Small Retail Shops Research Articles

The cost of universal design for public buildings: exploring a realistic, context-dependent research approach

PurposeA challenge in implementing Universal Design (UD) is the perceived additional cost, which acts as a barrier to its widespread adoption. The few studies that have examined the cost for UD apply a theoretical research approach, failing to account for the unique design context that influences construction costs. This article presents a research methodology to calculate the UD cost in a realistic, context-dependent manner.Design/methodology/approachTo address this gap, “Research-by-Design” is applied in a case study approach involving twelve cases from three typologies: secondary schools, town halls and small retail shops. Two scenarios are compared to the existing situation: (1) “renovating into a 100% inclusive building” and (2) “building fully inclusive right away”.FindingsAlthough the methodology is time-consuming, it allows for a fair, realistic and detailed comparison between costs in different scenarios and cases. Findings show how financial implications are strongly related to its scale. Both “renovation” and “new build” scenarios involve costs, but these are considerably lower for the latter. “Circulation” and “Exterior stairs and ramps” are among the most expensive to renovate, but have almost no additional cost in the examined cases for the “new build scenario”.Research limitations/implicationsThe research methodology presented in this study is time-consuming, which may limit its feasibility for large-scale cost assessments in diverse contexts.Practical implicationsThe research methodology proposed in this study provides valuable insights for architects, designers and stakeholders involved in the implementation of UD. It offers a realistic and context-dependent approach to assess the cost implications of UD, enabling informed decision-making during the design and construction phases.Social implicationsBy revealing the specific cost implications of UD in different building contexts, this study contributes to promoting greater accessibility and inclusion in the built environment.Originality/valueThe applied approach distinguishes this study for its ability to provide rich contextual information on actual cost implications for UD. By considering real cases and their unique design contexts, valuable insights are offered into the true costs of implementing UD in the built environment.

Women Artisan Facing Obstacles

Women Entrepreneurs are the women who initiate, organize and operate the business. They are the ones who own and manage the business and to earn more profits with their creativity and new ideas to run a business. In the initial stage, they start their business with small scale and expand to large scale business. Women undertake all the risk and face many challenges in their business. Their strong feeling to do something is an inbuilt quality who is capable of providing values in both family and social life. This Women Entrepreneurship can make a strong contribution to the economic well-being of the family, communities, women's empowerment and poverty reduction. Women Entrepreneurs engaged in some of the business-like AgarBatti making (Incense stick),Papad Marketing, Embroidery, Handicraft, catering services, Running restaurant, snack bars, Small retail shops, Beauty Parlour, Pickle Manufacturing etc.

Indonesia Robusta Coffee Value Chain: Mapping and Upgrading Opportunities

Coffee, one of the agricultural commodities, aligns with specific relevant SDGs in addressing its sustainability challenges. This study aims to map and analyze the value chain to identify areas where upgrading interventions could be implemented to enhance the chain’s sustainability. This research was conducted in Bogor Regency, West Java, and Pagar Alam City, South Sumatra, in 2022. 112 farmers and 23 downstream actors participated in this study as respondents. The research utilized the qualitative descriptive method, incorporating the M4P (Making Markets Work for the Poor) approach, Ishikawa analysis, and Gereffi concept. The research discovered that a wide range of actors is involved in the chain, including small farmers, intermediaries traders, cooperative, processing industries, roasteries, retail, and coffee shops. The finding reveals robusta value chain includes several stages of transformation: input, production, processing, trading, roasting, and marketing. Four types of upgrading can be carried out. First, process upgrading by increasing productivity through implementing Good Agricultural Practices and improving post-harvest handling and processing that optimizes water usage and minimizes waste. Second, product upgrading involves product differentiation by producing red-picked green beans. Third, functional upgrading through coffee industrialization by enhancing partnerships in the production network. Fourth, inter-sectoral upgrading by finding new coffee markets. Implementing these interventions is expected to improve the sustainability of Indonesia robusta coffee value chain.

