Sales and Merchandising Commons^™

Why The Madness On Black Friday?, Donelson R. Forsyth

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

Black Friday's climb from marketing ploy to popular craze resists easy explanation. A day of sleeping late, leftover turkey and trimmings and football seems to easily outgun one spent battling strangers to save a few bucks on this year's cool new toy or gizmo, but last year nearly a quarter of a billion Americans chose the check-out line and not the couch. Why?

The Influence Of Mobile Website Quality On Consumer Satisfaction And Behavior, Xiuyuan Gao

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mobile shopping has grown into a huge market and an increasing number of consumers have begun to use mobile websites to shop. Therefore, how mobile shopping websites provide good shopping to customers is significant. The object of this study is to relate factors of website quality to college students’ satisfaction with mobile shopping experiences, which in turn influence their intentions to return to the website and/or to purchase on the website. Five dimensions of website quality, which were information quality, navigation, visual appeal, response time and interactivity, were selected in this study. The model of self-regulatory process (Bagozzi, 1992) has …

Uncovering Collaborative Value Creation Patterns And Establishing Corresponding Customer Roles, Sabine Moeller, Robert Ciuchita, Dominik Mahr, Gaby Odekerken-Schroder, Martin Fassnacht

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Research on value creation traditionally has focused on value created by the company, though customers increasingly serve as active partners, able to create value with firms in a collaborative manner. Despite interest by both scholars and managers, existing research has not yet clarified the interdependencies of service offerings and customer role patterns. This article explores value creation rooted in three generic offerings (configuration, solution, and network) and identifies differences in their prerequisites, customer activities, challenges, abilities, ability enhancers, and perceived benefits that arise in collaborative value creation (CVC). Data from 105 collaborations, collected through in-depth interviews, support the qualitative and …

An Investigation Of Key Factors Impacting Front-Line Service Providers' Efforts To Deliver A Quality Customer Experience, Donna Wells

Professional Projects

The relevance of competitive differentiation for any business that strives to achieve success is undeniable. An awareness of how to best satisfy the customer is instrumental in helping a company to distinguish itself from the competition. Service firms in particular realize that the customer’s perception of service quality can prove to be a valuable asset in the quest for customer satisfaction and retention. In the customer’s eyes, evaluation of the service experience as satisfying or less than satisfying is largely dependent upon the treatment extended by frontline employees during the face-to-face service encounter. The aim of this qualitative study was …

A Need For A Sales Course In Academia, Kevin H. Scholz

Professional Projects

Nearly 50% of all college graduates entering the workforce, after earning a business related degree, find themselves initially in a sales role. With only 4.8% of colleges and universities offering a sales course, are the vast majority of recent graduates entering the workforce prepared for a sales role? This exploratory study seeks the feedback of hiring managers in the field to bring awareness to faculty members involved with course selection and academic curriculum design for the purpose of encouraging colleges and universities to consider a sales course. The study provides learning objectives and competencies for a sales course based on …

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2013: Q2 Results, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence (2007-2024)

The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) computes customer satisfaction scores at the national, sector, sub-sector, and company levels. The CSISG serves as a quantitative benchmark of the quality of goods and services produced by the Singapore economy over time and across countries. This is the CSISG’s seventh year of measurement.

Do Short Sellers Front-Run Insider Sales?, Mozaffar Khan, Hai Lu

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We study the behavior of short sellers as informed market participants and examine potential sources of their information. Using a newly available dataset with high-frequency short sales data, we find evidence of significant increases in short sales immediately prior to large insider sales, but not prior to small insider sales. We examine a number of explanations that the increase in short sales is driven by public information, either about the firm or about the impending insider sale. The evidence is inconsistent with these explanations, but is consistent with front-running facilitated by leaked information. The front-running appears to be concentrated in …

2013 Fall Convocation Program, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Communications and Marketing Publications Archive

Fall convocation program held on August 14, 2017.

The Effects Of Pricing On The Sales Force And The Firm: A Strategic View, Wendy Ritz

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects

Previous research has examined the dysfunctional relationships often encountered between marketing and sales, and the importance of cooperation and coordination between these two functional areas. But no prior studies have investigated the consequences of misaligned pricing and sales force compensation strategies that emerge from these two functional areas. This dissertation examines the impact of the firm’s pricing strategy on the sales force, and evaluates the importance of identifying the misalignment of goals of the pricing and sales force compensation strategies as a potential root cause of disappointing program outcomes. Essay 1 uses in-depth qualitative interviews with business-to-business (B2B) salespeople and …

Compensation And Price Delegation For Heterogeneous Sales Force, Jian Chen, Hongyan Xu, Liming Liu

Hong Kong Institute of Business Studies Working Paper Series

A heterogeneous sales force may not be as desirable as a homogeneous sales force for two reasons: premiums are required for all except from one agent type, and only the highest type would work as hard as though they were from a homogeneous sales force. This study revisits the heterogeneous sales force compensation and price delegation problem with type-dependent reservation. We find that an equilibrium separating or pooling compensation contract always exists. Different types of agents may receive premiums, and there are scenarios when no premiums are paid. Retaining centralized pricing provides a tool for regulating agent behavior. More than …

