How COVID-19 accelerated the restructuring of UK retail

COVID-19 accelerated change within the UK retail market. It encouraged the growth of online shopping, providing the necessary demand for grocers to invest in their operations, and transformed the economics of their businesses. As innovative new business models emerged, some existing retailers collapsed leading to significant changes on the high street. Landlords were also affected. As some retail tenants struggled to pay their rents, other parts of the sector prospered and sought additional warehouse capacity to cope with rising demand. Not only does this illustrate how different parts of the retail sector faired during COVID-19, but it also demonstrates how the move online has resulted in the emergence of new opportunities. © 2023 the authors.

Consumers' perceived value and use intention of cashless payment in the physical distancing context: evidence from an Asian emerging market

PurposeCOVID-19 and its measures such as physical distancing have shifted consumer payment behaviors toward cashless payment. Physical distancing is likely to remain a norm for some time to come and will be relevant in any future pandemics. This study aims to examine the impact of consumers' perceived value of cashless payment on their use intention in the physical distancing context, with the mediating role of psychological safety and the moderating role of trust propensity.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a survey method to obtain data from 690 consumers in an Asian emerging market, i.e. Vietnam. The data were analyzed using different statistical methods, including structural equation modeling.FindingsResults show that perceived value of cashless payment positively affects use intention, and this effect is mediated by psychological safety. Furthermore, trust propensity has a positive moderating effect on the link between perceived value and psychological safety.Practical implicationsThis study's findings provide implications for retailers and other stakeholders in implementing and promoting cashless payment systems, especially in the physical distancing context.Originality/valueThis study is among the first attempt to explain the relationships between consumers' perceptions, feelings of psychological safety and use intention toward cashless payment in the physical distancing context. The study's findings may also be relevant to any future pandemics.

Augmented Reality in Interactive Marketing: The State-Of-The-Art and Emerging Trends

Recent years have seen a swift embracement of augmented reality (AR) as an interactive marketing tool, which has been accelerated even more rapidly by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the general attitude toward the technology as well as the factors that inhibit or facilitate its adoption from both, the consumers, and practitioners, remain elusive. This prevents marketers from fully exploiting the potential related to AR marketing. This chapter (1) draws on current literature to conceptualize consumer experience in AR marketing and (2) complements these findings with a practitioner perspective by conducting interviews with small retailers. The results of the present chapter indicate that, from the consumer perspective, AR can give rise to diverse cognitive, affective, and social-psychological outcomes, which can translate into behavioral outcomes, including purchase intentions, word-of-mouth intentions, and brand engagement. From the practitioner's perspective, initial interview results reveal that advancements toward an easy integration of AR within existing IT infrastructures, as well as efficient ways to create virtual product replicas are crucial for the adoption of AR by small retailers. Based on the combined observations from literature and the conducted interviews, a comprehensive framework of interactive AR marketing is provided, and a way forward is discussed by addressing the emergent trends of AR as an interactive marketing technology. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

Food commerce upshots with their former locus in the economy with respect to the pandemic 2020 - a drawback or an aid in South Kolkata, West Bengal

