Small-scale Retailers Research Articles

Maintaining the good store: lessons about caring practices from Swedish 100-year-old retail stores

ABSTRACT This article is about small-scale independent single-store retailers that have been in business since the first half of the 20th century – an overlooked group of actors in retail research. Research has mapped the broader structural changes in the retail industry that have benefitted large-scale operations during the last decade. Still, there is an absence of explanations for the continuous existence of small-scale retail businesses with product lines competing with large-scale actors. Retail research tends to take economic profitability and growth as starting points to interrogate the capacity of businesses to successfully compete. Against this background, the longevity of inner-city small-scale independent stores dating back to the early 20th century remains a puzzle, which calls for looking towards alternative theories to find reasons for the persistence of this line of retail. We engage with this puzzle by exploring practices of valuation engaged by store owners in a selection of small-scale, independent stores established in Gothenburg and Stockholm (Sweden) before the 1950s. We draw on understandings of values as produced through social practices and inquire how forms of caring practices figure in the day-to-day maintenance of the stores as means through which they produce value. The article builds on ethnographic fieldwork focusing on in-store interviews with store owners, employees, and customers complemented with observations. We find that care figures in these stores as expressions of attention and presence, of maintenance and of tacit knowledge, and suggest that the retailers’ focus on the caring practices identified – rather than on prioritizing growth – is key to their continued, long-term existence. Anchored in an understanding of retail as situated in broader social and political processes, and as such also impacting society at large, we moreover emphasise the importance of attentiveness and valuation of, the caring practices that small-scale store owners engage in.

Statistical Analysis on Turmeric Production and Price Movement in Tamil Nadu

Since ancient times, agriculture has been one of the chief factors in the advancement of many nations. Also, it has been a huge contributor to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). But the farmers and the small-scale retailers are still unaware of the demand and supply of the commodities in mandis. Ultimately, they are compelled to use the repetitive pattern of crops. Through knowledge of the intra-mandi prices for seasonal crops is necessary to gain the desired profit. Price trends in several Tamilnadu markets were investigated for Turmeric in order to forecast price volatility and problems that produce mandi-level projections, enhancing its usefulness. Given that medicinal crops have various medical and culinary uses, boosting their productivity could increase farmers' profits in comparison to typical pattern crops. So, the aim of this study is to evaluate the optimum preferred crop conditions for Turmeric with respect to profit. A data from the past decade was screened to observe the variation in prices of the crops along with production analysis. Also, it was validated statistically by various statistical measures like Standard Deviation, Mean and Coefficient of Variation. We examined intra-mandi prices and found that prices fluctuate over the whole peak season, with notable fluctuations in modal prices among several mandis. To demonstrate the variations in pricing reported for certain mandis on specific days, we've given a few instances. A low standard deviation implies that the commodities price is clustered around the mean, whereas a large standard deviation shows that the commodities price is more dispersed. Price volatility is the discrepancy between what is anticipated and what occurs. Keywords: Agriculture, Turmeric, Marginal farmers, Price Movement

Business Intelligence applied to inventory management: case of a small retail company

Business Intelligence (BI) is a set of techniques that assist organizations in making data-driven decisions, enabling interactive access to information, often in real-time. In this way, its application provides precise business analyses, contributing to goal tracking, results projection, identification of opportunities, and anticipation of risks. Therefore, the objective of this work is to create a BI solution using data extracted from an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to assist inventory management in a small-scale retail company specializing in party supplies. Factors such as shelf stockouts and inconsistencies between the system and the real environment have driven the development of this project. Facing ineffective inventory management and limited access to strategic information, a BI solution was developed in the company following steps such as problem analysis, data selection, extraction and processing, database modeling, BI implementation, and testing and evaluation. Thus, two focused dashboards were developed, one for the overall inventory report and another for monitoring safety stock. Through these dashboards, it is possible to assess inventory levels and product movement, devise strategies based on historical analyses, and identify the need to issue new purchase orders by product. The achieved results were positive, highlighting significant improvements in inventory management effectiveness and consolidating decision-making processes through quick and interactive access to strategic information.

