Specific Product Categories Research Articles

Data Visualization of Bike Store Sales in Europe

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of bike sales and customer demographics in Europe based on a dataset obtained from Kaggle.com. The dataset covers the period from 2011 to 2016 and includes information on customer age, gender, product categories, order quantities, unit costs, unit prices, profit, and revenue. The analysis utilizes data visualization techniques to identify key trends, including the top-selling products, customer purchasing power across different age groups and customer genders, and product profit margins. The findings suggest opportunities for retailers to target specific customer segments and product categories to maximize profits. Additionally, the report highlights the growing popularity of cycling as a sport and a healthy lifestyle choice, indicating a potential for increased demand in the bike retail market. Overall, the insights provided in this report aim to assist retailer chains in developing effective strategies to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the European bike sales market.

Associations between exposure to advertising of foods high in fats, salt and sugar and purchase of energy and nutrients: a cross-sectional study.

To assess associations between self-reported advertising exposure to foods high in fats, salt and sugar and household purchases of energy, nutrients and specific product categories. A cross-sectional design was used. Advertising exposure data were gathered using a questionnaire administered to the main shopper of each household, and purchase data from supermarkets and other stores for these households were accessed for a 4-week period during February 2019. Households in London and the North of England. Representative households (N 1289) from the Kantar Fast Moving Consumer Goods Panel. Main shoppers were predominantly female (71 %), with a mean age of 54 years (±13). Linear regression models identified that exposure to foods high in fats, salt and sugar advertising through traditional mediums (including broadcast and print), but not digital, transport, recreational or functional mediums, was associated with greater purchases of energy (9779 kcal; 95 % CI 3515, 16 043), protein (416 g; 95 % CI 161, 671), carbohydrate (1164 g; 95 % CI 368, 1886) and sugar (514 g; 95 % CI 187, 841). Generalised linear models showed that individuals who reported exposure to sugary drink advertising were more likely to purchase sugary drinks (1·16; 95 % CI 2·94, 4·99) but did not purchase more energy or nutrients from sugary drinks. There was no evidence of associations between exposure to advertising for sugary cereals or sweet snacks and purchases from these categories. There was a strong influence of traditional advertising and sugar-sweetened beverage advertising on household food and drink purchases, thus supporting the need for advertising restrictions across traditional formats and for sugary drinks specifically.

GREEN MARKETING: A STUDY OF CONSUMERS’ PURCHASING BEHAVIOR OF SELECTED ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS

The phrase "green products" is widely used to describe products and services that try to protect or enhance the environment during manufacture, use, or disposal through resource conservation and decreased use of hazardous chemicals, pollution, and waste. The Present study is on the subject of green consumer purchase behavior. This study explores the awareness and knowledge of Green Products. After consumers realized how their purchasing decisions, directly and indirectly, impacted the environment and their health, they began making more green purchases. Most studies that analyze it don't clearly define any particular product categories, such as organic food, green clothing, green electronics, green cleaning trends, ethical personal accessories, reusable containers, eco-friendly home goods, green cosmetics or organic personal care, green furniture, etc. Contrary to general green products, different product categories have different factors that influence consumer choice. Therefore, the paper aims to perform a complete holistic review of the fragmented and divergent studies on specific product categories. The purpose of consumer behavior research on green issues is to identify the rules that govern green consumption and make specific suggestions for promoting green consumption. Each sustainability value should come from home.

Research on Food Preservation Based on Antibacterial Technology: Progress and Future Prospects.

The nutrients present in food are not only prone to a series of physicochemical reactions but also provide conditions for the growth and reproduction of foodborne microorganisms. In recent years, many innovative methods from different fields have been introduced into food preservation, which extends the shelf life while maximizing the preservation of the original ingredients and properties of food. In this field, there is a lack of a systematic summary of new technologies emerging. In view of this, we overview the innovative methods applied to the field of food preservation in recent 3 years, focusing on a variety of technological approaches such as antimicrobial photodynamic therapy based on nanotechnology, electromagnetic radiation sterilization based on radiation technology, and antimicrobial peptides based on biomolecules. We also discuss the preservation mechanism and the application of the different methods to specific categories of products. We evaluated their advantages and limitations in the food industry, describing their development prospects. In addition, as microorganisms are the main causes of food spoilage, our review also has reference significance for clinical antibacterial treatment.

