Retail Segment Research Articles

An Empirical Study on the Assessment of the Impact of Service Quality on Customer Repurchase Intention in Retail Chain Stores of Khulna District of Bangladesh

Purpose: The study aims to identify how various aspects of service quality impact customer repurchase intention in retail chain stores in Bangladesh. Methodology: The study has been conducted following the quantitative research method. Data were gathered from 100 shoppers via direct surveys done at multiple retail chain stores in Khulna city of Bangladesh. A questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale was used in the study to collect consumer feedback on several elements related to service quality and repurchase intention. SPSS 25 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) was used to analyze the data for Reliability tests, correlations analysis, and regression analysis. Findings: The data show that responsiveness, assurance, and empathy have a substantial effect on customers' likelihood of repurchasing from retail chain stores. Surprisingly, tangible elements such as store appearance and reliability had little influence on customers' propensity to return. Practical Implications: According to the findings, retailers should focus on developing a customer-centric strategy that emphasizes prompt service, trust-building efforts, and encouraging sympathetic relationships. Originality/Value: The study has transformative potential for the retail chain sector, guiding strategic adjustments for enhanced customer experiences, competitive advantages, and long-term growth. Limitations: While the study provides useful insights, its limitations include a limited geographic scope, small sample size and inherent biases caused by the convenience sampling method. To clarify subtle customer behaviors across multiple retail landscapes, future research should include broad retail segments and locales.

Sustainable practices in last-mile logistics of small Brazilian e-retailers: an analysis using an MCDM approach

ObjetivosEl objetivo es contribuir al desarrollo de estrategias mediante la identificación de prácticas sostenibles. Por lo tanto, la investigación tiene un doble objetivo: revelar las prácticas de sostenibilidad integradas en las actividades logísticas de última milla de minoristas de comercio electrónico, analizar las interrelaciones entre estas prácticas y categorizarlas según su importancia para los pequeños minoristas de comercio electrónico en Brasil.MetodologíaSe llevó a cabo un mapeo de la literatura para identificar prácticas de sostenibilidad en las actividades de última milla adoptadas por minoristas en línea, lo que llevó a la propuesta de un metamodelo. Un total de 67 artículos forman parte de la muestra final. Posteriormente, el estudio aplicó la técnica de toma de decisiones multicriterio Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) para estructurar el problema de investigación mediante análisis de causa y efecto entre las prácticas, con el objetivo de priorizar las prácticas críticas.ResultadosEl resultado indica una fuerte dependencia de prácticas económicas para implementar la sostenibilidad en la logística de última milla. En la dimensión económica de la sostenibilidad, los costes operacionales y la calidad de los servicios son variables de efecto y presentan una fuerte correlación.OriginalidadLa originalidad de esta investigación radica en identificar prácticas de sostenibilidad económica, social y ambiental adoptadas por minoristas en línea en los procesos logísticos de última milla. Además, el estudio se centra en el segmento minorista de comercio electrónico a pequeña escala, un área poco explorada en el contexto brasileño. Por último, el metamodelo propuesto contribuye a abordar prácticas desde la perspectiva de la Teoría de los Stakeholders y el enfoque de Sostenibilidad.Limitaciones/implicaciones para la investigaciónEl artículo proporciona contribuciones teóricas al abordar dos áreas complementarias de conocimiento: la Teoría de los Stakeholders y la Sostenibilidad, alineándose también con las directrices de la Iniciativa de Reporte Global (GRI). En términos prácticos, destaca al ofrecer ideas valiosas sobre la implementación de estrategias sostenibles al identificar prácticas económicas, ambientales y sociales en la logística de última milla, particularmente en el contexto de las pequeñas empresas en el segmento minorista en línea.Implicación prácticaLos resultados ayudan a los minoristas electrónicos a reevaluar los procesos logísticos de última milla desde una perspectiva de sostenibilidad. Este estudio pretende contribuir el avance del conocimiento de la literatura actual sobre la adopción de prácticas sostenibles en pequeñas empresas de comercio electrónico.Implicación socialTeniendo en cuenta que uno de los pilares de la sostenibilidad es el compromiso con el desarrollo social, este estudio contribuye a comprender la visión de los pequeños minoristas electrónicos sobre los trabajadores independientes encargados de la entrega de mercancías.

