Local Retail Research Articles

Investigating the spatial and temporal variation of vape retailer provision in New Zealand: A cross-sectional and nationwide study

Smoking rates have decreased in Aotearoa New Zealand in recent years however, vaping has shown a dramatic upward trend especially among young people; up to 10% of young New Zealanders are now regular vapers. Importantly, the long-term health consequences for their future life are largely unknown. The accessibility of vape retailers is important, particularly in relation to the youths’ daily activities and places such as schools where they spend a considerable amount of time and socialise. Despite this, we know little about the spatial patterning of vape retailers and even less of their socio-spatial patterning around schools. This ecological study utilised data from the New Zealand Specialist Vape Retailers register on nationwide vape retailer locations and combined them with whole-population sociodemographic characteristics and primary and secondary school data. We identified the prevalence of vape retailers and their spatial distribution by area-level deprivation, ethnicity and urban-rural classification by using descriptive statistics and (spatial) statistical modelling on the area-, school- and individual students-level (using disaggregated data on students). We found that almost 97% of all vape retailers are located within 1,600m (∼20-min walk) and 29% within 400m (∼5-min walk) of schools. Our research also identified increasing inequities by deprivation and ethnicity both for the overall population and particularly for students in the most deprived areas who experience a disproportionate presence and increase of new vape store retailers that disadvantage schools and students in these areas. This difference was particularly prominent for Pasifika populations in major urban environments.

Limiting money: redesigning the artifact that shapes modern people

AbstractThe transdisciplinary argument in this article is that the social and ecological unsustainability of modern, globalized capitalism ultimately derives from the design of its central artifact: what Polanyi called all- or general-purpose money. The notion of a singular measure of economic value is a peculiar cultural conception that is inherently at odds with physical reality, yet it pervades modern economic thought and practice as if it were immutable. To transcend the political impasse of economic globalization, a complementary national currency (CC) exclusively for local use could distinguish a sphere of exchange and special-purpose currency for basic needs from a global sphere of more remote exchange-values. To avoid the pitfalls and failures of earlier experiments with local currencies, such a CC would require the support of national authorities, the specified objective of sustainable consumption and production, and systematic efforts to provide citizens and entrepreneurs with ample incentives to utilize it. In combining the concept of a CC with that of a universal basic income (UBI), the reform would allow their advantages to complement each other, joining the generalized scale of UBI with the potential of politically influencing consumption patterns that is inherent in CC. An essential difference in relation to earlier experiments would be that the reach of the CC would not be defined in terms of the geographical location of retailers but in terms of the derivation, relative to the consumer, of the products and services into which it could be converted. Although no such system yet exists, this should not stop us from imagining its possibilities.

Would banning menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars, and flavored e-cigarettes prompt users to seek illicit channels for obtaining them in the United States?

BackgroundBanning flavors in tobacco and nicotine products may reduce youth initiation and prompt quit attempts but such bans may lead to illicit markets. We examined how likely current users would be to seek flavored products from illicit channels under various ban scenarios. MethodsCross-sectional surveys of 2552 current users of menthol cigarettes or flavored cigars and 2347 users of flavored e-cigarettes were conducted between 2021 and 2022 in the United States. For each ban scenario, respondents reported if they would have intentions to seek the banned flavored products from any illicit channels and identified the specific illicit channel they would consider. Logistic regressions were used to estimate how the likelihood of having intentions to seek illicit channels was associated with demographics, ban scenarios, and status of tobacco use. ResultsUnder various ban scenarios, 24–30% of people who smoked said they would seek illicit channels to obtain the banned products compared with 21–41% of dual users and 35–39% of users of flavored e-cigarettes. Online retailers were favored by people who smoked while users of flavored e-cigarettes favored local retailers. Heavy users were more likely to say they would try illicit channels. Under bans restricting more types of flavored tobacco products, users would be less likely to try illegal channels. ConclusionsA significant proportion of users of flavored tobacco and nicotine products would not reject using illicit banned products. Tailored programs are needed to apply to the groups with a higher risk of seeking illicit channels for banned products.