A STUDY OF INVENTORY CONTROL TECHNIQUES TO OPTIMISE REVENUE IN SMALL RETAIL STORES

According to an estimation, there were around 12.65 million retail grocery stores in India in 2020. These Stores typically covered 100-200 square feet and kept stock of around 500-1000 items. These small retail shops generate yearly average revenue of 18-25 lac, of this the profit margins are around 3-4% i.e., Rs 54,000-72,000 yearly. From discussions with shop owners running small to medium retail stores from two-three generations, the challenge seems to be either overstocking leading to wastage, or stock-out leading to customer diversion. Small retail stores usually are managed using the primitive hit and trial method when it comes to inventory management, that only becomes moderately efficient in case of extensive experience of the manager. The following paper presents a study of three inventory control techniques in order to optimize revenue by controlling the inventory efficiently for small retail stores in India. The purpose of this study is to figure out a pattern connecting inventory control with optimal revenue which may further be converted into an algorithm for software that may help small retail store owners all over India.

Unidirectional Tactile Paving: Circulation for the Visually Impaired.

The COVID-19 pandemic heightened inequalities of universal accessibility in the built environment. The visually impaired have been affected by the lack of mobility that resulted from social distancing and physical distancing. Numerous circulation networks, from small retail shops to large-scale public spaces, have been reorganized to limit the spread of COVID-19. By assigning an orientation to each lane, unidirectional circulation networks allow for physical distancing by limiting face-to-face interactions among most pedestrians. These unidirectional networks are communicated visually, by placing flat arrows on the floor, but not through the other senses and are thus inaccessible to the visually impaired. This demonstrates a lack of universally accessible design for unidirectional circulation. We propose two designs (asymmetrical blocks and cobblestone blocks) for a novel unidirectional tactile paving which allows the visually impaired to navigate through unidirectional circulation networks by feeling tiles with their feet and/or canes.

CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS ON MAIZE FLOUR BRANDS FOODS IN CENTRE BENIN

The increasing of turnovers and earnings of maize flour brands food companies depends on how to suit offer on consumer’s expectation and location. This paper has assessed consumer expectations on attributes of maize flour food, and help to locate consumers on consumption chain. The study is based on data collected from 250 respondents in the city of Djidja, Benin. Descriptive statistics, vector error correction model (VECM), Likert scale (LS) and average propensity to consumption (APC) have been used in data analysis. Women were most (70%) involved in the flour consumption chain in the study area. The VECM revealed relevant attributes which were ranking with the LS from the most importance as availability, flour cleanness, price, storage time, and the dryness stage. The APC shows that wealthiest respondents were very exigents on attributes, refered to supermarkets as retail outlets and belonged to low consumption segment; while the low and intermediate income respondents were less exigents, purchased flour brands food in small retail shops, flour kiosks/vendors and road side outlets and were respectively identified on high and intermediate consumption segments. Findings contribute to improvement of marketing strategies including quality, supply level and appropriate policy of maize flour brands distribution for consumer expectation satisfaction.

Spillover effects of a mega shopping complex on pre-existing, small retail shops over space, over time and across retail types

This paper studies spillover effects from Starfield, a mega shopping complex in South Korea, to pre-existing, small retail shops over space, over time and across types of retail shops. Using the data on daily store traffics, we test for any complementarity or substitutability from Starfield to neighboring retail shops. Our analysis shows that spillover effects of Starfield on neighboring retail shops are equivocal in the short run. During the first year of the opening of Starfield, the contemporary effect (or the short-lived effect, lasting a single day) of Starfield is negative for consumer goods stores and personal service shops outside the 3-km radius, while it is positive for restaurants and bars within the 5-km radius. After that first year has passed, only the positive contemporary effect on restaurants and bars survives, and the cumulative effect (or the longer-lasting effect) turns significantly positive for consumer goods stores within 1.5 km of Starfield and personal service shops in the 1.5-to-3-kilometer radius. Our analysis estimates the temporal path of spillover effects—both contemporary and cumulative effects—from a newly-built mega shopping complex to neighboring retail shops, which is a novel contribution to the retail literature.

Cognitive Biases Affecting the Maintenance of COVID-19 Pandemic.

All countries and regions have already been infected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This super small guest has paralyzed the entire world’s economy, from the drastic fall of oil prices to the bankruptcy of great companies or even the small retail shops. The people’s lifestyle is undergoing significant changes, which is leaving a negative impact on their psychological and physical health. The atmosphere is filled with dual accusations from each one of the governments and their citizens. Recognizing cognitive biases that have potentially affected decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic would help consider behavioral changes for curbing this global viral infection.