Uncovering Gen Z’s Styles: A Deep Dive into the Consumer Behavior in the Fashion Industry

As the first digital generation, Gen Z individuals exhibit unique characteristics and preferences that challenge traditional marketing strategies It appears that Gen Z has very different shopping habits from previous generations. This study seeks to fill this gap by conducting a thorough investigation into various aspects of Gen Z's relationship with fashion, including their shopping habits, brand preferences, influences, sustainability concerns, and how they express themselves through clothing and style choices. The study focuses only on Generation Z individuals aged 12 to 27 who actively shop for fashion items in the fashion industry and who are living around Noveleta, Cavite. The study covers three years to capture information about recent trends and changes. Due to time limitations, the study restricted data collection to interviews, excluding other methods. It will limit the investigation to specific fashion product categories, such as clothing and footwear. This study used qualitative research given that it aims to investigate how Gen Z consumers engage in the fashion industry. In this research, the researchers conduct a thematic analysis to interpret the collected data. The results of the study are, Gen Z expressed their individuality through different fashion style by creating unique outfits based on what they prefer. Social media is the most common factors influencing Gen Z’s decisions to purchase fashion products. Gen Z expressed a strong preference for sustainable and ethically produced fashion products that align with their values and beliefs. Lastly, affordability constraints are the most common experiences and challenges faced by Gen Z consumers.

Open e-commerce 1.0, five years of crowdsourced U.S. Amazon purchase histories with user demographics

This is a first-of-its-kind dataset containing detailed purchase histories from 5027 U.S. Amazon.com consumers, spanning 2018 through 2022, with more than 1.8 million purchases. Consumer spending data are customarily collected through government surveys to produce public datasets and statistics, which serve public agencies and researchers. Companies now collect similar data through consumers’ use of digital platforms at rates superseding data collection by public agencies. We published this dataset in an effort towards democratizing access to rich data sources routinely used by companies. The data were crowdsourced through an online survey and shared with participants’ informed consent. Data columns include order date, product code, title, price, quantity, and shipping address state. Each purchase history is linked to survey data with information about participants’ demographics, lifestyle, and health. We validate the dataset by showing expenditure correlates with public Amazon sales data (Pearson r = 0.978, p < 0.001) and conduct analyses of specific product categories, demonstrating expected seasonal trends and strong relationships to other public datasets.

Patterns of affective images of animal-sourced food in Norway: Land versus sea

To get an understanding of drivers of animal-sourced protein consumption, we explored laypeople’s affective images of animal-sourced food. A national representative sample of the Norwegian population (N = 783) provided free associations to six food products originating either from livestock, capture fishery, aquaculture, or hunting. Subsequently, participants evaluated their own free associations as either positive, negative, or neutral. We found that people show different associative patterns for animal-sourced food from land than from sea. Livestock and hunting are mostly related to traditions and food, whereas capture fishery relates to production, consequences, and evaluations. People reported to have little knowledge about food products in the aquaculture category. Livestock was the most positively evaluated category, followed by hunting and capture fishery; aquaculture elicited the most negative associations. The current findings suggest a need to consider different strategies to encourage consumption of specific categories of food products.

Country of Origin of Medical Products and Risk of Labour Rights Abuse: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Using Four Procurement Datasets.

