Specialist Retailers Research Articles

How Complete Are Tobacco Sales Data? Assessing the Comprehensiveness of US Tobacco Product Retail Sales Data Through Comparisons to Excise Tax Collections.

Sales data analyses are increasingly used to guide tobacco regulatory science. However, such data do not cover specialist retailers like vape shops or tobacconists. Understanding the extent of the cigarette and electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) markets covered by sales data is critical to establishing such analyses' generalizability and potential biases. Using retail sales data from Information Resources Incorporated (IRI) and Nielsen, we conduct tax gap analyses comparing states' cigarette and ENDS tax revenue to tax collection estimates based on retail sales data. For the 23 US states in both retail sales datasets, cigarette tax gap analyses were conducted for each year from 2018 to 2020. Four (Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington) of those 23 states levied per-unit ENDS taxes and provided monthly tax revenue data covering January 2018 to October 2021, where we conducted monthly tax gap analyses for both cigarettes and ENDS. Across states covered by both sales datasets, annual mean cigarette sales in IRI and Nielsen account for 92.3% (95% CI = 88.3% to 96.2%) and 84.0% (95% CI = 79.3% to 88.7%) of state cigarette tax revenue, respectively. Monthly average coverage rates for ENDS sales were lower, ranging from 42.3% to 86.1% for IRI and 43.6% to 88.5% for Nielsen, but remained stable over time. IRI and Nielsen sales data capture almost the entire US cigarette market and a substantial but lower portion of the US ENDS market. With proper care to address shortcomings, sales data analyses can capture changes in the US market for these tobacco products. Policy evaluations and analyses using e-cigarette and cigarette sales data are often criticized because these data do not cover online sales or sales by specialty retailers like tobacconists. Cigarette sales data consistently cover nearly 90% of taxed sales, while e-cigarette sales data cover around 50% of taxed volumes. Retail sales data capture nearly all cigarette sales and a substantial portion of ENDS sales with relatively stable rates of coverage over time, supporting their continued use in tobacco surveillance and policy evaluation work.

Revisiting the Big Middle: an fsQCA approach to unpack a large value market from a product specialist retailer's perspective

PurposeIdentifying the patterns of retail institutional change has piqued the interest of retail academics for nearly a century. The Big Middle hypothesis is one of the most recent and hybridized versions of similar theories. According to it, retailers seeking a dominant position in retailing can migrate into the Big Middle, the largest market segment, by specializing in a large market with a broad product assortment or by focusing on a specific product category and simultaneously catering for multiple segments at the same time. This study provides empirical evidence for the latter proposition by employing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) on the case of UNIQLO, a Japanese clothing specialist retailing giant.Design/methodology/approachThe authors devised a survey to assess (1) consumers' perceptions of UNIQLO's store attributes and (2) their perceived distance between the UNIQLO and potential competitors. The authors used fsQCA procedures to identify multiple confluences of causal conditions that led to a high level of consumer patronage for UNIQLO from various market segments.FindingsThe findings show that UNIQLO's dominance in the Big Middle stems not only from capturing a sizable homogeneous market but from aggregating multiple heterogeneous market segments with disparities of various types. This finding explains how a specialty store retailer achieves its Big Middle position.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings gleaned from fsQCA are not statistically generalisable. It, therefore, is essential to ensure whether similar phenomena are observed under different spatiotemporal settings. Concerning the scope of the research, this study's finding is pertinent to only one part of the Big Middle hypothesis. Future studies are required to cover other dimensions of the Big Middle, including the generalist retailer's cases of the Big Middle.Practical implicationsThe results of this study may present a valuable tool to deepen retailers' understandings on; (1) the multiple causal recipes of customer patronages to their retail offerings, (2) who the pure fans of their stores are, (3) who their principal rivals are in the mind space of the consumers, and (4) their overall market position upon aiming to realise the Big Middle. It will give retail managers an insight into how to design, implement, and churn an efficient and effective RBM.Originality/valueThe study's originality is in empirically scrutinizing and elaborating a part of the mechanism of retail change heralded by the Big Middle hypothesis.