Pulsed Electric Field as a Mild Treatment for Extended Shelf-Life and Preservation of Bioactive Compounds in Blood Orange Juice

The agri-food processing industry predominantly relies on fossil fuels, contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and extensive water use. Climate change requires a conversion of food processing technologies towards sustainability. Our research focuses on testing and validating pulsed electric field (PEF) technology as a mild processing method for stabilizing freshly squeezed, not from concentrate, blood orange juice. Experiments were carried out on a continuous pilot plant endowed with a patented treatment chamber that ensures a constant flow of product without “hot spots” for a homogeneous treatment. Once the operative conditions of the process in terms of energy density were optimized, PEF-treated blood orange juice was tested in order to evaluate the effects on physico-chemical parameters (total soluble solids, total acidity, pH, CIE L*, a*, b*, C*, h color indices, cloud, bioactive compounds (ascorbic acid, total anthocyanins, total and individual flavanones), antioxidant activity (ORAC units, total phenolic content), microbial communities (aerobic mesophilic viable count, yeasts and molds, acid-tolerant microorganisms), residual enzymatic pectinmethylesterase activity, and sensory attributes (flavor, off-flavor, off-odor, color, intensity of odor, acidity, sweetness, bitter, freshness, cooked flavor). Then, in order to simulate the commercial refrigerated distribution of PEF-treated blood orange juice and define its refrigerated shelf-life, the PEF-treated freshly squeezed, not from concentrate, blood orange juice was subjected to physico-chemical, antioxidant, microbiological, and sensory evaluations over twenty days of refrigerated storage at 4 ± 1 °C. The PEF treatment effectively ensured excellent microbial inactivation and enhanced the nutritional and health characteristics of the juice, thereby extending its shelf-life. This study demonstrates the significant potential of the PEF treatment to produce blood orange juice suitable for a new retail segment—freshly squeezed juices with superior health quality, fresh-like characteristics, and extended refrigerated shelf-life.

The Influence of image and product attributes on customer satisfaction and its implications for customer loyalty of Kimia Farma Apotek (KFA) in the Bandung City area

The retail segment has the largest contribution to the total net sales value of Kimia Farma Group, which is run by the company's subsidiary, PT Kimia Farma Apotek (KFA). Kimia Farma's retail segment is experiencing a relatively non-ideal revenue trend from 2017 to 2022. The main challenges faced are the purchasing power of the community, the increasingly fierce level of competition, and risks related to customer loyalty. Based on this background, this study aims to examine the effect of Kimia Farma's image and product attributes on customer loyalty, both directly and indirectly through customer satisfaction. The research was conducted with a quantitative approach at the Kimia Farma Pharmacy in Bandung, with the unit of observation being Kimia Farma pharmacy customers in Bandung City. The sample was 235 respondents, who were taken using the Multistage Random Sampling technique. Structural Equation Modeling was used to conduct causality analysis. The results revealed that: Kimia Farma's image and product attributes play a role in shaping customer satisfaction, but have no direct impact in creating customer loyalty; customer satisfaction plays a role in creating customer loyalty; customer satisfaction mediates the effect of Kimia Farma's image and product attributes on customer loyalty; product attributes have a greater role than Kimia Farma’s image in encouraging customer satisfaction which will create customer loyalty. This research provides managerial benefits for increasing customer loyalty at Kimia Farma Pharmacy in Bandung City, by increasing customer satisfaction, which is supported by the development of product attributes and the image of Kimia Farma.