Listeria Contamination in Milk-Processing Chain and Proficiency in Listeria monocytogenes Decontamination of Small-Scale Milk Retailers

Listeria spp. is an important foodborne bacterium. This microorganism can be discarded from milk using high temperatures such as pasteurization. The milk-processing methods of many small-scale retailers lack quality control. This study was to survey Listeria contamination at the farm and retailer levels. The retailers were to be interviewed for knowledge, attitude, and practice as well. Finally, we were to determine the heating processes employed to decontaminate microorganisms by the retailers using a reference strain of L. monocytogenes. Milk samples were collected from milk-collecting centers and small-scale retailers. In clinical trial, the processing measures were proved for the proficiency in L. monocytogenes decontamination. One out of 99 farms presented Listeria contamination, confirmed to L. marthii. Fifty small-scale retailers participated in the second part, including 13 males and 37 females. No Listeria spp. but Staphylococcus spp. and Bacillus spp. were identified in the processed milk. Data analyses revealed that the location of the retailer was significantly associated with the volume they routinely ordered per lot and the milk-processing time the retailers used to treat milk. Knowledge on raw milk contamination is significantly associated with the stocking or processing of the whole milk lot. Processing measures presale were significantly influenced by the gender of the retailer. The male retailer reportedly spent less time treating milk compared to their female counterparts. To assess the efficacy of the processing methods, a trial using L. monocytogenes as a reference strain was conducted. Interestingly, no L. monocytogenes was detected after sample treatment, but other microorganisms such as S. epidermidis, S. warneri, and Escherichia coli were found, suggesting potential issues with cross-contamination. In conclusion, while the trial implied that the retailers’ processes were effective in L. monocytogenes decontamination, the study highlighted inappropriate practices and the risk of cross-contamination. Continuous monitoring of product safety in small-scale milk retailers is imperative to ensure consumer well-being.

Entrepreneurial marketing and market performance implications for small-scale retailers: Organizational behavior in a developing economy

In an economic crisis, entrepreneurial marketing (EM) offers a natural, albeit expensive, way to boost the competitiveness of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sector (Majovski & Davitkovska, 2017). This paper investigates whether EM dimensions have a significant effect on the market performance of Zimbabwean SMEs in the small-scale retail sector. A quantitative research methodology was conducted in Chegutu, Mashonaland West province in Zimbabwe. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design that collected data from 260 owners/managers through self-administered, standardised questionnaires. Data were analysed using WarpPLS 7.0 software. The study ran a structural equation model (SEM) to determine the influence of opportunity vigilance, customer centricity, value creation and risk management on market performance. The study found that opportunity vigilance, risk management, customer centricity and value creation significantly contribute to the market performance of resource-constraint firms such as small-scale retailers. The study concludes that EM determines market performance in dynamic environments such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, the study found opportunity vigilance and value creation to have the most significant influence (β = 0.37 and β = 0.22, respectively) on market performance. Therefore, the study concludes that opportunity vigilance and value creation are the most important EM dimensions in small-scale retailers. Small-scale retailers must actively seek opportunities through continuous market sensing and orientation. Further studies could explore this topic in different contexts using actual market performance data and a large sample size.

The transformation of the commercial activities in West African metropolises: the case of Dakar (Senegal)

The evolution of retail unquestionably justifies the growing interest shown by research in this essential function of the economic system of metropolises, particularly in West Africa. In Dakar, the reshaping of the commercial space has attracted the interest of the government, researchers and economic players, especially in recent years, following the arrival of French food retailers, Auchan in particular. This situation has begun to reshape the structure of retailing, sparking fear among local small-scale retailers, who are adopting adaptive strategies. After all, commerce is both an economic and a social foundation for thousands of manages, including women. While markets, local stores and street stalls continue to be the preferred places for the majority of Dakar residents to do their shopping, the breakthrough of Auchan supermarkets is real for consumers, who are regaining freedom of choice in their purchasing actions.