The Impact of Organic Specialist Store Entry on Category Performance at Incumbent Stores

Premium organic retailers are specialist retailers that exclusively offer organic products. Prior literature has not studied their entry, focusing instead on the impact of generalist store entry. This study examines the impact of premium organic specialist store entry on category performance at incumbent generalist stores for 47 packaged food and beverage categories. The results indicate that incumbent stores lose sales after a local organic store entry and that the impact of price on sales at generalist stores becomes stronger. The authors postulate that incumbent stores can reduce sales losses by reducing the relative distinctiveness of the entrant along three dimensions: variety, price–quality, and authenticity. Empirical results show that more variety in organic products, as well as more organic feature and display advertising, protect generalist stores from premium organic specialist store entry. Assortments composed of premium organic products are harmed less, whereas assortments in which organic products are subject to more frequent and deeper price promotions are harmed more. Furthermore, including products from an organic specialist brand in generalists’ organic assortments offers additional protection.

When value- and experience-related trade promotions influence retailers’ sales: the moderating role of retail format strategy and channel structure

PurposeAs manufacturers and retailers aim to increase return on marketing investments, value-vsexperience-related trade promotions gain attention. These two trade promotions become complicated in the presence of different retail format strategies (generalistvsspecialist) and channel structures (direct to retailervsdistributors). Building on trade promotion literature, this study aims to show the main effect of value-related and experience-related trade promotions on retailers’ sales and the moderating role of different retail strategies and channel structures.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use unique panel data from 8 personal care brands with 1,920 observations to test the hypotheses. The authors investigate how consumer goods manufacturer sells products using different channels structures and retail strategies. Estimated panel regressions provide the empirical evidence and robustness analyzes provide extra confidence to the findings.FindingsResults reveal higher retail sales when the manufacturer invests in value-related trade promotions rather than experience-related trade promotions. The results also demonstrate how the manufacturer successfully invests in trade promotion by adequately accounting for channel structure and retail strategy. While temporary price reduction’s positive effect on retail sales is enhanced in generalist retailers (e.g. supermarket stores), shelf display’s positive impact is enhanced in specialist retailers (drug stores).Research limitations/implicationsThe authors used unique panel data accounting for 15 months, limiting the findings. The results supported the investment allocation decisions in each period. However, future research may evaluate the effectiveness over a longer period and thoroughly address each investment’s seasonal effects.Practical implicationsThe authors unveil how retailers achieve higher sales with value-related trade promotions when compared to experience-related trade promotions. The authors also shed light on the way manufacturers design their relationships with generalist and specialist retailers by working in direct and indirect channels. Trade promotions yield better results when the direct channel structure couples with a retailer’s generalist strategy.Originality/valueThe empirical findings help manufacturers achieve success in trade promotions by developing an equitable evaluation to contrast value- and experience-related promotions accounting for generalist and specialist retail strategies and direct and indirect channels.

Daring to build fair and sustainable urban food systems: A case study of alternative food networks in Australia

ABSTRACT Food systems are under pressure from population growth, climate change, resource scarcity and increasing urbanization. Alternative food networks are initiatives related to food provision that operate at a local level and are concerned with both environmental stewardship and social justice. This paper presents a case study of alternative food networks operating in Brisbane and Melbourne in order to analyze: i) their socio-economic and environmental contributions to the resilience and sustainability of urban food systems; and, ii) the limitations that alternative food networks are facing. The cases researched include examples of urban agriculture, food hubs, buyers’ groups, and specialist retailers. The results indicate that alternative food networks can improve access to healthy food, provide fairer conditions for farmers, reduce food loss/waste, increase environmental protection, and facilitate climate change adaptation. The limitations to the expansion of alternative food networks are also discussed, including the restricted access to land for growing food, low public engagement, and the dependence on volunteer labor. The paper concludes by summarizing the contribution of alternative food networks to urban food systems and identifies issues for future research.

