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This is a very special issue of the International Marketing Review. It is, in effect, a sampler of the symposium on comparative research held under the auspices of Division 23, Consumer Psychology, of the American Psychological Association and the College of Business Administration of the University of Hawaii in Honolulu December 1984. The purpose of the issue is to emphasize five points, namely that:

Advertisers of the leading brands of consumer goods were surveyed in Great Britain, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and West Germany. The study found that Northern European advertisers generally follow worldwide patterns in their practices of budgeting, timing, creative approaches and measures of effectiveness. However, there were two major differences, namely: allocation of the budget by media, and agency compensation. Due to the absence of major commercial broadcast media, less money is spent on TV and radio advertising. This results in a more frequent use of the fee‐for‐service form of payment and less commissions from the media to compensate advertising agencies.

The Lüscher colour test is used to compare colour associations in China, South Korea, Japan and the United States. Respondents were asked which colour they associate with words such as expensive, happy, love and dependable. They were also asked to relate the colours to countries, such as Italy and France; institutions, such as restaurants and theatres; and product packages, such as a soft drink label and a box of headache remedy. The findings show that, while some colours seem to show cross‐cultural consistency, other colours, such as purple and grey, hold opposite meanings in different cultures.

Twenty‐eight importers from the five “dragons” in Asia (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong) were interviewed about their problems in doing business with American manufacturers, and their suggestions for increasing future imports from the United States. Findings are presented in a marketing framework: product, price, distribution, promotion, regulations and interactions. Overall, American firms were perceived to apply the selling concept, to use short‐term planning, and to provide little support to their Asian agents. By contrast, Japanese and European firms used the marketing concept, did long‐range planning, and provided substantially more promotional assistance.

Twenty‐nine per cent of US exporters to the Asia‐Pacific region reported that their exclusive/sole agents were experiencing problems with parallel imports. Nearly 41 per cent of the US exporters surveyed had experienced parallel distribution problems in the past. Exporters to the Asia‐Pacific region judged the relative merit of eleven strategies to combat parallel distribution. The strategy perceived to be most effective was to refuse orders from non‐appointed agents. Four strategies were perceived to be somewhat effective: namely, price reductions, special promotional allowances, recognition of warranties only on products sold by the appointed agent, and specially labelled products.

Looks at consumer research in Greater China including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Maps out the contributions within this area and guides future research. Examines the state of the art over the 1979‐97 period, with particular emphasis on the topics that have been researched, the extent of the theory development in the field and the methodologies used in conducting research. Uses content analysis to review 75 relevant articles. Suggests that, while a considerable breadth of topics have been researched, there remains much to be done, there is further room for theoretical development in Chinese consumer behaviour studies; and the methodologies used need improvement and further refinement.

Examines the recent research on advertising in mainland China over the 1979‐1998 period. Suggests that findings show a sustained effort in academic research/publications on advertising in China is in the early stage of its development and whilst many areas have been researched, there are many more yet to be touched. Concludes that the research is seldom based on established theoretical or conceptual framework and the research methods and types of analysis used have not been very advanced when compared to general advertising research.

Self‐service food stores are a new emerging form of retail technology in Saudi Arabia. By focusing on relevant institutional, planning and operational dimensions, this exploratory study describes and analyses the process by which this form of food retailing was adopted. Data were collected from 96 stores located in three metropolitan areas of the Kingdom, and the results suggest that the sudden proliferation of these stores during the past decade was characterised by the lack of rational planning, short‐term decision making orientation, and limited concern for promotional activities. The analysis of the 62 study variables indicated that differences in store size exerted limited influence on store marketing activities and had a moderate effect on store planning and institutional dimensions.

Considers how non‐Thais can negotiate successfully withe business and government executives in Thailand. Gives an overview of Thailand’s geography, climate, population, religion and business practice. Discusses important aspects of the social‐cultural environment that have a significant effect on the way Thai’s negotiate. Includes further tips regarding body language, entertainment protocol, how to dress, and favourite negotiating tactics by buyers and sellers. Provides conclusions and directions for further research.

Reports on a study of the relative importance of 17 import decision variables as rated by Japanese import managers. A systematic sample of 52 managers representing different companies in Japan participated. The Japanese findings were compared with the US data from an earlier study by the author. Japanese importers rated product quality as the most important variable when importing products from overseas followed by timely delivery, price, and dependability of long‐term supply. The US importers, by contrast, were not as concerned with product quality but they rated timely delivery, price, long‐term supply dependability variables as high as their Japanese counterparts. Product safety was also of major concern to the Japanese importers (ranked 5th) but it ranked last (17th) in importance to US importers. Importing is equally important with exporting in international trade. Yet, the import purchasing study has received little attention. Further studies of a comparative nature in this field will serve to develop a theory of import purchasing behaviour.