UK Retail Research Articles

Food supply chains and the antimicrobial resistance challenge: On the framing, accomplishments and limitations of corporate responsibility

This paper presents a critique of supply chain responses to a particular global wicked problem – antimicrobial resistance (AMR). It evaluates the understanding of AMR (and drug-resistant infections) as a food system challenge and critically explores how responsibility for addressing it is framed and implemented. We place the spotlight on the AMR strategies applied in UK retailers’ domestic poultry and pork supply chains. This provides a timely analysis of corporate engagement with AMR in light of the 2016 O’Neill report on Tackling Drug Resistant Infections Globally, which positioned supermarket chains, processors, and regulators as holding key responsibilities. Research included interviews with retailers, industry bodies, policy makers, farmers, processors, consultants and campaigners. We evaluate how strategy for tackling AMR in the food system is focused on antimicrobial stewardship, particularly targets for reducing antibiotic use in domestic food production. The global value chain notion of multipolar governance, where influence derives from multiple nodes both inside and outside the supply chain, is blended with more-than-human assemblage perspectives to capture the implementation of targets. This conceptual fusion grasps how supply chain responsibility and influence works through both a distributed group of stakeholders and the ecological complexity of the AMR challenge. The paper demonstrates in turn: how the targets for reducing antibiotic use in domestic meat production represent a particular and narrowly defined strategic focus; how those targets have been met through distributed agency in the UK supply chain; and the geographical and biological limitations of the targets in tackling AMR as a wicked problem.

Making sense of firms for ocean governance

Making sense of firms for ocean governance

Are UK retailers well placed to deliver ‘less and better’ meat and dairy to consumers?

Retailers can play an important role in facilitating a transition to sustainable diets in the UK. They have been implementing strategies aimed at helping customers make healthier choices and are now considering how to broaden this to include sustainability, which is a live discussion in the UK retail sector. Focusing on ‘less and better’ meat and dairy as a core component of sustainable diets, this study investigates retailer perceptions of sustainable diets and their strategies and challenges to provide and promote customer purchasing of ‘less and better’ meat and dairy. Results from a series of semi-structured interviews with senior health and sustainability professionals within the UK retail sector indicate that retailers have a diverse understanding of sustainable diets that seldom includes ‘less and better’ meat and dairy. Retailers are adopting a range of different strategies linked to ‘less and better’ meat and dairy – from improving the sustainability of their meat and dairy supply chains to influencing customer purchasing through ‘nudge’ interventions. While strategies related to ‘better’ meat and dairy are being adopted, no retailer is implementing interventions focused on reducing purchasing of meat products. The promotion of sustainable diets is seen by some retailers as a way of positively engaging with customers and improving brand loyalty, but there are external barriers to reducing purchasing of meat and dairy products that are beyond the direct control of the retailer.

The association between gambling and financial, social and health outcomes in big financial data.

Gambling is an ordinary pastime for some people, but is associated with addiction and harmful outcomes for others. Evidence of these harms is limited to small-sample, cross-sectional self-reports, such as prevalence surveys. We examine the association between gambling as a proportion of monthly income and 31 financial, social and health outcomes using anonymous data provided by a UK retail bank, aggregated for up to 6.5 million individuals over up to 7 years. Gambling is associated with higher financial distress and lower financial inclusion and planning, and with negative lifestyle, health, well-being and leisure outcomes. Gambling is associated with higher rates of future unemployment and physical disability and, at the highest levels, with substantially increased mortality. Gambling is persistent over time, growing over the sample period, and has higher negative associations among the heaviest gamblers. Our findings inform the debate over the relationship between gambling and life experiences across the population.

