Supermarket Research Articles

Facilitation of Women’s Employment in the Retail Sector: A Study of Independent Self-service Stores (ISS) in Mumbai

Facilitation of Women’s Employment in the Retail Sector: A Study of Independent Self-service Stores (ISS) in Mumbai

Relationship between Firm Readiness and the Adoption of Digitalized Marketing Operations Tactics by Chain Supermarkets in Kenya

Purpose: Digitalized marketing operations has transformed the retail sectors by providing access to instantaneous, inexpensive contact among sellers, buyers, investors and advertisers anywhere in the world. This has made traditional marketing and sales strategies less effective in today's markets. However, a digital divide exists between consumers and retailers with many retailers failing to leverage the potential of or meet the digital expectations of their customers. This gap between consumers' expectations and retail offerings puts at risk more than just shopping revenue that physical store could have earned online. It also poses a serious threat to overall revenue and challenges how they respond to and anticipate customers' shopping habits in-store. There are different drivers of adopting digitalized marketing operations tactics, including firm size, firm readiness, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, customer pressure and competitive pressure. This study addressed the relationship between firm readiness and the adoption of digitalized marketing operations tactics by chain supermarkets in Kenya.
 Methodology: The research study considered the positivism research philosophy and adopted a descriptive research design. The study's target population was 180 retail chain supermarket stores in Kenya and all the 180 retail chain supermarkets were included in the sample. The research instrument of the study was a semi-structured questionnaire administered to all the 180 chief operations managers by use of google surveys and/or drop and pick method. The quantitative information was analyzed by the help of SPSS program (v.25.0) and Excel. The findings were presented as averages, standard deviations, counts and percentages using tables.
 Findings: The findings revealed that firm readiness which include technology sufficiency, technology compatibility, human capacity to absorb new technology and top management support (β=0.295, p=0.000) have a positive and significant relationship with the adoption of digitalized marketing operations tactics by chain supermarkets in Kenya. This implies that improvement in 1 unit of the aspects related to firm readiness improves the adoption of digitalized marketing operations tactics by chain supermarkets in Kenya by 0.295 units.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study bridges the gap between theoretical constructs of digital marketing adoption and their practical application within the chain supermarkets in Kenya, offering valuable perspectives that will drive the sector’s growth and competitiveness in the digital age.

Unraveling the price-concentration relationship: The Role of national distribution centers in Chilean supermarket industry consolidation

We examine the relationship between prices, costs, concentration, and the intensity of competition in the Chilean supermarket industry during its consolidation process in the late 1990s. This process was characterized by increased concentration, lower prices paid by consumers, and higher levels of competition between firms. We argue that behind this phenomenon lies the adoption of National Distribution Centers by supermarket chains, which represented a technological cost-saving change that intensified competition and reduced profit margins. We develop a simple theoretical model that allows for cost heterogeneity across firm types and provides testable empirical implications regarding the underlying price-concentration relationship. Our results are consistent with a higher degree of price competition in food retailing and can explain the structure of this industry 20 years after the start of its consolidation process.

The use of offline and online paid media, earned social media, and organic search in explaining supermarket’s performance: a cyclical Echoverse model

ABSTRACT Offline paid media (e.g. TV and radio) and online paid media (e.g. Google AdWords and Facebook) are complementary advertising channels that create a cyclical Echoverse effect for the communication strategy. Retailers do not know how offline and online paid media form reciprocal feedback loops when associating with earned social media, owned print advertising and organic search. To understand these cyclical loops, the authors test an Echoverse model using longitudinal data from a grocery supermarket chain and apply a model using vector error correction regression. We find empirical evidence supporting our Echoverse model. First, time-series data show that offline paid media, online paid media, and owned print advertising affect retailers’ profits and revenues. Second, from a reciprocal viewpoint, offline paid media, online paid media, and owned print advertising increase earned social media, which boosts organic search.