Background Case studies have highlighted labour rights abuse in the manufacture of several healthcare products, but little is known about the scale of the problem or the specific products involved. We aimed to quantify and compare the overall and product-specific risks of labour rights abuse in the manufacture of healthcare products supplied to high-income settings using multiple datasets on the product country of origin (COO). Methods Public procurement data from South-Eastern Norway (n=23,972 products) were compared to datasets from three other high-income settings: procurement data from Cambridge University Hospitals, trade data from UN Comtrade, and registry data from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In each dataset, the product COO was matched to the International Trade Union Confederation risk rating for labour abuse and deemed high-risk when rated 4, 5, or 5+. Results In the Norway data, 55.4%of products by value had a COO declared, 49.1% of which mapped as high-risk of labour rights abuses. COO was identified for 70/100 products in the Cambridge data, with COO matching high-risk at 59.9% by value. The level of risk for specific medical product categories varied between the Norway, US FDA, and UN Comtrade datasets, but those with higher proportional risk included medical/surgical gloves and electrosurgical products. Conclusion Evidence of high-risk of labour rights abuse in the manufacture of healthcare products present in these data indicates a likely high level of risk across the sector. There is an urgent need for global legislative and political reform, with a particular focus on supply chain transparency as a key mechanism for tackling this issue.

An Investigation into Consumer Brand Loyalty in the Personal Care Product Industry

Now a days consumer are more aware about personal care products. If they are addicted some products, which time the brand loyalty will create. So in this field there are more competitors provides same products but different types like attract to cover the consumers. Brand switching will happen at that time. This study analyse the brand loyalty for personal care products among consumer. The study examined the impact of demographic characteristics on customer brand loyalty and switching behaviours in a specific product category. The sample size is 177. To indicate the amount of correlation between the variables, chi-square test was used. Results show that among that demography variables have the most significant impact on consumer’s brand loyalty. Key Words: brand loyalty, brand switching, personal care products.

Decomposition of Extensive and Intensive Trade Margin Impacts of Chinas Agricultural OFDI

Economic theory indicates that some ambiguity in the relationship between outward foreign direct investment (OFDI)and trade. This paper estimate the impact of OFDI on the extensive and intensive agricultural import margins of at HS 6-digit commodity level over the sample period from 2012-2020 with the top ten trade partners. We find that standard gravity variables provide good explanatory power for bilateral trade on extensive margin. The empirical results show that the scale of OFDI has a positive impact on the total imports of agricultural products by diversifying product varieties rather than increasing the price of agricultural products, i.e. the impact of OFDI is concentrated exclusively on the extensive margin of China agricultural imports rather than intensive margin. Importantly, based on specific categories of agricultural products, our results suggest that OFDI almost works on food processing and animal products. Additionally, in order to further investigate the motivation of China`s agricultural OFDI, we construct expanded gravity model. The empirical results show that agricultural-related OFDI exhibits characteristics of seeking labor-intensive factors. Overall, our results support that OFDI promotes the diversification of China`s agricultural imports and contributes to the improvement of the welfare of Chinese residents.

Analysis of data from the rapid alert system for food and feed for the country-of-origin Slovakia for 2002–2020

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) plays a pivotal role in regulating food safety in the European Union by enabling the competent authorities in each Member State to issue warnings for removing unsafe or illegal items from the market. This article undertakes a comprehensive analysis of RASFF data on Slovak food from 2002 to 2020, to investigate the trends in notifications, actions executed, hazard categories, and product categories within the food industry. Our scrutiny of the RASFF data revealed fluctuations in the counts of alerts and information notifications across years, indicating periods of heightened hazard detection and enhanced transparency within the system. Various measures, including destruction, recall, notification, and prohibition, were employed to address these hazards and ensure the safety and compliance of food products. The hazard categories exhibited sporadic patterns, underscoring the necessity for ongoing surveillance and regulatory interventions. Specific product categories, such as dietetic foods, food supplements, and fortified foods, registered higher incidences of hazards in specific years, implying the need for intensified safety precautions. These findings highlight the importance of sustained efforts in maintaining food safety and managing risks within the industry.

