• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.91-100
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• 2019

Purpose - The importance of customer experiences has been increasing in retail industry as wells as theme park industry. The purpose of this research is to investigate relationships among brand experience, customer perceived value and brand support behavior in theme park industry. Furthermore, we tried to examine the moderating effects of interaction with customers in the relationships between brand experience and customer perceived value. Besides, we provided some implications for not only the theme park industry but also other service industries such as retail industry. Research design, data, and methodology - The research model has nine hypotheses, and we examined them empirically in this study. Five hypotheses were about relationships among theme park brand experiences, customer perceived value, and brand support behavior. The other four hypotheses were about the moderating effects of customer interactions in the causal relationship between brand experiences and customer perceived value. A total of 167 samples who had visited the theme park were surveyed and the hypotheses were tested with the statistical package programs such as SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0. Results - The results of this study are as follows. First, it was proved that theme park visitors' sensory experience, emotional experience, and cognitive experience have significant positive effects on perceived value, although the hypothesis about the causal relationship between behavioral experience and perceived value is not supported. Second, the customer perceived value has a positive effect on brand support behavior. Third, customer interaction has a positive moderating effect between brand experiences and perceived value, except for behavioral experience. Conclusions - Based on the results of this study, there can be following significances and implications from both theoretical and practical perspectives. First, we confirmed the importance of experiential marketing in other service industries such as retail industry as well as the theme park industry. The marketing managers in these industries need to design various experience programs considering the various characteristics of experiences such as sensory, emotional, and cognitive experiences. Second, it will be necessary for the theme park managers to encourage active participation of customers, and raise the level of interaction between employees and customers.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.29-38
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• 2017

Purpose - Prior theories predict a negative correlation between stock liquidity and dividend payout propensity. We test this hypothesis by examining the sample Korean retail firms. Research design, data, and methodology - We construct four different types of stock liquidity measures and investigate how these stock liquidity variables affect dividend payout propensity by employing the logit regression model. The retail firms listed in the KOSPI and KOSDAQ markets are analyzed from 1990 to 2015. Results - Our estimation results support the liquidity hypothesis if we adopt the stock turnover rate as the stock liquidity measure, particularly for the retail firms listed in the KOSPI markets and for non-conglomerate firms. Yet, our estimation results adopting the illiquidity measure of Amihud (2002), the proportion of non-trading day, and the volume of trading do not support the liquidity hypothesis. Conclusions - Our findings provide mixed results for the validity of stock liquidity hypothesis, which enriches the existing literature. In terms of turnover rate, the stock liquidity hypothesis holds robustly. Yet, we are not able to find any empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis if we use the other three measures of stock liquidity.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.79-88
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• 2012

Purpose - The objective of this paper is to suggest that a company's CRM activities have an effect on customer loyalty in the Korean retail industry. Typically, Korean customers use large local marts with convenience in the absence of any other choice. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on the fact that customers do not break away from their preferred retail stores, either owing to their stringent loyalty (the lie loyalty) or difficulty in turning to alternative choices. Research design, data, methodology - By surveying a sample of 200 hyper-markets through a questionnaire, and excluding dubious and missing responses, I obtained 181 samples to be included in the empirical analysis. The survey was conducted for two weeks during October 2011. AMOS and SPSS18 statistical packages were used for conducting statistical analysis for this study. This paper was developed using the concept of customer equity on CRM, which is known to have a positive impact on customer loyalty through the satisfaction and switching-barrier parameters. The hypothesis of this paper is that customer equity is composed of relationship equity, value equity and brand equity, and that the relationship equity variable has positive effects on the value equity and brand equity amongst other types of customer equity. Moreover, customer equity influences customer loyalty through parameters including customer satisfaction and switching costs in the Korean retail industry. Results - According to the results of the analysis, it was confirmed that relationship value had a positive effect (+) on all variables, including the perceived QoS (Quality of Service), store brand images, economic value, and store convenience. It was also confirmed that the assumption that the perceived QoS (Quality of Service), economic value, and store convenience had a positive effect on customer satisfaction was shown to be statistically significant, with a p-value below 0.05. Only the store brand value variable had an effect on the switching-cost variable with respect to the causal sequence of the variables, including the perceived QoS, store brand value, economic value, and store convenience. The remaining variables did not seem to influence the switching-cost variable. On the other hand, another effect showed that customer satisfaction had a statistically significant influence on the switching-costs variable. Moreover, the customer satisfaction and switching-cost variables also had a statistical influence on customer loyalty. Conclusions - The CRM activities had an influence on various variables (including perceived QoS, perceived economic value, store brand value, and store convenience) pertaining to customer values. Customer satisfaction and switching-cost had some effects on customer loyalty as a parameter. This confirms that stringent loyalty exists with respect to customer loyalty in the retail industry. The fact that the variable had such a statistically significant influence on the switching-cost and store brand equity variables means that consumers react to the reputation of a brand, confidence about the store, and quality confidence. The implications of this study in the retail industry should be further extended to devise strategies for customer retention.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.113-125
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• 2023