An analysis of UK retailers’ initiatives towards circular economy transition and policy-driven directions

Circular economy is a widely discussed topic in the field of industrial renovation and environmentally responsive economies. The current economic and industrial model, which is termed as the produce–use–dispose model, is a linear model in which the resource is lost forever after utilisation. In addition to economic impact, disposal of the waste products creates an immense pressure on the environment. For this reason, scholars are trying to find an effective solution to this problem by ensuring the reuse of the resources that are used. The concept of the circular economy ensures the re-cycling and reuse of the resources and closes the resource loop. The circular economy challenges the produce–use–dispose concept and focuses on the reuse of resources. In a world of scarce resources, policies to recycle and reuse resources increase opportunities for economic growth. Scholars are increasingly researching the concept of a circular economy to improve efficiencies and improve industrial ecology. This study considers these ideas and identifies the opportunities and barriers of the circular economy transition. To achieve the goals of the study, the researchers reviewed 10 UK leading retailers and after the analysis have found that environmental awareness, stakeholder pressure and government rules and regulations have driven retailers to embrace the circular business model in their operations.

Emergent themes of social and environmental reporting in the UK retail banks

Emergent themes of social and environmental reporting in the UK retail banks

Effects of Production Region, Production Systems and Grape Type/Variety on Nutritional Quality Parameters of Table Grapes; Results from a UK Retail Survey.

Grapes contain high concentrations of secondary metabolites and antioxidants that have been linked to a reduction of several chronic diseases. Here, we report results of a UK retail survey, which investigated the effect of the production region (Mediterranean vs. South Africa), grape type (white vs. red vs. black) and variety, and production system (organic vs. conventional) on antioxidant activity and concentrations of phenolic compounds in table grapes. Black grapes had ~180% total antioxidant activity (TAA), ~60% higher total phenolic content (TPC) and ~40 times higher anthocyanin concentrations (TAC) than white grapes, while red grapes had intermediate levels of TAA, TPC and TAC. The effects of season and production system and differences between varieties of the same grape type were substantially smaller. Grapes imported from Mediterranean countries in summer had a 14% higher TPC and ~20% higher TAA than grapes imported from South Africa in winter, and organic grapes had a 16% higher TPC and 22% higher TAA, but ~30% lower TAC than conventional grapes. Significant differences in TPC, TAA and/or TAC between organic and conventional grapes could only be detected for specific grape types, varieties and/or sampling years.

An Odd Crisis: Covid‐19 and UK Food Prices

SummaryThe Covid‐19 pandemic will have impacts that will vary across countries and commodity sectors, reflecting factors such as the importance of trade, differences in the functioning of supply chains and the market which producers and farmers supply. Some of these effects will be relatively short‐lived; others will be longer‐lasting. In this context, we set out the channels through which food prices will be affected by the Covid‐19 pandemic, emphasising the short‐ and longer‐term nature of the main effects. We focus on the UK but the insights extend to other (importing) countries. Drawing on a recent econometric model of UK retail food prices that accounts for both domestic and international factors, we show that the key drivers have potentially off‐setting effects, suggesting that the Covid‐19 shock to the food sector is likely to be different from previous shocks, particularly the commodity price crises of 2007–2008 and 2011. In many European countries, the Covid‐19 pandemic may manifest itself as something of an ‘odd crisis’, in which lower world and farm‐gate prices co‐exist with higher domestic retail prices. These off‐setting factors will frame policy responses targeted at different stages of the food chain across countries.

Reframing the intra-urban retail hierarchy

Over recent decades there has been the development of a significant number of ‘out of town’ retail centres in Western countries. This paper reviews the theoretical background to retail hierarchies before analysing the changing UK retail context and long term forces shaping shopping centres. It reframes the intra-urban hierarchy concept under the banner of a ‘convenience retail model’. This paper then examines the process of change in Edinburgh from the 1980s and the interface with planning. New out of town development was opportunity driven by the availability of vacant brownfield sites. Despite restrictive planning policy from the early 1990s out of town retailing continued to grow. The process was piecemeal and the physical nature of these centres was transformed over time. The city centre is found not to be a single entity and the largest outer centre is almost comparable in terms of size of fashion floorspace with individual central segments. The major distinction between in and out of town is now the scale of provision of restaurants and cafes. The paper confirms the dilution of the retail hierarchy and finds that planning policies need to embrace such urban change rather than seek to maintain the status quo.