3D designed and printed chemical generators for on demand reagent synthesis

Modern science has developed well-defined and versatile sets of chemicals to perform many specific tasks, yet the diversity of these reagents is so large that it can be impractical for any one lab to stock everything they might need. At the same time, isssues of stability or limited supply mean these chemicals can be very expensive to purchase from specialist retailers. Here, we address this problem by developing a cartridge -oriented approach to reactionware-based chemical generators which can easily and reliably produce specific reagents from low-cost precursors, requiring minimal expertise and time to operate, potentially in low infrastructure environments. We developed these chemical generators for four specific targets; transition metal catalyst precursor tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(0) [Pd2(dba)3], oxidising agent Dess-Martin periodinane (DMP), protein photolinking reagent succinimidyl 4,4’-azipentanoate (NHS-diazirine), and the polyoxometalate cluster {P8W48}. The cartridge synthesis of these materials provides high-quality target compounds in good yields which are suitable for subsequent utilization.

A hedonic price analysis for the Portuguese wine market: Does the distribution channel matter?

ABSTRACTPrice is a core component of both wine firms’ and consumers’ decision-making and so there has been a lot of analysis of the determinants of wine price. Most of the research has used the hedonic price function and assumed that the wine market is homogeneous with respect to both distribution channel and price segments. In this paper, a hedonic price function is estimated using data from a specialist retailer and a large supermarket, i.e., retailers in two different consumer market segments, niche and mass market, respectively. We conclude that the wine market is heterogeneous, and the importance of the various price determinants differs between distribution channels and, in the case of the specialist retailer, throughout the conditional statistical distribution of the price. This result may help the wine companies to place themselves in the market value chain.

THE DECLINE OF THE UK HAND KNIT CRAFT AT THE CLOSE OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

At the end of the twentieth century the decline of the domestic knitting craft was of paramount concern to the yarn companies and retailers that served this market sector. As demand reduced in the UK so did the number of specialist retailers. This was as detrimental to the yarn companies as it was to the craft. Research undertaken in 1999 by the author suggests that it is probably true to say that the knitting craft was at that point in time at its lowest point of popularity throughout the entire twentieth century. This paper reports briefly on the reasons behind the rise and fall of the hand knitting craft’s popularity throughout the last century in the UK before focusing on the latter decades in order to expose the factors related to the more serious decline of the craft in the 1990s. It discloses the perceptions of the craft at the end of the century and provides the foundation for the next stage of the research project which will involve an investigation of the craft in the early decades of the twentieth-first century.

Bringing Radio into America's Homes: Marketing New Technology in the Great Depression

We examine the early marketing and distribution of entertainment radio sets. Manufacturers used distribution networks to both maximize profits and create barriers to entry. Lacking the market power of auto manufacturers, they developed cooperative strategies with authorized distributors and dealers. Dealers often complained about the costly activities manufacturers required of them. However, these underpinned the dominant quality and branding competition model of the 1920s, while the Depression-era switch to a simpler radio format, sold on price, proved catastrophic for the specialist retailer.

Exploring brand identity and entrepreneurship as drivers of small specialist retailer internationalisation: a German case study

