Browsing by Subject "Retail"
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Item Branding consent: the role of employer brand in retail labor process control.(2011-01) Smith, Deborah A.This study uses the case of retail work at a high-line branded home furnishings store to examine how employer brand operates in retail labor control. Specifically, the study examines how gender and class as meshed are exploited by the organization for control, and how worker consent to exploitation allows for positive self-feeling linked to positive class and gender identity. Drawing on ethnographic research, I argue that workers buy into the organization's gendered class directives demonstrated through the brand because it allows them to construct enhanced (gendered) class identities. Workers produce, consume, and realize symbolic status in their work, in turn feeling elevated in class, but this feeling is only sustained by continuing the work. I present this as a strong system of labor control, observing that status hits delivered by customers and managers are followed by worker efforts to reverse that damage. I also suggest the system is not seamless, showing how work contradictions are linked to worker resistance, and resistance is linked to workers' class and gender identifications. Introducing the concept of identity labor, I indicate a distinctive labor type associated with the branded labor process wherein enactment of employer brand meanings is part of work.Item Conceptualizing the Needs of Gender Variant Consumers(2018-08) Pettys-Baker, RobertGender variant people are a segment of consumers that are underrecognized in both the academic literature and the retail environment. As people who defy the gender norms held by western society, they have unique attributes that set themselves apart from their cisgender consumers. Therefore, the interest of this research was to start examining these consumers, and make suggestions for where to go from here for both academics and retailers alike. Utilizing a qualitative methodology, a survey was distributed to non-cis individuals asking them about their shopping experiences and various aspects related to same. From this population, five interviews were conducted to better illuminate the findings of the survey. In the end, a diverse sample of non-cis identities were represented, and demonstrated clear needs that aren’t being addressed, including unique problems and those shared by their cisgender peers. In looking through the data, five key themes came to the forefront: A Sense of Belonging, Something for Every Body, Rethinking In-Store Design, Welcome and Affirm Don’t Pander, and Interaction Anxiety. From these themes it became evident that gender variant consumers are disconnected from the current retail landscape for many reasons. They do not find products suited to their needs or body shape, and must compromise on fit in order to buy the clothing that expresses their individuality. Interactions with others while shopping comes with a sense of danger because of the worry of confrontation by transphobic appeal. This leads consumers to occasionally shop at odd hours and avoid others in store. Overall, the findings point to a need for the participants to feel like they belong in retail spaces, with clear signs that a store has their interests in mind. Being able to see themselves in a product, whether through representation in advertisements or non-cis mannequins, was important to some because of this. However, the concern over true support vs. cash-grab pandering was an issue mentioned by some. So, those looking to appeal to this market should keep that in mind. However, given the lack of research on this population, the reason as to why these themes came to the forefront could only be hypothesized. Acknowledging this, future work is discussed at length to give others a sense of how they might contribute to addressing the lack of non-cis inclusion in both academic and retail spaces.Item Consumer Motives to Guide Omnichannel Apparel Shopping in a Post-Pandemic Environment: A Qualitative Study of College Students(2023-05) Korzenowski, AnastasiaDigitalization in the retail industry is a trend that has been growing for many years, and the COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated its growth, creating a more diverse landscape for the retail industry. Omnichannel shopping is more relevant now than ever and there are still many questions facing the retail landscape as this new form of shopping is being utilized more heavily and as the aftermath of the pandemic is still being understood. This research aims to evaluate former consumer shopping motive frameworks to determine their relevancy in the new retail setting, while also attempting to better identify what guides the consumer’s choice in selecting their method of apparel shopping (in-store vs. online). To investigate this, frequent online and in-person shoppers from college students were interviewed to collect qualitative data to understand their shopping process, preferences, and motives. Results demonstrated the motives guiding both in-store and online shopping experiences include personal, ethical, risk-free, social, convenience, and low-cost sub-motives. Additionally, it was found that personal and ethical sub-motives drive in-store shopping, online shopping is attracted through convenience and low-cost sub-motives, and risk-free and social sub-motives can promote both online and in-store shopping. Using this information to implement new retail strategies assist in catering the in-person and online experiences to the wants and motives of the consumer, assisting in restoring balance to the omnichannel setting.Item Cutthroat or cartel? an analysis of price competition in farmers markets.