August. Average commercial production of the three cultivar tested in organic system (71.4 t•ha-1) was significantly higher than average of the three cultivars in conventional system (54.95 t•ha-1). The best result was achieved by variety Elpida F1 in organic production with an average yield of 89.87 t•ha-1. Also, aim of this study was to compare fruit quality parameters of tomato cultivars grown in organic and conventional growing system. Higher levels of TSS, sugars and vitamin C were determined in conventional tomatoes. Tomatoes grown organically contained substantial amounts of lycopene and carotenoids. Results have shown differences between cultivars and growing seasons. Elpida F1 achieved the highest TSS content (5.08 °Brix), lycopene (3.75 mg•100-1 g f.w.), vitamin C (14.3 mg•100g-1) and total acidity (0.48%) among tested cultivars. The average contents Brix degree and acidity were 4.8 and 0.46 g/100 g (%) of citric acid, respectively. The mean values of the taste index in all the tomatoes belonging to all the cultivars considered were higher than 0.85, which indicates that the tomato cultivars analysed are tasty This study confirms that the most important variable in the micronutrient content of tomatoes is cultivar. In general, significant differences between tomatoes grown in organic or conventional production system are: 1/ organic tomato contain more minerals (P, K, Mg, Ca) 2/ organic tomato contain far less heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni) 3/ organic tomato contain more carotenoids 4/ organic tomato contain far less nitrates, about 30-40% less 5/ organic tomato does not contain any pesticide residuesΤρεις ποικιλίες τομάτας (Robin-F1, Amati-F1 και Elpida-F1) καλλιεργήθηκαν στο θερμοκήπιο (τοξωτό ύψους 3,5 m, καλυμμένη με termolux 180 μm) κατά την περίοδο 2008-2010 που βρίσκεται στις Σάπες της Βορειοανατολικής Ελλάδας, με τη χρήση βιολογικό και συμβατικό σύστημα καλλιέργειας. Η φύτευση έγινε στις 18 Απριλίου (με πυκνότητα φυτού 2,64 φυτό/μ2). Τα συστήματα παραγωγής διέφεραν ως προς το χρησιμοποιούμενη λίπανση (οργανικό: κοπριά κατσίκας, συμβατικό: ορυκτό λίπασμα NPK 12-12-17, Nitrophos blue special+2MgO+8S+Ιχνοστοιχεία - ποσότητα 400 kg/ha), τον αριθμό φυτοϋγειονομικών επεξεργασιών ( μεγαλύτερο σε οργανικό σύστημα), και τους τύπους φυτοφαρμάκων που εφαρμόζονται (προληπτικά στο οργανικό σύστημα και προληπτικά ή επουλωτικά με μεταβλητή περίοδο αποτελεσματικότητας στο συμβατικό). Η περίοδος συγκομιδής διήρκεσε από τα μέσα Ιουνίου έως τα τέλη Αυγούστου. Η μέση εμπορική παραγωγή των τριών ποικιλιών που δοκιμάστηκαν στο βιολογικό σύστημα (71,4 t•ha-1) ήταν σημαντικά υψηλότερη από τον μέσο όρο των τριών ποικιλιών στο συμβατικό σύστημα (54,95 t•ha-1). Το καλύτερο αποτέλεσμα πέτυχε η ποικιλία Ελπίδα F1 σε βιολογική παραγωγή με μέση απόδοση 89,87 t•ha-1. Επίσης, στόχος αυτής της μελέτης ήταν η σύγκριση των ποιοτικών παραμέτρων των καρπών των ποικιλιών τομάτας που καλλιεργούνται σε βιολογικό και συμβατικό σύστημα καλλιέργειας. Υψηλότερα επίπεδα TSS, σακχάρων και βιταμίνης C προσδιορίστηκαν στις συμβατικές ντομάτες. Οι ντομάτες που καλλιεργήθηκαν βιολογικά περιείχαν σημαντικές ποσότητες λυκοπενίου και καροτενοειδών. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν διαφορές μεταξύ των ποικιλιών και της καλλιεργητικής περιόδου. Το Elpida F1 πέτυχε την υψηλότερη περιεκτικότητα σε TSS (5,08 °Brix), λυκοπένιο (3,75 mg•100-1 g f.w.), βιταμίνη C (14,3 mg•100g-1) και συνολική οξύτητα (0,48%) μεταξύ των ελεγχόμενων ποικιλιών. Η μέση περιεκτικότητα Brix βαθμός και οξύτητας ήταν 4,8 και 0,46 g/100 g (%) κιτρικού οξέος, αντίστοιχα. Οι μέσες τιμές του γευστικού δείκτη σε όλες τις ντομάτες που ανήκουν σε όλες τις υπό εξέταση ποικιλίες ήταν υψηλότερες από 0,85, πράγμα που δείχνει ότι οι ποικιλίες ντομάτας που αναλύθηκαν είναι γευστικές Αυτή η μελέτη επιβεβαιώνει ότι η πιο σημαντική μεταβλητή στην περιεκτικότητα σε μικροθρεπτικά συστατικά της ντομάτας είναι η ποικιλία. Γενικά, οι σημαντικές διαφορές μεταξύ των ντοματών που καλλιεργούνται σε βιολογικό ή συμβατικό σύστημα παραγωγής είναι:1/ Η βιολογική ντομάτα περιέχει περισσότερα μέταλλα (P, K, Mg, Ca)2/ Η βιολογική ντομάτα περιέχει πολύ λιγότερα βαρέα μέταλλα (Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni)3/ Η βιολογική ντομάτα περιέχει περισσότερα καροτενοειδή4/ Η βιολογική ντομάτα περιέχει πολύ λιγότερα νιτρικά, περίπου 30-40% λιγότερα5/ Η βιολογική ντομάτα δεν περιέχει υπολείμματα φυτοφαρμάκωνTri hibrida paradajza (Robin-F1, Amati-F1 i Elpida-F1) gajena su u plastenicima (plastični tuneli visoki 3,5 m, pokriveni termoluks folijom 180 μm) tokom 2008-2010. godine u Sapesu, oblast Severo-istočne Grčke, primenjujući organski i konvencionalni proizvodni sistem. Sadnja je obavljena 18. aprila (sa sklopom od 2.64 bilj./m2). Proizvodni sistemi su se razlikovali u upotrebi đubriva (kod organskog: kozji stajnjak; a kod konvencionalnog: mineralno đubrivo NPK: 12-12-17, Nitrophos plavi special +2%MgO +8%S + mikroelementi – u količini od 400 kg ha-1), u broju fitosanitarnih tretmana (veći u organskom sistemu), i vrsti primenjenih pesticida (u organskom-preventivne metode a u konvencionalnom sistemu-preventiva uz kurativu sa promenljivom efikasnošću). Berba je trajala od sredine juna do kraja avgusta meseca. Prosečna komercijalna produkcija tri hibrida testirana u organskom sistemu (71,4 t ha-1) bila je znatno veća od proseka tri hibrida u konvencionalnom sistemu (54.95 t ha-1). Najbolji rezultat ostvaren je kod hibrida Elpida F1 u organskoj proizvodnji sa prosečnim prinosom od 89.87 t ha-1. Takođe, cilj ovog rada je bio i upoređivanje parametara kvaliteta ploda gajenih hibrida paradajza u organskom i konvencionalnom proizvodnom sistemu. Viši nivo ukupno rastvorljivih materija (URM), šećera i vitamina C je utvrđen u paradajzu iz konvencionalne proizvodnje. Paradajz iz organske proizvodnje sadržao je veće količine karotenoida. Rezultati su pokazali razlike između pojedinih hibrida i vegetacionih sezona. Elpida F1 ostvaruje najviši sadržaj URM (5.08 °Brix), likopena (3.75 mg 100-1 g sv.m.), vitamina C (14.3 mg 100g-1) i ukupnih kiselina 0.47 g/100g (%) u odnosu na ostale hibride. Prosečni sadržaj URM kod svih hibrida jeiznosio 4.8 oBriks-a uz stepen kiselosti od 0.46 (%). Srednje vrednosti indeksa ukusa kod plodova svih hibrida bili su veći od 0.85, što ukazuje da na to da su analizirani hibridi paradajza dobrog ukusa. Ova studija potvrđuje da je najvažnija promenljiva u sadržaju hranljivih materija sortna specifičnost paradajza. Najznačajnije razlike između paradajza gajenog pri organskom i konvencionalnom proizvodnom sistemu bile su: 1 / organski paradajz sadržao je više mineralnih materija (P, K, Mg, Ca), 2 / organski paradajz imao je daleko manje teških metala (Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni), 3 / organski paradajz sadržao je i više karotenoida, 4 / organski paradajz sadržao je daleko manje nitrata (za 30-40% manje), 5 / organski paradajz nije imao ostatke pesticida