Цифрові інновації в діяльності малих підприємств сфери торгівлі

Digitalization has changed retail forever and will keep making changes. Customers can now shop from the comfort of their own homes, with access to a variety of products, and easily comparing prices. At the same time, digitalization also poses challenges, especially for traditional small-scale retailers who cannot keep up with the pace of digitalization of the industry and society as a whole. The object of the research is the processes of introduction of digital innovations and the activities of small enterprises in the field of trade. The subject of the research is digital innovations in the sphere of trade and their impact on the activities of enterprises and consumer experience. The article discloses the concept of «digital innovation», identifies and characterizes the factors that influence the processes of introduction of digital innovations in the sphere of trade. The considered and analyzed models of consumer behavior in the context of digitalization of trade demonstrate that the latter are used as quite traditional approaches to the process of purchasing, complete immersion in the online space, as well as mixed forms. Attention is paid to the recently popular ROPO effect (Research online, purchase offline). The use of a number of digital technologies will help improve trade processes and consumer experience. It is proposed to use a systematic approach to the implementation of digitalization measures in the activities of small trade enterprises on the basis of the digitalization pyramid, which consists of four main areas of activity: optimization of internal processes, visibility on the Internet, digital sales and artificial intelligence. According to the pyramid, the path of digitalization is a series of separate stages, when, without passing the previous level, it is not recommended to master and implement what the next level entails. The identified advantages and disadvantages of the introduction of digital innovations in trade make it possible to find out the main problems and directions of development of trade enterprises in the digital age.

Analisis Pemasaran Beras Organik di Provinsi Sumatera Barat

Rice is one of the leading commodities for organic products, organic rice commodities are one of the widely consumed organic products. West Sumatra Province is one of the regions that have the largest organic rice land in Indonesia. The development of Organic Agriculture has become a policy of the West Sumatra Provincial Government since 2006. There are several problems in marketing organic rice, namely the lack of market access by farmers so that only a small portion of the harvest of organic rice farmers is absorbed as the final product of organic rice and the product is sold at the price of conventional rice. The purpose of this research was to determine and analyze the marketing efficiency and marketing operations (margin, farmer's share, and profit ratio) of organic rice in West Sumatra. The research location is decided by purposive method. To find farmer respondents using purposive sampling and trader respondents using snowball sampling. Qualitative descriptive analysis is used to analyze organic rice marketing channels. Meanwhile, quantitative descriptive is used to measure the marketing efficiency of organic rice using marketing margin analysis, and farmer's share. The results showed that organic rice marketing in West Sumatra consists of 4 marketing channels, which involve five marketing institutions, namely intermediary traders, large traders, city farmers, small-scale retailers, and large-scale retailers (supermarkets). Farmers - intermediary traders - wholesalers - small-scale retailers (channel 2) is the channel pattern chosen by most farmers which are 50%. The most efficient channel pattern is channel 4 because it is the shortest channel with the lowest margin of Rp. 5,500 and the highest farmer's share value of 50%.

Praktik Black Market Pada Transaksi Iphone Ex-Inter Ditinjau Dari Hukum Perlindungan Konsumen

Small-scale retail is an economic business that stands alone with capital and is carried out by people who sell Consumer legal protection for the community is very important. Therefore, a synergistic relationship between consumers, employers and the government is needed to realize the performance of customer safety in society. The reason of writing on this thesis includes a standard objective, particularly to meet one of the necessities and duties of finishing a examine to gain a Bachelor of Laws diploma on the Faculty of Law, Udayana University and a particular objective, particularly to recognize and recognize the shape of criminal safety for purchasers in shopping for and promoting transactions of iPhone ex-inter. experiencing IMEI blocking. The approach utilized in scripting this thesis is a normative juridical writing approach that applies the ideas of fantastic law, in scripting this thesis numerous procedures are used, particularly the statutory method and the conceptual method. The conclusions drawn from this writing are First, the shape of criminal safety that may be acquired with the aid of using purchasers is that it is able to be withinside the shape of preventive criminal safety according with Article four of the Consumer Protection Act which regulates customer rights and is achieved earlier than a contravention occurs.

Charcoal Trade in Niger—Product Flows and Business Models

Charcoal is used in Africa for household energy, and the sector involves different actors with specific business strategies. Based on theories on sustainable business models and livelihoods, charcoal traders in five cities in Niger were surveyed about supply chains and strategies. Most charcoal is imported from Nigeria, and smaller quantities come from Benin and Burkina Faso or domestically. Men dominate the trade. Customers value charcoal quality, tree species, packaging, and low prices. Three groups of traders and their business models were identified: small-scale retailers, large-scale retailers, and wholesalers. The charcoal trade is typically combined with trade in other products and is frequently conducted with family members or friends; laborers are employed for loading and unloading. The charcoal business provides a complementary income for the traders’ livelihoods. Most respondents believed that trade would increase in the future; wholesalers expected promising future business opportunities. This study concludes that improvements should focus on quality, better marketing skills, and more sustainable charcoal sourcing. Charcoal use in the Sahel region of Africa should also be studied further to enable the development of effective policies in the West African bioenergy sector. The cross-border charcoal trade creates a need for coordinated policies for a sustainable charcoal sector in the Sahel region.

