Editorial

Citation

Towers, N. (2015), "Editorial", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 43 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-01-2015-0002

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Volume 43, Issue 3.

There is an international perspective across retail and distribution management throughout the five submissions to this issue. The topics of the submissions include the patterns of reported cargo thefts in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, a literature review of mobile shopping (m-shopping), retail strategies and store formats in the fast changing modernization context of the emerging market of Brazil, a scale to assess the shopping environment preferences of Hispanic consumers in the USA and the effects of brand association, brand loyalty, brand awareness, and brand image on brand equity among young Malaysia consumers.

The first contribution by Ekwall and Lantz examines the patterns of reported cargo thefts at non-secure parking facilities in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) with respect to stolen value, frequency, incident category, and modi operandi. The study is based on a system-theoretical approach that emphasizes on a holistic rather than an atomistic view. The research method used in this paper is deductive and the analysis is based on data obtained a database of transport-related crimes from the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) in the EMEA region. The results found that 97 per cent of all attacks during a stop occur at non-secure parking locations. Cargo thefts at these locations are more of a volume crime than high-value thefts. Seasonal variations were seen in these thefts, and the most common type was an intrusion on weekdays during winter. This is one of the first papers in the field of distribution management that utilizes actual crime statistics reported by the industry to analyse the occurrence of cargo theft by focusing on the non-secure parking aspect in the transport chain.

The second paper by Groß aims to classify knowledge about mobile shopping (m-shopping) using three categories of online distribution channels, advanced technology for in-store shopping and technology perspectives. A term-based search method was applied in which the literature was restricted to 81 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2012. The findings suggest that the interest in m-shopping for both advanced technology for in-store shopping and for the online distribution channel has increased continuously over the last decade. Moreover, while studies have mostly explored the consumers’ acceptance and reactions to m-shopping themes, the technology perspective is still being researched. The paper provides the first systematic review of m-shopping literature which not only helps to organize retail-based literature but also investigates significant gaps on this topic, thus facilitating future research.

The third contribution by Miotto and Parente develop a taxonomy to describe and synthesize the retail strategies and store formats in the fast changing modernization context of emerging markets. It identifies how these different formats are related to the existing literature about retail evolution. The paper proposes analogies between the empirical findings and the Big Middle Theory model developed by Levy et al. (2005). Structured observations and personal interviews were conducted with managers/owners of 108 apparel stores located in three unplanned shopping districts in São Paulo, Brazil. Cluster analysis was used to derive the store formats. The results identify four store formats – old fashioned, price focused, specialized and consolidated – reflecting diverse marketing strategies and different stages in the retailing modernization cycle. There is a striking resemblance between these empirically derived formats and the four types of retail segments (Big Middle, low-price, innovative, and in trouble) proposed by the Big Middle model. Considering the fast-growing economic importance of the new “low middle class” of emerging markets, and also the relevance of apparel retailing, this research is relevant and unique because it helps to bridge a gap in the limited literature and knowledge in this area.

The objective of the study by Burns, Dato-on and Manolis is to develop and validate a scale to assess the shopping environment preferences of Hispanic consumers in the USA. The sample consists of 160 Hispanic consumers attending a Hispanic festival in the Southeast USA. A questionnaire contained items to measure shopping environment preferences and scales to measure materialism, hedonic shopping motivations, and perceived discrimination. The findings suggest a second-order model where three factors (familiarity, price, and experience) load onto a single second-order construct of shopping environment preferences. The result is a scale consisting of three factors permitting the exploration of the retail environmental preferences of Hispanic consumers in the USA. The study develops a scale that can be applied by US retailers to gain additional knowledge of their Hispanic consumers, thus enabling strategies to be developed that potentially enhance their engagement in retail environments.

The final contribution by Sasmita and Suki examines the effects of brand association, brand loyalty, brand awareness, and brand image on brand equity among young consumers. Data from 200 young consumers based in a public university in Malaysia were analysed using descriptive, correlation and multiple regression analysis via the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer programme version 21. Empirical results via multiple regressions authenticated that brand awareness predominantly affects brand equity among young consumers. These young consumers get input and awareness of the particular product or brand from the social media. They can clearly recognize the particular product or brand in comparison to competing products or brands and know how it looks and its characteristics from the social media. Input regarding the effects of brand association, brand loyalty, brand awareness and brand image on brand equity among young consumers would help marketers and practitioners to formulate strategies to enhance their brand equity in order to obtain competitive advantage and business sustainability, particularly among young consumer markets.

Neil Towers

Reference

Levy, M., Grewal, D., Peterson, R. and Connolly, B. (2005), “The concept of the ‘big middle’”, Journal of Retailing, Vol. 81 No. 2, pp. 83-88