Diffusion of innovation in direct-to-avatar (D2A): A study of immersive communication and branding in the metaverse

Direct-to-Avatar (D2A) is the new phenomenon in the online retail segment. Brands are moving towards immersive commerce in which the central focus is on immersive communication for better customer experience in the metaverse. Diffusion of innovation theory acted as a theoretical framework to understand the premiums that the brands can enjoy from the customers by moving towards immersive commerce. 948 tweets on metaverse were analysed and five in-depth interviews with the experts on metaverse were conducted. For the quantitative study, the data were collected from a select metaverse Facebook group. The findings of PLS-SEM revealed that four factors - customer engagement, customer experience, value co-creation and customer empowerment - have statistically positive impact on customer citizenship behavior which ultimately affects customer satisfaction and loyalty towards the brands. The study extends the applications of diffusion of innovation theory in the content of immersive communication. It enriches the literature on technological advancements in immersive commerce. This is one of the first studies that focus on lifestyle brands in the metaverse. Also, this study depicts how socializing the digital brand communication with experience economy can be a key factor for lifestyle brands.

Does multilingual packaging influence purchasing in retail segment? Evidence from multiple experiments

The language on green product packaging shapes consumers' shopping experiences and purchase intentions. This study aims to explore the effects of multilingual packaging on consumers' intention to purchase green products through a series of four experiments with data collected using the survey method. Experimental findings reveal that consumers' familiarity with the language used on green product packaging positively influences their likelihood of purchasing such products. This relationship is strengthened in the presence of higher social crowding. Furthermore, the study uncovers that including bilingual or trilingual packaging enhances consumers' propensity to purchase green products. This research demonstrates the positive impact of multilingual packaging on sales of green products, attracting a more extensive consumer base and increasing consumers' purchase intention for environmentally friendly products. Additionally, the study identifies the role of different levels of social crowding in the relationship between consumer language familiarity and their intention to purchase green products. Besides significantly contributing to the scholarly discourse, it provides practical implications for companies and brands in designing future effective green product packaging language. These findings contribute to promoting green products, offering valuable suggestions to assist companies in better designing and packaging their products to attract a broader consumer base and, thus, increase their market share.

Comparison Between Business Model of Ecommerce Retail Segment of Amazon and Alibaba

In this digital era, ecommerce has been an essential element of the economy of most developed countries and a lot of developing countries. The US and China were pioneers in this industry and exhibited a significant amount of growth since the 1990s with Amazon and Alibaba being the current dominant firms. This paper compares the business model and past performances of Amazon and Alibaba primarily through examining their annual reports in 2022, supported by data from reports in 2020. This paper concluded that the two companies were similar in stem but adopted different strategies because of difference in business environment including demographics, legal restrictions and level of competition. The author believes that the ecommerce industry will gradually evolve into a monopolistic competition. Amazon and Alibaba shall keep up with the latest technologies to maintain their market shares from taking away by competitors, including advancements in big data computing and generative AI, as well as alternate business models as demand for online services became more diversified with the increasing reliance of ecommerce after covid.

Taxonomy of subfamily Tenebrioninae (Latreille, 1802) and Pimeliinae (Latreille, 1802) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) with new record from Sindh, Pakistan.

Background: Darkling beetles widely existed in Pakistan and caused economic damage to the number of agricultural crops. In the processing, manufacturing, distribution, and retail segments, these pests pose a food safety risk for adulterating items produced or stored. Still nothing exists on the said subject; therefore, the present study was planned. This study was conducted to investigate the distribution, diversity, and taxonomic status of two sub-families of Tenebrionidae which has significant impact on crops. Methods: Species of subfamily Tenebrioninae and Pimeliinae were collected from the different parts of lower Sindh with the help of pitfall trap, light trap, and hand-picking methods during 2018 to 2020. The main sources of collection for these species were the soil surface of different farms, under the rocked and mountain areas, the storages area/godown and the soil surface of Jungle area. Result: During the present study 486 specimens of Tenebrionidae were accumulated and sorted out into two subfamilies: Pimeliinae which consisted of Pimelia capito, and Trachyderma phalistinia species and Tenebrioninae which consisted of Uloma Simplex and Alphitobius diaperus species. However, Pimelia capito (Krynicky 1832) and Trachyderma phalistinia (Reiche and Saulcy, 1857) were recorded as new record for the first time from Sindh province. It was also noticed that many of the larger species are flightless and not capable of high flight. i.e., Ulomo simplex. But this behavior is under observation and needs more research on this expect in future.

