Consumer Segments Research Articles

CUSTOMER SEGMENTATION USING MACHINE LEARNING

Businesses need to identify and segment their consumer base in order to effectively customize their strategies and improve customer satisfaction in the highly competitive market landscape of today. The goal of this study is to employ machine learning techniques to create a strong consumer segmentation model that will classify customers according to their demographics, behaviors, and purchase histories. Through the use of multiple clustering methods, including K-means, DBSCAN, and Hierarchical Clustering, the model seeks to find unique customer segments with shared attributes. To accomplish optimal segmentation, the segmentation process entails three steps: feature selection to identify the most significant features, model training, and data preprocessing to manage missing values and outliers. In-depth segment analysis is also included in the report to offer practical insights for better client retention tactics, tailored recommendations, and focused marketing efforts. The results of the study illustrate how machine learning may be used to find hidden patterns in consumer data, giving organizations the ability to make data- driven decisions. Organizations may improve their marketing efforts, allocate resources more efficiently, and eventually increase customer engagement and profitability by putting this customer segmentation strategy into practice. Key Words: K-Means Clustering, Hierarchical Clustering, Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN), Cluster Plotting, Heatmaps, customer relationship management (CRM) system.

Influence of packaging, husbandry, feeding practices, and price transparency on consumer segments preferences for milk in Germany: A conjoint and latent class analysis

Despite a slight decline in average consumption in recent years, milk remains a significant component of diets in Western countries, including Germany. Concurrently, there has been growing awareness of the impact of food choices on climate, environment, and animal welfare. This study examines how various attributes of milk—such as packaging, husbandry practices, feeding methods, price, and price transparency—affect consumer decisions, using fresh milk as a case study.We conducted a choice experiment with 250 participants, who selected from product alternatives varying in price, milk features, cow husbandry and feeding practices, packaging types, and labels. Contrary to previous studies, which identified price as a primary decision criterion, our findings indicate that price was secondary for most participants, except for a specific segment.Label influence was minimal, while packaging had a significant impact on consumer choices. Interestingly, most respondents preferred glass packaging, despite its potential environmental drawbacks, suggesting a need to explore whether this preference is based on misconceptions about its environmental benefits.The type of husbandry emerged as the most influential factor in consumer decisions. In terms of animal welfare, there was a strong preference for pasture milk, particularly for "Year-round grazing with mother-bonded calf rearing." This preference not only explains the marketing trend towards pasture milk but also presents an opportunity for sustainable farms to differentiate themselves and attract customers amidst a decline in pasture-based milk production.

Mindfully fashioned: Sustaining style through product value retention

In the ever-evolving landscape of fashion industry, the pursuit of sustainability and mindful consumption has emerged as an imperative. This study presents an innovative and integrated framework that amalgamates the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approach. This comprehensive framework explores the dynamic interplay between Sustainable Mindfulness (SM), Product Value Retention (PVR), Brand Loyalty (BL) and Circular Practices (CP) in the fashion domain. The study underscores Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as the theoretical foundation, shedding light on how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control shape SM and, subsequently, PVR. This study explores into the multidimensional aspects of sustainable fashion, enabling a holistic understanding of the nuanced relationships between PVR strategies, and sustainable consumption attitudes. The study sets the stage for a more harmonious coexistence between style and sustainability, charting a course for the fashion industry that values mindfulness, longevity, and environmental responsibility. The findings offer actionable insights for fashion managers, emphasizing strategic approaches to enhance sustainability, consumer awareness, and circular initiatives in the industry. This study not only advances theoretical discourse but also offers actionable insights for fashion brands and policymakers aiming to foster SM among diverse consumer segments. It sets the stage for a more harmonious coexistence between style and sustainability, charting a course for the fashion industry that values mindfulness, longevity, and environmental responsibility.