Who is interested in retail education? The (mis)match between the leading universities’ offerings and job demand in the UK

PurposeRetail management has acquired the attention of scholars and practitioners, with many international and prestigious journals specifically relating to the topic. Also, top-tier journals in other disciplines have proposed special issues on the new advances in retailing, with emphasis on the role of new and smart technologies. On the one hand, the research in retailing seems to be prolific; on the other hand, the interest in retail education (from a research and university perspective) seems to be more limited. The purpose of this paper is to capture the (mis)match between the leading universities' offerings and job demand in the UK. In this way, the paper identifies opportunities for educators and researchers to educate future career-ready professionals in retailing and improve research in retail education.Design/methodology/approachThe research evaluates the offer of UK retail education in terms of programmes/courses, focusing on the Russell Group universities for the academic year 2020/2021 (September starts) and the demand of certain skills and competences by the largest retailers in the UK. The study utilizes secondary data based on the courses/programmes specifically related to the retail sector and on the job opportunities through the leading UK grocery retailers.FindingsThe findings reveal the extent of the gap between the university educational offerings and the requirements from retailers.Originality/valueTo the best of authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to capture and compare multiple evidence bases related to academic curriculums and employers' requirements for specific retail competencies.

The role of social media to generate social proof as engaged society for stockpiling behaviour of customers during Covid-19 pandemic

PurposeThe use of social media and information exchange increased during Covid-19 pandemic because people are isolated and working from home. The use of social media enhances information exchange in a global society, therefore customers are uncertain and not in a better position to take decisions before the situation goes worst everywhere in the world. The current study helps to understand how social media facilitate social and global engagement and information exchange which ultimately leads to the development of the customer psychology of stockpiling. This study aims to develop a research framework which helps to understand the customer psychology of stockpiling during a global pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThis study opted for a social constructionist approach because it can help to understand both individual and social subjective realities with respect to stockpiling behaviour due to the fear and risk of Covid-19 pandemic. For this purpose, the researcher collected data from 40 customers of UK retail stores who actively use social media. The data were collected during telephonic interviews and thematic analysis was used for data analysis.FindingsResults highlighted that institutional communication and social public interpretation of uncertainties and risk enhanced misinformation and sensationalism through social media platforms; therefore, stockpiling behaviour increased during Covid-19 pandemic. The fear of items being out of stock, illness, misinformation, family fear and going out were some of the possible causes that led to the development of panic stockpiling behaviour. The global uncertainty proof, as well as a public social consensus for staying at home and protecting the future also increased customers’ intention to buy in bulk for their future. Although social media played an important role in transferring relevant and timely information, it also increased uncertainty and social proof which may have led to stockpiling of retail products.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this study are beneficial for understanding how Covid-19 creates and enhances uncertainties and risks at both global and national level which developed into customer panic stockpiling behaviour, even when there is no promotional scheme or decrease in prices. This study helps marketers understand the psychology of customer stockpiling during a global pandemic. This study also helps to understand the role of social media, which promotes social interpretations of uncertainties and risk which ultimately enhance panic stockpiling among customers.Originality/valueLimited research is available which provides an understanding of how social media can play a role in socially generated uncertainties and risks, which enhance misinformation and sensationalism, as well as the development of stockpiling behaviour. This study provided a stockpiling behaviour model based on the theory of uncertainty and social proof. The results of this study are unique as there is limited literature available which connects social media, uncertainties and risk, Covid-19 pandemic and stockpiling behaviour among educated people.

Responding to the voice of the markets: an analysis of Tripadvisor reviews of UK retail markets

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the experience of visitors to UK markets by analysing their Tripadvisor reviews to identify perceived experiential dimensions with a view to informing actions by those responsible for market management to provide a better consumer experience.Design/methodology/approachThis research analysed 41,071 Tripadvisor reviews of 61 UK markets. A latent Dirichlet allocation machine learning algorithm was conducted to identify the experience dimensions of visitors. A text analysis was performed to indicate salience and valence of commonly used words.FindingsFive dimensions of experience are identified: atmosphere, merchandise, local variety, food and disappointment, together with the underlying factors that drive positive experience.Practical implicationsPlace and market managers should assess and position their market informed by diverse experiential dimensions. They should also improve and enhance the experience of visitors according to the underlying factors of each dimension.Originality/valueRetail markets have historically played an important role in the development of urban places. However, the ability to continue performing this role requires a greater understanding of how markets are perceived by those who use them. One way to achieve this is to use emergent technologies to inform decision-making by those responsible for their management. It demonstrates the potential of a new analytical technique using digital technologies to improve one of the oldest forms of retailing.