Development of a Novel Production Model for Labour Productivity: Modular Construction Toolkit Design

The building industry faces a number of prominent challenges in the coming period. In this article, we focus on productivity in construction, which lags behind other industries despite technological developments. There is an urgent need for more efficient production methods. In other words, the potential for increasing productivity in construction is enormous. As in other industries, the key to this lies in process orientation, process standardization, and digitization. Lean construction approaches offer innovative solutions here by aiming to maximize customer value while minimizing waste, applying the principles of lean production to construction processes. However, building products are distinct in nature. Efforts to standardize them have achieved partial success, but only within specific product categories and for certain customer needs. Most construction activities remain highly unique. An alternative solution lies in standardizing work processes and not the final product. By adopting this method, one can considerably decrease individuality in production without compromising the essential uniqueness of the building product. Consequently, it is crucial to gain a deeper understanding of the standardization of production processes and the dynamics within the construction sector. This article introduces a modular construction toolkit designed to standardize production processes at construction sites. This toolkit consists of a series of consistent process steps, each linked to a standard time metric. Using this classification, a production model is constructed from a select number of recurring processes, leading to an ontological representation of production. This modular approach allows diverse production processes to be compared based on productivity, as they are composed of consistent and comparable sub-processes. Such a comparison is crucial for continuous production optimization. This method also enables the pinpointing of the most wasteful processes across various construction sites. While the primary data generation use case is centred on special civil engineering (special foundation engineering), the core concepts can be applied to general building construction.

Sensory properties and consumer acceptance of plant-based meat, dairy, fish and eggs analogs: a systematic review

IntroductionOver the past years, several efforts have been made to formulate and develop plant-based substitutes of animal-based products in response to environmental changes, health issues and animal welfare. However, plant-based protein poses several challenges to product sensory characteristics, especially appearance, flavor, and texture. Despite this, current literature data have mainly reviewed nutritional, technological, and sustainability aspects of plant-based products with limited concerns on perceived sensory properties and perceptive barriers to consumption related to each specific substitute. To fill this literature gap, this systematic review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the perceptive determinants of consumers' acceptance of plant-based substitutes of animal-origin products, including meat, dairy, fish and eggs analogs, with emphasis on product's intrinsic properties: appearance, smell, taste, and texture. Moreover, age-, gender-, and cultural-related differences in the appreciation/rejection of plant-based substitutes of animal-origin products were investigated.MethodsThe systematic analysis of the literature consulting Web of Science (Core Collection) and Scopus databases retrieved 13 research articles on meat, 26 on dairy, and two on fish and eggs analogs.Results and discussionResults showed that all sensory dimensions are influenced by the replacement of animal proteins with those of vegetable origin. However, the relative importance of appearance, odor, taste, and texture varied according to plant-based analogs category and mitigatory processing strategies to mask unpleasant sensory properties have been suggested for each category. Dairy analogs mainly suffer of aromas and flavors imparted by the raw materials, while both meat and dairy analogs have texture challenges. Meat analogs lack of juiciness, elasticity and firmness, while dairy analogs require uniform, creamy and thick texture. Moreover, very few studies analyzed the product's perception, considering age- and gender-related differences or cross-national/cultural differences. Future research should be addressed to specific product categories such as fish and eggs analogs as well as specific population targets including children and the elderly and consumers from developing countries.

The Influence of Marketing Strategy and Marketing Mix on Marketing Performance of Ready to Drink Beverages Through Brand Image

