Various Categories Of Consumers Research Articles

Sustainable Net Metering Model for Diversified India

With the increase in deployment of solar PV in India, a feasible net metering policy is need of the hour. In this paper, an analysis of data has been carried out for studying the feasibility of net metering in India. It is found that simple net metering policy is unable to accommodate various categories of consumers. A new model is proposed for making net metering more scalable, feasible and financially viable in India. The simulation results of model indicate that the proposed model is able to serve varied consumers leading to a sustainable net metering model which is economically acceptable.

Improvement of marketing of coal mining enterprises considering instability in demand for coal

The comparative analysis of the dynamics of production volumes and commodity sales and residues of coal at warehouses of coal enterprises is performed as well as the analysis of changes in the structure of shipment of coal to various categories of consumers. The issues of evaluating the effectiveness of sales activities at the coal enterprises are considered. The study shows constant fluctuations in coal market, unstable demand for coal products, impact of seasonal factors on the formation of a material stream of coal production, and growth of coal residues in warehouses. It is one of the specific features of the processes of logistics activities in the coal industry. On the basis of long-term scientific research on the control of logistic activity of coal enterprises the feasibility of differentiation of consumers of coal products to large-, medium- and small customer based on the volume of their annual demand is justified. On the basis of generalization of various scientific sources the ways of improving the organization of marketing activity of the industrial enterprises of 5 systematized classification features are proposed: improvement of the legislation on the implementation of coal products; improvement of the system of contractual work with consumers; formation of the sales network; development of a system of customer service; improvement of the efficiency of the organization of product sales to consumers. Based on the features of the functioning of the coal industry the directions of improving the organization of marketing activity of the coal enterprises in an uncertain demand for coal by using modern information technologies are identified. Among them are: conducting market research to analyze the coal market; search for new segments of the market coal sales; improving the organization of distribution on the basis of introduction of modern information technologies DRP and DRPII: the development of procedures for the selection of effective distribution channels based on special software for settlements with the help of economic and mathematical methods; development of methods for inventory using software and electronic document management systems for efficient inventory management; expansion of warehouse space for storing coal products; process improvement services to various categories of consumers of coal enterprises through the introduction of software systems for e-commerce and CRM; the use of automated processing of documents for registration of transport of goods; long-term contracts for the supply of coal products, which must be indicated on collection of penalties in case of failure of the purchase order.

Consumer Preference for Broiler Meat in Ghana: A Conjoint Analysis Approach

Understanding Consumer’s preferences on attributes of broiler meat are the first step to successfully positioning the domestic poultry industry to compete effectively with import substitutes. Data was obtained from 206 consumers made up of households, food service providers and institutions using a structured questionnaire. Using conjoint analysis (CJA), this study analyzes consumers’ preferences for broiler meat attributes in the Greater Accra, Tema and Kumasi Metropolis for the various categories of consumers. Though the preference of the various consumers vary, the results show that while taste, availability and proximity are important attributes, it is the price of the meat followed by the form attributes of the meat that influences the ordering of consumers’ preference in purchasing broiler meat the most. The results have implications for broiler meat marketing and investment in the poultry sector in Ghana.

Institutional reforms in water supply arrangements in Karachi

Karachi's water supply service has experienced a continuing decline in both quantity and quality and various categories of consumers have suffered owing to these falling standards. The service, which is presently controlled by Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), has been managed through different institutional arrangements involving different municipal organisations. These changes were introduced with the objective of improving the operational status, performance level and financial strength of the utility. Research was carried out to obtain feedback from related stakeholders including utility management, interest groups, relevant experts and civil society organisations. The methodology adopted for this research work comprised a review of institutional records, interviews with key informants and observations of service delivery mechanisms in various parts of the city. An absence of political will across various levels of policy making and implementation, legal anomalies, incomplete integration of KWSB into the main stream city government, ineffective revenue recovery from consumers and rising trends of unaccounted water remain the outcomes of inadequate institutional performance. This paper presents the existing status of water supply arrangements in Karachi with focus on institutional issues. Possible policy options, including ‘no change’, disaggregation, dissolution and consolidation of the utility, are also discussed.

Product innovation and consumer choice in the UK financial services industry

PurposeWithin the UK, low levels of saving has been a continuing policy concern for both government and financial regulators. Why individuals save less than might be expected has been increasingly associated with an inability of ma… financial services consumers to comprehend product quality and to underta… of firms in this debated through examining the product choices presented to consumers by financial services providers.Design/methodology/approachWe examine two aspects of poor consumer decision making, yet to be fully explored in the wider regulatory literature. Initially, we review how financial services providers consider product innovations and the marketing strategies they pursue in constructing their offerings to consumers. Secondly, we ass… a popular financial product, the interest bearing deposit account, to examine what savings product choices are actually presented to consumers. These areas are explored through semi‐structured interviews undertaken with semi financial services managers and through a review of the entire product offerings to the interest bearing deposit market.FindingsWe report that savings markets are characterised by high product turnover and short duration. Consumers in the UK, alike many developed nations, and often unfamiliar with, and lack confidence when, buying savings products. Example consumers often have difficulties when making product comparis… Faced by so much proliferation of undifferentiated products, consumers find difficult to make a straightforward comparison between products.Research limitations/implicationsIt is concluded that further public education, a greater understanding of ho… firms present product choices to consumers and how consumers perceive s… choices are areas demanding further research and consideration.Originality/valueConsideration of how firms make decisions with regard to product innovation and savings problem more generally is an area demanding further investigation from a range of disciplinary approaches. Finally, given the perceived high importance of financial services to individuals and the nation… economy at large, some scrutiny should be placed on the issue of the high profitability of the financial services industry and how this is reflected into product innovations and, therefore, differentiated quality choices presented various categories of consumers.

Identifying, measuring and responding to different market segments: price determination in air transport

The aim of this paper is to help to understand price determination in air transport, both international and national, and its connection with the customer satisfaction problem. Nowadays price determination is quite complex: in fact two passengers on the same flight may have paid different prices and this discrepancy is due to the fact that users are different and, generally speaking, the markets to which the service is applied are different. The price varies not only because of the different distances travelled, but also according to the different services which the passenger wishes to receive on board and on the ground. The additional flight services (which represent the so-called 'extended product') are many today and they satisfy the consumer's every possible need. Obviously, for this reason, the prices vary. Through market segmentation it is possible to identify various categories of consumers and to offer them the service they require, which varies depending on numerous factors, both social and economic. Moreover, in the last decade, the effects of deregulation have been decisive, as removing controls from flights and air fares has also gained ground in those countries which were once against liberalisation. Among these are those countries of Europe (UK, Scandinavia) which, following the American example, have lobbied for the introduction of deregulation in Europe. At this time deregulation is not present everywhere and this creates considerable difficulties in negotiating tariffs. Finally, this paper indicates customer satisfaction as a fundamental factor in building customer loyalty, since customers really determine the success or the failure of an initiative, a service or even a whole organisational structure.