• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1-32
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• 2011

I. Introduction: In Chinese electronics industry, the local wholesalers are still dominant but power is rapidly swifting from wholesalers to retailers because in recent foreign big retailers and local mass merchandisers are growing fast. During such transient period, conflicts among channel members emerge important issues. For example, when wholesalers who have more power exercise influence strategies to maintain status, conflicts among manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer will be intensified. Korean electronics companies in China need differentiated channel strategies by dealing with wholesalers and retailers simultaneously to sell more Korean products in competition with foreign firms. For example, Korean electronics firms should utilize 'guanxi' or relational quality to form long-term relationships with whloesalers instead of power and conflict issues. The major purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of conflict, dependency, and influence strategies between local Korean-products-selling retailers and wholesalers on performance in Chinese electronics distribution channels. In particular, this paper proposes effective distribution strategies for Korean electronics companies in China by analyzing moderating effects of 'Guanxi'. II. Literature Review and Hypotheses: The specific purposes of this study are as follows. First, causes of conflicts between local Korean-products-selling retailers and wholesalers are examined from the perspectives of goal incongruence and role ambiguity and then effects of these causes are found out on perceived conflicts of local retailers. Second, the effects of dependency of local retailers upon wholesalers are investigated on local retailers' perceived conflicts. Third, the effects of non-coercive influence strategies such as information exchange and recommendation and coercive strategies such as threats and legalistic pleas exercised by wholesalers are explored on perceived conflicts by local retailers. Fourth, the effects of level of conflicts perceived by local retailers are verified on local retailers' financial performance and satisfaction. Fifth, moderating effects of relational qualities, say, 'quanxi' between wholesalers and retailers are analyzed on the impact of wholesalers' influence strategies on retailers' performances. Finally, moderating effects of relational qualities are examined on the relationship between conflicts and performance. To accomplish above-mentioned research objectives, Figure 1 and the following research hypotheses are proposed and verified. III. Measurement and Data Analysis: To verify the proposed research model and hypotheses, data were collected from 97 retailers who are selling Korean electronic products located around Central and Southern regions in China. Covariance analysis and moderated regression analysis were employed to validate hypotheses. IV. Conclusion: The following results were drawn using structural equation modeling and hierarchical moderated regression. First, goal incongruence perceived by local retailers significantly affected conflict but role ambiguity did not. Second, consistent with conflict spiral theory, the level of conflict decreased when retailers' dependency increased toward wholesalers. Third, noncoercive influence strategies such as information exchange and recommendation implemented by wholesalers had significant effects on retailers' performance such as sales and satisfaction without conflict. On the other hand, coercive influence strategies such as threat and legalistic plea had insignificant effects on performance in spite of increasing the level of conflict. Fourth, 'guanxi', namely, relational quality between local retailers and wholesalers showed unique effects on performance. In case of noncoercive influence strategies, 'guanxi' did not play a role of moderator. Rather, relational quality and noncoercive influence strategies can serve as independent variables to enhance performance. On the other hand, when 'guanxi' was well built due to mutual trust and commitment, relational quality as a moderator can positively function to improve performance even though hostile, coercive influence strategies were implemented. Fifth, 'guanxi' significantly moderated the effects of conflict on performance. Even if conflict arises, local retailers who form solid relational quality can increase performance by dealing with dysfunctional conflict synergistically compared with low 'quanxi' retailers. In conclusion, this study verified the importance of relational quality via 'quanxi' between local retailers and wholesalers in Chinese electronic industry because relational quality could cross out the adverse effects of coercive influence strategies and conflict on performance.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.107-122
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• 2005

The purpose of this research is to find out what factors have an effect on the retailer's performance. Most of the former researches in the similar fields performed their study based on the customers reasons for revisiting or store loyalty. But this research has been done not based on the customer but based on the retailers. It means that the data was collected from individual retailer. Considering the former research and characteristics of the franchisee retailers, size of temporal population around the retailers, visibility of the retailer, competition situation, out-door promotion, street shelf, size of the retailer were selected as factors affecting on the retailers performance. As a performance variable, number of visitors happened to observation period. Data collection was performed through the observation of the retail circumstance and interview with the retailers owner. As meaningful variables affecting on the retailers performance, size of temporal population around the retailers, visibility of the retailer were found in the 5% significance level, and out-door promotion, street shelf, size of the retailer in the 10% significance level, whereas competition situation did not have effect on retailers performance. Finally, we discuss several theoretical and practical implications, and suggest limitations for the research and future research issue.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.303-312
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• 2022

Nowadays, omnichannel is a new kind of e-commerce channel. Many retailers invest in this channel to maximize customers' benefits as well as increase competitive advantage and business performance. To operate this channel effectively, the role of IT competence is very important. With the flexibility and integration of IT competence in omnichannel, retailers can optimize service quality and bring customer benefits that are outstanding in comparison with the traditional channel. Because of this significance, this research was carried out to evaluate the effects of IT competence on the business performance of retailers in Vietnam's omnichannel environment through the mediating role of customer value creation and competitive advantage. A quantitative research method is used through a survey with 200 managers working in retail companies operating omnichannel in Vietnam. After collecting data, PLS-SEM software is used to analyze the relationship among these above factors in omnichannel. The results prove that there are positive effects of IT competence on other elements in the research model. All direct and indirect effects are valuable when bootstrapping. Based on the results, some managerial implications are given to managers of retail companies using omnichannel to improve customer values and increase competitive advantage and business performance in the Vietnam context.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.136-148
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• 1998

