Hans H. Stamer and Hermann Diller
This paper sets out to explore the degree to which consumer price segments can be generalized across product categories.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper sets out to explore the degree to which consumer price segments can be generalized across product categories.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive segmentation framework of price‐related activating and cognitive inner processes and preferences is proposed to account for heterogeneity in consumer response to price. Large‐scale consumer survey data on price‐related attitudes in eight consumer goods categories (paper tissue, soap bar, chocolate bar, detergent, facial moisturizer, television set, washing machine, jeans) are used for cluster analysis.
Findings
On the aggregate level, five stable price segments across consumer goods categories are identified and described. On the individual level, it is found that price behavioural consistency is a function of the category context in terms of price uncertainty and quality uncertainty.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that price management should be concerned with price segment structures and their specific price needs. Price segmentation could particularly benefit retailers in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of consumer targeting.
Originality/value
The contribution of the study is to show that identical price segments can be identified across categories, whereas the individual segment membership depends on the nature and level of perceived risk in the category.
Details
Keywords
Flavio Boccia, Letizia Alvino and Daniela Covino
Packaging and labelling have become essential to how food manufacturers generate and deliver value to customers. The information displayed on the packaging can be used to…
Abstract
Purpose
Packaging and labelling have become essential to how food manufacturers generate and deliver value to customers. The information displayed on the packaging can be used to communicate to customers the properties and unique characteristics of a food product (e.g. nutrients, calories and country of origin). To achieve communication goals effectively, manufacturers need to understand how consumers evaluate products based on their attributes. In particular, companies should be aware of which specific product attributes affect consumer buying behaviour and which product attributes are more critical during food assessment. So, the paper aims to investigate consumer's behaviuor linked to typical product attributes indicated on the packaging.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study examines consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for a cherry jam with different attributes (brand, type of production method and price) on a sample of 2,166 Italian respondents through a choice experiment using a random parameter logit-error component model.
Findings
The results showed that WTP for jams can be affected by attributes such as brand, price and production methods; precisely, they indicated that the level of naturalness in the production process constitutes the main element for the consumer’s choice; however, the considerable weight that price and brand have in influencing the purchasing behaviour of the food consumer was still confirmed: in fact, a p-value of less than 0.05 was found in all cases.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that assesses the effect of different types of production on WTP for food products. In addition, this study also reflects on the importance of the level of education for consumer choice.
Details
Keywords
Distribution research was an important field of research in Germany especially in the 1920s and 50s. After that, the major research interests in the area of marketing and internal…
Abstract
Distribution research was an important field of research in Germany especially in the 1920s and 50s. After that, the major research interests in the area of marketing and internal trade shifted to other topics. Retailing and wholesaling institutions became more powerful and new technologies supporting physical distribution activities began to attract researchers to deal with distribution problems. Distribution as treated in this synopsis covers the areas of retailing, wholesaling, industrial selling and physical distribution.
Anna Marie Johnson, Claudene Sproles, Robert Detmering and Jessica English
The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper introduces and annotates periodical articles, monographs, and audiovisual material examining library instruction and information literacy.
Findings
Information is provided about each source, and the paper discusses the characteristics of current scholarship, and describes sources that contain unique scholarly contributions and quality reproductions.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.
Details
Keywords
Alexander D.F. Lahmann, Wiebke Stranz and Vivek K. Velamuri
The purpose of this paper is to analyze specific levers of value creation in small and mid-size private equity deals. Private equity firms add value through various types of value…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze specific levers of value creation in small and mid-size private equity deals. Private equity firms add value through various types of value creation measures in their portfolio firms to achieve abnormal returns. Established literature has shown that value creation measures differ across portfolio firms due to the different development stages of the firm and different buy-out types. Despite the fact that the majority of deals belongs to the small and mid-size segment, prior studies mostly analyzed large private equity buy-outs or mixed samples.
Design/methodology/approach
To explore value generation measures in small and mid-size buy-outs, a single case study format was applied studying the carve-out of QUNDIS from Siemens Building Technologie by CAPCELLENCE as an exceptional successfully private equity deal within this segment.
Findings
The analysis shows that operational and governance improvements are common value creation measures in all buy-outs. The results suggest a lower leverage for smaller private equity deals indicating that financial engineering is less important. Furthermore, in small and mid-size deals, the strategic focus is growth contrary to downsizing and refocusing in large buy-outs.
Research limitations/implications
Results of a single case study should be generalized cautiously, as they are perceived as less robust compared to empirical methods or multiple case studies. However, this method is appropriate for explorative studies.
Originality/value
The paper is original in exploring certain value creation measures applied by private equity firms in their portfolio companies in the small and mid-size segment.