Carbon reduction and understanding through simulation of transportation (CRUST) for e-commerce

Online shopping has replaced a substantial percentage of brick-and-mortar shopping in the last two decades, and many consumers remain uninformed about the CO2 emission impact for both. FedEx and ShopRunner have a unique combination of data that enables the simulation of e-commerce order delivery as well as passenger vehicle trips to brick-and-mortar locations. In this work, we study the potential distribution of CO2 emissions for customer trips to retail locations and contrast this with the impact of individual e-commerce orders on CO2 emissions for delivery routes. We do this by simulating the result of adding customers to delivery routes and also simulating likely customer routes to retailer locations. These two simulations allow us to directly compare the expected CO2 emissions for both methods of shopping. The scope of this work is correspondingly limited to the trade-off in last mile delivery emissions resulting from the choice of online shopping or traveling to a retailer. This work contributes to the discussion of CO2 emissions and commerce by simulating CO2 emissions for last-mile carrier delivery or pickup by an individual. The research done in this study concludes that, when considering last-mile delivery or pickup only under the specific scenarios used for the study, having purchases delivered likely has a lower CO2 impact than traveling to a store or location to pick up a product purchased online. In addition, survey results that were gathered as a part of this study indicate a consumer preference for environmentally friendly purchase options. We also show how this information can be estimated for presentation to customers during the checkout process in an understandable manner. This study provides practical information to supply chain companies and consumers, showing that shipping and delivery options can have a positive impact on CO2 emissions.

Concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in vegetables from Sydney and Newcastle, Australia.

This study investigated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in 53 fruit and vegetable samples collected from a local wholesale and retail market in Sydney and a local supermarket in Newcastle. As there is limited information about PFAS levels in vegetables on the market, this study aimed to fill this gap and assess potential risks for humans through consumption of these vegetables. QuEChERS extraction - a solid-phase extraction method, a portmanteau word formed from 'quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe' - followed by enhanced matrix removal-lipid cleaning and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis were used to detect 30 PFASs in vegetables. PFOA was detected in 7 out of the 53 samples, with concentrations of 0.038-1.996 ng g-1 fresh weight; PFOS was detected in 2 samples only, with concentrations ranging from 0.132 to 0.911 ng g-1 fresh weight. PFHxS was not detected in any sample in this study. PFOA and PFOS concentrations measured in vegetables in this study constituted daily intake of 2.03 ng kg-1 body weight (BW) and 1.98 ng kg-1 BW, respectively, according to recommended daily vegetable intake and BW data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most sensitive population group is girls of 4-8 years of age. These estimated exposure levels represent up to 1.3% of the tolerable daily intake for PFOA (160 ng kg-1 BW) and 9.9% for PFOS (20 ng kg-1 BW) according to Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Consumption of the vegetables from the study locations poses a marginal risk to human health. © 2024 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Urban food planning and management in Melbourne: current challenges and practical insights

ABSTRACT Over the last decades, local governments have begun to develop urban food planning instruments focused on improving public health and environmental sustainability, but shortcomings still exist. This paper builds on the case of the Melbourne Metropolitan Region (Australia) to elaborate on how urban food planning and management can address the challenges exposed by a systemic approach. Challenges include strengthening local food economies, developing a nexus between the urban environment, public health, and sustainability, and the circular management of food production resources. Our study contributes to urban food planning and management practice by identifying how policy instruments have successfully addressed these key challenges, and existing inconsistencies between policies and planning. Furthermore, policies should go beyond incentives for urban gardens and explore new areas of intervention, including integrating local producers and retailers into urban food planning, prioritizing fresh food commercialization over ultra-processed products, and integrating composting into waste management.