Bigger than the Sound

This essay examines the political economy of Caribbean cultural capital and the formation of reggae in Jamaica in the 1950s. Through study of the Afro-Asian intimacies and tensions embedded in the sound of preindependence Jamaica, the essay traces the birth of the “sound-system” to the networks of local small-retail grocery shops, ubiquitous across Jamaica, that were owned and operated by Jamaican Chinese shopkeepers and examines how they formed material infrastructures. In charting the hardwiring of speakers and how the sociality of the shop housed the production of a new sound, the essay argues that sonic innovation was derived from Afro-Jamaican servicepeople who returned from World War II with military technological expertise, which they applied to sound engineering, and from entrepreneurial guilds of Jamaican merchants and shopkeepers of Chinese, Afro-Chinese, and Indo-Chinese descent, who helped form the conditions of possibility for the production and global distribution of reggae. Thus the networks of Jamaican Chinese diasporic capital and talent, producing and performing, helped to engineer the electrical flows of reggae to rural areas and urban dancehall parties.

Site Selection Improvement of Retailers Based on Spatial Competition Strategy and a Double-Channel Convolutional Neural Network

The issue of site selection has become a critical challenge in the development of the retail industry with the growth of the Chinese economy and the improvement in the level of household consumption. Previous studies have considered the area of stores as the main factor of retail competition; however, the actual business performance of different stores in these studies was ignored. In addition, few studies have considered the differences in the spatial distribution of the factors of site selection. In this study, we discuss the improvement of site selection of small retail shops. A spatial competition index model was proposed as one of the features in estimating region market potential, and a market demand regression model of a double-channel convolutional neural network (CNN) was constructed based on the spatial correlation range of features. The study area was Guiyang, China. The experiments were based on the monthly sales data of fast-moving consumer goods retail stores in Guiyang. On the basis of the estimated results of the model, 18 sites with high potential for market demand were recommended. The performance of the proposed model was the best among well-known regression methods. Moreover, in comparison with a single-channel CNN, the proposed model decreased the root mean square error by 22.61%. Evaluation results showed that the proposed method could provide effective decision support for the issue of retail site selection.

Determinants of Adherence to the Recommended COVID-19 Prevention and Control Guidelines by Small Scale Retail Shop Operators in Rural Parts of Siaya County, Kenya

Determinants of Adherence to the Recommended COVID-19 Prevention and Control Guidelines by Small Scale Retail Shop Operators in Rural Parts of Siaya County, Kenya

Small shop survival – The financial response to a global financial crisis

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), many of which are small retail shops, remain the largest employer in the western world. Yet the financing of their fixed and working capital investments remains under-researched. This study focuses on this topic by examining Eurozone wholesale and retail SMEs enterprises at the peak of the 2008 financial credit crisis. In order to do this, an innovative analysis of existing theories in retail finance and policy research using generalised multilevel structural equation modelling is performed to establish how retail SMEs sourced capital during this period. This analysis, a first of its kind in wholesale and retail SME research, finds that pecking order theory, the independence of investment and financing, as well as the contest for financial resources between fixed and working capital do not hold for wholesale and retail SMEs. Moreover, it is found that government grants and subsidised loans were not used by SMEs in this sector of the Eurozone as primary sources of finance during the aftermath of the 2008 global credit crisis. Crucially, it is posited that a business environment characterized by stronger legal rights and deeper credit information did not improve SMEs’ access to external finance. The authors recommend that further research should be pursued in this field in order to improve current understanding of the resilience of retail SMEs for future global financial crises.

Contributions of Mindfulness to Improvisational Behavior and Consequences on Business Performance and Stress of Entrepreneurs during Economic Downturn

This research investigates the role of mindfulness among Thai entrepreneurs that can be linked to their improvisational behavior that, in turn, explains business performance and stress during a period of economic contraction in Thailand. This research collected survey data from a sample of 186 owners of small retail shops in major marketplaces in Bangkok, Thailand. Results from partial least squares structural equation modeling show that mindfulness had a positive relationship with the degree of improvisational behavior exhibited by entrepreneurs. The findings also reveal that the entrepreneurs who exhibited a higher degree of improvisational behavior achieved higher business performance and had lower stress.

