Guest editorial

Citation

Parsons, A.G. (2010), "Guest editorial", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 38 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijrdm.2010.08938haa.001

Guest editorial

Article Type: Guest editorial From: International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Volume 38, Issue 8

It is our pleasure to present this special issue on Retailing Down-Under; research on retail issues in Australia and New Zealand. We have written this editorial in the lead up to Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) Day which commemorates that awful time nearly a century ago when two nations in their infancy forged a common bond amidst the horror of a world war. Since that time our two nations have continued to grow in a relationship often compared to that of a big brother and a little brother, and our retail businesses have reflected that unique connection. We compete with our retailers, we share our retailers, and sometimes we argue over who owns our retailers, just like any siblings. We are different, yet we are the same, but above all we are our own brand; we have a retail sector dominated by locally owned and operated businesses, many of whom have reached out to take on the world. While our focus has been on showcasing studies about our region, the research we have selected for this special issue is pertinent to retailers and academics from around the globe. With a combined population less than half that of the UK, but a land area nearly 33 times the size, Australia and New Zealand retailers face unique challenges in a marketplace that is increasingly global yet demanding local solutions, and academics in our two countries strive to meet these in partnership with industry.

Indeed, our first paper looks at how retailers respond to a major economic downturn which is a situation most nations find themselves in today. Sean Sands and Carla Ferraro from Monash University have looked at managerial responses and expectations in both Australia and New Zealand. Their finding that many retail businesses are looking to use the downturn as an opportunity to reposition themselves in a more sustainable and eco-friendly manner correlates well with the international image of both nations. It is also a time to reconsider the global impact of retail activities given the recent attention given to issues such as food miles, and the carbon footprint associated with modern retailing practices.

Our second paper continues the international theme by comparing Australian shoppers with American shoppers. Marilyn Y. Jones and her colleagues Sonia Vilches-Montero and Mark T. Spence from Bond University, and Sevgin A. Eroglu, Georgia State University, and Karen A. Machleit, University of Cincinnati, have undertaken a bi-cultural analysis of perceived shopping experiences. Their discussion of spatial crowding, hedonic and utilitarian shopping values, and shopper satisfaction is equally valid through the rest of the world as it is down-under, with the cultural disparities highlighting the need for retailers in any region to consider the peculiarities of their own shoppers.

The third paper considers an issue from a local perspective that is likely to be replicated throughout western shopping. Jane Roberts, Bill Merrilees, Carmel Herington and Dale Miller, all from Griffith University, have examined the relationship between shopping centre management and retailers, using trust as a framework for this study. Australia and New Zealand have a significant proportion of their urban shopping located in shopping centres (malls), and one of the world’s largest shopping centre operators, Westfield, hails from Australia. Most chain stores in both countries have a major presence in malls and shopping centres have become the de facto town centres in many areas. Retailers throughout Australia and New Zealand either work with or compete with shopping centres on a daily basis. The authors’ findings around empowerment, restraint of power and responsiveness are further contextualised by comparing regional centres with neighbourhood centres.

In the next paper, Gurvinder S. Shergill and Yuli Rosmala from Massey University, along with Andrew G. Parsons from Auckland University of Technology, take the tension between local views and a global marketplace and consider how ethnocentric tendencies affect young New Zealand shoppers’ perceptions of local and international retail brands. New Zealand is a very diverse, multicultural society, particularly in Auckland where the study was conducted. There is a broad mix of European, Maori, Pacific Islander, and Asian peoples with significant populations from Africa and South America also present, creating a real challenge to retailers. Perhaps, as a hangover from the days before deregulation when foreign products were excessively expensive, young shoppers have a perception that foreign brands are generally more expensive than local, and while there is an aspirational aspect giving rise to a liking of foreign brands, young New Zealand shoppers identify more closely with local brands which presents a further challenge for retailers wanting to market foreign brands.

Despite the relatively short existence of both nations, Australian and New Zealand retail has had a varied and complex history. Ann-Marie Kennedy from Auckland University of Technology takes us on a journey through the history of New Zealand shop trading hours. In doing so she explores the rationale behind Sunday trading, and compares the New Zealand experience with that of the USA and the UK. The trading situation in New Zealand is rare compared with the rest of the world, with only limited restrictions placed on trading hours (Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas day and the morning of ANZAC Day), and it is intriguing to see the combination of social and economic factors which have come together over time to foster an unusual approach to retail opening times.

The final paper in this special issue looks at the hedonic shopping experience of New Zealand customers. Paul W. Ballantine and Richard Jack from the University of Canterbury, and Andrew G. Parsons from Auckland University of Technology examine shopper perceptions of atmospheric cues in retail stores with either a hedonic or utilitarian focus. Given recent advances in the concept of experiential retailing, this paper sheds light on how consumers develop a holistic interpretation of atmospheric cues, that has currency for all retailers (irrespective of which part of the world they are from) in helping to understand the important facets of creating a hedonic retail experience.

We would like to express our thanks to the previous editor, Professor John Fernie, who in true down-under spirit agreed to this special issue over a pint at his local pub. Our thanks also to the current editor Professor Neil Towers and the publishing editor from Emerald, Richard Whitfield. These gentlemen graciously walked two novice editors through the process, at the same time coping with questions asked with a 12-hour time difference from the other side of the world. Finally, our thanks to all the authors who submitted papers and the wonderful reviewers who provided constructive comments in such a timely manner. We hope everyone enjoys reading about Retailing Down-Under.

Andrew G. Parsons and Paul W. BallantineGuest Editors