Exploring the Impact of Supermarket Store Layout and Atmospheric Elements on Consumer Behavior: A Field Research Study in Greece

The highly competitive retail industry pushes retailers to seek strategies like creating atmospheric in-store experiences to boost consumer satisfaction and encourage return visits. Store atmosphere and layout design influence consumer decision-making, perception, and satisfaction. Factors such as building design, customer patterns, merchandise mix, and proximity requirements impact consumer perception and store layout. This article investigates the effect of supermarket chains’ layouts on consumer behavior, focusing on atmospheric elements. A Greek field study involving 205 participants assessed perceptions and attitudes toward supermarket layouts and design elements. Results suggest that retail environment characteristics impact emotional reactions, which in turn influence impulse buying behavior. Emphasizing the importance of a superior customer experience throughout the purchasing process, the study identifies key atmospheric elements affecting consumer behavior in supermarkets. The article concludes by discussing implications for retail marketers and suggesting future research directions.

Monitoring the healthiness of food environments in supermarkets and out-of-home settings

Abstract Background Food environment transformations are needed to improve population diets. Systems to monitor food environment transformations are often lacking, but can be useful to assess retail and food-service performances over time. Therefore, we aimed to measure the healthiness of supermarkets and out-of-home settings, including the assortment, price promotions, in-store promotions, and food marketing to children. Methods Web-scraping techniques were used to collect data on food assortment (n = 37761 products) for 6 supermarket chains (market value=72%). All products were categorized by food group and whether they contributed to a healthy diet (yes/no). During 8 weeks, price-promotions were collected for 8 supermarket chains (n = 23239 promotions). To identify instore promotions (n = 7757 products) and food marketing to children (14 product categories, n = 2,681 products), 40 supermarkets (8 chains) were visited. Similar data was gathered for out-of-home settings. Results 80% of the food assortment and 80% of the products featuring in supermarkets’ price- and in-store promotions were not supportive of a healthy diet. In addition, 73% of the check-outs offered snacks, but lacked healthy options. 97% of the food marketing to children was for products not supporting healthy diets. The top five most available food products in supermarkets were: non-alcoholic beverages, alcohol, sweets, biscuits, meat, and poultry (36% of the entire assortment). Non-alcoholic drinks, sweets and confections, alcoholic beverages, dairy, and ready-to-eat meals were the most featured products in price-promotions. Even less supportive observations were found for out-of-home settings. Conclusions Dutch food environments primarily consist of products and promotions that do not contribute to a healthy diet. Regular monitoring is needed to identify whether policies are effective to improve food environments. Key messages • The current food assortment, price promotions, in-store promotions, and food marketing to children of supermarkets and out-of-home settings are not supportive of healthy food choices. • Monitoring food environments can be useful to assess retail and food-service performances over time, and to identify whether policies are effective to improve food environments.

Using labelling information to evaluate the distribution of food additives in products marketed in Brazil

Food additives are ingredients added to food and beverages in order to modify physical, chemical, biological or sensory characteristics, contributing to the development of products that are safer and more convenient and attractive. Although they are widely used by food industries, little is known about the distribution of the food additives currently employed in products marketed in Brazil. Therefore, this study aimed to use labelling information of commercial food and beverages in order to identify the substances currently used by the Brazilian industry. For this, 3300 labels of 426 food items described in the Personal Food Consumption module of the Household Budget Survey (POF 2017/2018) of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) were searched on websites of supermarket chains and food companies as well as by visits to commercial establishments. According to the ingredient lists of the evaluated samples, 186 distinct food additives were identified. The average number of declared substances per product was between 4 and 5, with most of the labels indicating the presence of 2 or 3 additives. Considering the identified substances, 93 had an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) not specified or not limited and 89 were additives with a numerical ADI. Citric acid and lecithin were the most frequent substances with ADI not specified or not limited while potassium sorbate and pentasodium triphosphate were the most frequent food additives with numerical ADI. The most frequent combinations found in the evaluated samples were of potassium sorbate and citric acid, and also sodium nitrite, sodium erythorbate, and sodium diphosphate. This study demonstrates the distribution of food additives in products marketed in Brazil, allowing the creation of a comprehensive and unprecedented database, which will contribute to the evaluation of usage trends and future exposure studies for health risk assessment.