Население как участник фондового и срочного рынков: ожидания, риски, перспективы

The relevance of the article is due to the fact that the instruments of the stock and futures markets are currently considered by the population as an attractive alternative to traditional investments in bank deposits. This category of inves-tors, which ten years ago did not have any noticeable weight on stock and fu-tures markets, is gradually turning into active participants in the securities market, capable not only of ensuring the efficiency of the Russian economy, but also of overcoming market risks. The subject of the study is the activity of retail investors in the domestic finan-cial market during the period of tightening anti—Russian sanctions. The pur-pose of the work is to consider the specifics of citizens' investment behavior, identify the main trends of the current period and factors contributing to the further development of the investor protection system and increase citizens' confidence in financial markets. The article identifies the peculiarities of the de-velopment of the retail segment of the domestic market in the period 2022–2023, and on this basis it is concluded that the sanctions regime has caused significant damage to the Russian financial market, however, the degree of im-pact of the negative processes constraining its development turned out to be less significant than predicted by most researchers. The continuation of the regulator's work in terms of developing additional measures to protect inves-tors' rights and improve financial culture, coupled with the implementation of initiatives by trade organizers and the professional community, will make it possible to counteract the spread of unfair trading and marketing practices, improve the investment climate in the country, and strengthen the confidence of private investors in financial market instruments and institutions.

Sales of antitumor drugs in the retail segment of the Russian pharmaceutical market

Objective: to study the features of the population consumption of antitumor drugs (ATDs) of groups L01 and L02 according to the anatomical, therapeutic and chemical classification (ATC), purchased at the expense of personal funds of citizens in the retail sector of the pharmaceutical market of the Russian Federation (RF).Material and methods. We analyzed data on the range of ATDs sold in retail pharmacies in all federal districts of the RF in 2020–2023. The methods of comparative, retrospective, logical, graphical and content analysis, the method of grouping data by ATC groups and methods of descriptive statistics were used.Results. At the end of 2022, in the RF, about 6 million packages of ATDs worth 6.5 billion rubles were purchased at the expense of citizens’ personal funds, i.e. approximately 1/6 of the total sales of oncology medications in monetary terms and 3.0% of the total sales in physical terms. The maximum sales in monetary terms per 100 thousand population were noted in the Central, Northwestern and Southern Federal Districts. The Central Federal District accounts for about 50% of total sales of ATDs in monetary terms and 35% of sales in physical terms. The maximum costs were for medications in ATC groups L01B Antimetabolites, L02A Hormones and related compounds and L02B Hormone antagonists and related compounds. The average shares of ATDs in the ATC group L01B were 32.8% in total sales in monetary terms and 50.8% in physical terms, in the ATC group L02B – 27.3% and 31.9%, L02A – 21.8% and 5.7%, L01X – 8.9% and 7.9%, respectively. In the RF as a whole, the top-3 international nonproprietary names of greatest demand in the pharmaceutical market retail segment included methotrexate, buserelin and anastrozole, which account for more than 40% of sales volume in monetary terms.Conclusion. The obtained results can be used by healthcare organizers to clarify the real need for ATDs, as well as to improve drug care for cancer patients.

THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND MACROECONOMIC DYNAMICS IN THE GREEK RETAIL LANDSCAPE

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the Greek retail sector's financial landscape from 2015 to 2021, examining seven distinct subsectors. Employing rigorous financial ratio analysis and correlating results with macroeconomic indicators, the research reveals nuanced patterns in profitability, capital utilization, and liquidity. The findings underscore the sector's adaptability to macroeconomic shifts, with notable variations among subsectors. As Greece navigates economic fluctuations, strategic planning for diverse retail segments becomes imperative for sustained success. The study contributes valuable insights for stakeholders seeking to navigate the complex interplay of macroeconomics and finance in the dynamic retail environment.

