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Confined to samples of middle‐class consumers in the PRC (1981) and Thailand (1974) this comparative study included questions concerning awareness, attitudes and experiences of PRC Chinese, Thai‐Chinese and Thais in the area of perceived risk and search for and satisfaction with product information. A major finding is that in these regards the Thai‐Chinese are clearly closer to the Thai than to the Chinese consumers.

Makes an attempt to compare the consumer market ecosystems of the less developed countries (LDC) and the more developed countries (MDC). Says that a so little research and analysis has been done of LDC markets from the consumers' perspective it is logical to set the stage for comparison using the Thai marketplace based on the study. Considers the problems and risks involved in LDC areas affecting both buyers and sellers. Examines in great detail the market system involving the largest and smallest types of Thai transactions in city and village areas. Gives out in great detail all the information within the available parameters and tabulates this is great style. Concludes that the observation of the LDC market systems were used even though these were not always of good repute.

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:

The world's most populous nation has taken on the mission of a giant laboratory in political economy. This “thoughtpiece” describes the recent economic experiments in China, and analyses current and potential developments as approximating a society of market socialism, a hybrid variety of socio‐economic system never truly tested anywhere else. Some of the issues confronting such a society are raised. Implications to Western companies interested in doing business in the markets of the PRC are also briefly discussed.

The relative importance of country of origin, product warranty, and retail store image on consumers′ product quality perception, overall attitude toward the product, and purchase intentions is investigated. A 2x2x2 full factorial design with two levels (high and low) of country of origin, warranty and retail store image is utilised. ANOVA results show that country of origin and warranty cues have significant impacts on the three dependent measures. The interaction effects of all three independent variables are significant for the quality perception and overall attitude towards the product but are not significant for the purchase intentions. In addition excellent warranty terms combined with store reputation has a greater impact on the dependent variables than the country‐of‐origin cue. Managerial implications of the research findings are discussed.

Examines and reviews the roles of the principal types of consumer information services – these are: those which offer comparative testing; labelling; and quality certification in the interests of consumers. Proposes that the purpose here is to analyse points of intersect and interaction between the three types of consumer information programmes and to discuss the extent to which they may lend themselves to integration within an overall consumer information system. Sums up that consumer information programmes themselves thrive in systems where there is a perpetual interplay of competition and co‐operation, independence and co‐ordination.

The attitudes and perceptions of New Zealanders toward current consumerism issues are outlined and compared with four other countries. Many of the opinions expressed are critical of the existing practices of business and appear to be common in the other four countries. The theory of consumer product life cycle suggesting the development of national consumer movements was not supported by the data obtained in New Zealand.

The proposed approach to international segmentation capitalises on the inherent similarities across groups of consumers in different countries. By making the customers and not countries the basis of a firm's international marketing strategy, this approach not only facilitates increased consumer orientation, but also offers the potential to optimise the profits of a multinational firm at a global level.

Drawing on the resource-based view, this study examines the effect of distribution adaptation on export performance. The study also examines the moderating role of responsiveness and commitment. Two distinct factors for commitment (i.e. managerial export commitment and financial export commitment) and two distinct factors for responsiveness (i.e. export customer responsiveness and export competitor responsiveness) are considered as moderators in the relationship between distribution adaptation and export performance.

Using a Spanish governmental database of exporting firms, this study collected data from 208 firms to run the analysis.

The results indicate that distribution adaptation has a positive impact on export performance. Findings also support the moderating roles of the two types of commitment and the two types of responsiveness. Managerial export commitment positively moderates the relationship, whereas financial export commitment plays a negative moderating role. Both export customer responsiveness and export competitor responsiveness have a positive moderating impact.

To consider distribution adaptation as a distinct variable rather than mixing it with other elements of the marketing mix. This distinction facilitates a clearer comprehension of its unique contribution to export performance. Two distinct factors for commitment and two distinct factors for responsiveness are considered. This approach offers a more detailed analysis of how the different aspects of commitment and responsiveness moderate this relationship.

Crises threaten the operations of small businesses and endanger their survival; however, when the crisis is not attributable to the firm, consumers may rally around the business. This study aims to examine how attitudes toward helping others can create support for small businesses, which in turn can direct consumers to help businesses with increased financial support. It is hoped that this paper will inform how consumers will help firms pivot during crises.

A conceptual model was proposed which linked support for helping others to increased willingness to tip/amount tipped. The model was tested using structural equation modeling from two surveys given to customers of two small businesses, a coffee shop and an independent movie theater, respectively.

During a crisis, support for helping others has a positive impact on feelings of support for small businesses. Consumers direct their support to small businesses that they are interested in seeing survive and continue operations. They either tip more or tip when they otherwise would not have tipped.

Firms that pivot their operations because of a crisis imposed on them can still generate revenues. Consumers who have a self-interest in the continuing operations of the firm want to support it, and by pivoting their business model, the firm gives consumers the opportunity to give the firm and its employees more than they would have in the form of tips.

Prior work in crisis management has focused primarily on how firms recover and respond to a crisis of their doing. Overwhelmingly, consumers have been shown to punish firms during times of crisis. However, for a crisis that is imposed on the firm, consumers may rally behind the firm and respond by supporting it more than they are required to.