Retail location modeling of supermarket chains in Taipei city

This study collected the annual revenue data of the top three supermarket chains in Taiwan (PX Mart, Simple Mart, and Wellcome), shopping frequency in supermarkets, and the average expenditure of the general public in order to construct models for simulating supermarket revenue by calibrating model parameters to the actual data. This study employed the competing destinations model (CDM) to designate supermarket shoppers' shopping areas and simulate supermarket sales. The CDM calculated the probability of consumers selecting each supermarket, simulated the total revenues of supermarkets and the average daily revenue of a single store using the expenditure equation, and added spatial competition and agglomeration effect parameters to the model to observe variations in revenue with changing parameter values. The study results revealed profitable expansion opportunities and highly competitive locations not advised for new outlets. Beitou district had the lowest population density in Taipei City yet a high-sales cluster, making it an area suitable for new PX Mart stores. Shilin and Xinyi districts could also be considered suitable areas for new stores because they had insignificant distributions of stores, high-sales clusters, and competition was not yet severe. The study extends the use of analytical revenue and spatial models to empirically study the agglomeration forces between supermarket chains, analyzes the influence of distance variation on supermarket revenues, and determines the most suitable locations for the future inauguration of supermarket stores in Taipei City.

Symbolically Simple: How Simple Packaging Design Influences Willingness to Pay for Consumable Products

Although consumers often value minimalist aesthetics, little work has examined why and when simple packaging designs of consumable products enhance consumer outcomes. The authors theorize that simple packaging evokes a symbolic association whereby minimizing design complexity signals that the product contains few ingredients, which increases perceived product purity and willingness to pay (WTP). A field study examining a supermarket chain's product packages (N = 1,353) provided preliminary support for this increase in WTP and two boundary conditions. Six preregistered studies replicated these effects and tested the underlying process. Studies 1a and 1b showed that the increase in WTP for simple packaging is driven by few-ingredients inferences increasing perceived product purity. Study 2 demonstrated the increase in WTP using an incentive-compatible design. Study 3 reinforced the proposed process via moderated mediation. Lastly, Studies 4 and 5 tested the boundary conditions in the field study, showing that WTP for simple packaging decreases when the product is from a store (vs. nonstore) brand and when consumers have an indulgence (vs. health) goal. These findings offer theoretical and managerial insight into minimalist aesthetics.

A Descriptive Research on Financial Performance of Agriculture Product Market Committee Market – A Study on Net Profit Ratio and Gross Profit Ratio to APMC Unjha, North Gujarat

Horticulture Item Market Boards of trustees assumes exceptionally critical part for the financial advancement of the ranchers. horticulture item market board could be characterized as, "A Market region pronounced by endorsement of government in the neighbourhood in a specific locale for trading of the horticultural items between or among ranchers and merchants." agribusiness item market panel Unjha is one of the super dynamic agribusiness item market councils in Gujarat as well as in India, which points financial improvement of the provincial unfortunate ranchers by giving them greatest potential costs of their rural products. It is arranged in the Mahesana locale of Gujarat state. It is neither a non-benefit association nor an exchanging association thus, it gets ready pay and use account instead of benefit and misfortune record, and it likewise plans accounting report. For examination of monetary execution different proportions can be utilized and registered based on putting farming item market panel terms in corporate terms. Different proportions like net benefit proportion, current proportion, obligation value proportion, different pay and consumption proportions and fixed resources turn over proportions are utilized for estimating monetary execution of farming item market board Unjha. In short, this paper is an endeavor by scientist for deciding monetary execution of farming item market advisory group Unjha.