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of Marketing Strategy and Marketing Mix on Marketing Performance with Brand Image as an intervening variable on ready-to-drink consumers. Theoretical framework: This study is built upon the concepts of marketing strategy, marketing mix, brand image, and marketing performance. These variables are interrelated and are expected to have direct and indirect effects on each other within the context of ready-to-drink consumers. Design/methodology/approach: The method used in this study is primary data collection through distributing questionnaires to ready-to-drink consumers. The number of samples used was 100 people. The data analysis technique employed in this study is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using smartPLS assistance. SEM is used to test the relationships between variables and to solve the formulated problems and hypotheses in the study. Findings: The results indicate several significant relationships between the variables. Specifically, Marketing Mix has a positive and significant effect on Purchasing Decisions, Brand Image has a significant effect on Purchasing Decisions, Marketing Strategy has a significant effect on Purchase Interest, and Marketing Mix has a significant effect on Purchase Interest. Additionally, Marketing Strategy has a significant effect on Marketing Performance through Brand Image, and Marketing Mix has an effect on Marketing Performance through Purchase Interest. The study also found that Brand Image has a positive and significant direct influence on the relationship between Marketing Strategy and Marketing Mix on purchasing decisions. Research, Practical &amp; Social implications: The findings of this study highlights the role of Brand Image as an intervening variable in the relationship between Marketing Strategy and Marketing Mix, indicating the significance of branding in shaping consumer perceptions and decisions. The results suggest that marketers should focus on optimizing both Marketing Strategy and Marketing Mix to improve Marketing Performance and attract ready-to-drink consumers. Originality/value: This research lies in its examination of the relationships between Marketing Strategy, Marketing Mix, Brand Image, and Marketing Performance specifically in the context of ready-to-drink consumers. The focus on the specific product category of ready-to-drink beverages adds value to the existing literature in marketing research, providing insights for marketers seeking to enhance their strategies in this competitive market segment.

Factors affecting the purchase intention of over the counter products in the self care actions of consumers

PurposeWithin the framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study aims to investigate which factors affect consumers’ purchase intention with regard to over-the-counters (OTCs), focusing on personal factors, including health consciousness and risk aversion, as well as rational factors, consisting of the level of knowledge, price consciousness and involvement in the purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachDue to the necessity of finding the most crucial industry-specific indicators, it was decided to carry out two-stage research based on qualitative preliminary research and the main study. The findings obtained from the qualitative studies were integrated with insights gleaned from the literature to finalize the study’s conceptual model. The main study was based on a descriptive research design, and data were collected through an online survey. Structural equation modeling was the main technique used to test the model.FindingsHealth consciousness, level of knowledge and involvement in consumer purchase intentions affect either attitude or perceived behavioral control. Moreover, attitudes toward OTCs and perceived behavioral control were significant predictors of purchase intentions for OTC drugs. At the same time, subjective norms did not have a significant effect.Practical implicationsKnowing what influences consumer purchase intentions contributes to developing more effective marketing strategies and actions.Originality/valueThis study took an integrative approach to understanding the effect of personal and rational factors within the TPB framework for a changing tendency in consumer behavior of specific product categories.

Necessary Products for the Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Injuries: Lessons Learned That Translate Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To identify the challenges encountered in obtaining the required support surfaces and products to meet pressure injury (PrI) prevention and treatment needs during COVID-19. The authors used SurveyMonkey to gather data on healthcare perceptions and the challenges experienced regarding specific product categories deemed necessary for PrI prevention and treatment in US acute care settings during the pandemic. They created three anonymous surveys for the target populations of supply chain personnel and healthcare workers. The surveys addressed healthcare workers' perceptions, product requests, and the ability to fulfill product requests and meet facility protocols without substitution in the categories of support surfaces and skin and wound care supplies. Respondents answered one of the three surveys for a total sample of 174 respondents. Despite specific instructions, nurses responded to the surveys designed for supply chain personnel. Their responses and comments were interesting and capture their perspectives and insights. Three themes emerged from the responses and general comments: (1) expectations differed between supply chain staff and nurses for what was required for PrI prevention and treatment; (2) inappropriate substitution with or without proper staff education occurred; and (3) preparedness. It is important to identify experiences and challenges in the acquisition and availability of appropriate equipment and products for PrI prevention and treatment. To foster ideal PrI prevention and treatment outcomes, a proactive approach is required to face daily issues or the next crisis.

