• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2014

This study was carried out to evaluate the Salmonella cross contamination at retail chicken meat outlets in Kandy, Sri Lanka and to identify the risk factors for Salmonella contamination at retail chicken meat outlets. Fifteen retail chicken meat outlets in Kandy area were randomly selected. Pre-tested questionnaires were used to collect data for identifying risk factors of Salmonella cross contamination at retail outlets and swab samples from meat contact surfaces/utensils were obtained. Out of 57 swab samples collected from meat contact surfaces/utensils, the overall prevalence of Salmonella cross contamination was 21%. Weighing scale (33%), meat containing trays/buckets (27%) and cutting board (25%) showed the highest percentage of Salmonella prevalence whereas knife and showcase showed relatively low percentages, 14% and 9%, respectively. Retail chicken outlets with slaughtering facilities had a significantly higher prevalence of Salmonella cross contamination than those without slaughtering facilities. This higher rate of Salmonella cross contamination at retail chicken meat outlets could be attributed to lack of proper cold chains and minimal facilities, and poor level of hygiene in those outlets.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2013

According to the Global Retail Development Index (GRDI) published by A.T. Kearney (2012), India is the $5^{th}$ most attractive retail destination in the world. The retail industry in India has been largely fragmented with small businesses dominating the retail landscape, with very few large players having multiple retail outlets. However, in the last few years, the industry has witnessed a significant growth in the number of large retailers having a chain of outlets across the country. This growth in the organised retail sector has driven primarily by large Indian retail organisations and conglomerates. With the government reducing the restrictions on foreign participation in Indian retail business by increasing the FDI cap on both single and multi-brand retail outlets, the industry is likely to see an explosive growth in the organised retail sector which accounts for only 8 percent of the total industry. With more foreign retailers poised to enter into the country, one of the key issues that the industry may face is finding the right quality of manpower. Literature suggests that in an industry which is characterised by players offering similar kinds of product assortments at similar price levels, success would be governed by the quality of service, which entails employees having the right skills and attitudes for offering quality service. Therefore, the two key issues that may be of importance for retailers are levels of skills and the motivation of the employees. However, according to the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC, 2009), a significant skill gap exists in the industry, which may widen further in the years ahead, leading to greater challenges for organisations. This paper highlights some of the challenges and issues which characterise the industry in India, and suggests how companies could look at these challenges and seek ways to overcome these challenges.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to assess bacteriological hazards in the following 7 kinds of minimally processed shellfish products purchased from Korean seafood retail outlets: raw oysters stored with seawater in polyethylene bags, frozen oysters, raw mussels, frozen mussels, boiled mussels, raw short-necked clam, and frozen short-necked clams, obtained from Korean seafood retail outlets. The total coliform and Escherichia coli counts determined in all samples were detected below regulation limit of the Korean government guidelines (Food Code). In addition, the high-risk bacterial pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and E. coli O157:H7 were not detected in any samples. Low-risk pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus were detected at levels above $1.0{\times}10^2$ colony forming unit (CFU)/g in some minimally processed shellfish products. Notably, S. aureus was detected in all samples. Raw oysters stored with seawater in polyethylene bags, frozen oysters, and boiled blue mussels are commonly ingested without heating, and therefore these minimally processed shellfish products pose bacteriological hazards. The detection of S. aureus in all shellfish products, an organism indicative of poor personal hygiene, which can grow and multiply during distribution, indicates the necessity of improving the food safety of minimally processed shellfish products.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.57-74
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• 2017

The Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) is an alternative to the paper price label attached to merchandise shelves and is attracting attention as a retail IoT infrastructure that will lead the innovation of offline retail outlets. In general, when introducing a substitute product, the company tends to consider the financial factors such as the efficiency of the investment cost compared to the existing product or the reduction of the operating cost. However, considering only financial factors in the decision-making process, it may not properly reflect the various values associated with corporate strategy and the requirements of stakeholders. In this study, 8 evaluation items (Investment Cost, Operating Cost, Quality Level, Customer Management, Job Efficiency, Maintenance, Functional Expandability, and Store Image) based on BSC's 4 perspectives (Financial, Customer, Internal Business Process, Learning & Growth), and using AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) to measure the priorities of evaluation items for domestic small supermarket employees. As a result of the research, priority was given in order of Customer, Learning & Growth, Internal Business Process, and Financial aspects among the evaluation items for adopting the price label, and the electronic price label was supported with higher importance than the paper price label. In contrast to the priorities of the financial aspects of most prior studies, the items of Learning & growth and customer perspectives have relatively high priorities. In particular, respondents classified by job group, The priorities of the 8 evaluation items were different among the groups. These results are expected to provide implications for both companies (retail outlets) and ESL providers (manufacturers and service providers) who are considering the introduction of ESL.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.5-16
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• 2015

Purpose - Currently, organizations must have a plan to achieve their future objectives. In this case, an information strategy facilitates greater success when planning for the future in any organization. Research design, data, and methodology - The core objective of the project was to explore the information infrastructure of Walkbase in a discursive manner. We started the project by providing a description of the firm, which facilitates retail outlets using in-store analytical devices. Results - We conclude that the management of Walkbase revised its current information structure to implement a more structured one that might be included in a long-term investment. On such an occasion, management can prioritize the component to develop first. Conclusions - Along with our results, we also described the business, its products, its facilities, and how it can serve different industries. Finally, we left the prioritization decision within the framework's components to top management.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.122-138
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• 2017

Shopping malls in Korea have grown in size and number, and their one-stop convenience has expanded to include various retail stores, service outlets, and entertainment providers. This study closely examines the shoppers' experience in a shopping mall. Using the photo elicitation interview (PEI) method, this study aims to provide deeper understanding of the subjective perceptions and context of shopping mall users. Ten shopping mall users participated in this study. They visited a shopping mall and took photos from their points of view about the shopping experience, and later participated in a personal interview. Convenience, excitement, relaxation, and socialization are the major themes of a pleasant shopping mall experience. Crowdedness and ineffective store design are the major themes of an unpleasant shopping mall experience. Core contents of each pleasant and unpleasant theme are presented. Given the current retail environment where shopping malls are continuously expanding, understanding the behavior and perception of consumers related to shopping malls is important in designing and providing a compelling experience in shopping malls.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.575-584
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• 2021

This research aims to examine and analyze the impact of customer shifting behavior on the shopping emotion. Based on impulse buying, customers tend to behave recently based on the constructed variables of impulse buying, outlet ambience, hedonic shopping value utilitarian shopping value, and shopping emotion. This study employs samples/survey data of the population consisted of Asian women parents in Indonesia. The survey data of this research is based on observations using time series with cross-section/one-shot, which was done in 2019. The results indicate that variable outlet ambience, hedonic shopping value, and shopping emotion have a positive and significant impact on impulse buying. Whereas the utilitarian shopping value variable has a positive but not significant relationship against impulse buying. There is a positive influence between ambience outlets and utilitarian shopping value on shopping emotion. The variable hedonic shopping value has a negative and not significant relationship towards shopping emotion. The finding of this study suggests that both the retail stores and even the superstores must pay more attention to the design of outlet ambience to create the hedonic shopping value and eventually may attempt the attention of the impulse buying customers.

• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.49-62
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• 2015

The purpose of the study was to investigate jean consumption among middle-aged Korean women and the characteristics of consumers as potential jean consumers. The data were collected from the survey of 238 Korean women aged 45 to 64 years old. The respondents prefer outlet store to other retail outlets and wear jeans mainly for travel, grocery shopping, and outing. The main reason for not wearing jeans is body change, which leads to poor fit in abdomen and waist area. The sample was clustered into two groups based on interest in jeans: high-interest and low-interest group. From the examination of group differences, the high-interest group rated conformity/brand reputation, scarcity, and attractiveness of appearance significantly higher compared to the low-interest group among the five clothing benefits pursued. No difference was found in obesity and body satisfaction. Group differences were found in recent purchase, price, number of jeans owned, and frequency of wearing jeans. The results suggest the characteristics of the potential jean market among middle-aged women in Korea. Implications are discussed.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.65-73
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• 2016