While the comparatively sparse literature on small specialist retailing typically supports a proactive interpretation of the drivers of retail internationalisation, a more differentiated picture exists with regard to understanding the role of the brand construct in this process. The wider marketing literature recognises that brand identity, as well as brand image, can inform the process of internationalisation; yet, research focusing on small specialist retail internationalisation remains underdeveloped in this regard. Neither the notion of a multi-faceted brand concept nor its function as a strategic device in the internationalisation process has been analysed with sufficient depth. Furthermore, a better understanding of how and to what extent brand identity is interdependent upon the characteristics and activities of the entrepreneur is yet to emerge. This paper explores the construct of brand identity and its role within small specialist retail internationalisation, and the related influence of the entrepreneur on the internationalisation process. A case study approach is adopted, examining one German small specialist retailer. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with owner-managers and other senior management, an assessment of company documentation as well as participant observation, providing in-depth insights into distinctive internationalisation patterns. The study finds that a simple ‘either-or’ approach, in terms of characterising the retailer’s motivation to internationalisation as being either reactive or proactive, is inadequate in understanding this particular case. Whilst initial motivation was characterised as being reactive, the motivations underpinning further planned internationalisation are determined to be more proactive. More particularly, analysis reveals how brand identity is considered to play an important role in the internationalisation of the case study retailer, and highlights the numerous ways in which the characteristics and activities of the entrepreneurial owner-managers impact the firm’s internationalisation. This research contributes to retail and management research concerning SME internationalisation as well as to the retail branding literature.

A RETROSPECTIVE MERGER ANALYSIS IN THE U.K. VIDEOGAME MARKET

We study the effect of a merger in a dynamic high-technology industry—the videogame market—which is characterized by the frequent introduction of new products. To assess the impact of the merger between two large specialist retailers in the United Kingdom—Game Group PLC and Games Station Limited—we perform a difference-in-differences analysis comparing the price evolution of the merging parties with that of their 7 major competitors on an original sample of 196 videogames belonging to 6 different consoles. The results of our econometric analyses suggest that there has been a reduction in the general level of prices of both new and pre-owned games after the merger. This decline has been more marked for the merging parties, which suggests that the merger between Game Group PLC and Games Station Limited did not lead to a substantial lessening of competition; rather, it is consistent with the existence of efficiency gains.

Liberty in Paris: International retailing, 1889–1932

This article considers the international retailing operation of Liberty of London in Paris between 1889 and 1932. Using data from the company archive, the article challenges assumptions regarding the nature and role of early retail activity in the internationalisation process. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from the marketing and management literature, the article considers Liberty’s Paris operation from entry stage activity in the late 1880s through to the divestment process in the early 1930s. Detailed consideration of this firm shows that the specialist retailer with distinct firm specific assets developed in the domestic market was operating internationally in the late nineteenth century.

They Played the Merger Game: A Retrospective Analysis in the UK Videogames Market

We study the effect of a merger in a dynamic high-technology industry–the videogame market– which is characterized by frequent introduction of new products. To assess the impact of the merger between two large specialist retailers in the UK, we perform a difference-in-differences analysis comparing the price evolution of the merging parties to that of their 7 major competitors on an original sample of 196 videogames belonging to six different consoles. The results of our econometric analyses suggest that there has been a reduction in the general level of prices of both new and pre-owned games after the merger. This decline has been more marked for the merging parties, which suggests that the merger between Game and Gamestation did not lead to a substantial lessening of competition; rather it is consistent with the existence of efficiency gains.

They Played the Merger Game: A Retrospective Analysis in the UK Videogames Market

We study the effect of a merger in a dynamic high-technology industry–the videogame market– which is characterized by frequent introduction of new products. To assess the impact of the merger between two large specialist retailers in the UK, we perform a difference-in-differences analysis comparing the price evolution of the merging parties to that of their 7 major competitors on an original sample of 196 videogames belonging to six different consoles. The results of our econometric analyses suggest that there has been a reduction in the general level of prices of both new and pre-owned games after the merger. This decline has been more marked for the merging parties, which suggests that the merger between Game and Gamestation did not lead to a substantial lessening of competition; rather it is consistent with the existence of efficiency gains.

'Tinned Literature'?