(2012-05) Horwich, Jeffrey LloydWhile the civic and nutritional implications of farmers markets have captured researchers' attention, few have focused on how the "markets" in farmers markets actually work. This paper opens a crucial but largely unexplored field of economic inquiry: how are the prices consumers pay at the farmers market determined? An original dataset of farmers market prices, gathered across five cities over a full calendar year, allows a quantitative look at two specific questions: first, how do prices move as more vendors enter and compete to sell a product? Second, what relation do farmers market prices have to prices in conventional grocery outlets? Using a set of simple regressions and a novel meta-analysis technique, I find meaningful and statistically significant relationships between vendor numbers and price for some products, but not for others. More perishable products seem to display the effect much more powerfully, a result which agrees with theory on search costs and product differentiation. Another important finding is that even where median prices do not decline with vendor count, minimum prices often do, suggesting the diligent consumer can benefit. I also find evidence of price collusion in some markets and products. Finally, I find no discernible, consistent relationship between farmers market prices and supermarket prices. In addition to better informing consumers, these results suggest that policy-makers who wish to expand farmers markets as an option for the general public - and especially lower-income shoppers - have some options for fostering a more competitive environment. But even at the farmers market there is no free lunch, as there are likely trade-offs between consumer welfare and economic rents we may value for local agriculture.Item Economic impact of category captaincy: an examination of assortments and prices.(2012-06) Viswanathan, MadhuItem Exploration of user satisfaction with retail self-service technologies(2014-02) James, KarenThis study examines how various features of a self-service kiosk (SSK) affected consumer satisfaction with the kiosk. Data gathered via an online survey of 84 adults provided insight into what features of retail SSK affected consumer's satisfaction with the kiosk. The Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model (Meherabian and Russell, 1974) was used as a framework to analyze the data. Multiple regression was performed to determine the predictive value of the kiosk features effect on consumer's emotional state (pleasure, arousal, dominance) and consumer's satisfaction with the kiosk. Navigation, the kiosk enclosure, ease of use, and usability was shown to have an effect on satisfaction. Pleasure was tested via the Sobel test to determine its mediating value between usability and satisfaction, and was shown to be a positive mediating variable. Implications of this study suggest retailers should focus their efforts on ease of use and software navigation of SSKs.Item Montréal’s roots: Exploring the growth of Montréal’s Indoor City(J, 2011) El-Geneidy, Ahmed; Kastelberger, Lisa; Abdelhamid, HatemIndoor pedestrian pathways are increasingly common in cities worldwide. Montréal’s Indoor City is one of the most expansive indoor pedestrian networks in the world, extending for more than 32 kilometers (19.88 miles) and covering an area of twelve square kilometers (4.6 square miles) in the city’s downtown. The benefits associated with the growth of Montréal’s indoor network are numerous, including: improved access throughout the downtown; shorter pedestrian walking distances; year-round climate protection; and increased amounts of public spaces. The research described in this paper examines the historical growth of Montréal’s Indoor City, with the aim of exploring the factors that caused its rapid growth. Specifically, changes in pedestrian access to retail space over time are modeled in a geographic information system to highlight major phases in the growth of the network. This research develops a theoretical framework, constructs a comprehensive time sequence describing the growth of the Indoor City’s pedestrian network, and interprets the results to convey the lessons learned from Montréal’s planning policies towards the Indoor City. The results of this research suggest that a series of plans and administrative policies adopted by the City of Montréal over the past 45 years have had a significant impact on the growth of the Indoor City. At the same time, it is also clear that access to retail and public transit (especially the underground metro lines), as well as a loophole in the Montréal legislative system, have had significant effects on the growth of the Indoor City.Item The Quarry: A Planning and Development History of the Northeast Minneapolis Retail Center(2008) Crockett, RichardItem When the “Model Minority” Becomes the “Perpetual Foreigner”: Racial Discrimination Against Asian Americans in Retail(2021-12) Lim, HeejinAccording to a report by Stop AAPI Hate (Yellow Horse et al., 2021), racial discrimination against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic occurred in businesses such as grocery stores, malls, and restaurants (30.1%) and most were in the forms of verbal harassment (63.7%) and shunning (16.5%). In other words, many Asian Americans experienced racial discrimination in retail environments during the pandemic. Yet, despite the negative experiences in retail, studies on the forms of racial discrimination Asian American consumers faced during the pandemic and in their everyday lives have been lacking. The purpose of this study is to close this gap and debunk the assumption that Asian Americans do not experience racial discrimination due to the “model minority” myth (Gee & Peck, 2018). Also, to highlight the experiences of Asian Americans to inform retailers about the consumer group that is increasing in numbers and buying power (Constante, 2018; Nielsen, 2020). Moreover, the researcher proposes and tests a theoretical framework that synthesizes the literature on attributional ambiguity theory, racial microaggressions, and consumer research on attribution, emotions, and behaviors. To answer research questions and test the theoretical model, one-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted, and 18 East Asian Americans participated in the interviews. Two overt racial discrimination themes emerged from the interviews: No Asians in here please, All you Asians… Seven racial microaggression themes were found: Less than, The perpetual foreigner, Carriers of the virus, Invisible, Not a target customer, Stereotyped customers, and All the same. Three attribution themes were detected: Employee’s negative attitude towards Asian Americans, Lack of contact with Asian Americans, and Ambiguous. Moreover, emotional responses were mostly other-directed (e.g., frustrated, irritated, and angry). Lastly, four behavioral response themes were discovered: Negative OCR, Direct complaint, No repatronage, and No action taken against the employee or retailer. Theoretical implications and future research are discussed for researchers and practical implications are provided for retailers and retail employees in terms of retail management.