Modeling Dynamic Bargaining and Stability in a Star-Shaped Trans-Shipment Network

The star-shaped trans-shipment network causes the retailer’s bargaining power to be different, which leads to the misalignment of trans-shipment profit. Aimed at this, we take retailers and the trans-shipment paths as the nodes and edges of the trans-shipment network. Based on this, we model the multilateral negotiations between the central retailer and the local retailer and adopt the Generalized Nash Bargaining game to derive the optimal solution of the value function for the incomplete trans-shipment network under the bargaining mechanism. Furthermore, we reveal the convexity of the optimal trans-shipment value function and give the condition that the allocation of the bargaining mechanism is in the core. Based on this, we introduce the concept of pairwise Nash equilibrium and show the star-shaped trans-shipment network is the optimal endogenous formation of the trans-shipment network. In practice, the central retailer should introduce as many local retailers as possible to join this trans-shipment alliance, which will achieve Pareto improvement. Meanwhile, the central retailer should order as many as possible. Finally, it is more appropriate to establish a star-shaped trans-shipment network when one retailer has stronger negotiation power compared to other retailers in a distribution system, which not only ensures the stability of the allocation of trans-shipment profits but also the stability of the trans-shipment network.

Metaverse Servicescape: Emotional Response to Virtual Retail Design

The highly anticipated global Metaverse market presents a burgeoning arena, particularly in shopping and retail. While physical retail environments have long emphasized the details of exterior and interior servicescape design, the shift to online shopping raises questions about applying these traditional retail principles to the Metaverse setting. This research adopts conjoint analysis to delve into the potential of localized Metaverse retail design by merging consumer emotions, market segmentation, and innovative retail technologies. Using the Pleasure, Arousal, Dominance (PAD) model, we examine Metaverse servicescape attributes, based on real-world counterparts, application in segmenting store design based on consumer preferences. Like in physical retailing cases, music, crowding, and noise are the most influential Metaverse attributes affecting consumer emotion. However, three different clusters emerged according to their emotional responses. Our experiment reveals that Metaverse servicescape attributes may evoke emotional responses akin to their physical counterparts while offering a valuable opportunity for customization that better satisfies market segments. Insights are offered for retailers navigating the dynamic Metaverse landscape, where personalization and localization are now more affordable and where multiple store designs can coexist in digital form—reaching larger markets.

Content Analysis of E-mail Marketing Communications Among Online E-cigarette Retailers.

Online e-cigarette retailers use e-mail communications to promote products directly to consumers, which may facilitate e-cigarette use. Little is known about the content of these e-mails. As such, this study collected e-mails from online e-cigarette retailers in California to conduct a content analysis. This study included 13 online e-cigarette retailers in California using Yelp. To be included in the study, e-cigarette retailers needed a live website, physical retail location (ie, vape shop), and e-cigarettes available for purchase online. The research team entered each website and signed up (if possible) for an e-mail newsletter. Data were collected from the Gmail Application Programming Interface over a 1-year study period (November 1, 2021-November 1, 2022). Members of the research team coded e-mails for the presence of e-cigarettes, other products, flavors, marketing categories, and promotional activities, among other variables. Seven hundred and forty-nine promotional e-mails (2.1 avg/day) were received over the 1-year study period. Second-generation e-cigarettes (n = 581, 77.6%) were the most observed product in e-mails followed by disposable e-cigarettes (n = 391, 52.2%). The most common flavor profile was fruit or sweet or liquor (n = 424, 56.6%). E-mails included links to social media pages (n = 366, 48.9%). Online coupons were found in 53.1% (n = 398) of the e-mails. Age warnings were displayed in 8.0% (n = 60) of the e-mails. E-cigarette retailers' e-mails promoted new products, flavors, and contained promotional discounts. Future research should examine the impact of exposure to such e-mails on e-cigarette-related attitudes and behaviors. Findings from this study may help inform prevention programs and interventions focused on increasing tobacco-related digital media literacy (ie, evaluate tobacco advertising messages on digital media) among gender and ethnic minorities. Future research should examine if exposure to e-mail marketing is causally linked with e-cigarette use among gender and ethnic minorities.