Generation Z - factors predicting decline in purchase intentions after receiving negative environmental information: Fast fashion brand SHEIN as a case study

Although Generation Z is known for its ethical and conscientious values, they are a major consumer segment of SHEIN fashion, a leading non-sustainable brand. This study explores how negative environmental information influences Generation Z's purchase intentions toward SHEIN. The findings of a survey among 607 SHEIN consumers reveal that participants lack environmental knowledge about fashion, have a medium sense of responsibility and have medium materialistic motivations. Following exposure to environmental information, negative attitudes toward SHEIN, along with perceived betrayal, were positively correlated with reduced purchase intentions. This research extends the Theory of Planned Behavior by integrating generational attributes and highlights the practical impact of negative information on reducing unsustainable consumption. This provides valuable insights for both academic discourse and marketing strategies targeting this digitally-native cohort.

Consumer behavior toward plant-based foods: a theoretical review, synthesis and conceptual framework

PurposePlant-based (PB) and meat-reduced (MR) diets have a positive impact on human and environmental health, yet consumer acceptance of such diets is relatively low. Research investigating factors influencing consumer behavior around PB and MR diets is emerging; however studies lack strong theoretically underpinned, comprehensive theoretical frameworks. In this paper we synthesize factors from current literature and propose a comprehensive theoretical model across different consumer dietary types (e.g. omnivore, flexitarian, pesco-vegetarian) and account for consumer cognitive dissonance to facilitate a transition to MR diets.Design/methodology/approachThe factors are examined in a five-step integrative literature review of empirical literature about PB/MR-related consumer behavior since 1989. Studies are critically assessed across four theories commonly used to explain the different antecedents of sustainable consumer behavior. We focus on the theoretical domains framework with COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation and behavior) framework, as it provides the strongest foundation for modelling the consumer behavior of interest.Findings107 studies have empirically investigated PB/MR consumer behavior. Of these, 81 studies applied some COM-B domains, but no study has captured all domains. Scant studies investigating cognitive dissonance in the PB/MR literature have been published. Different consumer dietary types are featured across 47 studies; however, none of the studies comprehensively capture all dietary types and psychological discomfort in different consumer dietary types and cognitive dissonance theory.Research limitations/implicationsTo synthesize the findings of the present study, we propose an alternative model to address the before-mentioned gaps identified in our critical analysis. The alternative model captures the relationships between the 12 domains of the COM-B model constructs, psychological discomfort and consumer dietary types in the PB/MR foods setting.Practical implicationsThe proposed research model facilitates the transition from MB diets to PB diets in three ways: (1) By differentiating consumer dietary types in terms of the COM domains influencing their PB/MR behaviors, PB-producing businesses could better target their foods to hitherto overlooked consumer dietary categories, such as lacto-vegetarians or emerging categories, such as flexitarians, through more refined segmentation and sharper profiling of consumers. (2) Knowing the level of capabilities of consumers in respect of cooking skills and knowledge about purchasing and preparing PB foods could help marketers develop strategies to improve buyers' skills and knowledge. (3) With an understanding of the opportunities (from the Opportunity domain of the COM-B model), including environmental context and resources and social influences, PB food businesses could more effectively market their PB food products. (4) It provides an understanding of capability, motivation and opportunity factors separately but also the interrelationship between these COM domains, as all these variables are intertwined.Social implicationsOur ILR with the proposed model and the resulting research helps facilitate progress in the transition to PB diets necessary for more sustainable global food production and consumption.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to critically assess existing PB/MR literature regarding each of the COM-B domains, psychological discomfort and the six dietary types. We propose an alternative research model to address the gaps in literature and explain the antecedents and moderators in PB/MR dietary transition. The proposed model may provide information for practitioners and future researchers to understand a wider range of relevant factors influencing consumer’s behavior in transitioning to PB/MR diets.

Loyalty Currency and Mental Accounting: Do Consumers Treat Points Like Money?

