Evolution of retail distribution functions in omnichannel environment (evidence from Bulgarian retail sector)

The evolution of the distribution, as a result of the development of new communication technologies and transformations in consumer behavior, is the subject of extensive academic studies. The purpose of this article is to investigate and summarize the changes in the retail distribution functions in an omnichannel environment in the context of economic and marketing theory. The role of distribution services, wholesale and retail trade is the starting point in the analysis of the added value of the trade sector. The author argues that in order to make sense of changes in the retail distribution functions, it is necessary to look at the buying, selling and exchange functions, marketing  and supply chain logistics in an interconnected way. The article is based on the research of authors in the field of distribution and retail economics and marketing. Empirical material from Bulgarian retail sector based on data from National Statistical Institution  and Euromonitor illustrates that retailing has started to operate in a omnichannel environment

Barriers & facilitators to extended working life : a focus on a predominately female ageing workforce

Many countries are reforming their pension systems so people stay in work for longer to improve the long-term sustainability of public finances to support an increasing older population. This research aimed to explore the factors that enable or inhibit people to extend working life (EWL) in a large UK based retail organisation. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a purposive sample (n=30): 15 employees aged ≥ 60 and 15 supervisors supporting these employees. Older workers were predominately female, reflecting the gender profile of the older workers in the organisation. Older workers and supervisors reported that key facilitators to EWL were: good health, the perception that older workers are of value; flexibility and choice; the need for an ongoing conversation across the life-course; the social and community aspect of work as a facilitator to EWL; and, the financial necessity to EWL. Perceived barriers to EWL included poor health, negative impacts of work on health, and a lack of respect and support

Local Advantage in a Global Era: Making Local Procurement Work for New York

Around the country municipalities have enacted local procurement preference laws, which give a competitive advantage to local firms bidding on public contracts. Much of this legislation has been informed by a broader “local first” movement. Those in this movement champion the many benefits of conducting business on a small local scale

Responding to global disruption: the Covid-19 impact on the portuguese textile and clothing industry

The Covid-19 pandemic created unprecedented disruptions to supply chains and manufacturing firms globally. In this context, the Portuguese Textile and Clothing Industry, known for its expertise and high-quality as a cluster, has also been challenged and called upon to adapt and further evolve. As recent observations within the Portuguese manufacturing are limited to the surface impact level of this crisis (i.e macroeconomic impact), this dissertation seeks to fill this gap by focusing on firms’ individual ability to respond within international disruptive environment. The key objective was to explore the Portuguese Textile and Clothing Industry response, in particular aiming to understand how this industry overcame the initial challenges and grasped possible opportunities encountered with the pandemic. The concepts of dynamic capabilities and risk management presented a theoretical starting point for the study, and Semi- structured interviews were conducted with eight Portuguese firms in the TCI. The results found that flexibility, customization and transparency were determinant aspects that led to a positive response. Through the challenges, some opportunities for future development also appeared, namely the opportunity for innovation and sustainability investments, which impacted companies’ performance, even within a crisis setting. Further, it was felt that the potential for collaborations had not been fully explored. It is expected that the results of this study can contribute not only to the growing body of knowledge on companies’ responses to a scenario without precedent, but also to companies’ own development and continued adaptation to these circumstances on a practical, operational and possibly even strategic level.A pandemia de Covid-19 causou disrupções sem precedentes nas cadeia de abastecimento e indústrias a nível global. Neste contexto, a Indústria Têxtil e Vestuário (ITV) portuguesa, reconhecida como um cluster industrial experiente e de alta qualidade, foi também desafiada a adaptar-se e evoluir novamente. Como as recentes observações sobre o caso português permanecem à superfície do impacto desta crise (i.e impacto macroeconómico) esta dissertação procura preencher essa lacuna com foco na capacidade de resposta das empresas dentro deste ambiente disruptivo internacional. O principal objetivo é explorar a resposta da ITV portuguesa, visando especificamente a forma como esta indústria ultrapassou os desafios iniciais e aproveitou as oportunidades encontradas. Procura-se abordar este assunto preliminar com base nos conceitos, capacidades dinâmicas e gestão de risco, apresentados como ponto de partida neste estudo. Realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com oito representantes de firmas inseridas na fileira de têxtil e vestuário nacional. Foi observado que a flexibilidade, a customização e a transparência foram aspetos determinantes para guiar estas empresas positivamente face à pandemia. Através dos desafios, algumas oportunidades para desenvolvimento futuro foram também apresentadas, nomeadamente a oportunidade para inovação e investimento em sustentabilidade, os quais tiveram impacto na performance das empresas, mesmo em circunstância de crise. Foi também concluído que a colaboração careceu de eficiência na indústria não tendo atingido todo o seu potencial. Espera-se que estas conclusões consigam contribuir para a reflexão das empresas a nível prático e operacional

Does Local Business Ownership Insulate Cities from Economic Shocks?

We assess a prominent argument for local economic policies that favor locally-owned businesses – namely, that locally-owned firms are more likely to internalize the costs to the community of decisions to reduce employment and hence help to insulate cities from adverse economic shocks. We test this argument by examining how establishment-level employment responses to economic shocks are affected by establishment ownership. We find evidence hat some types of local ownership do insulate regions from economic shocks, although the clearest benefits do not come from small, independent businesses, but instead from corporate headquarters and, to a lesser extent, from small, locally-owned chains.employment stability, employment shocks, local ownership

The Architect As Developer

The current architectural landscape of strip malls and big box stores is the antitheses of what nearly every practicing architect avails to while in the security of the academy. Upon entering the real world of budgetary constraints and hard deadlines, it seems that most architects are content to simply earn a paycheck rather than produce meaningful work. This destructive method of designing is a result of a supposed lack of choices, and can only be combated when architects have more to lose than their principles. By architects playing the role of both designer and developer, it is possible to see a more sustainable, meaningful and beautiful architectural landscape emerge. This architecture will ideally be tailored to the specific community in which it resides, it is not meant to be a prototype that can be inserted in any hurting neighborhood, or a top-down solution to a worldwide problem, but rather an example of one possible solution used to inject life back into an under used or undervalued locality

South Asian ethnic minority small and medium enterprises in the UK: a review and research agenda.

It is argued in this paper that: ethnic minority population and their enterprises, predominated by South Asians, are growing faster than their mainstream counterparts in the UK; past research paid more attention to either South Asian ethnic minority SMEs based in and around London only or owned by Indian entrepreneurs only than South Asian ethnic minority SMEs elsewhere in the UK or owned by Pakistani and Bangladeshi entrepreneurs. Further, scholarly investigation is needed to explain: the relationship between educational levels and entrepreneurial orientation; and intra-ethnic minority entrepreneurial differences between South Asian ethnic minority entrepreneurs in the UK by expanding the research scope both geographically and contextually