Background: The Food Commerce industry has flourished massively during the past decade in South Kolkata in West Bengal, with new outlets opening every now and then, so much so that this region is known as 'Food Street'. Regardless of their scale of operations, each of these outlets had well established themselves, catering to their respective target markets and earning decent amount of revenue over the years. However, this growth suffered a setback owing to the origin of novel Coronavirus SARS-n-CoV-2. The growth rate declined to a great extent over the span of two years, with recent studies showing an overall stunted growth rate. Even though online marketing of these outlets and selling the food through delivery apps have aided the entrepreneurs, the cost to revenue ratio is not at par with that of the times before the pandemic hit. Overall, the pandemic has impacted the eateries in more way than initially imagined. Objectives: (a) To reveal the various problems and scenarios of managing food business during the Covid-19 pandemic in South Kolkata region;(b) To compare the present scenario of the food industry with how things were before prior to the pandemic to understand the nature of change during this time frame;and, (c) To describe the challenges and methods implemented by the food retail business entrepreneurs and managers of the randomly selected establishments to hold a steady business flow during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methodology: The study follows a descriptive research design. Therefore, the research will describe the characteristics of the sample under study. The food outlets of South Kolkata have been chosen as the study location. 100 respondents were selected. The respondents are those who consume food from these outlets such that they represent the wider target market of the 'Food Street'. Both Primary Data and Secondary Data were used. Primary Data was collected through sample survey. Random Sampling technique was used to choose the respondents. The study used quantitative data, therefore, only Quantitative analysis was performed. Results: The Research was able to depict the comparison between the present scenario and the situation prior to the pandemic. The study was able to reveal the challenges and problems that the food outlets had to suffer from. Also, the methods or strategies taken up by the entrepreneurs of these outlets to overcome the pandemic were discovered. 46% of the respondents opted for "Mobile Food Delivery" as their strategy to revive from losses. Conclusion: With COVID-19 having altered - and still in the process of altering - the definition of "normal" across the world, most industries are still scrambling to adjust. The effect on the restaurant industry has been particularly dramatic. With restaurants and pubs closed for sit-down service, many establishments are struggling to keep their heads above water. The food outlets located in South Kolkata shares the same fate and the research is able to highlight this effectively.

A DATA ANALYTICS APPROACH for ASSESSING the ROLE of CHAIN SUPERMARKETS in the ECONOMY

Today, in Uzbekistan, the number of retail store chains is increasing. In their work, the latest technological achievements are used in order to satisfy the demands and needs of our people. Especially in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been highlighted that retail enterprises operating on the basis of network marketing, based on the needs and demands of the population, are operating in the form of large supermarkets and small stores. In this article, based on the latest information, we analyzed the brands "Korzinka", "Makro", "Havas", "Carrefour"operating in Uzbekistan. © 2022 ACM.

Technology acceptance in the post-COVID multigenerational retail workforce: The relationship between employee development programs and job satisfaction

In the post-pandemic business environment, small and medium-sized enterprises have experienced historic voluntary employee turnover. One potential contributor to this phenomenon is job satisfaction. Small and medium-sized enterprises serve as the main driver of the global economy, representing 90% of all firms and 70% of the jobs worldwide. This study investigated the relationship between employee development and job satisfaction in the post-pandemic business environment and identified if technology acceptance in the multigenerational workforce moderates the relationship. The study was conducted using a quantitative non-experimental design. Retail workers of SMEs in the state of Florida were surveyed using instruments to measure employee development, technology acceptance, and job satisfaction. The study found that (a) employee development remains a driver of job satisfaction in the post-COVID-19 business environment, and (b) technology acceptance in the multigenerational workforce does not moderate the relationship between the variables. The study's overall findings offer practitioners of SMEs fresh insights into the impact of the rapid deployment of advanced technology on the post-COVID-19 business environment and its implications on job satisfaction in the multigenerational workforce. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Role of Logistics Integration Capability in Enhancing Performance in Omni-Channel Retailing: Supply Chain Integration as Mediator

Although the importance and benefits of logistics integration in omni-channel (OC) retailing have been discussed in the literature, the impacts of logistics integration from the dimension of internal and external logistics remain unknown. To fill this gap, this study aims to investigate the relationships among internal and external logistics integration capabilities, supply-chain integration (SCI), and financial performance (FP) in OC retailing based on the dynamic capability view. An empirical study is conducted based on a survey of 230 OC retailers in China's market. Factor analysis and regression analysis are conducted to examine the hypotheses of the proposed conceptual model. The quantitative analyses show that the internal logistics integration capability is significantly related to the external logistics integration capability, and they both have positive effects on SCI, while the external logistics integration capability generates a higher impact (i.e., almost 1.5 times that of the internal logistics integration capability). The numerical results also demonstrate that the logistics integration capabilities and SCI have similar positive effects on FP (i.e., all the relevant regression coefficients show values around 0.25), and SCI plays a partial intermediary role in the relationships between logistics integration capabilities and FP. Furthermore, the quantitative evidence addresses the fact that the FP is not influenced by OC retailers' characteristics, indicating a fair business environment in the OC retail industry.