Problem definition: Loyalty programs have greatly expanded in scale and scope, and loyalty points issued by firms serve as a new form of currency alongside the traditional currency of money. In this paper, we study how consumers decide to pay with points or money for a purchase and how these decisions are affected by consumers’ points earning characteristics. Methodology/results: We develop a model of consumers’ payment choices and estimate it on proprietary loyalty program data from a major U.S. airline company using a hierarchical Bayesian framework. Our results demonstrate that mental accounting, the subjective perceived value of points, and the reference exchange rate play important roles in consumers’ payment choices. Moreover, the primary points earning source and the total earning level are jointly associated with consumers’ attitudes toward points and money: Consumers who earn many points and mostly with the focal firm tend to value points more than money, while those who earn few points or mostly through a cobranded credit card tend to value money more than points. To better understand heterogeneity in consumers’ attitudes toward points, we propose a probabilistic segmentation of consumers and identify four behavioral segments with distinctive characteristics. Through counterfactual analysis, we demonstrate how a firm can implement money and point pricing policies to optimally target and influence consumers’ payment choices. Managerial implications: It is important for firms to understand how consumers think about points and decide to pay with points or money as it affects firms’ cash flows, profitability, and consumer loyalty and engagement. We demonstrate that firms can design optimal price targeting policies by utilizing the significant level of heterogeneity in consumers’ attitudes toward points. Furthermore, our results indicate that firms that are expanding their partnership networks and offering more points earning sources should consider the impact that this would have on consumers’ mental accounting of money and points, and consequently their payment choices. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2022.0287 .

How Does the Religiosity and Halal Certification Influence Consumer Purchase Decision on Halal Food in Java, Indonesia

Rapid economic growth in several Muslim-majority countries that uphold Islamic values can encourage the growth of Islamic businesses and lifestyles, including Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world. Rapid economic growth spread to the non-Muslim consumer segment. Java Island is one of the islands in Indonesia with the largest adherents of Islam. This research aims to find out how religiosity and halal certification can influence halal awareness and purchase intention which can increase consumer purchase decision for halal food products. It's using 100 respondents spread across Java Island. The analytical method used is Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The research results show that religiosity and halal certification have a positive and significant effect on halal awareness and purchase intention. Then halal awareness and consumer purchasing intentions have a positive and significant influence on halal food purchasing decisions on the island of Java, Indonesia.

Revisiting heterogenous social desirability bias in consumer willingness to pay for food carbon label: Social norms and environmental concerns

Carbon labeling facilitates the evaluation of carbon emissions throughout the entire food production process. Consumer interpretation of food labels is subject to context. We conduct an online discrete choice experiment in four Chinese cities to investigate the potential how social desirability bias (SDB) may affect consumer willingness-to-pay (WTP) for milk carbon labels. Our findings indicate that failing to account for SDB leads to skewed WTP estimates. We observe a significant presence of SDB in WTP for carbon labels, particularly among respondents under subject to injunctive social-norm treatment. Additionally, our research shows that SDB can manifest differently among consumers with varying levels of environmental commitment. This research provides crucial insights for both policymakers and marketers in food carbon labeling. It highlights the importance of considering SDB and emphasizes the necessity of developing tailored strategies across different consumer segments.

Newspaper Marketing in Bangladesh:

Newspaper has become a part of any modern society. This is one of the most important consumer products of our daily life. Like all other consumer goods newspaper industry requires some special marketing efforts. The main focus of this article is to describe the various tools of marketing mix i. e. 4Ps of newspaper marketing. To do so the researchers have selected Prothom Alo, as it is the number one daily (in terms of circulation) of our country. The article has also attempted to point out the marketing problems of Prothom Alo. It is found that the management of Prothom Alo does not have proper concept of marketing; they don’t have any marketing manager; they don’t conduct regular marketing research; the distribution channel is very long and costly; the price is comparatively higher and so on. At the same time researchers have suggested that to solve those problems Prothom Alo should adopt modern marketing concepts in their decision making process, hire people with proper background, follow differentiated pricing, target different consumer segments to increase the market share, minimize the distribution cost, develop Prothom Alo as a brand and the like.