An Assessment of Individual Preference for a Novel Capillary Blood Collection System.

Typical barriers to venous blood collection for wellness testing include discomfort, time spent, and collection site accessibility. This study assessed individuals' experience, satisfaction, and preference associated with a FDA-cleared blood-collection device, the BD MiniDraw™ Capillary Blood Collection System (BD MiniDraw), in retail locations. A total of 113 individuals (≥18 years) with venous blood collection experience were enrolled; 107 completed the study. A pre-collection survey gathered information on demographics and past experiences with healthcare and venous blood collection settings. BD MiniDraw collection was conducted at three retail sites (two pharmacies and one grocery store) by trained healthcare workers using the Babson BetterWay blood testing service model. A follow up survey was performed two weeks later to determine experience with, and preference for, BD MiniDraw in terms of staff professionalism, blood collection location, blood collection time, and staff trustworthiness. Among the 107 participants, 74 (69%) were female and 33 (31%) were male; the mean age was 49 years (range=18-71 years). Sixty-six (62%) participants viewed their prior venipuncture experience as "somewhat" or "very" positive. Following capillary collection, 96 (90%) participants expressed a "somewhat" or "very" positive experience with BD MiniDraw at a retail location. In particular, "very satisfied" responses were given for location (87/107; 81%) and collection time (78/1407; 73%). In a subset of respondents (n=89), those reasons (location and time savings) were most frequent for likelihood of future use. Ninety-nine participants (92%) rated the retail blood collection team as "very" or "extremely" trustworthy. Overall, 90 participants (84%) "strongly preferred" (56/107; 52%), "somewhat preferred" (14/107; 13%), or had "no preference" (20/107; 19%) for BD MiniDraw, compared to traditional venous blood collection. Most participants conveyed a preference for BD MiniDraw, primarily based on the blood collection retail location, perceived time savings, and professionalism and trustworthiness of the staff.

Tri-Objective Vehicle Routing Problem to Optimize the Distribution Process of Sustainable Local E-Commerce Platforms

The dramatic growth of online shopping worldwide in the last few years generated negative consequences for local small retailers who do not adopt information technologies. Furthermore, the e-commerce sector is considered a good opportunity to develop sustainable logistic processes. To reach this goal, the proposed paper presents a mathematical model and a metaheuristic algorithm to solve a multi-objective capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) distinguished by economic, green, and ethical objective functions. The proposed algorithm is a multi-objective simulated annealing (MOSA) that is implemented in a software architecture and validated with real-world instances that differ for the product type delivered and the geographic distribution of customers. The main result of each test is a tri-dimensional Pareto front, i.e., a decision-support system for practitioners in selecting the best solution according to their needs. From these fronts, it can be observed that if the economic and environmental performances slightly deteriorate by 1.6% and 4.5%, respectively, the social one improves by 19.4%. Furthermore, the developed MOSA shows that the environmental and social objective functions depend on the product dimensions and the geographic distribution of customers. Regarding the former aspect, this paper reports that, counter-intuitively, the metabolic energy consumption per driver decreases with bigger products because the number of necessary vehicles (and drivers) increases, and, thus, the workload is divided among more employees. Regarding the geographic distribution, this manuscript illustrates that, despite similar traveled distances, highly variable altitudes cause more carbon emissions compared to flat distributions. Finally, this contribution shows that delivering small goods decreases the distance that vehicles travel empty by 59%, with a consequent cost reduction of 16%.