A apparel retail buyer played an important role in the market by providing apparel products for consumers and acting as an specialist who selected the vendor and decided the apparel product assortment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among the vendor selection criteria and information sources used by retailers and the satisfaction with store performance. A questionnaire was developed based on the previous studies and pretest. Data were collected from 237 retailers for women's apparel living in Pusan. Results indicated that they didn't significantly relate among the vendor selection criteria, information sources and the satisfaction with store performance except the harmony of buying products and existing products. Only the age and the buying experience showed significance in relation to demographics of apparel retailers among the vendor selection criteria, information sources and the satisfaction with store performance. The information source affected the vendor selection criteria was the street fashion, the apparel of entertainers, the other apparel buyer, and the owner of production. The findings had implications for retailers as well as for researchers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Operations and Management Science Society Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.90-96
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• 2007

In multi-location inventory systems, lost sales due to stockout decreases not only retailers' profit but also whole supply chain's profit. Transshipment between retailers has been considered to be a major solution to the stockout problem, and many supply chains implement transshipment coalition among retailers. However, in practical situations, retailers occasionally refuses to accept the transshipment requests, mainly because they concern the future stockout possibilities of their own. Thus, the objective of this research is to analyze the effect of retailers' interaction under the transshipment coalition environment based on the simulations, and to provide effective policies to promote retailers' transshipment cooperation. Policies using penalty and incentive scheme are proposed, and it is shown that using proposed policies both the retailers' and the headquarter's profit can be increased.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.69-80
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• 2021

Purpose: This study's purpose is to explore the relationship between entrepreneurial marketing orientation on new product development performance via marketing and innovation capabilities. Research design, data, and methodology: This research has applied a survey method which involved 159 respondents from food retailers among Michelin Guide Restaurants in Thailand. The literature's existing measurement scales were used to operationalize the constructs proposed in this study. The analyses were conducted using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypotheses. Results: The results have shown that new product development performance received positive and direct impacts from entrepreneurial marketing orientation, particularly in three dimensions: customer value orientation, opportunity-driven initiatives, and leveraged resources. Likewise, new product development performance received a positive, indirect impact from opportunity-driven initiatives, risk management, customer value orientation, and innovation that is focused on marketing and innovation capabilities. Conclusions: The results are useful for Thai food retailers as to strategy formulation in order to attract tourists from all over the world to tourist destinations in Thailand. Therefore, this empirical study is extremely important for domestic economic development and the international economy. These findings provide theoretical and managerial contributions for developing competitive strategies which will lead to sustainable business practices, as well as for providing future research directions.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.7
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• pp.209-238
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• 2001

Objectives of this study were: First, to review the effect of buyer position in power retailer on job performance and store performance. Second, to set up research model specifying relationships between the PAQ dimensions of retailer's buyer, job performance and store performance. Third, to test hypotheses derived from the research model of this study and to establish strategy for managing discount store and department store. Marketing Implications of this study were: First, buyers of power retailers should respond more actively to rapidly changing purchasing situation. Second, job content of buyers in power retailers can be redesigned based upon results of this study. Third, as the size and the length of operation of retailers increase, an innovative system should be invented to enhance the effectiveness of power retailers. Limitations of this study were: First, validity and reliability of data collection methods used in this study were questionable for the lack of past researches in Korea. Second, static research method was employed in this study. Generalization over different time interval was almost impossible from results of this study.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.71-98
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• 1998

This study aimed to investigate how such retailers as department stores, large discount stores, book wholesalers, and clothing wholesalers used information technology for the QR strategy and whether the QR strategy had an effect on performance with a focus on the pipeline strategy. For this purpose, the QR strategy was divided into transaction efficiency, supplier partnership, and customer detail strategy. The differences in performance and information technology were analyzed according to the fit of the pipeline strategy, such as internal focus, supplier focus, and customer focus, the business strategy which were used by the retailers. And, an attempt was made to investigate whether performance was raised according to the level of adopting information technology. The results can be summarized as allows. First, the adaptive level of information technology had an effect on performance. But, seeing that the explanatory power of the regression analysis on the effect of the adaptive level of information technology on performance was shown to be very weak, it is judged that the level of QR information technology in the responding firms was very low compared to that of foreign firms. Second, information technology used by the retailers included universal product code, bar coding, customer database, and information utilities. It was shown that the group of firms seeking the transaction efficiency QR strategy and the internal focus pipeline strategy had the higher level of information technology than the retailers seeking other customer detail QR strategy and the customer focus pipeline strategy and the retailers with inconsistent strategy. This indicates that the firm seeking to raise its internal efficiency has a high level of using information technology. At the end of the paper, managerial implication and future research directions were discussed.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 2010