To date, histories of literary culture in Queensland have not paid particular attention to newspapers, despite the fact that metropolitan and regional publications carried considerable material that allows us insight into the ways in which books were circulated and evaluated. Reviews and essays sat alongside advertisements run by department stores, specialist retailers, large distributors and newsagents, in turn jostling for attention with interviews with authors, poems, reports of literary gatherings and substantial critical essays. This article offers a ‘case study’ of literary materials in The Brisbane Courier, part of a project on the representation of literature (broadly conceived) in Australian newspapers from 1930. The year 1930 was chosen because the interwar years are so frequently characterised, in discussion of the critical study of Australian literature in particular, as a time of neglect, and the Depression as a catalyst for the gradual narrowing of literary horizons. Our larger aim is to understand this historical period better, as well as to calibrate the discussion of Australian literature against the discussion of literature generally. By focusing on a single year for data collection, we have been able to assemble a rich and detailed picture of ‘talk about books’. This, in turn, has enabled us to analyse the significant differences between, for example, the ways in which books are discussed and represented as commercial and aesthetic objects in regional and metropolitan newspapers (see Dale and Thomson 2010).

Supersize It: The Growth of Retail Chains and the Rise of the “Big‐Box” Store

This paper documents and explains the recent rise of “big‐box” general merchandisers. Data from the Census of Retail Trade for 1977–2007 show that general‐merchandise chains grew much faster than specialist retail chains, and that general merchandisers that added the most stores also made the biggest increases to their product offerings. We explain these facts with a stylized model in which a retailer’s scale economies interact with consumer gains from one‐stop shopping to generate a complementarity between a retailer’s scale and scope.

Environmental improvement of product supply chains: A review of European retailers’ performance

Retailers are beginning to accept responsibility for the environmental impacts of their product supply chains. This paper: (i) summarizes the challenges faced by retailers to drive environmental improvement across private-label food, textile, furniture and household chemical products; (ii) provides a review of 25 major European retailers’ best practice actions. Retailers drive environmental improvement of supply chains using third party environmental certification (e.g. Forest Stewardship Council), product performance labelling, environmental requirements for suppliers, and supplier improvement programmes. Proactive retailers go beyond product labelling to use widespread product certification and extensive collaboration with suppliers to drive systematic environmental improvement across product groups associated with high environmental burdens. Quantitative data on sales shares of improved products are patchy but indicate large variations in performance across retailers. Specialist retailers and smaller cooperative retailers tend to be front-runners in supply chain improvement, whilst very large and price-led grocery retailers tend to be laggards. These differences partly reflect logistical and market positioning difficulties for the latter types of retailer to shift towards sustainable sourcing, but also different perspectives on responsibility. Front-runner retailers accept a high degree of responsibility for supply chain sustainability compared with laggard retailers who tend to place the onus on consumers to drive environmental improvement across supply chains.

How much technology would it take to guarantee a spot of sunshine?

Met Office is responsible for the Public Weather Service, as well as providing specialist health, transport, military, agriculture and retail reports and climate change predictions. TV and radio broadcasters produce reports using the Met Office forecasts, which today use 3D graphics and virtual reality technology to give real-time data for online, mobile and interactive television use. Since 1987, the Met Office has also provided the National Severe Weather Warning Service, respon sible for warning of weather events that may affect transport infrastructure and endanger people's lives; it is estimated to save 74 lives and £260m per year.

The relationship between national cultural dimensions and retail format strategies

This study examines links between the national cultural values that characterize retailers' countries of origin and the adoption of a generalist versus specialist format strategy by the world's largest retailers. The findings indicate that the probability of being a generalist retailer is higher for retailers originating from countries characterized by collectivism, a present orientation, high uncertainty avoidance, and a low power distance. By contrast, the probability of being a specialist retailer is higher for retailers originating from countries characterized by individualism, a future orientation, low uncertainty avoidance, and a greater power distance.

Supersize It: The Growth of Retail Chains and the Rise of the 'Big Box' Retail Format

This paper documents and explains the recent rise of big box general merchandisers. Data from the Census of Retail Trade for 1977-2007 show that general-merchandise chains grew much faster than specialist retail chains, and that general merchandisers that added the most stores also disproportionately increased their product offerings. We explain these facts with a model in which a retailer's scale economies interact with consumer gains from one-stop shopping to generate a complementarity between a retailer's scale and scope.