Supply Chain Visibility and Performance of Food and Beverage Manufacturing Firms in Kenya

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of supply chain visibility on the performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya and to find out the moderating effect of supply chain technology on the performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya.
 Methodology: The exploratory research design was used in the study which utilized both qualitative and quantitative data. All 270 food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya registered by Kenya Association of Manufacturers (2022) were considered using the census approach. Target population for the research was one participant from logistics, supply chain or operations department at each of the registered food and beverage manufacturing firms. Primary and secondary data was used, the primary data was collected using semi structured questionnaire that was administered by the researcher and research assistants. Samples of the questionnaire were pilot tested to test the reliability and validity before full scale data collection. The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 software. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while the inferential analysis was further carried out using structural equation modelling, ANOVA and regression coefficients to give effect of the explanatory variable.
 Findings: The study found out that supply chain visibility significantly influenced the performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya at both when there was a moderator and without a moderating variable, supply chain technology. In the first model without moderator, it recorded a standardized estimate of 0.538 (p<0.000), indicating that as supply chain visibility increases, performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms also increases. Fit indices on structural equation modelling revealed a marginal fit with a chi-square test of 211.322 with 86 degrees of freedom (P-value =0.0492). The structural path for structural equation modelling from supply chain visibility to supply chain performance remains positive and significant. Standardized estimate of 1.347 and p-value was 0.001<0.05. Which indicates that the variability of supply chain visibility on the performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms could be explained by 53.8% when no moderator is included and increased to 134.7% when ,moderator, supply chain technology is incorporated thereby indicating a stronger relationship. The other fit indices that gave a satisfactory model fit when the moderator supply chain technology was used are RMR=.9196, GFI=.9263, NFI= .9473, RMSEA=.0184 and CFI=.9369 which implies that the model was fit to determine the relationship between supply chain visibility and performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms in Kenya and therein make conclusions and recommendations. ANOVA, regression coefficient and model summary (R2) were also used and indicated significance for there use with all recording p-value of 0.000<0.05.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: System theory of management was adopted and validated. By incorporating supply chain enabling technologies in the management and planning of production in a manufacturing firm, it has the potential of revolutionizing the business environment hence increasing flow of raw materials and other items into the company’s production plant, warehouses or retail locations in an effort to create visibility and enhanced performance. The theory can assist Kenya and the manufacturing firms in developing policies and strategies to assist manufacturing sector while creating competitive advantages through supply chain visibility. The study found out that some of the important supply chain mapping strategies to enhance performance of food and beverage manufacturing firms is supply chain visibility and supply chain technology.

The Impact of e-commerce on Local Retail Employment: Examining Heterogeneous Impacts by Employment and Regional Types

ABSTRACT This paper examines the impact of e-commerce on local retail employment and its heterogeneity by employment and regional types, using Korean retail survey. Our findings reveal that the positive impact of online sales expansion is mainly confined to the growth of wage workers, though its elasticity with respect to online sales is much smaller than that of offline sales. When dividing the full sample by regional type, the positive employment effect of online sales on wage workers is significant only in non-metropolitan regions. In addition, the negative impact of online sales on non-wage workers is found only in metropolitan regions.

Impact of Channel Co-opetition and Taxes on a Multinational Firm’s Resilient Local Production Decision

Relevance: In this article, we focus on the decision of a multinational firm (MNF) on production strategies under the influence of national culture. The national culture of a country can result in a high preference for openness or self-reliance, and such a preference changes over time. The related government policies have a strong impact on the MNF’s decision whether to produce overseas and sell products in the domestic market or produce locally for domestic selling. Theory and methodology: We build a game-theoretical model comprising an MNF and a local retailer to investigate the MNF’s preference for production strategies with the consideration of the influence of national culture. Practice of the research: We find that when the factory establishment variable cost is low and the fixed cost is in a moderate range, the MNF’s preference over production strategies switches twice from local production to overseas production and then back to local production, as the channel substitutability increases. Interestingly, when the factory establishment variable cost is low and the fixed cost is high, the MNF’s preference is heavily dependent upon the tax disparity, exhibiting a threshold policy based on the channel substitutability. Our findings provide important insights for the MNFs into utilizing the national-culture-oriented tax policies and channel substitutability when establishing factories in foreign countries. We also reveal that the preferential local manufacturing policies originated from a high cultural preference for self-reliance may not attract more MNFs, which negatively impacts the policy effectiveness.