Enhancing quality requirements management in retailing industry: The role of Quality Function Deployment

PurposeSmall retail stores in the luxury market face significant challenges due to fluctuations in market demand. This task turns challenging as it requires effectively coordinating and translating customer needs into specific requirements that align with retail goals and available resources. However, limited empirical research exists investigating how managers can address service value and quality attributes in small retail stores. This article aims to bridge this gap by investigating the role of quality function deployment (QFD) in improving market and quality requirements management in small retail stores.Design/methodology/approachBased on the case study, a customer survey was initially conducted to gather information on critical characteristics valued in the luxury retail segment. QFD was used to assist the company in identifying and prioritizing key quality attributes to meet customer requirements effectively.Findings The findings demonstrate that implementing QFD in small luxury retail stores empowers managers to identify previously neglected product and service quality aspects. The article shows that QFD informs organizational adaptations that align with the demands of the retail market, leading to an improved ability to meet customer expectations and enhance customer value through the development of enhanced products and services. The study showcases the efficacy of the tested methodology in effectively capturing and prioritizing both tangible and intangible customer needs in retail.Practical implications Findings offer valuable insights to retail managers of small luxury stores, providing actionable market-oriented strategies. By implementing the recommended practices, managers can improve the store’s competitiveness and better cater to the customer base.Originality/value This study contributes to bridging persistent knowledge gaps by addressing the unique context of small luxury retail stores and introducing the application of QFD in this setting. The insights gained from this research are relevant to both retailing and quality management literature. Considering the growing prevalence of transformations in the retail industry, the study provides practical implications for retail managers in effectively navigating these changes.

Covid-19 and the Goalkeeper of the Indian Economy


 The decision and the conviction to keep the capital markets functioning amidst the uncertainty of COVID-19 lockdown, proved to be a game changer for the Indian economy. The robust systems put in place over decades and reinforced with measures to strengthen systemic integrity during COVID, revived the inherent trust in the Indian markets, especially at the retail level. The buoyant numbers of new trading and demat accounts opened, new investors in Mutual Funds etc. are a reflection of this trust. At a structural level, apart from decreasing dependence on FPI investments, the retail segment has witnessed a secular shift from savings to investment. Additionally, within investments, there is a shift from fixed income to equities. This deepening of the investor base has moved the Indian capital market to a higher orbit igniting a structural shift in the economy. 

Sales forecasting using machine learning algorithms

Retail companies, as production systems, must use their resources efficiently and make strategic decisions to obtain growing and stable revenues, especially when market conditions are becoming more competitive and profit margins are increasingly pressured. Thus, sales forecasting is crucial to maintain competitiveness in the retail segment, but obtaining inaccurate forecasts can lead to stock shortages, causing delays in deliveries and generating customer dissatisfaction, as well as increasing inventory, increasing the cost of warehousing, forcing the “burn” of stock through promotional campaigns, directly affecting profitability. Forecasting the demand for products and services and adapting the supply chain by finding a balance has always been and will continue to be a challenge in the retail segment. This research aims to evaluate the main methods and identify the one with the greatest accuracy in sales prediction. Based on an integrative literature review (ILR), three main methods were evaluated: time series, artificial neural networks and machine learning algorithms. The results show that machine learning is more suitable in terms of accuracy, particularly when models contain exogenous and endogenous variables, in addition to allowing the identification of hidden patterns in demand that can be used to identify market trends. However, in markets with constant demands and few external interferences, its use is not justified because, for these cases, the use of time series is simpler and less costly.