Adoption of electronic commerce as a resilience strategy for women's entrepreneurship in the Democratic Republic of Congo

PurposeThe present article aims to determine the factors that explain the intention to adopt electronic commerce among women traders in a developing country like Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during a health crisis period.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted in the DRC, in Bukavu Town. A convenience sample of 282 respondents consisting of solely women entrepreneurs (importing traders) in Bukavu Town was selected and the structural equation model was used to test the research hypotheses resulted from Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour.FindingsThe finding results showed that only the factors attitude towards electronic commerce adoption and subjective norms which predict women traders' intention to adopt electronic commerce. The analysis shows that about 38.9% of the variation in the dependent variable is explained by the above variables.Originality/valueFew studies have presented technology and electronic commerce adoption as resilience of women entrepreneurs in a time of crisis, despite the abundance of the review literature on adoption. This study provides a new approach to assist women entrepreneurs as well as researchers in understanding the drivers of electronic commerce adoption factors in the DRC.

The impact of Covid-19 on consumer behaviour – lessons to be learnt from the Latin America real estate shopping centre sector

Purpose: The aim of this Real Estate Insight is to comment upon the impact of Covid on the shopping centre sector in the United States of America (USA) and lessons the USA can learn from Latin American shopping centres to survive and thrive. Design/methodology/approach: This Real Estate Insight will comment upon the real estate shopping centre sector. The nature of the "Insights” briefings mean that this is a personal view of the author based on her visit to over 70 shopping centres in Latin America, specifically Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Paraguay during her 2022 sabbatical. Findings: This paper looks at shopping centre industry in a transitional post-Covid 19 marketplace and concludes that the shopping centres in Latin American have taken many steps to integrate themselves into the fabric of the community. Practical implications: The lessons learnt by owners of shopping centres in Latin America may help other investors with their management strategies in other centres globally. Social implications: Shopping is all about behaviour and social interaction. Vibrant centres encourage the community to use the centre as a focal point. Originality/value: The value is to suggest strategies to help the shopping centre sector adapt, re-engineer change and thrive through challenging times. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Opening industry data: The private sector's role in addressing societal challenges

This commentary explores the potential of private companies to advance scientific progress and solve social challenges through opening and sharing their data. Open data can accelerate scientific discoveries, foster collaboration, and promote long-term business success. However, concerns regarding data privacy and security can hinder data sharing. Companies have options to mitigate the challenges through developing data governance mechanisms, collaborating with stakeholders, communicating the benefits, and creating incentives for data sharing, among others. Ultimately, open data has immense potential to drive positive social impact and business value, and companies can explore solutions for their specific circumstances and tailor them to their specific needs.

Social distancing causing crises: learning from workforce adaptation by e-tailers

PurposeThis study explores workforce related adaptation by e-tailers during social distancing causing crises (SDCC) and provides a conceptual framework.Design/methodology/approachA grounded theory based approach has been used wherein about 120 news articles were analyzed to understand the real-world measures taken. 50 journal papers were also referred to. A typical qualitative methodology, including open, and axial was used.FindingsIn the early stages, panic buying emerged as the key disrupting factor which necessitated staff shortage management. In the long term, e-tailers can adapt to prevent reverse worker migration and modify their hiring and training processes.Research limitations/implicationsThis study synthesizes knowledge on workforce-related adaptation by e-tailers and offers considerable potential for future research as well as the development of case studies and consulting services for the industry. Two research propositions are offered that can guide hypothesis generation and further studies can be conducted in sectors other than retail also.Practical implicationsThis study puts forward propositions based on theoretical dimensions for managers adapting to workforce-related problems during SDCC. The pandemic has led to vast unemployment and the shutting down of a number of businesses across the globe due to economic downfall. Hence, this study has economic and social implications.Originality/valueThis study is unique as it is one of the few that delves into e-tailers' workforce- related adaptation as SDCC evolves and contributes to a body of literature which is scarce.