Online shopping behaviour of the elderly: The role of individual characteristics, perceived benefits and risks

In the context of population aging, it is increasingly important for researchers to analyse the specific behaviour of the so-called ‘silver consumers’, who, among other things, are quite reluctant to shop online. The study aims to assess the role of individual characteristics, perceived benefits and risks on online shopping behaviour of the elderly. Methodologically, the paper relies on the concept of perceived benefits and risks. Among the research methods used are qualitative interviews, quantitative survey, factor analysis, and structural equation modelling. The empirical data are obtained from 10 interviews and 244 questionnaires with consumers aged 50 years or older. The study reveals the significant predictors of older adults’ online purchases in Russia. So, for example, experience risk, performance risk and financial risk reduce the likelihood of making a purchase online, whereas variety of assortments stimulates the intention to shop on the Internet in the future. Additionally, experienced online shoppers are less perceptive to risks and more responsive to benefits. The significance of Internet skills is also proven: the stronger they are, the higher the likelihood of making a purchase online. They study demonstrates a positive relationship between biological and cognitive age: the younger an individual feels, the higher the likelihood of making purchases on the Internet. The results obtained allow online retailers to adjust their practices to the ‘silver’ consumer segment.

Consumer Segmentation and Market Analysis for Sustainable Marketing Strategy of Electric Vehicles in the Philippines

Despite the steady rise of electric vehicles (EVs) in other countries, the Philippines has yet to capitalize on its proliferation due to several mixed concerns. Status, socio-demographic characteristics, and availability have been the main concerns with purchasing EVs in the country. Consumer segmentation and analysis for EV acceptance and utility in the Philippines were determined in this study due to the need for understanding consumer preferences and market segmentation towards EVs in the Philippines. A total of 311 valid responses coming from EV owners were collected through purposive and snowball sampling approaches. The data were collected via face-to-face distribution and online distribution of a questionnaire covering demographic characteristics for market segmentation. Demographic data such as gender, age, residence type, car ownership, and income were used to identify consumer segments using the K-means clustering approach. Jupyter Notebook v7.1.3 was used for the overall analysis, and the number of clusters was optimized, ensuring precise segmentation. The results indicated a strong correlation between car ownership and the ability to purchase EVs, where K-means clustering effectively identified consumer groups. The groupings also included “Not Capable at All” to “Highly Capable” individuals based on their likelihood to purchase EVs. Based on the results, the core-value customers of EVs are male, older than 55 years old, live in urban areas, own a vehicle and car insurance, and have a monthly income of more than PHP 130,000. Following those are high-value customers, considered target users expected to use EVs frequently. It could be posited that customers are frequent purchasers of products and services. Based on the results, high-value customers are male, aged 36–45 years old, live in urban areas, own a car, have car insurance, and have a monthly income of PHP 100,001–130,000. Both of these should be highly considered by EV industries, as these characteristics would be the driving market of EVs in the Philippines. The constructed segmentation provided valuable insights for the EV industry, academic institutions, and policymakers, offering a foundation for targeted marketing strategies and promoting EV adoption in the Philippines. Moreover, the sustainable marketing strategies developed could be adopted and extended among other developing countries wanting to adopt EVs for utility. Future works are also suggested based on the study limitations for researchers to consider as study extensions, such as a holistic approach to EV adoption that considers environmental, social, and economic factors, as well as policies and promotion development.

Macroeconomic Drivers of Electricity Prices in Nigeria

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Electricity price volatility in developing economies, particularly Nigeria, presents a significant challenge to sustainable development. In this paper, we examine the macroeconomic drivers of electricity prices (ELP) in Nigeria based on annual data spanning 1980-2022 and the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) procedure. Our model estimates the long-run and short-run impacts of population growth (PG), economic growth (GDP), crude oil price (COPR), and electricity consumption (ELC) on electricity prices (ELP). The empirical findings reveal a positive and long-run effect of PG on ELP, indicating that rising demand from a growing population increases electricity prices. In the short-run, ELC surprisingly co-moved with ELP, which may be attributable to price-sensitive demand within specific consumer segments or periods. Furthermore, GDP and COPR exert positive effects on ELP, indicating that economic growth drives energy consumption and prices, and the cost-driven impact of fossil fuel dependence in electricity generation. These findings shed light on the complex interplay of demographic, economic, and energy market-related forces driving electricity prices in Nigeria. Therefore, the paper proposes some policy suggestions based on the empirical findings.</span></p>