A replication and extension of wine retail consumer purchase patterns: double jeopardy and duplication of purchase laws

PurposeThis study aims to understand the degree of predictability and value in analyzing consumer purchase patterns in the US wine retail market. The study considers whether brands in US wine retailing follow the well-established Duplication of Purchase Law and Double Jeopardy Law.Design/methodology/approachOver 20,000 customer panel wine purchases were analyzed from a number of locations within a supermarket chain based on the West Coast of the USA. Cross-purchasing behavior for the top 20 wine brands by market penetration was analyzed to assess whether the well-established Duplication of Purchase Law and Double Jeopardy Law hold up in this wine retail setting in the USA. The degree of predictability and the existence of anomalies in expected cross-purchasing behavior were identified in the analysis.FindingsResults confirmed a Double Jeopardy pattern and that wine cross-purchasing patterns for the most part followed the Duplication of Purchase Law. However, exceptions to these patterns were found, which indicated areas in need of managerial attention due to the potential to remedy, develop or monitor the most prominent variations between predicted and realized cross-purchasing behavior. Repeated identification of variations has been identified in other product categories, known as market partitions.Originality/valueAlthough it is commonly believed that wine is a unique product category, the results of this study demonstrate that consumer behavior toward wine is similar to other fast-moving consumer goods. The exceptions suggest that while similar consumer purchase patterns are evident, consumers are more likely to cross purchase wine brands and grape types more than would be expected given Duplication of Purchase Law benchmarks.

Identifying temperature deviations in the hake cold chain from Namibia to Spain

Background: Research shows that significant volumes of fresh fish produced globally are wasted because of failures in the cold chain. As fresh hake is extremely temperature sensitive, fluctuations in temperature will influence the quality and the shelf life, resulting in losses in revenue.Objective: The main objective of the research was to detect deviations in temperature along the fresh hake export cold chain from Namibia to Spain.Method: This article presents a case study on a company that exports fresh hake from Walvis Bay, Namibia to a large supermarket chain in Spain, Europe.Results: This article confirms that temperature breaches and breaks occur and are sometimes unavoidable. However, if the avoidable temperature deviations could be resolved, it would improve both the effectiveness and efficiency of the export cold chain. The results indicate that temperature breaches and breaks mainly occur along the export cold chain when the product is at the airport during transfer flights either at Hosea Kutako Airport near Windhoek or Frankfurt Airport in Germany or in the refrigerated truck during the inland transport leg either from Walvis Bay, Namibia or Frankfurt, Germany to Zaragoza, Spain.Conclusion: This article makes recommendations to assist in solving identified problems and streamlining the fresh hake export cold chain. The research benefits the Namibian fishing industry as the export of fresh fish is both a precarious and taxing venture. As relevant research is lacking in Namibia, this article will contribute to the management of an efficient and effective export cold chain.Contribution: This research adds to the current knowledge of maintaining the export cold chain of fresh fish from developing countries. Preventing temperature deviations in the fresh hake export cold chain would extend the shelf life and help to maintain the quality of the fresh product and in so doing improve the competitiveness of developing countries in the global trade of fresh fish.

Green purchasing: a sustainable opportunity in supermarkets in the metropolitan region of Belém

Currently, there is a great concern with environmental issues in all spheres of society, including the business sector. In this context, the management of ecological purchases, known as green purchases or sustainable purchases, becomes one of the correct practices that companies must carry out so that their actions do not cause damage to the environment. Green purchases are a component of the global management of organizations and their role is to help companies become more sustainable. With the objective of evaluating whether green purchases are part of the reality of companies in the supermarket sector that operate in Belém, this study sought to identify, through the analysis of the results of the application of a structured questionnaire, the attitude of managers and suppliers of the network supermarket operator in relation to sustainability practices. The results point to managers' lack of knowledge of environmental obligations, but also indicate a great interest in developing and applying new practices that make companies more competitive and sustainable. It should be noted the difficulty in obtaining information from companies, trying to preserve their strategies and practices from competitors. It is also suggested that the sample be expanded to include other supermarket chains that did not participate in this research.