Purpose: Support policies for small and medium-sized retailers (SMSRs) have been promoted in various ways over the past 20 years, but they are generally regarded as unsuccessful. The purpose of this study is to analyze the process and impact of policy changes, identify the reasons for the lack of success, and explore policy alternatives. Research design, data and methodology: This study explored major policies in various categories such as the retail industry, traditional markets, and Micro-Enterprises from the mid-1990s to the present. It also analyzed the short- and long-term impacts of major policies at the retail format level like SMSRs, using data from Statistics Korea's service industry survey. Results: This research found that sudden shifts in policy philosophy conflicted with the existing market structure and reduced the effectiveness of policies. It also found that policies aimed at improving competitiveness at the SMSRs-level had some effect, while polices aimed at supporting expenses at the individual store-level were difficult to achieve their intended purpose. Conclusions: The failure of the policy to support SMSRs is fundamentally due to the late response and conflicts between policies. It was also not successful due to the policy's focus on individual store-level expenses and maintaining employment rather than structural improvements of SMSRs format.

• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2007

The Italian fashion industry has achieved a remarkable success in the global market with the distinctive features of its industry structure and product quality, and such a system has been subject to many researches. Especially, the retail structure centered on small speciality retail stores rather than the industry structure of medium and small sized companies and department stores is thought to be the most noticeable distinctive feature that differentiates the Italian fashion industry from other countries. This system is thought to be a driving force behind the continuous development and innovation closely associated with the market. In result, As medium and small size companies are the center of the Italian fashion industry, advantages of small companies based on region, that is, flexibility and innovation of medium and small size companies, close cooperation between companies are utilized and it has been progressing closely with the Italian traditional culture and being modernized based on traditional technological skills.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.55-64
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• 2017

Purpose - PB products at convenience stores take up about 20% of all products, and strategies for differentiation from other companies and brand image building are very important. This study would investigate the strategy for differentiating PB products and successful brand building strategy, focusing on BGF Retail that is operating 'CU', the leader in the convenience store industry in Korea. Research design, data, and methodology - This study would attempt to make an exploratory approach to PB products limited to those in convenience stores. As a research subject, this study chose BGF Retail, the operator of CU, which is the leader in the convenience store industry in Korea and chose the case study method in order to examine the strategy for differentiating PB products in convenience stores more in depth. For this purpose, this study collected materials such as papers, newspaper articles and various reports on convenience store-related PB products and conducted an in-depth study including more practical contents through an interview with CU workers. Results - CU pursued the diversity of PB products and has had the diversity of products, more than 120 kinds. It founded a product research institute and has been in charge of the differentiation strategy from planning products to launching them. Changing the target layer of consumers to those in middle age of the 40s-50s, it succeeded in the strategy expanding the consumer class. In the long run, despite it changed the name of the company, it has built a successful image, and both revenue and operating profit have continuously grown up. Conclusions - In results, CU has reset the changing main target population, and the product research institute succeeded in the innovation of products, reflecting new trends the customers want. Through this study, the practical implications could be provided for competitors.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2023

Purpose: The high-end and variety of recently released items are driving the growth of the distribution industry, which is the purpose of private brand (PB) products. Because PB shortens the distribution process and lowers marketing expenses, such as those associated with various commercials, more people will buy PB while paying lower retail prices. The goal of this study is to make the case that PB can be positioned successfully by determining the influence and direction of each individual constituent concept on how product and store attributes (perceived price, image of retail store) affect the perceived value of PB and the legitimacy of retailers. Research design, data and methodology: The gathered data were examined using PLS-SEM using Smart PLS 3.0 in order to analyze the research model of this study. Internal consistency was verified to demonstrate the measurement model's dependability, and extensive validity analysis, discriminant validity, and analysis were performed to verify the validity. Conclusion: This researcher attempted to gather diverse understandings and viewpoints on PB trends in addition to understanding the existing state of PB products. It is meant to be a unique and successful plan in the PB Brands' marketing strategy. By understanding the brand's value proposition aspects, it is hoped to determine how PB influences brand attitudes based on the findings of this study.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.5-21
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• 2018