Exploring CBD Retail Performance, Recovery and Resilience of a Smart City Following COVID-19

The city of Christchurch, New Zealand, incurred significant damage due to a series of earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. The city had, by the late 2010s, regained economic and social normalcy after a sustained period of rebuilding and economic recovery. Through the concerted rebuilding effort, a modern central business district (CBD) with redesigned infrastructure and amenities was developed. The Christchurch rebuild was underpinned by a commitment of urban planners to an open and connected city, including the use of innovative technologies to gather, use and share data. As was the case elsewhere, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about significant disruptions to social and economic life in Christchurch. Border closures, lockdowns, trading limitations and other restrictions on movement led to changes in traditional consumer behaviors and affected the retail sector's resilience. In this study, we used CBD pedestrian traffic data gathered from various locations to predict changes in retail spending and identify recovery implications through the lens of retail resilience. We found that the COVID-19 pandemic and its related lockdowns have driven a substantive change in the behavioral patterns of city users. The implications for resilient retail, sustainable policy and further research are explored. © 2023 by the authors.

Purchase Motives of Retail Consumers Nanostores: Evidence from Indonesia: Acces la Success

Many researchers have studied purchasing motives at retail hypermarkets and modern retail scales. However, it is still rarely found in micro or nano-scale retail stores though nanostores are much higher, especially in developing countries. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the factors that motivate someone to buy goods at the nanostore. The research was done using the explanatory survey method. The number of samples is 210 respondents. The data were process using confirmatory factor analysis. The research location is in a big city in Indonesia, namely Bandung City. This city is a city of tourism and trade. The results of the study prove that 12 factors determine consumer motives for shopping at nanostores. These 12 factors are grouped into three: product attributes, self-orientation, and service guarantees. Although this study was conducted on consumer nanostores, the study results contribute to marketing theory, where service assurance is an important part of consumers' purchase motives. This study shows the retailers must understand consumers' buying motives and use the results of this study to increase sales turnover. The results of this study, when used by retail entrepreneurs, are predicted to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Service guarantees are the main attraction for consumers to shop at nanostores and this is a new thing in the concept of purchasing motives. For the future, it is recommended to continue the study of purchase motives in modern countries. The concept of service guarantee needs to be researched to find out whether service guarantee can increase the loyalty of large, medium, and nanostore retail consumers.