Corporate social responsibility has become a very important issue for researchers (Greenfield, 2004; Maignan & Ralston, 2002; McWilliams et al., 2006; Pearce & Doh 2005), and many consider it necessary for businesses to define their role in society and apply social and ethical standards to their businesses (Lichtenstein et al., 2004). As a result, a significant number of retailers have adopted CSR as a strategic tool to promote their businesses. To this end, this study sought to discover U.S. consumers' attitudes and behavior in ethical purchasing and consumption based on their subjective perception and evaluation of a retailer. The objectives of this study include: 1) determine the participants awareness of retailers corporate social responsibility; 2) assess how participants evaluate retailers corporate social responsibility; 3) examine whether participants evaluation process of retailers CSR influence their attitude toward the retailer; and 4) assess if participants attitude toward the retailers CSR influence their purchase behavior. This study does not focus on actual retailers' CSR performance because a consumer's decision making process is based on an individual assessment not an actual fact. This study examines US college students' awareness and evaluations of retailers' corporate social responsibility (CSR). Fifty six college students at a major Southeastern university participated in the study. The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 26 years old. Content analysis was conducted with open coding and focused coding. Over 100 single-spaced pages of written responses were collected and analyzed. Two steps of coding (i.e., open coding and focused coding) were conducted (Esterberg, 2002). Coding results and analytic memos were used to understand participants' awareness of CSR and their ethical purchasing behavior supported through the selection and inclusion of direct quotes that were extracted from the written responses. Names used here are pseudonyms to protect confidentiality of participants. Participants were asked to write about retailers, their aware-ness of CSR issues, and to evaluate a retailer's CSR performance. A majority (n = 28) of respondents indicated their awareness of CSR but have not felt the need to act on this issue. Few (n=8) indicated that they are aware of this issue but not greatly concerned. Findings suggest that when college students evaluate retailers' CSR performance, they use three dimensions of CSR: employee support, community support, and environmental support. Employee treatment and support were found as an important criterion in evaluation of retailers' CSR. Respondents indicated that their good experience with a retailer as an employee made them have a positive perception and attitude toward the retailer. Regarding employee support four themes emerged: employee rewards and incentives based on performance, working environment, employee education and training program, and employee and family discounts. Well organized rewards and incentives were mentioned as an important attribute. The factors related to the working environment included: how well retailers follow the rules related to working hours, lunch time and breaks was also one of the most mentioned attributes. Regarding community support, three themes emerged: contributing a percentage of sales to the local community, financial contribution to charity organizations, and events for community support. Regarding environments, two themes emerged: recycling and selling organic or green products. It was mentioned in the responses that retailers are trying to do what they can to be environmentally friendly. One respondent mentioned that the company is creating stores that have an environmentally friendly design. Information about what the company does to help the environment can easily be found on the company’s website as well. Respondents have also noticed that the stores are starting to offer products that are organic and environmentally friendly. A retailer was also mentioned by a respondent in this category in reference to how the company uses eco-friendly cups and how they are helping to rebuild homes in New Orleans. The respondents noticed that a retailer offers reusable bags for their consumers to purchase. One respondent stated that a retailer uses its products to help the environment, through offering organic cotton. After thorough analysis of responses, we found that a participant's evaluation of a retailers' CSR influenced their attitudes towards retailers. However, there was a significant gap between attitudes and purchasing behavior. Although the participants had positive attitudes toward retailers CSR, the lack of funds and time influenced their purchase behavior. Overall, half (n=28) of the respondents mentioned that CSR performance affects their purchasing decisions making when shopping. Findings from this study provide support for retailers to consider their corporate social responsibility when developing their image with the consumer. This study implied that consumers evaluate retailers based on employee, community and environmental support. The evaluation, attitude and purchase behavior of consumers seem to be intertwined. That is, evaluation is based on the knowledge the consumer has of the retailers CSR. That knowledge may influence their attitude toward the retailer and thus influence their purchase behavior. Participants also indicated that having CSR makes them think highly of the retailer, but it does not influence their purchase behavior. Price and convenience seem to surpass the importance of CSR among the participants. Implications, recommendations for future research, and limitations of the study are also discussed.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.9-20
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• 2022

Purpose: Distribution competence plays a key role in supply chain management. A successful distribution system will bring high values and profit for company. Omni-channel is a modern type of distribution which is used by many companies to access customers more effectively. This research is about the influence of distribution competence on customer value creation, competitive advantage and business performance of retailers in omni-channel. Research design, data and methodology: Questionnaires were issued to 200 managers who have experiences in using an Omni-channel to provide consumer goods. PLS-SEM is used to check the relationship among these above factors in omni-channel in Vietnam context. Results: Distribution competence has positive direct effect on business performance. At the same time, it has positive indirect effect on business performance through the mediating role of customer value creation and competitive advantage. Moreover, the role of mediating variables make contribution to strengthen the relationship of distribution competence and business performance in omni-channel. Conclusions: Through distribution competence, retailers can get competitive advantage, create more values for customers and increase business performance in omni channel in Vietnam.