ABSTRACT
Consumers get innumerable product options, making it crucial to study their selection among brands vs. new brands. The study explores how in a post-COVID world, the online purchase behavior of Generation Z female consumers is impacted for new-brand beauty products. Using qualitative methods, the authors explored the online purchase behavior of Generation Z females for the purchase of beauty products in emerging economies and how blockchain technology (BCT) can play a crucial role in influencing consumer decision-making. Five focus group discussions were conducted. The study's findings reveal four key themes-"It's too hard to be an innovator," "Online stigma," "New brand reservations," and "BCT and new brands purchase decisions." The authors portray that Generation Z consumers don't feel competent enough to buy new brands online without extrinsic motivation. They do not entirely trust the information marketers provide them in the current form. They are expected to buy new brands online if the authenticity of the complete product details can be verified using blockchain mechanisms.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The paper explores how consumer behavior for purchasing impulse products changed in the complex and disruptive (emergency) situation of the COVID-19 pandemic when the customer is shopping in-home and not visiting the offline stores in an emerging economy context. This paper further explores how digital transformations like the use of blockchain technology can aid offline/omnichannel retailers in reviving sales via permission marketing for impulse products. Design/methodology/approach: The authors followed a qualitative research design and conducted 24 personal interviews with millennials and 15 interviews with offline/omnichannel retailers from an emerging economy. The data collected were analyzed using the thematic analysis procedure. Findings: The authors discuss their findings under three themes – customers' conscious impulse buying during the pandemic, customers' unconscious impulse buying during the pandemic, and a viable solution for retailers in response to the pandemic. Practical implications: The authors suggest that marketers primarily from an offline/omnichannel store should adapt to permission marketing and use technologies like blockchain for the digital transformation of their marketing strategies. Doing so can help offline retailers minimize future damages in the retail sector during emergency situations. Originality/value: This paper is one of the first that explores how impulse – pure, suggestion, planned and reminder – purchases got affected during the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions in an emerging economy. This paper is also one of the first to explore the role of permission marketing and digital transformation by the use of blockchain in helping offline retailers in forming swift trust and practice trust-based marketing. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.
ABSTRACT
Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic has ledtoa changein working practices in The diagnosis and management of Colorectal cancer. Guidelines emerged which recommended changing anastomotic practice in favour of forming a defunctioning stoma or end stoma in patients who would have previously had an anastomosis. This study aimed to identify whether these changes have resulted in an increase in patients requiring a stoma and its potential impact. Method(s): All patients diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer in The authors' tertiary surgical unit in three 4-month intervals were included. These corresponded to before The pandemic (March-June 2019), during The UK's first wave of COVID-19 (March-June 2020), and during The second wave (December 2020-March 2021). The incidence of stomas was compared between groups. Result(s): In patients undergoing elective Surgery The incidence of stomas was 13% pre-pandemic. However, this tripled to 39% during The first wave and increased to 54% in The second wave. Similar trends were seen in patients undergoing emergency Surgery with 36% having stomas before The pandemic which rose to 50% during both The waves. Conclusion(s): A change in stoma practice was observed with patients having a stoma when they would usually have had an anastomosis only. As COVID-19 continues to have a severe effect on planned Surgery in The UK, patients requiring stoma reversal adds to The backlog. As The huge task of clearing The backlog begins, surgical teams must be provided with appropriate resources, professional and mental Health support.
ABSTRACT
Purpose The paper explores how consumer behavior for purchasing impulse products changed in the complex and disruptive (emergency) situation of the COVID-19 pandemic when the customer is shopping in-home and not visiting the offline stores in an emerging economy context. This paper further explores how digital transformations like the use of blockchain technology can aid offline/omnichannel retailers in reviving sales via permission marketing for impulse products. Design/methodology/approach The authors followed a qualitative research design and conducted 24 personal interviews with millennials and 15 interviews with offline/omnichannel retailers from an emerging economy. The data collected were analyzed using the thematic analysis procedure. Findings The authors discuss their findings under three themes - customers' conscious impulse buying during the pandemic, customers' unconscious impulse buying during the pandemic, and a viable solution for retailers in response to the pandemic. Practical implications The authors suggest that marketers primarily from an offline/omnichannel store should adapt to permission marketing and use technologies like blockchain for the digital transformation of their marketing strategies. Doing so can help offline retailers minimize future damages in the retail sector during emergency situations. Originality/value This paper is one of the first that explores how impulse - pure, suggestion, planned and reminder - purchases got affected during the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions in an emerging economy. This paper is also one of the first to explore the role of permission marketing and digital transformation by the use of blockchain in helping offline retailers in forming swift trust and practice trust-based marketing.