Sales Prediction of Big Mart based on Linear Regression, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting

With rapid development of machine learning and data science approaches, many retailers are employing sales prediction to aid in strategy formulation and profit growth. However, it is challenging for some small merchants to access vast volumes of data for analysis. This paper investigates the viability of predict sales in a small-scale retail supermarket, and evaluates the performance of linear regression, random forest, and gradient boosting method in the corresponding limited dataset. The selected metrics for analysis are RMSE, MAE, and R2 score. Experiment results indicate that the linear regression model has a relatively large error and suffers from underfitting. The two decision-tree based models, random forest, and gradient boosting, perform similarly, with gradient boosting model outperforms by a small margin. This study illustrates that it is feasible to perform sales forecasting by machine learning techniques on a small collection of data. It also identifies the issues in this process and suggests potential fixed, giving small retailers a guideline for making effective sales predictions.

Nostrana, frustra, fiorata: migration patterns and the semantics of consumption in the Alps, mid-17th to late 18th centuries

ABSTRACT Labour migrants were a widespread phenomenon in the Alps during the early modern period and impacted the materiality of everyday life in the mountains. This article investigates traces of these movements in linguistic usage by exploring the way in which goods were described by actors from the Three Leagues, in present-day Switzerland and Italy. Provenances of goods were given by using toponyms that indicated the place of origin the more precise, the closer the location was to the Alps. These geographical terms informed about specific visual and tactile qualities and were introduced together with other technical vocabulary via specialized merchants and spread via shops to customers of the upper echelons. Small-scale retailers and occasional dealers made use of less detailed descriptions that can also be found in the accounts of their clients which resembled the language used in informal correspondences. These channels could be activated to gain more detailed information and thanks to the wide-spread networks of migrant labourers, knowledge was exchanged with and via the Alps. This exchange of information appears, however, to have become less intense when migration patterns changed in the aftermath of the French Revolutionary Wars.

АНАЛИЗ РЕГУЛИРОВАНИЯ РАЗМЕЩЕНИЯ ОБЪЕКТОВ НЕСТАЦИОНАРНОЙ ТОРГОВЛИ В КРУПНЫХ ГОРОДСКИХ АГЛОМЕРАЦИЯХ

Trade occupies the main place in the country, which for the most part is a self-regulated sphere of public life. In turn, street trading makes a vital contribution to the urban economy. Street and market vendors are an integral part of the urban economy around the world, offering easy access to a wide range of inexpensive goods and services in public places. The article examines the foreign experience of regulating small-scale retail trade, the kiosk industry and street vendors, which demonstrates both the advantages of this branch of the economy for large megacities and developing economies, and typical problems associated with the operation of large markets, kiosks and private traders in urban agglomerations.

Study of Agricultural Commodities Production and Price Movement in Gujarat Region: Demand and Sustainable Livelihoods

Since ancient times, agriculture has been one of the chief factors in the advancement of many nations. Also, it has been a huge contributor to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). But the farmers and the small-scale retailers are still unaware of the demand and supply of the commodities in mandis. Ultimately, they are compelled to use the repetitive pattern of crops. Through knowledge of the intra-mandi prices for seasonal crops is necessary to gain the desired profit. Price trends in several Gujarat markets were investigated for Ajwain and Isabgol (Psyllium Husk) in order to forecast price volatility and problems that produce mandi-level projections, enhancing its usefulness. Given that medicinal crops have various medical and culinary uses, boosting their productivity could increase farmers' profits in comparison to typical pattern crops. So, the aim of this study is to evaluate the optimum preferred crop conditions for important commodities like Isabgol, Ajwain, Fenugreek, Mint and Raw turmeric with respect to profit. A data from the past decade was screened to observe the variation in prices of the crops along with production analysis. Also, it was validated statistically by various statical measures like Standard Deviation, Mean and Coefficient of Variation. We examined intra-mandi prices and found that prices fluctuate over the whole peak season, with notable fluctuations in modal prices among several mandis. To demonstrate the variations in pricing reported for certain mandis on specific days, we've given a few instances. A low standard deviation implies that the commodities price is clustered around the mean, whereas a large standard deviation shows that the commodities price is more dispersed. Price volatility is the discrepancy between what is anticipated and what occurs.