Site Selection of Retail Shops Based on Spatial Accessibility and Hybrid BP Neural Network

The increase of consumer income has resulted in the rapid development of the retail industry in China, which provides high market potential for retail companies worldwide. However, site selection for retail shops has been a confusing business issue in practical business decisions. In this study, a two-step hybrid model in site selection for small retail shops was proposed. The two steps were spatial accessibility evaluation and market potential estimation. The spatial accessibility of target regions was evaluated based on the improved gravity model to determine regions that lack retail shops. Then, a PCA (principal component analysis)–BP (backpropagation network) model was established to estimate the market potential in the target regions. The two-step model could determine sites with the most market potential and low competition. We conducted the experiment in Guiyang, China and considered 18 socioeconomic factors to make the site selection convincing. Through the experiment, 42 locations were determined with high business value; the locations were recommended to the new retail shops. The accuracy of the PCA–BP model was then proven satisfactory by comparing it with other regression methods. The proposed model could guide retail chains in enhancing business location planning and formulating regional development policies.

Case Study of building Storage Strategy in the Logistics Distribution Center—Logistics Company A as an Example

Storage and maintenance are essential in warehouse operation management. Accordingly, this study takes a logistics distribution center as the case. In this case, Logistics Company A and X Beverage Company establish a logistics partnership in the supply chain. Logistics Company A is responsible for designing and handling X Beverage Company’s cargo storage, transportation, and distribution businesses in big and small retail shops in Y region. Reducing the goods overstock, stock, and stock-out rate and improving the goods’ freshness are important because beverages are classified as fast-moving consumer goods. This study develops the storage strategy for goods in X Beverage Company through classified management of goods by activity-based classification (ABC) with the primary aim of increasing the efficiency of storage management. Second, goods stock and management strategies are developed with the aid of EIQ (entry, item, and quantity) analysis and in accordance with results of the ABC classification. Finally, the EOQ (economic ordering quantity) stock control model is established for large retailers and small retail stores.

Case Study of building Storage Strategy in the Logistics Distribution Center—Logistics Company A as an Example

Storage and maintenance are essential in warehouse operation management. Accordingly, this study takes a logistics distribution center as the case. In this case, Logistics Company A and X Beverage Company establish a logistics partnership in the supply chain. Logistics Company A is responsible for designing and handling X Beverage Company’s cargo storage, transportation, and distribution businesses in big and small retail shops in Y region. Reducing the goods overstock, stock, and stock-out rate and improving the goods’ freshness are important because beverages are classified as fast-moving consumer goods. This study develops the storage strategy for goods in X Beverage Company through classified management of goods by activity-based classification (ABC) with the primary aim of increasing the efficiency of storage management. Second, goods stock and management strategies are developed with the aid of EIQ (entry, item, and quantity) analysis and in accordance with results of the ABC classification. Finally, the EOQ (economic ordering quantity) stock control model is established for large retailers and small retail stores.

An ethnocentric perspective of foreign multi-brand retail in India

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the ethnocentric tendencies of Indian consumers towards foreign multi-brand retailers (FMBRs), and the influence that such ethnocentrism has on their attitudes towards, and future purchasing behaviour from, these international retailers.Design/methodology/approachThe paper used a mall intercept method with a randomised data collection process to secure data from 119 organised retail shoppers in a major metropolitan Indian city. The analysis was carried out using analysis of covariance, bootstrapping mediation, multiple regression analysis, and Johnson’s relative weight analysis.FindingsTwo main results are as follows: concern for livelihoods of small retailers and a perception that earnings of foreign retailers are unjust are revealed as the most significant drivers of negative attitude towards FMBRs, and although high ethnocentric customers have a strong negative attitude towards FMBRs, they are open to the idea of making future purchases of goods that are not available with small retailers, from the foreign retail outlets.Research limitations/implicationsThe study sample is from a single metropolitan city, albeit one which serves as a miniature version of the Indian society. As a limitation, the results might not be generalisable to small, non-metropolitan Indian towns.Practical implicationsThese results provide valuable input regarding the marketing strategy and sustainability of foreign retailers planning to launch operations in India. For example, FMBRs should position themselves as not being in competition with existing small retail shops by offering a different array of products. Further, younger and more educated Indians are the least ethnocentric towards FMBRs, thus making them an attractive target segment.Originality/valueExtant research has studied consumer ethnocentrism of Indian consumers towards foreign brands and products, but not towards FMBRs. This paper attempts to fill that research gap.

