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A growing body of research suggests that exposure to natural environments has several mental health effects. This paper aims to evaluate whether countries with high-quality environments report fewer mental health disorders.

This study uses secondary data from the Legatum Centre for National Prosperity. The data set consists of data from 167 countries collected between 2007 and 2023. The authors use panel data regressions to formally investigate the impact of environmental quality on mental health outcomes.

The results suggest that overall environmental quality is positively related to mental well-being. However, the connection between environmental quality and mental health varies depending on the specific environmental and mental health factors analysed. Specifically, the authors find that air quality and the quality of blue spaces are positively associated with emotional well-being. Furthermore, death by suicide is negatively correlated with air quality and the quality of a country’s green spaces. The authors find no evidence to suggest that environmental quality impacts the prevalence of depressive disorders in a country.

In contrast to previous studies that primarily focused on individual-level analyses, the research adopts an ecological approach. In addition, this study evaluates the relationship between mental health and a wide range of environmental factors, namely, emissions, air quality, ocean health, land use, forest and soil quality, freshwater quality and preservation efforts. This research further distinguishes itself by using a large panel database to investigate the impacts of the natural environment on mental health.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the internationalisation process of small, specialist retailers with the aim of identifying the key characteristics that define this specific category of international retailer.

Qualitative case studies of nine UK‐based small international retailers, coupled with interviews with government and consultancy organisations, form the empirical basis of the work.

Findings highlight five characteristics of small specialist international retailers: possession of a strong company brand image/identity with luxury/middle market appeal; niche strategy; dual strategy of expansion; ownership characteristics defined either by the founder or parent company; and vertical integration from manufacturing to retailing.

With the increasing internationalisation of retail operations, the specialist sector comprises a significant number of retailers operating in international markets or contemplating the move into the international marketplace. The findings of the current work highlight the key factors that characterise those small specialist firms that operate outside their domestic market.

The paper identifies the key characteristics that define a significant category of international retailer, hitherto unexplored in the literature.

This paper seeks to examine the internationalisation process of small, specialist retailers with the aim of identifying the key characteristics that define this specific category of international retailer.

Qualitative case studies of nine UK‐based small international retailers, coupled with interviews with government and consultancy organisations, form the empirical basis of the work.

The findings highlight five characteristics of small specialist international retailers: possession of a strong company brand image/identity with luxury/middle market appeal; niche strategy; dual strategy of expansion; ownership characteristics defined either by the founder or parent company; and vertical integration from manufacturing to retailing.

With the increasing internationalisation of retail operations, the specialist sector comprises a significant number of retailers operating in international markets or contemplating the move into the international marketplace. The findings of the current work highlight the key factors that characterise those small specialist firms that operate outside their domestic market.

The paper identifies the key characteristics that define a significant category of international retailer, hitherto unexplored in the literature.

The purpose of this paper is to identify how small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) fashion retailers can achieve a true understanding of customer trends to close the needs to offer gap in a highly dynamic sector.

A single case study approach is adopted in light of the limited research in this area. Data collection involved a multi‐stage and multi‐methods approach over a six month period to increase the validity of findings and the triangulation of data.

The findings of this paper highlight, first, the need for formal CRM intervention; and, second, the issues involved in the implementation of a loyalty program.

In the absence of specific knowledge in this area, a framework is developed to advance both theoretical and practical understanding of how SME fashion retailers can build and manage close customer relationships in the new economy.

This paper is the result of empirical research funded by The British Academy. The overall purpose of the study is to investigate the initial barriers to internationalization experienced and perceived by small retailers based in the UK and the role of government support in addressing such obstacles.

A qualitative, multiple case research design is adopted. This involves semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with the senior manager/decision‐maker in six retail SMEs based in the UK and the analysis of company documentation and information from a range of secondary sources.

The findings from the case study data highlight internal and external barriers to internationalization relating to management: lack of vision, fear of losing control, lack of knowledge; the company: transfer of retail concept overseas, lack of resources, lack of consolidation in domestic market; and the external environment: legislation, currency, cultural differences and logistics. The findings also highlight an overall negative experience and perception of government support in assisting smaller retailers to overcome these barriers and aid expansion outside the UK.

The findings of this study provide important insight into the perceived and actual barriers encountered by retail SMEs. On one hand, the focus on SMEs provides fresh evidence to the retail internationalization literature, which has focused primarily on the barriers faced by large multinational retailers. On the other hand, the context of this study, yields new insight into research conducted in the field of SME internationalization, which has to date ignored smaller firms in the retail industry. The findings of this study also allow for recommendations to be made to both owner‐managers and government organizations.