Gluten-free Products in the UK Retail Environment. Availability, Pricing, Consumer Opinions in a Longitudinal Study

Gluten free products are essential for people who suffer from coeliac disease or have a more generic gluten intolerance. In both instances people are forced to resort to consuming gluten free (GF) foods. We carried out two online surveys to gauge the sentiments from people purchasing GF produce, and we carried out two retail observation studies. These studies were carried out in 2015 and repeated again 2019. Bread was the most commonly purchased GF product, but also the most complained about GF product, both from a quality and a price point of view. These sentiments did not change much from 2015 to 2019. One clear set of trends was that people purchased less specialty flour and raising agent when comparing 2019 to 2015, and they did less home-baking over the same period. Furthermore, the decrease in home-baking coincided with a relative increase in satisfaction in the quality of GF products. With regards to observations made across 11 supermarkets, we observed an overall increase in the number of GF line items, with the budget supermarkets offering a very small selection of produce labelled as GF in 2019 only. Our research shows that the relative cost of GF items increased from 2015 to 2019, with the average price ratio of GF food to non-GF foods rising from 3.2 to 4.1 across all UK supermarkets. Ultimately, GF produce cost significantly more compared to similar, gluten-containing foods, while many of the GF products, especially GF breads, still underperform when it comes to the perceived quality and value for money.

The CMA\u2019s assessment of customer detriment in the UK retail energy market

In 2016, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that “weak customer response” enabled incumbent UK energy retailers to set higher and discriminatory prices to residential customers. The CMA estimated the associated higher prices constituted a customer detriment in the range £1.4 bn to £2 bn per year. Although the CMA recommended against a price cap on most domestic energy tariffs, the size of the detriment and public concern about “rip-off energy tariffs” nonetheless led the Government to impose a price cap as from January 2019. This paper examines the CMA’s calculation of customer detriment and suggests that it is inconsistent with CMA Guidelines and unprecedented with respect to its nature, magnitude and policy impact. Alternative more realistic calculations suggest that any detriment would have been nearly an order of magnitude lower, so that a price cap was inappropriate. This raises a number of questions about the CMA’s approach.

Body Mass Index and Body Satisfaction: Does Availability of Well-Fitting Clothes Matter?

Relatively little is known about the factors that mediate the relationship between high body mass index (BMI) and reduced body satisfaction. This is the first study to investigate whether availability of well-fitting clothes mediates this relationship. Eighty-five women with an age range of 18–81 years were 3D body scanned and weighed and measured at Time 1, and number of retailers stocking their sizes (determined through body scans) was calculated. At Time 2, they completed an online body satisfaction measure. Body satisfaction at Time 2 was predicted by both BMI and availability of well-fitting clothes in UK retailers at Time 1, with the two factors explaining 27% of the variance in body satisfaction. Availability of clothes size partially mediated the relationship between BMI and body satisfaction. Results suggest that the clothing retail sector might contribute to reducing body dissatisfaction by providing a wider range of choices for all sizes of consumer.

Hidden in plain sight

Hidden in plain sight

Pricing decisions, competition and liquidity constraints

PurposeThis study investigates the pricing decisions of the UK wholesale and retail food, beverages and tobacco sector over 2007–2016 using 19 four-digit level NACE Rev.2 classification industries.Design/methodology/approachThe Hall (1988) and Roeger (1995) model is employed to estimate the price-cost margin for the aggregate sector and each constituent industry.FindingsThe results suggest the presence of weak imperfect competitive conduct as the markup value is close to perfect competition. Moreover, it is found that industries with higher market share and liquidity reserves tend to charge a lower markup, validating the presence of price wars and competitive incentives in the sector.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature of pricing decisions and how access to available liquidity may affect the selling price of products. The pricing strategies also depend on the market structure as firms operating in more competitive sectors may start price wars more often than their counterparts in more concentrated sectors. Therefore, this study adds value to the investigation of pricing decisions under liquidity constraints across the UK wholesale and retail food, beverages and tobacco firms.