Molecular screening of chewing sticks and sponges found on the ghanaian local market for diarrhoea-causing microbes- a pilot study

Chewing sticks and sponges are used for oral hygiene in Ghana and other African countries. In addition to their affordability, they have additional advantages of anti-microbial and an­ti-plague properties. They are usually sold on the open market under low hygienic conditions, exposing them to environmental pathogens. Since they are mostly not sterilized before use, it is important to screen for the presence of pathogens of public health importance on randomly selected samples. This preliminary study used molecular assays to screen for Rotavirus A, <i>Sal­monella</i> <i>typhi</i>, <i>Vibrio</i> <i>cholera</i> and <i>Escherichia</i> <i>coli</i> on 10 chewing stick and sponge samples purchased randomly from the Agbogbloshie market in Accra. The samples were incubated in sterile distilled water overnight at room temperature to dislodge pathogens. Dislodged patho­gens were captured using the Nanotrap Microbiome A kit. Total nucleic acids were extracted from concentrates using the RADI prep DNA/RNA kit. All PCR assays were performed using 2X SYBR Green Mix and pathogen specific primers. Out of the four pathogens screened, only <i>E.</i> <i>coli</i> was detected (40% and 60% of chewing sponge and stick samples respectively). Despite the advantages of chewing sticks and sponges, the detection of <i>E.</i> <i>coli</i> on samples is a cause for concern since they indicate faecal contamination and can cause diarrhoeal diseases. It is recommended that chewing sticks and sponges should be washed clean before used for oral health. An alternative is to train local producers and retailers on improved hygienic pack­aging and handling of these essential cleaning agents.

NUA 45, a dry bean cultivar, builds a subtle brand in Zimbabwe against all odds

Global business today is driven by brands, each with a unique story, but rarely of a product that is a public good. Building a brand requires careful planning, creativity, and an understanding of the target market. Borrowing from various brand concepts and frameworks, this paper explores how a government-bred common bean cultivar., NUA 45, defied the odds to create a new identity and association in Zimbabwe. Firstly, the cultivar overcame the general lack of promotion investment in government-bred (public) common bean cultivars. Secondly, being a red mottle-colored cultivar in a red-speckled (sugar type) bean-predominated country, NUA 45 had to break the preference typecasts. Thirdly, NUA 45 was among the first generation of biofortified bean cultivars enriched with iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), some of the most sought-after micronutrients in a world ridden with hidden hunger. Overcoming these market barriers required a systematic approach to awareness creation, collaboration, and commercialization, avoiding the tragedy of the commons, and instead, achieving a win-win situation for all stakeholders. This entailed understanding the needs and preferences of different value chain actors, developing messages, and engaging local farmers, retailers, aggregators, and private and public sector partners to promote NUA 45. Lastly, developing compelling stories and leveraging digital channels to reach new customers that sought personal experiences, moved the cultivar name from a mere label to a spontaneously endorsed lifestyle and a brand that ‘spread like wildfire’ across the country and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. The NUA 45 brand broke new ground for other biofortified bean cultivars and non-sugar bean cultivars. Following its release in seven other countries, NUA 45 pioneered listing on the SADC regional variety catalog.

Fit satisfaction and experiences of plus-size females with active-wear in Cape Town, South Africa

The increased level of health awareness globally has resulted in growing numbers of consumers participating in sports activities to achieve a healthier lifestyle. However, a significant number of active plus-size females face challenges in finding attire or active-wear that fits properly and is engineered to ensure predefined performance requirements. The aim of this research was to investigate plus-size women’s experiences regarding fit satisfaction levels, and their perceptions about active-wear to improve fit, functionality, and clothing aesthetics. The study sought to establish plus-size female experiences regarding fit satisfaction levels, clothing choices and alternatives, including perceptions around aesthetics and purchasing behavior pertaining to active-wear offered by local clothing retailers in Cape Town. A mixed qualitative method was employed with 38 participants aged between 18-46 years, who self-identified as plus-size. The findings from the data revealed that the needs of plus-size women are not understood nor recognised regarding active-wear. The research indicated that plus-size females feel excluded by the clothing industry; they often resort to purchasing unsuitable exercise gear because of limited choices that suit their body shape needs. The finding results were used to develop practical improvements of active-wear for plus-size females, where innovative ideas were developed to address the technical issues of problems identified in the survey.