Ownership-driven Entrepreneurial Saga: A Case Study of Vinod Super Shop

Vinod Ramanlal Didwaniya, son of a marginal farmer, had the only worries of sustenance of his family members after he was a postgraduate in commerce from a local college. He started a small retail shop named Vinod Provisions in July 1993 in a rented space of 7 × 11 sq. ft area with a meagre working capital of ₹17,800 only. It was run by his family members including his father and wife with a daily turnover of ₹1,000 approximately (annual turnover of ₹0.30 million). Vinod reared a distinguishing character of sense of ownership and drew immense pleasure out of everything, every decision that he owned. This drove his small family business to rise to Vinod Super Shop in about 20 years’ time which is run today in 3,000 sq. ft area with a working capital investment of ₹7 million besides ₹15 million invested on creating owned infrastructure for this supermarket. Its annual turnover has grown from ₹0.30 million to ₹15 million (50 times growth), and it has 18 employees today. By heart a poet, Vinod feels within him every stakeholder of his business in whose interest he has been taking decisions involving management fundamentals and ethical issues. The present case study attempts to capture this unique entrepreneurial saga amidst highly competitive retail sector that leaves a number of lessons to learn.

Occurrence of aflatoxin M1 in conventional and organic milk offered for sale in Italy.

In the present study, 58 samples of milk were analyzed for the presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1). The samples were purchased during the period April-May 2013 in a random manner from local stores (supermarkets, small retail shops, small groceries, and specialized suppliers) located in the surrounding of Bologna (Italy). The commercial samples of milk were either organic (n=22) or conventional (n=36); fresh milk samples and UHT milk samples, whole milk samples, and partially skim milk samples were present in both the two considered categories. For the quantification of AFM1 in milk, the extraction-purification technique based on the use of immunoaffinity columns was adopted and analyses were performed using HPLC-FD. AFM1 was detected in 35 samples, 11 from organic production and 24 from conventional production. No statistically (P>0.05) significant differences were observed in the concentration of AFM1 in the two categories of product. The levels of contamination found in the positive samples ranged between 0.009 and 0.026ngmL-1. No sample exceeded the limit defined at community level for AFM1 in milk (0.05μgkg-1). This demonstrates the effectiveness of the checks before the placing on the market of these food products. Thus, the "aflatoxins" problem that characterized the summer of 2012 does not seem to have had effect on the contamination level of the considered milk samples.

Kiswani Wholesale Distributor “Bu Siness Plan”

Kiswani Wholesalers and Distributors (KWD) is a proposed Limited Liability Company (LLC) that will be co-owned by two partners and operated in New York State, serving four counties of Rockland, Westchester, Orange and Dutchess. The company will be dealing in medicines sold over the counter, health and beauty products, general merchandise and male enhancement drugs. These product lines offer the company a unique product mix that will enable it to penetrate and sustain a steady market base in the market for profitability. The proposed company has identified four market segments: convenience stores, supermarkets, grocery stores, gas stations and other small retail shops that will be its customers. It intends to target the first four segments of its market in the first year of operation. KWD will employ a marketing strategy that will put it ahead of its competitors and its SWOT analysis shows that it will compete favorably in the business environment into which it intends to venture.Key success factors will be the experienced ownership and management and skilled and qualified persons who will implement the success strategies of pricing, marketing and sales to deliver high outputs that will enable the firm to break even in the ninth month of operation. Upon commencement of its operations, KWD will plough back its profits for purposes of expansion, which is inevitable for every organization in all industries. Its books of account as projected are so promising that the owners will confidently acquire $ 24,000 of the total capital from a bank loan and contribute $20, 000 personally as the other $15,000 is gained from credit facilities by the suppliers in a 21-day credit term. With a small size workforce of only five personnel for the startup phase, KWD will be able to have efficient operations that will steer the firm to rapid growth and profitability.