Source, message and medium? The role of personal values in forming credibility perceptions of non-sponsored product review videos

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate an integrated, holistic assessment of the characteristics by which consumers judge non-sponsored product review video (PRV) source, message and medium components as credible, and how these are linked to personal values for a deeper understanding of multidimensional credibility assessments of PRVs.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a means-end approach, the authors draw on credibility theory and the persuasion knowledge model to analyse data from 21 in-depth semi-structured laddering interviews.FindingsFirst, the authors demonstrate distinctive contributions of the video modality towards PRV credibility assessments and the interplay between specific PRV characteristics, cognitive and socio-emotional consequences, and personal values in an ongoing process of credibility assessment. Second, high persuasion knowledge creates awareness of the potential phoniness of the market, revealing a dark side to PRV use even in non-sponsored PRV seemingly created and shared as an act of benevolent concern between consumers.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper focused on the credibility of non-sponsored PRVs, future studies might investigate motivations and attributes by which users judge sponsored reviews. Also, the roles of specific product categories and existing brand trust on PRVs credibility provide avenues for further research.Practical implicationsThis research offers practical implications for reviewers and brand managers to leverage the unique informational values of video by focusing on the interplay between credibility attributes and customer values.Originality/valueThis work advances credibility theory in the PRV context by examining how non-sponsored PRVs are evaluated as credible, by highlighting consumer persuasion knowledge and scepticism and including the holistic effects of the interplay between source, message and video format characteristics and by linking these to consumers’ goals and values.

The EU Ecolabel as a mark of environmental excellence – a literature review

Sustainable development and the reduction of the use of non-renewable resources are gradually becoming central issues for the EU growth plans. In the face of those inevitable changes, the voluntary labeling system – EU Ecolabel – is gaining in importance. The aim of the study was to conduct a systematic review of the scientific literature on the EU Ecolabel labeling system and to identify and evaluate the existing trends. In the course of the study, the main research trends regarding labeling were determined. Among the most popular research topics were those relating to a specific category of products. Within this group, the largest number of studies in the analyzed period concerned issues related to tourism. Of particular value are the publications introducing the basis for defining criteria for new products, which so far have not been subject to the EU Ecolabel certification. A negative conclusion from the conducted review is the low involvement of researchers from Poland in the studies on the EU Ecolabel.

Article: The European Commission Proposes a Regulation to Ban Products Made With Forced Labour

On 14 September 2022, the European Commission presented a proposal for a Regulation (Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council banning products made with forced labour on the Union market, COM (2022) 453 final of 14 September 2022, https://eurlex. europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022PC0453) aimed at banning from the EU market products made with forced labour. The proposal – which concerns both imported products and those manufactured in the Union territory to be destined for internal consumption or export and does not focus on specific types of enterprises, thus also affecting very small ones – will now have to be discussed and approved by the European Union Parliament and Council to become an effective legislative act and will apply after twenty-four months from its entry into force. The Regulation Proposal of the European Commission appears to be wide-ranging, and doesn’t identify – at least in this first phase – specific product categories or certain producer countries, unlike what was decided by other countries (For example, the United States of America, in the framework of the bans on the import of goods made with forced labour, on 21 June 2022 adopted the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which tightens the ban on imports into the USA for products made with forced labour in China, particularly in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region). The most immediate effect of the desirable approval of the Proposal in question will be represented, for Union economic operators, by the need to carry out even more careful due diligence on supply chains and, more generally, on the reliability of their suppliers, in order to mitigate the risks of placing on the market products obtained by resorting to modern slavery. Forced labour, Regulation, Importer, Exporter, Slavery, Products, Manufactured, Ban, Market, Work conditions

Market Basket Analysis for Sales Transaction in Shopping Stores

Market Basket Analysis (MBA) system is a widely used technique among marketers, especially for undirected data mining analysis. MBA is also known as product association analysis and the outcome of this analysis is called association rules. The outcome can be used to schedule marketing or advertising strategies and design catalogs for different shop layouts. Discovering the pattern from the customer's buying habits in the shopping stores was collected in their buying transaction. This study aims to compare the item purchased by the respondents between Store A and Store B and to find out the most potential products that customers have bought along with a specific category of products. Convenience non-probability sampling was involved with structured questionnaires of items in store was collected to analyze data. Association analysis was used by analyzing the result from support, confidence, and lift. The findings showed that there are 13 interesting rules of association revealed in this study. Moreover, the result also found that most products that were purchased together are tissues, condiments, instant food, cooking oil, meat, biscuits, dry goods, beverages, and cleaning products.