Purpose - Recently, the management conditions of small independent retailers are getting worse everyday as large-scale marts and franchised convenience stores are increasing. The objective of this research is to find out the antecedents and consequences of cooperation in voluntary chain in order to enhance small independent retailer's competitiveness. Voluntary chains, also called affiliation or symbol groups, or allied group represent a high market shared in some European countries like Italy, France, and Germany. Nevertheless, there are still limitations in this research from academic fields. Drawing from network theory, the author investigates the relationship between antecedent factors in voluntary chain cooperation, such as participation benefits, justice of compensation, and autonomy in voluntary chain, and relationship specific asset. The author also attempts to examine the relationship between the relationship specific asset and cooperation of voluntary chain member shop and cooperation and consequence factors of voluntary chain cooperation, such as efficiency, group cohesiveness, and long-term relationship. Research design, data, and methodology - The author presented conceptual framework integrating the major antecedents and consequences of voluntary chain cooperation. The data were collected from 174 independent small retailers who joined K-voluntary chain. K-voluntary chain consists of small independent retailers. In accordance with their status, each entrepreneur associated with the voluntary group can own one or more outlets and can be a part of the life and the decision-making process of the group. This participation is not based on company turnover or on the number of outlets, but based on a one member, one vote system. To verify the research model and test hypotheses, the author carefully investigated the reliability, content validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the proposed model. The data were analyzed by using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS structural equation modeling program. Results - The results of this study are as follows. First, as antecedent variables, participation benefits and justice of compensation have positive effect on the relationship specific assets of voluntary chain members. Second, voluntary chain members' relationship specific asset also directly related to the level of its cooperation to chain headquarter. Third, cooperation of voluntary chain member shop facilitates efficiency, group cohesiveness, and long-term relationship. Unexpectedly, there are no effect autonomy in voluntary chain to relationship specific asset. Conclusions - This research shows several theoretical and practical implications to both marketing scholars and marketers. In terms of theoretical implications, this study applies to network theory and network theory variables to explain the antecedent and consequence factors of cooperation in voluntary chain. From the point of view from business management, most of all, this study shows the way how to reinforce competitiveness of voluntary chain. Specifically, it is necessary for voluntary chain headquarter to give higher level of participation benefit and justice of compensation to its members. Second, the results also indicate what the consequence factors of cooperation in voluntary chain. In other words, to increase the level of marketing efficiency, group cohesiveness, long-term orientation in retail voluntary chain, and chain headquarter need to facilitate participants' cooperation.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.564-579
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• 2014

Packaging of shopping bag is a 'silent salesman' which plays an important role in marketing communication due to the increase of self-service outlets and changing lifestyles of customers. Retail shopping bags, which are defined as bags provided by retailers to customer as a means of transporting merchandise, are a type of secondary packaging. This study explored the effect of a fashion product's shopping bag types in sense of shopping value, customers' response, attitude toward advertising, and purchase intention. Data was analyzed by factor analysis, frequency analysis, correlation, structural equation modeling using SPSS 18.0 and AMOS 18.0. The results of this study were as follows. Consumers' responses about shopping bags show that there are some differences between consumers who have either hedonic or utilitarian shopping value. Hedonic shopping value influences on consumers' response as unique, interesting, and attention; however utilitarian value affects prestige in addition to those four significant factors. Therefore, this study shows that consumer response is different in accordance with shopping value. Thus, using the various types of shopping bags can be influenced on effective advertising. It will also great effect on marketing activity with lower cost. The significant result from this study has proven that the shopping bag is correlates to the definition of pop art today because it can offer an opportunity to look at, play with and buy sophisticated visual stimulus. Therefore, retail and brands have to concern about shopping bag considering their decisive role in the apparel market.