Purpose - This case study reviews the development history of Lotte Shopping, which has played a key role in modernizing Korea's retail industry. Research design, data, and methodology - Lotte Shopping's expansion to various channel types has been reviewed from the perspective of the resource-based view of strategy. The opening of Lotte Department Store in 1979 signaled the beginning of the modernized distribution system in Korea. Lotte Shopping expanded its business domains to various types of retail channels, such as discount stores, online shopping malls, TV home shopping, convenience stores, supermarkets, home appliances specialty stores and health & beauty stores. Results - Lotte Shopping has been able to maintain high level of customer satisfaction with leading merchandising skills. It has developed mutually beneficial relationship with the partner firms. It has also been a leading firm in implementing corporate social responsibility activities and environment-friendly management. Lotte Shopping has applied advanced information and communication technology to provide customized goods/services. Conclusions - This study summarizes the business environment and new challenges Lotte Shopping faces currently. Lotte Shopping is trying to reinforce the omni-channel strategy, which can create synergy among various distribution channels based on its core competences.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.11 no.10
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• pp.107-116
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• 2013

Purpose - Eggs are nutritionally complete and one of the most popular natural foods. Moreover, the poultry industry is one of the important food industries. However, early industrialization of the poultry industry on its own did not lead to further development compared to other livestock industries. In this study, we investigate what factors influence consumers' behavior and how consumers' understanding of retail business affects their propensity to consume. This study is different from other studies as it analyzes how the brand names of manufacturers and distribution companies affect the purchasing characteristics or actual purchase behavior of consumers in order to suggest how these manufacturers and distribution companies can increase their competitiveness. Research design, data, methodology - This study conducted a survey of 250 randomly selected egg purchasers in discount stores from January to April 2013. Consumers' purchase tendencies were calculated through frequency analysis. This result was then utilized using cluster analysis to draw a conclusion about which purchase tendency influenced consumers buying three different brands of eggs or whether this tendency really affected consumers. As a result, the outcomes of Hypotheses 2 and 3 were not clear so we drew a conclusion with our analysis of Hypothesis 1. Results - While the outcomes of Hypotheses 2 and 3 did not clearly indicate whether purchasing tendencies affected consumers when buying eggs, our analysis of Hypothesis 1 indicated that consumers were affected by the quality of the eggs rather than exterior factors such as the brand name. Thus, we concluded that it is important to promote the excellence of the quality of the eggs. Usually firms buy eggs from farms and repackage them in order to sell them. In this sense, if consumers were aware of this egg production process, and eggs were fairly distributed to retailers, large retail PB businesses would also be able to enhance their competitiveness. Conclusions - The brand, packaging, retail outlet, and other external features influenced the purchase of eggs to a certain degree, while shelf life, grade of the eggs, cleanliness, and other intrinsic characteristics had more influence. In particular, shelf life was the most important factor influencing purchase. Consumers were influenced not only by intrinsic characteristics of the eggs but also by large-scale producers' brands. Consumers relied upon the brand despite reduced competition because they found it difficult to identify shelf life and/or cleanliness. Small businesses and/or large-scale retailers can remain competitive by maintaining the freshness and cleanliness of the eggs. Further studies need to investigate areas in which consumers' cognition of the product is poor and/or the purchase inclination with regard to less developed industries such as eggs. In this study, the greatest problem was that consumers did not consume in accordance with the current situation as consumers have preferred fresh and clean eggs for a long time compared to purchase decisions based on external brands and/or packaging.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.45-50
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• 2016

Purpose - This study aimed to develop a new practical and universally applicable service quality model by improving the service quality measurement model proposed by many previous studies. Research design, data, and methodology - An in-depth analysis on what influences such service quality model had on the improvement effect of service quality, and Service Evaluation Model("SEM"), which was revised from the existing service quality measurement model, was developed. The model is divided into the two integrative categories: First, activity, that is the group of service-related activities. Next is item, the group of service-related objects. The level of service is evaluated for each category via survey questionnaire on service level evaluation. Based on the model, SEM has visibility by structuring the whole service industry. Results - For the application of the new service quality model, this study attempted to examine the appropriateness of the newly proposed service quality model by applying it to retail service field. Conclusions - As a result, the proposed service model would be a useful and applicable service quality measurement model required by many organizations. Service company can set up self check service levels. Through these results, they can look for the ways to provide better services to customers. Service users can ensure the objectivity of business plan based upon SEM.