A NEW FLOW-BASED MODEL OF END-TO-END INTEGRATION IN PREMIUM PRODUCT SUPPLY CHAINS

Gedryf deur die totale koste van eienaarskap, handel en tegnologiemededinging tussen die Verenigde State van Amerika en China, en die COVID-19-pandemie, ondergaan wereldwye voorsieningskettings 'n groot herstrukturering wat binnekort die besigheid en ekonomie oor die hele wereld sal transformeer. Onlangs het voorsieningskettings met end-totend-integrasie vir premium landbouvoedselprodukte as 'n nuwe sakemodel na vore gekom. Hierdie artikel ondersoek hoe hulle moet funksioneer, en identifiseer die voorsieningskettingstruktuur / - produksie / - besigheids toestande wat nodig is vir hul ontwikkeling. Ons bestudeer 'n premium voorsieningsketting wat bestaan uit baie klein plase wat piesangs van topgehalte produseer, een integreerfirma en duisende kleinhandelwinkels. Ons gebruik industrie- en besigheidsdata om 'n meervoudige roete-vloei-gebaseerde model te kalibreer van plase tot integreerder tot kleinhandelaars/markte. Ons gebruik dan sensitiwiteitsanalise om die belanghebbendes se besluitgedrag te analiseer, en identifiseer en bespreek drie hoofbesluitkwessies: kontrakboerdery, kapasiteitstrategie en besigheidsrobuustheid. Vir kontrakspesifikasie is kontraktering op prys, eerder as hoeveelheid, bevorderlik om die belange van die belanghebbendes te koördineer. Vir die kapasiteitstrategie moet die integreerder rou produkte van baie klein plase verkry eerder as minder groot plase. Vir besigheid se robuustheid kan die integreerder steeds robuuste winste verseker deur sy produkaanbod te reguleer wanneer nuwe mededingers ontstaan of vraag verander. Hierdie resultate word onder verskeie scenario's getoets om die impak van insetparameters of voorsieningskettingstruktuur te bepaal, en word geverifieer met 'n bedryfspraktisyn wat ondervinding het met veelvuldige premium agri-voedselprodukte. Die resultate, tesame met die vloeimodel en sy berekeningsprosedure, kan deur voorsieningskettingbeplanners gebruik word om nuwe besighede te begin of om kleinhandelaars se premium produkaanbiedinge in mededingende besigheidsomgewings te onderskei.Alternate :Driven by the total cost of ownership, US-China trade and technology competition, and the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chains are undergoing a major restructuring that will soon transform business and economics all over the world. Recently, supply chains with end-to-end integration for premium agri-food products have emerged as a new business model. This paper examines how they should function, and identifies the supply chain structure/production/business conditions necessary for their development. We study a premium supply chain consisting of many small farms that produce top-quality bananas, one integrator firm, and thousands of retail stores. We use industry and business data to calibrate a multiple-route flow-based model from farms to integrator to retailers/markets. We then use sensitivity analysis to illuminate the stakeholders' decision behaviour, and identify and discuss three main decision issues: contract farming, capacity strategy, and business robustness. For contract specification, contracting on price rather than quantity is conducive to coordinating the interests of the stakeholders. For the capacity strategy, the integrator should source raw products from many small farms rather than fewer large farms. For business robustness, the integrator could still ensure robust profits by regulating its product supply when new competitors arise or demand changes. These results are tested under various scenarios to determine the impact of input parameters or supply chain structure, and are verified with an industry practitioner who has experience with multiple premium agri-food products. The results, along with the flow model and its computation procedure, could be used by supply chain planners to start new businesses or to differentiate retailers' premium product offerings in competitive business environments.

Comparison of Antibiotic Resistance Profiles of Salmonella Isolates from Retail Meats in Nanchang, China, in Two Periods.

Salmonella is one of the most important foodborne pathogens. In this article, a total of 160 Salmonella isolates recovered from retail meats in June-July 2018 (before COVID-19 outbreak) and December 2020-April 2021 (after COVID-19 outbreak) in Nanchang, China, were characterized for serotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility, and specific resistance gene screening. The prevalence of Salmonella Typhimurium increased from 5.4% in 2018 to 19.1% in 2021, and Salmonella Enteritidis increased from 3.3% in 2018 to 8.8% in 2021. Compared with those in June-July 2018, Salmonella isolates in December 2020-April 2021 demonstrated a significant increase in resistance to 13 tested antibiotics except for doxycycline and nitrofurantoin (p < 0.05). The Salmonella isolates in December 2020-April 2021 showed a higher presence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes (qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS), and mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining region (gyrA Asp87Asn, gyrA Asp87Tyr, parC Thr57Ser, and parC Ser80Ile). Whole-genome sequencing was used to analyze four polymyxin B-resistant strains. Some common mutation sites in eptC and micA were found in the four strains. Based on the data in this article, it indicated that antibiotic resistance was facilitated and more gene mutations related to quinolone resistance were developed.

Uncovering Retail Trading in Bitcoin: The Impact of COVID-19 Stimulus Checks

In April 2020, the U.S. government sent economic impact payments (EIPs) directly to households as part of its measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic. We characterize these stimulus checks as a wealth shock for households and examine their effect on retail trading in Bitcoin. We find a significant increase in Bitcoin buy trades of size $1,200, which is the modal EIP amount. We find similar increases in trading for other countries that paid out stimulus checks. We estimate that the EIPs have a significant impact on the U.S. dollar-Bitcoin trading pair, increasing buy volume by 3.8% and the price by 0.6%. We also find that demand for Bitcoin is highly price inelastic compared with the demand for stocks. We suggest the demographic characteristics that make people more resilient to the COVID19 economic shock-single, computer literate, and educated-are also characteristics of people who are more interested in Bitcoin.