Role of Social Media Influencers in Brand Management in Indonesia

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine the Role of Social Media Influencers in Brand Management in Indonesia. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The role of social media influencers in brand management in Indonesia has become increasingly significant, reshaping how brands connect with their target audiences and build their market presence. Influencers, with their substantial followings and authentic engagement, have emerged as powerful intermediaries between brands and consumers, effectively amplifying brand messages and enhancing brand visibility. By leveraging the trust and relatability that influencers command, brands in Indonesia have successfully tapped into niche markets, driving higher engagement rates and fostering stronger consumer loyalty. Influencers' ability to create compelling, personalized content allows brands to convey their values and narratives in a more relatable and impactful manner, resonating deeply with diverse consumer segments. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social Influence Theory, Source Credibility Theory & the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) may be used to anchor future studies on Role of Social Media Influencers in Brand Management in Indonesia. Brands should prioritize authenticity and transparency in their influencer partnerships to build trust and credibility with consumers. Encouraging influencers to disclose sponsored content and maintain genuine relationships with their followers enhances brand authenticity and fosters long-term brand-consumer relationships. While macro-influencers may have larger followings, micro-influencers often offer higher engagement rates and niche audience targeting. Brands should consider partnering with micro-influencers who align with their brand values and target demographics to maximize the impact of influencer marketing campaigns. Governments and organizations should invest in influencer education programs to equip influencers with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate ethical and legal considerations in their content creation and brand partnerships. Providing influencers with guidance on best practices and compliance standards promotes responsible influencer marketing practices and enhances the overall integrity of the industry.

Sugar Replacement in Chocolate-Flavored Milk: Differences in Consumer Segments’ Liking of Sweetener Systems Relate to Temporal Perception

Chocolate-flavored milk contributes to excessive intake of added sugars among children and adolescents, which why it is a good candidate product for sucrose replacement. This study investigates how replacing sucrose partially or completely with different sweetener systems affects the sensory profile and consumer liking. Five chocolate-flavored milk treatments were formulated, varying in sucrose replacement level (partial: 58%; complete: 100%) and sweetener system (synthetic: acesulfame-K; natural: rebaudioside M-erythritol blend). Relative-to-Reference Scaling by a trained panel confirmed that no significant differences in the sensory profile when partial sucrose replacement was compared to sucrose, whereas the complete replacement increased bitter taste, pungent flavor, licorice flavor and mouth-drying. A total of 104 consumers evaluated the treatments for liking and indicated their temporal perceptions with temporal check-all-that-apply. Latent variable clustering performed on liking ratings revealed two clusters, which perceived temporal sensory characteristics differently depending on the sweetener system. Cluster 1 preferred the sucrose control over treatments with complete and partial replacement using a natural sweetener system, with complete replacement being perceived as having off-flavor. Cluster 2 preferred the sucrose control over partial and complete replacement using either of the sweetener replacements investigated, which were characterized as off-flavored and bitter. Understanding these consumer segments enables the food industry to develop effective low-energy formulations using synthetic and natural non-nutritive sweeteners, leading to reduced sugar consumption.