€Zdaily (Hyperlocal Market and Delivery App)

€Zdaily - The Hyperlocal Market and Delivery app is a one-stop shop for customers' desperate needs for food, pharmacy, groceries, and more. The goal of hyperlocal marketing is to organize unconventional media options in a localized environment. The concept of hyperlocal delivery is more long-term and far-reaching, particularly for small-scale retailers and merchants. In this paper, we will discuss the fundamentals of Hyperlocal Market and Delivery App. We will discuss the key aspects of this project, such as what hyperlocal marketing means in marketing, why hyperlocal market and delivery app is important and its acceptance, reliance on this app based on locations and services provided, the driving force, tools, and factors on which hyperlocal marketing app depends which have been discussed further. Keywords—. Hyperlocal, Services, Products, Transactions, Delivery, Communication, Customer.

What Collapsed in 1177?

What Collapsed in 1177?

Active learning improves financial education: Experimental evidence from Uganda

We conduct a randomized field experiment to study the effects of two financial education interventions offered to small-scale retailers in rural western Uganda. The treatments contrast “active learning” with traditional “lecturing” within standardized lesson-plans. After six months, active learning has a positive effect on savings and investment outcomes, in contrast to small or zero effects for lecturing. After four years, estimates come with substantial uncertainty but are generally larger for the active learning group, such as a 60 percent increase in investments. As an adverse outcome, reported late payment on loans increases by about 30 percent for both treatments. The findings suggest that teaching methods can play an important role in affecting how financial education programs impact financial behavior and outcomes.

Accounting Techniques and Education Among Small-Scale Retailers in the 1930s: Focusing on the Store Bookkeeping Movement

Accounting Techniques and Education Among Small-Scale Retailers in the 1930s: Focusing on the Store Bookkeeping Movement

THE EFFECT OF INTENSE COMPETITION FROM WELL ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES ON POORLY RESOURCED RETAIL BUSINESSES

Data was gathered from 62 traditional retail businesses at Tembisa Township by using a questionnaire to assess and evaluate the extent to which traditional retail businesses are affected by large scale shopping malls. A review of the literature shows that traditional retail businesses used to supply goods, products and services to people who live and work at Tembisa Township before the mid-1990s. Since then, large retailers and shopping malls have opened up shops at Tembisa Township, thereby competing against traditional small scale retail businesses. A significant market share has since been lost to large retailers and shopping malls by traditional small retailers and businesses. The results showed that some of the traditional retail businesses had managed to survive by using innovative marketing and networking techniques. The key attributes of resilient businesses were keeping very close working relationships with their historical customers, comparing selling prices on a daily basis, actively encouraging customers to keep supporting their businesses, opening up their shops earlier than 9:00 AM each day, staying very late in the evening at work, working extended hours, the use of social media platforms, selling on credit and ordering merchandise in bulk and on credit.

Factors underlying the success of Megamalls over small shop retailing in Ibadan Metropolis

Megamalls reflect the social and cultural environment, and have to a large extent, imbibe modernity attributes. It pursues the status of 'global product' and is mainly global. Often, individuals visit the megamall to search for various items at various times of the day, week, or year. Megamalls offer a secluded and easy perfect life in a city center. This study aims at understanding the underlying factors responsible for the success of mega shopping malls over small scale retail outlets in Ibadan metropolis. The study was anchored on modernization theory; a qualitative and quantitative method was combined to collect data from 222 respondents. Data were analyzed using frequency distribution tables and percentages and content analysis for the qualitative data. Findings show that megamall is increasing in Nigeria, but existing small shops languish in low patronage and sales. Their appearance in the city's structure has attracted people's attention in terms of resemblance in urban centers with social relations in a different organisation that embraces modern life components. It was also found that the essence of megamall originated from the variable choices of people, the growth of residential locations, household income increased, increased acquaintance to different lifestyles, improved consumer aspirations, double-income families, conducive and serene environment. Also, safety and a secure environment, an exhibition of ostentatious lifestyles, friendly customer care services, and one-stop shopping are the major factors underlying megamalls' success over small shops in the Ibadan metropolis. Ultimately, this study shows that megamalls are subsuming small shops retailing every standard and measure with every tool and strategy at their disposal. Therefore, it was recommended that there is a need for more megamalls as it provides people with convenient purchasing, beautifying the environment, and booming the economy without neglecting adequate grants, loans, and other necessary supports for small shop retailing systems. This will contribute immensely to society's sustainable development and boost the economy locally