Analysis of retail sector research evolution and trends during COVID-19.

The purpose of this study is to analysis the evolution of the retail sector during the COVID-19 period and to identify future research issues. Scopus databases were searched for articles published in English between 2020 and 2022 to discover current trends and concerns in the retail industry. A total of 1071 empirical and nonempirical studies were compiled as a result of the evaluation process. During the study period, the number of articles published in scientific journals increased exponentially, indicating that the research topic is still in the developmental phase. It also highlights the most important research trends, allowing numerous new research lines to be proposed via visual mapping of Thematic Maps. This study makes an important contribution to the field of the retail sector, providing a comprehensive overview of the field's evolution and current status, as well as a comprehensive, synthesized, and organized summary of the various perspectives, definitions, and trends in the field.

Retailing during the COVID-19 lifecycle: a bibliometric study

PurposeCOVID-19 disrupted the lives of consumers across the globe, and the retail sector has been one of the hardest hits. The impact of COVID-19 on consumers' retail choice behaviour and retailers' responses has been studied in detail through multiple lenses. Now that the effect of COVID-19 is abating, there is a need to consolidate the learnings during the lifecycle of COVID-19 and set the agenda for research post-COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachScopus database was searched to cull out academic papers published between March 2020 and June 6, 2022, using keywords;shopping behaviour, retailing, consumer behaviour, and retail channel choice along with COVID-19 (171 journals, 357 articles). Bibliometric analysis followed by selective content analysis was conducted.FindingsCOVID-19 was a black swan event that impacted consumers' psychology, leading to reversible and irreversible changes in retail consumer behaviour worldwide. Research on changes in consumer behaviour and consumption patterns has been mapped to the different stages of the COVID-19 lifecycle. Relevant research questions and potential theoretical lenses have been proposed for further studies.Originality/valueThis paper collates, classifies and organizes the extant research in retail from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies three retail consumption themes: short-term, long-term reversible and long-term irreversible changes. Research agenda related to the retailer and consumer behaviour is identified;for each of the three categories, facilitating the extraction of pertinent research questions for post-COVID-19 studies.

Is it worth investing in an online fashion pop-up store?

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has also challenged fashion brands to offer (potential) customers new and exciting online brand experiences and buying options. This study compared the effectiveness of two types of online fashion stores: an online pop-up store versus the same brand's web store, for a luxury brand (Louis Vuitton) and a mass-selling fashion brand (Nike). The effectiveness of the stores was measured by means of the following constructs: perceived brand experiences, social media buzz intentions, and buying intentions. Based on previous research on personality traits of fashion pop-up store visitors, we hypothesized that online pop-up stores would be more effective for customers with a high level of need for uniqueness (NFU). A sample of 212 female customers participated in our online experiment that had a between subjects-design. The results showed that customers who score relatively high on NFU are significantly more likely to buy from an online pop-up store. These customers also have superior brand experiences, and are more likely to share their experiences on social media, regardless of brand type. Overall, the results indicate that an online fashion pop-up store is significantly worth considering, especially for female customers who are looking for uniqueness.

Retail Crime - A Perfect Storm

In recent years there has been a noticeable increase in crime and theft aimed at retail establishments. Often these events involve organised groups that systematically steal and sell in-demand items. More recently, there has also been an increase in crowd or mob-based looting events, presenting merchants with overwhelming circumstances outside of their ability to control. This study examines various influences that contribute to this dilemma. Factors commonly believed to contribute to theft and looting that are discussed include adjustments made in criminal charging and prosecution of retail thefts, current public events focusing on police violence, prosecutorial reforms, and the impact of COVID-19 on law enforcement responses.