The yield of tomato cultivars grown in organic and conventional system Section 4 . Vegetable Growing, Ornamental, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants The yield of tomato cultivars grown in organic and conventional system

Abstract Three tomato varieties were grown in the greenhouse during 2008-2010, using two growing systems: organic and conventional. Production substrate consisted of 30% soil, 50% manure and 20% peat and a small part of the marble. Planting (2.64 plants/m 2 ) was done on April 18 and harvest lasted from June to beginning of September. Organic system obtained optimal production level but with higher costs of cultivation compared with the conventional one. At the same time, organic tomatoes achieved a better price, guaranteed placement, so that the entire production is placed at 1.8 € per kg. The best results were obtained by variety Elpida F 1 in organic production with an average yield of 89.87 t/ha

A Sustainable Intercropping System for Organically Produced Lettuce and Green Onion with the Use of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inocula

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are efficient for improving crop production and quality in organic farming systems. Our objective was to examine the effects of two AMF inocula, Rhizophagus intraradices and Diversispora spp., against a non-inoculated control on lettuce and green onion grown organically in an intercropping cropping system. At time of harvest, colonization levels were very low, and not different compared to the control that was colonized by the native mycorrhizal community. The yield of inoculated lettuce and green onion was unchanged, as also observed in the root system architecture analysis parameters. In both crops, color was not affected, limiting the possibility for consumers to reject the product. Nitrate accumulation was well below the limits set by European Commission in all treatments. Sugar, chlorophyll, K, Na and P contents were also quantified, showing no particular variations. In AMF-treated lettuce, important phytochemical characteristics, such as phenol content and ascorbic acid, showed a tendency for reduced values, while antioxidant capacity was significantly reduced by both AMF treatments. The study provides a description about the effect of AMF on two important co-cultivated crops. Research should be continued in order to determine best matches between plant material and AMF inocula that could result in enhanced production and nutritional quality

A Sustainable Intercropping System for Organically Produced Lettuce and Green Onion with the Use of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inocula

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are efficient for improving crop production and quality in organic farming systems. Our objective was to examine the effects of two AMF inocula, Rhizophagus intraradices and Diversispora spp., against a non-inoculated control on lettuce and green onion grown organically in an intercropping cropping system. At time of harvest, colonization levels were very low, and not different compared to the control that was colonized by the native mycorrhizal community. The yield of inoculated lettuce and green onion was unchanged, as also observed in the root system architecture analysis parameters. In both crops, color was not affected, limiting the possibility for consumers to reject the product. Nitrate accumulation was well below the limits set by European Commission in all treatments. Sugar, chlorophyll, K, Na and P contents were also quantified, showing no particular variations. In AMF-treated lettuce, important phytochemical characteristics, such as phenol content and ascorbic acid, showed a tendency for reduced values, while antioxidant capacity was significantly reduced by both AMF treatments. The study provides a description about the effect of AMF on two important co-cultivated crops. Research should be continued in order to determine best matches between plant material and AMF inocula that could result in enhanced production and nutritional quality