CURRENT STATUS AND PERSPECTIVES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF INVESTMENT ACTIVITY OF THE COMMERCIAL BANKS DURING MILITARY AGGRESSION

Because of writing the scientific work, it was established that the protracted war, terrorist attacks on the energy infrastructure and the subsequent suppression of the economy provoked by this are the main sources of risks for the financial stability of commercial banks. The state of investment activity of commercial banks was studied and it was determined that in order to increase it and reduce the risk of loss of liquidity in war conditions, commercial banks should apply methods of passive investment portfolio management. It has been proven that the combination of financial assets with different investment terms in the investment portfolio will allow taking into account the fluctuations of interest rates and the level of interest risk, which is under the influence of investment owners. It was determined that with the beginning of the war, the share of non-performing loans expectedly increased, most noticeably in the retail segment. Despite significant write-downs, the banking sector posted a quarterly profit after a loss-making first half, driven by operational efficiency. The net assets of banks for the third quarter of 2022 were analyzed, which increased by 7.5% and exceeded the pre-war level, this happened due to the increase in the volume of deposit certificates of the NBU. It was established that the TOP-10 banks of the country included banks that were able to continue working despite the introduction of martial law and hostilities and maintain their credit and investment portfolio at the proper level: Privatbank, Ukreximbank, FUIB, Ukrgasbank, Raiffeisen Bank, Oschadbank, Sens Bank, OTР Bank, Universal Bank and Credit Agricole Bank. It was established that in order to develop the investment activity of commercial banks in the conditions of military aggression, the following basic requirements must be observed: continuity of the investment process; availability of a diversified portfolio, where capital investment will be focused on 4–5 classes; one must allow the portfolio to grow with the market during upswings, but at the same time protect it during periods of general decline.

Стан та перспективи організації децентралізованої торгівлі електроенергією на регіональному рівні

The article is devoted to the analysis of problems and experience of conducting research on the implementation of Smart Grid and Demand Response concepts in power supply systems with sources of distributed, decentralized generation and active consumers in power systems. The issue of finding ways to solve the scientific and technical problems of implementing the concepts of Smart Grid and Demand Response when solving the tasks of designing and building local electric power systems, taking into account the peculiarities of their functioning in the unified energy system of Ukraine was considered. The range of under-researched problems of decentralized management development in the retail segment of the electricity market in the organization of micro-markets based on the application of modern approaches of multi-agent management and block chain technology for the business processes organization is outlined. The main tasks of the conceptual design of the new market architecture of micro-markets on local electricity systems and their integration into the existing systems of organizational, operational-technological and information management of the electricity market are presented. Micro-markets are actually developing and, with experience, can become a driver for the post-war development of the market infrastructure in terms of the simultaneous implementation and practical application the Smart Grid and Demand Response principles for the implementation of technical solutions at the retail market level.

Is market power the cause of asymmetric pricing in China's refined oil market?

The asymmetric response of Chinese refined oil prices to crude oil prices is essentially an issue of economic efficiency, and the collusion of the oil oligarchs is not conducive to the market-oriented reform and economic sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to test whether the prices of refined oil products in China does indeed have the asymmetric fluctuations of “rising more and falling less”, and to analyze whether there are unreasonable pricing behaviors colluding among oil companies. We first examine the relationship between refined oil prices and the crude oil price by applying the NARDL using the monthly data from June 2000 to May 2021, and then designs a two-stage regression process based on the EGARCH model to check whether the asymmetric pricing is the result of the market power formed by the oligopolistic collusion. The results show that the asymmetric reaction of gasoline and diesel prices to crude oil prices in China is basically the same. Only the long-run asymmetry has been confirmed while the short-run asymmetry has not passed the test. The long-term equilibrium price amid fluctuations in Chinese refined oil prices is slowly being pulled higher, most likely due to the increased market power of oil companies. Long term asymmetry means that the oligopoly market equilibrium is approaching monopoly. The cause is in the refining segment of refined oil, not in the retail segment because the EGARCH model has only successfully identified the market power in the refining sector. The joint tests indicate that the oil oligarchs may have passed the cost information, which is conducive to raising prices in the long term, to the price regulators, and there is an unreasonable part of China's refined oil prices that undermine market efficiency.

