Editorial

Citation

Towers, N. (2015), "Editorial", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 43 No. 12. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-10-2015-0153

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Volume 43, Issue 12.

There is an interesting retail and distribution management focus on product, consumer and brand to this issue. The topics of the submissions include trust in retail environments, new product acceptance (NPA), store and brand-level factors influence consumer usage, consumer perceptions and understanding of sustainable concepts and cognitive dissonance on product returns.

Although there is existing research investigating trust itself, there is a need for research on the concept of trust, specifically in retail environments. The first contribution by Abbes and Goudey aims to identify specific dimensions of the concept of trust with retailing and to note impactful antecedents as activators for managers to secure long-term business. They propose a multidimensional measurement scale of trust that is examined through a structural equation modelling the connections between the determinants of the concept and its various features. The research has identified two new key dimensions for trust, specific to the well-being retailing context: customer/salesperson relationship and customer/sales-environment relationship. Hence, this research primarily highlights the role of the salesperson and advice in establishing and sustaining the customer-retailer trust relationship.

The second paper by Beck and Kenning analyses whether manufacturers achieve a strategic advantage regarding NPA when choosing retailers that are perceived as family firms. Previous research shows that customers’ perception of a company is transferable to its products and thus influences NPA. Family firms, as successful company type, are supposed to positively influence NPA. Conducting an online survey, the family firm image (FFI) of a retailer’s brand influences customers’ belief in the trustworthiness of a new product brand and their purchase intention were tested. The results indicate that a strongly perceived FFI has a direct positive effect and, through perceived trustworthiness, an indirect effect on NPA. Those effects are moderated by the customers’ perceived uncertainty about the product. We show that aside from increasing trustworthiness, a retailer’s FFI creates a substantial strategic advantage that increases NPA and hence decreases manufacturers’ failure rates.

Although they are increasingly offered by mass retailers in Asia, store brands are not well understood in Asian countries. The aim of third contribution by Diallo is to investigate how store and brand-level factors affect consumer usage of store brands in an Asian emerging country. A consumer survey, based on sample of 445 respondents, was undertaken in two competing modern retail chains in Vietnam. Structural equation modelling is used to test the research hypotheses. A latent interaction variable was created to test the moderation of store familiarity. The results indicate that store brand price image, consumer attitude towards store brands and store brand perceived value influence most strongly store brand usage in Vietnam, whereas store image perceptions have no direct effect on it. Some investigated relationships differ across store formats. Overall, store familiarity has a weak direct effect on store brand usage, but its interaction effects differ depending on store format. The findings indicate that a positive store image is not sufficient to increase consumer usage of store brands in Vietnam. Retailers should be especially careful when designing retail outlets in this market, where consumers seem attached to traditions. The results also highlight the importance of taking measures to develop more positive attitudes towards store brands. Finally, store familiarity has a weak effect on store brand purchase and should therefore be monitored more carefully by retail chains operating in Vietnam.

The purpose of the fourth contribution by Ritch aimed is to explore consumer perceptions and understanding of sustainable concepts within the context of fashion consumption. Phenomenological interviews provided a platform to explore fashion sustainability and garment labels from current UK high street fashion retailers were used to stimulate discussion. The findings identify confusion of how sustainability applies to fashion, particularly for environmental issues and there was scepticism regarding higher pricing for organic cotton. However, motivation to avoid fashion produced under exploitation resulted in avoiding retailers alleged of such practice, paying more for garments and purchasing from established UK retailers. The findings illustrate that consumers are transferring sustainable principles from one context to another, and that by addressing sustainability, fashion retailers could obtain a competitive advantage. The findings also demonstrate consumers’ increased involvement with sustainability and the role expected from fashion retailers.

The distribution literature provides support for research that examines product returns from a behavioural customer perspective. The fifth submission by Powers and Jack investigates the influence of cognitive dissonance on product returns based on a survey of 308 Wal-Mart and Target customers. Structural equation modelling was used to verify and test the relationship between product dissonance, emotional dissonance, reason for product return, and frequency of product returns. The moderating role of store brand and gender on these relationships is also identified. Two reasons for product returns were examined; the customer’s expectation not being met and the customer finding a better product or price. Emotional dissonance was found to be related to both reasons for return, however product dissonance was not. Both reasons for return were found to influence the frequency of returns. It is also reported that gender, but not store brand, moderated these relationships. Males had higher levels of product dissonance and subsequent emotional dissonance than females. Males, however, did not have higher rates of return than females. The research provides new knowledge in the management of retail returns by identifying the role of cognitive dissonance in the return process, as well as how dissonance is related to specific reasons for returns. This knowledge can assist managers through an enhanced understanding of the behavioural influences on product returns and in developing methods to minimize those returns.

Neil Towers