Time to act: A field experiment on overdraft alerts

Despite the growth of digital banking and the rapidly expanding offering of money management applications, a substantial proportion of banking customers still incur overdraft and unpaid item charges. To the extent that such charges are incurred due to inattention, our previous research shows that automatically enrolling consumers into just-in-time warning alerts can reduce charges. In this paper, we report the findings of a large-scale field experiment with two UK retail banks on automatic enrolment of consumers into just-in-time and early-warning overdraft and unpaid item alerts. In line with our earlier research, we find that that just-in-time alerts lead to statistically and economically significant reductions in charges. The evidence on the effectiveness on early warning alerts, by contrast, is mixed. A survey with a sub-sample of participants reveals that automatic enrolment into alerts is supported by consumers, even those who opted out of receiving alerts.

Comparison of consumed portion sizes and serving sizes in UK energy dense snack foods

AbstractObesity is a major health problem facing the European population; over two thirds (67%) of UK adult men and 58% women are overweight or obese (1). The positive association between on-pack serving-size and food intake is known as the ‘portion size effect’. However, although direct links with obesity remain unproven, evidence suggests that limiting consumed portion size contributes to reduced energy intake and therefore reduced weight gain (2). UK portion size guidance is outdated and evidence suggests that on-pack serving-sizes have increased in some energy-dense foods (3). This study explores consumed portion sizes and on-pack serving-sizes in popular energy, fat and sugar-dense foods.The UK National Diet & Nutrition Survey 2008–2014 (n = 2377) dataset was used to identify commonly consumed energy, fat and sugar-dense foods. Data was analysed for adults aged 19–64y (excluding under-reporters) for consumed portion sizes, and a commercial product database of major UK retailer and manufacturer data provided serving-sizes. Commonly consumed energy, fat and sugar-dense food groups were split into 45 product-based subgroups. Means of consumed portion size and on-pack serving-size were calculated and compared and nutrition per 100 g and per serve was explored.Just 57% products had serving-size details, whereas 97% had pack-size information; Chocolate had the least products with serving-size information (35%). Lack of on-pack serving-size guidance is therefore a widespread issue, particularly in some energy-dense snack foods. Serving-size ranges were wide and varied across food groups. Consumed portion sizes were significantly higher than on-pack serving-size in all main food groups and most subgroups. The greatest difference between consumed portion size and on-pack serving-size was Crisps (44%), and within this, ‘popcorn’ (151%). There is a real need for policies aimed at setting product pack and serving-sizes that help individuals consume smaller portions. However, further consideration is needed on how consumers understand on-pack serving-size messaging, front-of-pack labelling and pack size.Serving-size was unavailable for many products. However, where available, consumed portion sizes were higher than on-pack serving-size in all main food groups and most subgroups. These results could inform updated portion size guidance of energy-dense foods. Further work is needed to clarify whether smaller serving and pack sizes would lead to lower total consumption and energy/nutrient intake.

A study on trust restoration efforts in the UK retail banking industry

This paper aims to capture the perception of banking services providers on how to restore their customers' trust in the UK banking industry. Twenty frontline employees (FLEs) who have customer-facing responsibilities are interviewed and a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts is undertaken. Through the emergence of three different major themes and a number of sub-themes, we have presented our findings in the form of a trust restoration model. Interviewees have reported three major themes as an action framework to restore their customers' trust. Firstly, banks are implementing enhanced transparency in their operations, by appropriately disclosing the key features of their lending and other banking activities. Secondly, they are implementing policies and procedures that can help strengthen their relationship banking, such as improving employee and customer engagement activities for supporting small businesses and the community. Thirdly, they are promoting operational efficiency by adequately investing in information technology infrastructure. However, some financial service practices identified by the interviewees, for example, the deliberate sale of financial products that are unsuitable for their customers or too complex to understand, still continues. Ultimately, this ‘sale before service’ tactic is incompatible with the industry claims of compliance with the new financial regulations.