How has the strict lockdown during the SARS-COV-2 outbreak changed the diet of Spaniards?

PurposeWe investigate the impact of a specific macroeconomic shock that occurred as a response to the SARS-COV-2 outbreak, namely the strict lockdown imposed in Spain on the March 14, 2020. MethodsWe use fortnightly purchase data relating to over 50,000 households from a supermarket chain in Catalonia from March to June in 2019 and 2020. Using a panel data approach, we analyse the impact of the lockdown on the caloric content, sugar composition, and alcohol content in beverages and food purchases bought before and after lockdown. We corrected our results to take into account the likelihood of stockpiling. ResultsThe lockdown is related to an increase in unhealthy beverage and food purchases. We find heterogeneous effects across groups of the sample based on cardholder characteristics. Families with children or babies and those in the upper two income quintiles had the unhealthiest changes. As the lockdown went through phases of relaxation, households made better food decisions but maintained unhealthy beverage choices. ConclusionsThe very restrictive lockdown negatively impacted the characteristics of food and beverage purchases made by Spaniards. However, we are unsure whether there was substitution to restaurant and bar visits. Additional work to find out whether there were permanent changes in purchasing behaviour after lockdown ended is needed in the future.

Research on the Bias Sampling RRT Algorithm for Supermarket Chain Distribution Routes under the O2O Model

The purpose of this article is to propose the Bias Sampling RRT algorithm and use it as an optimization algorithm for supermarket chain distribution routes under the O2O model. As a retail store in the transformation and upgrading of chain stores, the actual terrain factors in distribution directly affect the timely delivery of goods from online to offline. The Bias Sampling RRT algorithm, as a path search method for time window vehicle routing problems, can find the optimal path that meets time window constraints. The applicability and effectiveness of the Bias Sampling RRT algorithm have been demonstrated through map simulation calculations. The simulation results show that compared with the RRT method, the Bias Sampling RRT algorithm has a shorter distribution path and shorter distribution time. This method is very suitable for the distribution activities of chain supermarkets or single store retail enterprises in the complex transformation and upgrading of actual terrain.

Design and Implementation of an Automated Trolley with self-billing System for Super Market Applications

Design and Implementation of an Automated Trolley with self-billing System for Super Market Applications

Unhealthy food availability, prominence and promotion in a representative sample of supermarkets in Flanders (Belgium): a detailed assessment

IntroductionThe supermarket food environment is a key setting for potential public health interventions. This study assessed food availability, prominence and promotion in a representative sample of supermarkets in Flanders (Belgium).MethodsA sample of 55 supermarkets across five chains and 16 Flemish municipalities was selected in 2022, about 64% in the most deprived socioeconomic areas. Healthiness indicators related to food availability (ratio of cumulative linear shelf length for healthy versus unhealthy foods), prominence (proportion of unhealthy foods at check-outs and end-of-aisle endcaps), and promotion (food marketing on food packages) were measured.ResultsOverall, the average ratio of healthy/unhealthy foods in supermarkets in Flanders was 0.36, meaning that for every 10m of shelf length of unhealthy foods there was 3.6m of healthy foods. There was a large variation in ratio’s across supermarket chains. Of all foods available, 97.5% were ultra-processed at the check outs, while 72.2% and 58.5% were ultra-processed at the front and back end-of-aisle end-caps, respectively. Confectionery and sweet biscuits were the food categories with on average the highest number of marketing messages on pack per 10m of shelf length.ConclusionSupermarket in-store food environments in Flanders were found generally unhealthy, with those located in low income areas having unhealthier in-store food environments than supermarkets located in medium and high income areas. Despite commitments of all large supermarket chains in Flanders to promote and create healthier in-store food environments, our findings indicate that currently consumers are incentivized to buy unhealthy rather than healthy food products.