The choice of sustainable coproduction technology in a supply chain

Coproduction is recognised as a sustainable technique that promotes optimal resource use by extracting value from leftover materials that would otherwise be wasted in traditional manufacturing processes. However, the sustainability of coproduction technology in supply chains remains uncertain, subject to fluctuations in suppliers' raw material prices. In this paper, we model a decentralised supply chain consisting of a raw material supplier and a coproduction manufacturer, and investigate how their interactions affect the economic and environmental performance of coproduction. We find that manufacturers should consider adopting coproduction technology when the size of the green consumer segment is either relatively small or significantly large. Specifically, if applicable, the manufacturer will endogenously set the coproduct quality at a moderate level, maximising material utilisation. This result offers novel insights into the choice of coproduction technology within a supply chain, particularly considering that a significant motivation for manufacturers to embrace coproduction is to capture value from green consumption. Additionally, when the size of the green consumer segment is sufficiently large, the supplier can benefit from coproduction by raising the wholesale price for raw materials, creating a win-win outcome for both the supplier and the manufacturer. However, we also find that coproduction technology is not always beneficial to the environment. The manufacturer may produce large quantities of coproducts due to high demand from green consumers, leading to increased total material consumption and waste generation.

Determinants of behavior towards hemp-based products: an application of the theory of planned behavior

PurposeThis paper examines how U.S. consumer intentions to adopt hemp vary across product types using the theory of planned behavior (TPB).Design/methodology/approachData were collected via an online survey of U.S. residents in 2022 (n = 1,948). Two-step structural equation modeling is used to examine how TPB constructs and background factors influence intent to use five different hemp-based products: cannabidiol (CBD), clothing, food, personal care products, and pet products. Data are analyzed using R.FindingsPositive attitudes towards all categories of hemp-based products increase the probability of adoption, while subjective norm and perceived behavioral control have limited and varied significant influence across product models. Age has a consistent significant and negative influence on adoption.Research limitations/implicationsFindings highlight consumer segmentation and marketing opportunities, inform hemp stakeholder decision-making, and provide directions for future research. Given the absence of explanatory power of SN and PBC on most product models and the diversity of products and nuanced U.S. hemp policy, future research could investigate expanded iterations of TPB. Using revealed behavior could also highlight potential intention-behavior gaps and offer more robust insights for hemp stakeholders.Originality/valueFindings contribute to a limited body of information on markets and consumer demand for hemp in the U.S.

Gen Z's Willingness to Adopt Plant-Based Diets: Empirical Evidence from Greece, India, and the UK.

Comprising the largest population cohort on this planet, Gen Z presents a future-oriented consumer segment driven by climate change and food. This study sought to investigate Gen Z's perceptions toward plant-based foods and diets and explore the relationship that attitude components, meal preparation involvement, personal and lifestyle factors, and perceived barriers in adopting a plant-based diet have with willingness to adopt green-eating practices. Using cross-sectional data from university students in Greece, India, and the UK, various tools were employed to determine the factors influencing youths' consumer behavior toward animal-protein substitutes. PCA indicated the underlying dimensions of students' viewpoints on plant-based foods, whereas hierarchical and k-means clustering provided the cluster structure. An ordered probit model was estimated to delineate Gen Z's willingness to adopt plant-based diets and distinguish among mostly unwilling, somewhat willing, and mostly willing youths. Our findings identified two consumer segments, namely proponents and opponents of plant-based foods and diets, with statistically significant differences in the perceived health benefits of plant-based diets, attachment to animal-based proteins, perceived exclusion of animal-based foods, dissatisfaction with plant-based foods' attributes, and demand for ensuring adequate protein intake. The ordered probit model estimates showed that there is a "homogeneity" in the factors influencing youths' intention to adopt plant-based diets, with attitude components, meal preparation indicators, perceived barriers to eating "green", and personal factors, such as self-assessed knowledge of healthy eating and physical activity, being strongly associated with students' willingness to switch to plant-based diets in all three countries. Mapping potential obstacles and enablers in terms of shifting to more green-eating behaviors, our findings could add information to better understand the factors affecting food choice and youths' transition to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Analysing Purchase Preference Towards Geographical Indications (GIs) Using Consumer Segmentation Approach