Relevance And Key Factors Of “Demand-Side Oriented Market” Analysis To Define Indonesia’S Retail Industry, Sih Yuliana Wahyuningtyas S.H. M.Hum, A.Y. Agung Nugroho, Mm

Business Review

The remarkable development of the Indonesia’s retail industry draws attention due to its complexities with regard to the business characteristics and the relation between retailers as well as between retailers and suppliers. This brings competition law into relevance, which one of the fundamental elements for the analysis is the definition of relevant market, in terms of both product and geographical market. The study focuses on the relevance of “demand-side oriented market” analysis with the application of cross shopping approach to define Indonesia’s retail industry taking both the development and formats of retail into consideration. The focal point of this study …

Preferential Attributes In Consumer Buying Behavior At Retail Megastores In Karachi, Javed Ahmed Chandio

Business Review

Retail mega stores are common in developed countries. In Pakistan this is a comparatively recent development. It was assumed that the consumers and their buying behavior are different in these stores as compared to small retail stores in the local vicinity of the customers. This study focuses on some major factors influencing customer buying behavior. Hypotheses were framed and tested through survey research. A total of 100 respondents were interviewed using predesigned questionnaire that had a number of pre-selected attributes for store preference. It appeared that the economy was not the main reason for shopping in these stores despite the …

The Specification Of Store Environments: The Role Of Design-Architecture In The Development Of Retailer Brand Loyalty, John Murray, Jonathan Elms Dr.

Conference proceedings

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for the inclusion of the aesthetic in the study of retail branding. It proposes modifications to the Mehrabian & Russell (1974) stimulus-organism-response model which characterises most approaches to the holistic study of store environments. Store prototype and retailer attachment are among the global and attribute level variables that could together with collative variables such as novelty and complexity help explain retail brand loyalty. The framework is exploratory and aims to add to existing knowledge on the dynamic, situated, perceptive processes at hand when consumers are exposed to the multitude of cues and messages typically …

Glocal Warming, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Revolutionising legacy brands is not just about that Big Bang. Incremental changes may count for a whole lot more.

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2013: Q1 Results, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence (2007-2024)

The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) computes customer satisfaction scores at the national, sector, sub-sector, and company levels. The CSISG serves as a quantitative benchmark of the quality of goods and services produced by the Singapore economy over time and across countries. This set of Q1 results begins the CSISG’s seventh year of measurement.

Women And Their "Food Time" An Investigation Into Food Purchases, Preparation, And Consumption Atmosphere Using Smartphone Survey Technology, Garland Jaeger

Master's Theses

Women’s food purchasing and eating habits have been studied in detail, but are still not entirely understood. Prior research has sought to segment the female food shopper market, but typically use only demographic characteristics. In this study, fifty females were recruited in San Luis Obispo, CA from March 2012 to May 2012 to keep an electronic food-time diary for one week. By collecting information through surveys distributed using a smartphone application, SurveySwipe, the study investigated the amount of time expended for each meal, as well as the manner in which the meal was prepared or purchased, and the context surrounding …

Principles And Practices Of Bar And Beverage Management, James Peter Murphy

Books

Murphy, J. (2013) The Principles and Practices of Bar and Beverage Management, Goodfellows Publishing Ltd, Oxford, England.

Principles and Practices of Bar and Beverage Management is a comprehensive text and resource book designed to explain the latest developments and new complexities of managing modern bars - be they stand alone or part of larger institutions such as hotels and resorts.

Principles And Practices Of Bar And Beverage Management, James Peter Murphy

Books/Book Chapters

Principles and Practices of Bar and Beverage Management is a comprehensive text and resource book designed to explain the latest developments and new complexities of managing modern bars - be they stand alone or part of larger institutions such as hotels and resorts.

Consumer expectations have changed, and a bar today must deliver an integrated social experience in a safe modern environment, which also offers the latest products and services in a professional and engaging fashion. Against a background of increasing competition and an increasingly sophisticated customer base, this text has been designed to support the bar and beverage skills …

Off-Price Vs. Department Store Retailing, Denise Aghion

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

There are multiple forms of retailing in the United States – two of the most common forms are department store retailing and off-price retailing. Both types of retailers are looking to create profits by negotiating costs with vendors to create suitable gross margins; however, they go about doing so in very different ways. Because I have interned at both types of corporations, my Capstone is to identify which, if either model, is more sustainable in today’s conditions.

Department store retailing is the most well-known form of retailing, and is currently the largest sector of retailing in the United States. They …

Factors Of High-End Retail Marketing: A Study Of Growth Opportunities For Clothing Retailers In The American Women’S Apparel Industry, Jeremy Trungdzu Bui

Honors Scholar Theses

The purpose of this study is to assess current market conditions and to research growth opportunities for high-end American apparel retailers, with a focus women’s apparel, in the face of challenging economic conditions. Marketing factors will be discussed and will include manufacturing opportunities, brand development, and online retailing practices. The objective is to examine, understand, and intersect marketing strategies with new growth opportunities so that American apparel retailers can appeal to women consumers. Furthermore, recommendations for future growth will be offered as a result of the analysis of several high-end apparel retailers.