Managing Product Variety to Increase Sales in Used Automotive Closed-Loop Supply Chains

The relationship between product variety and sales has been extensively researched, but almost exclusively from the perspective of a new goods retail firm. Closed-loop supply chains for used goods, such as automobiles, offer unique challenges in terms of using reverse flows to create product variety at the retail location. Firms in used goods industries are unable to define their product mix a priori and may not even know which goods will be available to add to their sellable inventory. In this article, we use data from a used automobile retailer to explore these issues. A better understanding of the relationship between variety and sales can help used automobile retailers improve how they define and structure product variety at retail locations. Improved management of used automobile sales has obvious financial implications, but it also has important environmental implications, given the large contribution of passenger vehicles to overall emissions. This study implements a cluster analysis using consumer-facing variables to understand how customers view product variety for used automobiles. Our results show that three distinct classes of inventory exist, primarily driven by a key characteristic—body type—which differs from the traditional definition of product variety for new vehicles in the existing literature. A two-way fixed effects regression is then used to understand the relationship between product variety at the firm's retail locations and sales. The results demonstrate a nonlinear relationship between product variety and sales and, intriguingly, suggest that increasing product variety in some classes can be used to drive sales in others. Our findings yield important contributions for managers in used automobile firms and extend the broader literature on closed-loop supply chains. Specifically, our research demonstrates important differences in how product variety should be managed with used goods relative to new goods by a firm seeking to maximize sales.

Local Retail Prices, Product Variety, and Neighborhood Change

We study how local grocery markets within a city are affected by changes in housing markets. Our empirical strategy exploits a shift in the spatial distribution of construction activity induced by a large-scale, place-based tax exemption in the city of Montevideo. The introduction of new housing stock induced by the policy causes a reduction in grocery prices of 2.3 percent and an increase in locally available product varieties. Using insights from a multiproduct model of imperfect competition and estimates for different types of stores, we show these changes are the result of incumbents’ response to an increase in local demand. (JEL L81, O18, R22, R23, R31, R38)

A participatory approach to model the neighbourhood food environment.

Inequalities in exposure to a health-promoting local food environment have been implicated in the generation of inequalities in diet-related behaviours and outcomes, including obesity and diabetes. Increasingly, poor diet and diet-related disease have been characterised as an emergent property of a complex system and, as such, the drivers of poor diet may be better understood by using a complex system perspective. In this study, we describe a participatory approach for understanding the system drivers of unhealthy food consumption. System dynamics (SD) was used to identify, understand, and visualise the elements of the neighbourhood food retail system that influence individuals' eating behaviour. Group Model Building (GMB), undertaken online with stakeholders (n = 11), was used to funnel existing knowledge and evidence on urban food environments and to build a conceptual system map of the local food retail environment inclusive of the drivers that influence the decision to purchase and consume meals that are high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS), and calories. The GMB was organised as a knowledge elicitation process involving a questionnaire, a workbook, and a structured workshop. The GMB generated a comprehensive causal loop diagram (CLD) of the retail environment inclusive of the drivers that influence the decision to purchase and consume unhealthy meals. The CLD was designed around two main variables (i) exposure to food outlets and (ii) food consumption. The system map built during the Group Model Building session linked exposure to food outlets with the possibility to purchase and consume unhealthy meals. The effectiveness of this link will be tested in an Agent-Based model. The conceptual model illustrates the complexity of the factors responsible for inequalities in unhealthy eating. The GMB approach provides a basis for building an agent-based model for local authorities to characterise their food retail environment, uncover potential leverage points for interventions and test them 'in silico' in a virtual environment.