Physicochemical and microbiological evaluation of tucupis sold in supermarkets in the city of Belém – PA

Tucupi is one of the main foods of Pará gastronomy, and its presence is more and more marked in Brazil, intensifying the sanitary surveillance control over this type of product. Goals. This article aimed to carry out the physical-chemical and microbiological characterization of tucupi sold in a supermarket in Belém-Pará. The analyzes were performed at the Laboratory of Food Hygiene and Bioprocesses at the Federal University of Pará. Seven samples of tucupi were used, obtained from supermarket chains in Belém-Pa. For the physical-chemical analysis, the following were analyzed: pH, Brix, and total titratable acidity, and for the microbiological analysis: aerobic mesophiles, total and thermotolerant coliforms, molds, and yeasts. Results ranged from 2.0 to 4.52 for pH, 1.0 to 8.0 for oBrix, and 6.6 to 16.0 meq NaOH.100 mL–1 for total titratable acidity. Free cyanide values ranged from 3.89 to 4.87 among the seven brands. The results for microbiological analysis went from 1.1x104 to 5.9x106 CFU/ml for molds and yeasts, from 1.2x105 to 1.3x108 CFU/ml for aerobic mesophiles and were absent for total coliforms and thermotolerant coliforms in all samples used. The highest count of molds and yeasts was observed for Tucupi VII, and the highest count of aerobic mesophiles was observed for Tucupi III. It was verified that, in general, the tucupi analyzed were within the contamination limits suggested by the legislation as suitable for consumption.

Các yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến động lực làm việc của nhân viên bán hàng chuỗi siêu thị tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

This study determines and measures the effect of working motivation of sales staff in supermarket chains at Ho Chi Minh City. The data are collected from 205 valid survey forms and analyzed results using quantitative analysis method. The results show that: (i) Nature of work; (ii) Salary and compensation; (iii) Working conditions; (iv) Promotion and career development; (v) Relationship with leaders; (vi) Relationship with colleagues - are the six criteria that influence the working motivation of sales staff. In particular, the Salary and compensation variable has the strongest impact on the working motivation, whilst Relationship with colleagues and Relationship with leaders are the second and the third position respectively. The findings of this study help supermarket chain managers pay attention to financial and non-financial compensation policies that increase the working motivation of sales staff at supermarket chains.

Affection from Packing on Impulsive Buying

Purpose: Buyers may purchase instantly during changing social construct considering the viability of time except for priority purchases. Emotions, desires, and the immediate visual appeal of a product as packaging can leverage these psychological triggers by utilizing captivating colors, typography, imagery, and other design elements that elicit strong emotional responses from consumers. Several theories have justified the high significance of packing influence though under changing social and technical conditions its influence on impulsive buying behaviour is not studied yet in case of super market of eastern Nepal. The research aims to test the significance of packaging design and their impact among eastern Nepal consumers' impulsive purchases of supermarket consumable goods. Design/Methodology/Approach: A structured questionnaire was employed to collect primary information from 222 respondents using convenience sampling. The associative impact of packing on impulsive buying behaviour has been analysed using Regression analysis in SPSS followed by literature validation. Findings/Result: Different packaging elements namely color, product information, shape of the package, packaging material and image was identified and their affection with impulsive buying behavior were tested. The findings of the study conclude color, Package Material and Image does influence impulsive buying behavior of consumer whereas Product Information and Shape does not have similar impact. It also confirms that factors such as age, gender, income, and occupation do not impact the affection between product information, shape, and impulsive buying behavior. Originality/Value: This is the primary experimental exploration in Easter Nepal to think about and assess the Impact of packing Elements on Imprudent Purchasing Conduct. Paper Type: Research paper