Demand Forecasting Using A Growth Model And Negative Binomial Regression Framework, Cally Yeru Ong, Murphy Choy, Michelle L. F. Cheong

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we look at demand forecasting by using a growth model and negative binomial regression framework. Using cumulative sales, we model the sales data for different wristwatch brands and relate it to their sales and growth characteristics. We apply clustering to determine the distinctive characteristics of each individual cluster. Four different growth models are applied to the clusters to find the most suitable growth model to be used. After determining the appropriate growth model to be applied, we then forecast the sales by applying the model to new products being launched in the market and continue to monitor …

Firms' Intentions To Use Nonownership Services, Kristina Wittkowski, Sabine Moeller, Jochen Wirtz

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this study, we investigate why companies intend to use nonownership services by conducting qualitative interviews with 10 experts to develop our hypotheses, then using a survey to test them. Our findings show that, as hypothesized, firms’ intentions to use nonownership services are affected by both financial (i.e., tax efficiency and cash and liquid asset management) and nonfinancial (i.e., control over assets and access to the latest technology and tools) factors, with access to the latest technology and tools being the most important driver. Furthermore, we show that the effect that the desire to gain access to the latest technology …

The Influence Of Social Networking Sites On Buying Behaviors Of Millennials, Sharon S. Pate, Melinda Adams

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Social media sites have become an important part of many individuals’ lives. According to the Pew Research Center (2010), Millennials, also known as Gen Y, are living their lives on the internet where 75% of them have a profile on a social networking site. When compared with only 50% of Gen Xers and 30% of Boomers, this gives them the distinct identity that they are more technologically advanced.

Food From Foreigners: Examining Expatriate Entrepreneurship In The Food Sector Of Nepal, Melanie R. Couchman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Recognizing the large impact that entrepreneurship can have on the development of a country, this research attempts to study the process foreigners face in starting up a business, the motives for entering the Nepalese market place, and ultimately how these foreign business owners are finding success in Nepal. Focusing primarily on the food sector, this research hopes to answer the question of whether foreign entrepreneurs can successfully integrate into the Nepalese market, how foreign business might differ from native business, and how foreign presence is affecting Nepal’s development. This study takes place in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Patan, and will use …

The Phenomenon Behind The Bite: Altercasting As It Applies To Apple Technology, Elizabeth Baldwin

Masters Theses

This paper investigates how the brand Apple markets their product so that consumers feel obligated to buy their product. By looking at five main categories of brand loyalty, environmentally friendly practices, being up-to-date with technology, pricing with value and customer service, this paper will rhetorically analyze how successful of a job it does. To get an inside look at what the public thought on the the way that Apple fulfilled their altercasting this paper analyzed what people said about Apple verses competing technology brands. By drawing overall conclusions, recording trends and making observations about the way that people had been …

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2012: Full Year Overview, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence (2007-2024)

The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) computes customer satisfaction scores at the national, sector, subsector, and company levels. The CSISG serves as a quantitative benchmark of the quality of goods and services produced by the Singapore economy over time and across countries. Singapore’s performance in the CSISG relative to a select group of countries that deploy the same or similar methodologies, are shown in Figure A for reference.

This results overview concludes the scores of CSISG 2012 that comprises nine services sectors.

A Business Plan For The Production Of Artisanal Cheese, Caitlin Curren

Dairy Science

The objective of this study was to determine how an artisan cheese producer could be successful in California’s current economy. The significance of location, product type, and pro forma financials were examined in order to construct a complete business plan. A business plan was created using an outline of financial proposals, desired terms, use of funds and equity contributions. A company description was originated with a brief history, description of products, description of customers, business location, key strengths, mission statement, goals and objectives. Lastly, an analysis of the industry was made, focusing on main characteristics, the size of the market, …

2013 Spring Convocation Program, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Communications and Marketing Publications Archive

Spring convocation program held on January 9, 2013.

Fact Sheet On Puppy Mills And Flea Markets, The Humane Society Of The United States

PUPPY MILL REPORTS

Flea Markets are meccas for problematic puppy sellers. Since the USDA is now regulating commercial breeders who sell puppies sight-unseen over the Internet, flea markets are one of the last unregulated marketplaces for questionable puppy sellers, many of them unlicensed and uninspected. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of operators selling puppies at flea markets across the country—likely in an effort to escape government regulation.

Puppy Mill Brokers, The Humane Society Of The United States

PUPPY MILL REPORTS

A puppy mill “broker” is a pet dealer engaged in the business of re-selling puppies who were bred elsewhere. Unlike retail pet stores, brokers are middleman dealers who obtain puppies from breeders and puppy mills, and then transport and resell them. Brokers typically sell puppies to pet stores, but sometimes to research facilities, often travelling great distances to do so. In some cases the term is also used loosely to describe people who re-sell litters directly to the public that they themselves did not produce, for example, by posing at the original breeder and selling them through websites or classified …