Consumers of local food products often face a dilemma regarding their purchase decisions due to the non-availability of information that is required to assess the quality of the product. To reduce this information asymmetry, the Geographical Indication Registry in India issues a Geographical Indication tag (GI tag) as a community right to the growers of local special products originating from a region, town or country. The GI tag symbolises uniqueness, curtails counterfeit products' spread, and reduces information asymmetry. This study has taken a select case of Udupi Mattu Gulla Brinjal, a GI horticulture produce grown by a community-based enterprise (CBE) in the Udupi District of South India. This research work aims to study and analyse consumer preference towards Udupi Mattu Gulla Brinjal (GI) using a consumer segmentation approach. The Principal Component Analysis technique has been used to identify statements with discriminatory power. Subsequently, the statements of research importance have been used to identify consumer segments using a two-step clustering approach. The study results have identified three important consumer clusters based on the analysis of consumer preference characteristics. Thereafter, marketing strategies have been proposed after analysing the profile of each segment. The study is undertaken as a response to an initiative from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Coordinating Centre, Government of India, to partner the development of agriculture in the local area of Udupi District. The objectives of the study are consistent with SDG goal 11 (sustainable communities) and SDG goal 12 (responsible consumption).

무인매장에 대한 소비자의 안전 인식이 신뢰, 만족 및 지속이용의도에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is to conceptualize the sub-factors of safety perception that consumers have regarding unmanned stores and investigate how consumers' safety perception influences their trust, satisfaction, and continuous intention to use unmanned stores. To segment consumers' safety perception of unmanned stores, we collected and analyzed news articles from portal sites using Text-Mining techniques, resulting in five sub-factors: ‘Security’, ‘Crime’, ‘Equipment and facilities’, ‘Hygiene and health’, and ‘Disasters and accidents’. An online survey was conducted through respondents aged 19 to 69 who have experienced unmanned stores within the past six months. Measurement items for this study were developed based on the items used in previous studies and structural equation model was employed to test the hypothesized relationships. The results revealed that consumers' safety perception significantly influences their trust, satisfaction, and continuous intention to use unmanned stores. Among the five factors, consumers' safety perception of security, equipment and facilities, and hygiene and health had significant static effects on trust. In the case of security and hygiene and health factors, trust statically mediated the relationship between safety perception and satisfaction, and satisfaction statically mediated the relationship between trust and continuous intention to use. Based on these findings, we suggested theoretical and managerial implications and concluded with the study’s limitations and directions for future study.

Stakeholder perspectives on government subsidy programs: Trade‐in subsidy, consumption subsidy, or mixed subsidy?

AbstractMany governments worldwide offer various types of consumer‐specific subsidy programs, such as a trade‐in subsidy (TS) program that targets existing consumers only, a consumption subsidy (CS) program that covers both new and existing consumers with undifferentiated subsidy levels, or a mixed subsidy (MS) program that targets the two consumer segments with differentiated subsidy levels. However, which program is more beneficial to social welfare and other stakeholders is largely unknown. In this paper, we establish a game‐theoretic model to explore the impacts of these subsidy programs on different stakeholders (i.e., the firm, consumers, the environment, and social welfare). Interestingly, we uncover that the TS and MS programs have equal effectiveness in stimulating demand (collecting old products) from existing consumers, whereas the CS and MS programs have relative advantages in expanding the total demand from both new and existing consumers. We further find that (i) when product durability is low, the flexible MS scheme can lead to a quadruple‐win for all stakeholders, (ii) when product durability is moderate, the MS scheme is better for social welfare and the environment, whereas the CS scheme benefits the firm and consumers more, and (iii) when product durability is high, the MS scheme can achieve a triple‐win for the firm, consumers, and social welfare, whereas the CS scheme is better for the environment. Moreover, we identify the differential impacts of each program on different stakeholders when considering that the earmarked subsidy is limited and a secondary market exists. Our findings not only shed light on why the TS, CS, and MS programs are all likely to be adopted in practice but also provide helpful guidelines for governments aiming to offer a more effective subsidy program.