Globalization and Indian Agricultural Exports: A Critical Evaluation

Over the past decade, agriculture very particularly horticulture outputs have been recorded growth year by year. When compare with developed world our crop productivity is generally low. This low productivity is due to number of factors like erratic monsoon, shrinking ground water resources, declining in fertility of soil in efficiency of food distributional channels, shortage of storage facilities, transportation problems, lack awareness in the use of updated agricultural practices particularly technologically advancement are among the forming community, uncertain weather, small size of firms and agricultural subsidies that are distort the agricultural marketing channels and hamper productivity enhancement. In this juncture, India agricultural sector is also witnessing for a shift from organic farming from modern chemical farming. Horticulture, Aquaculture, Poultry and Dairy production needs to be modernized. The demand for fresh and processed food products are continuously increasing in the backdrop of urbanization and raising in rural income. The growth of agricultural sector lies in the marketing of agricultural products in domestic and global market. The federal government and several other state governments are working to improve the initiative of the farmers and extend their support to face the challenges in the cultivation. Policy interventions are often taking place. Adopting innovative technical knowhow also take place. Solutions to the agricultural sector’s problems are addressed as early as possible. In this background India’s export potential and possibilities are projected up to 7.5%. However, this target is not achieved. India’s food and grocery retail business also increasing today. This is also a supporting factor to increase market share of agricultural product. In the financial year, 2017-18, significant changes are take place in the Indian retail market and E-marketing. This will also enhance the farmer’s income. Domestic players and international players role in the food retail segment is continuously increasing. This is a kind of positive trend in Indian agriculture marketing. The present study focuses on to analysis and understand the growth pattern of Indian agricultural exports and to estimate the annual and compound growth trajectories of selective agricultural exports in India and to suggest possible measures to improve agricultural export in future course of time pertained to the selected products.

TO GET INSIGHT INTO ISSUANCE MOTIVATIONS BEHIND INTRODUCING CBDC IN INDIA

The era of information and communication technologies has produced numerous opportunities in every field. Finance and business sector is most benefitted field from these recent developments. The spotlight quickly shifted from "Fintech," which emerged in the last ten years, to "crypto currency," then to "CBDC," demonstrating that how quickly the world of digital finance is changing. CBDC is similar to blockchain technology but is controlled and regulated by Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The pilot study of retail segment of CBDC has commenced from the beginning of December 01, 2022. This paper made an attempt to delve into the understanding of Central Bank Digital Currency and to probe the motives behind the issuance of CBDC. RBI is currently working toward a phased deployment plan, progressing gradually through several rounds of pilots before the final launch and concurrently looking at use cases that might be adopted with little to no impact.

Underage Sales of Tobacco in Dollar Stores and Top Grocery Stores, 2015–2020, U.S.

Youth access to tobacco in retail settings remains a pressing public health concern and may vary across retail corporations. This study compares underage sales violation rates in tobacco-selling dollar store corporations-a rapidly growing retail segment where cheaper tobacco prices may appeal to youth-with rates in other major grocery corporations. In 2021, U.S. Food and Drug Administration data (N=64,059 inspections) from January 2015 to March 2020 were used to compare underage tobacco sales in the two major tobacco-selling dollar store corporations, Dollar General and Family Dollar, with sales in major grocery corporations: Albertsons, Delhaize, Kroger, Publix, and Walmart. Generalized linear mixed models controlled for neighborhood characteristics. Post hoc analyses examined whether the corporation with the highest violation rate was more likely to be in neighborhoods with higher proportions of racially minoritized residents, socioeconomic disadvantage, or rural status. Family Dollar failed 12.1% of underage sales inspections. All other corporations had a significantly lower likelihood of selling tobacco to an underage buyer than Family Dollar. This significant association persisted after controlling for neighborhood characteristics. Family Dollar locations were associated with being in neighborhoods with higher proportions of racially minoritized residents and greater socioeconomic disadvantage. Regulating corporate behavior is necessary to reduce underage access to tobacco in dollar stores and address place-based inequities in youth tobacco access. Increasing the use of U.S. Food and Drug Administration no-tobacco-sale orders and Assurances of Voluntary Compliance, which provide a mechanism for state attorneys general to engage with tobacco retailers regarding enforcement of minimum legal sales age laws, may help to reduce youth tobacco access in retail settings.