Electronic food retailers can satisfy their customers more effectively if they understand how this particular market works. As in other service segments, the emergence of electronic business-to-customer services in the retail food industry poses questions for managers about the design of new...

The demand for natural foods has been growing steadily over the past decade. As more mainstream grocers and investor-owned, natural food chains respond to this increased demand, the viability of local, independent natural food co-ops (TCNFCs) was used to assess organizational options. The study...

Cluster analysis was used to conduct a segmentation analysis of U.S. supermarket shoppers. This study is based on the responses of a sample of 1,000 shoppers concerning the importance of 21 store characteristics in selecting their primary grocery store for the Food Marketing Institute's 2000...

A far more complex set of factors are now driving food consumption patterns in high-income countries than economists have traditionally analyzed in demand studies. Food consumers have moved up Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid from satisfying basic physiological needs. If the traditional focus...

This paper looks at performance at the individual restaurant level from the perspective of management, customers and employees. The results are based on surveys of each of these three groups conducted between June and September 2001 at a sit-down, casual restaurant chain. There are several key...

What is the role of touch in consumer behavior? Consumers are especially motivated to touch some products before buying them, and for some people, those high in "desire to touch", touching before buying is especially important. In addition, some situations encourage consumers to touch goods...

Increased concentration in ownership of retail and wholesale food companies in the United States naturally leads to the question "How does concentration of ownership affect consumers?" Does it lead to higher or lower food prices, better or worse service, more or less choice between stores and...

Consumers make choices about where to shop based on their preferences for a shopping environment and experience as well as the selection of products at a particular store. This study illustrates how retail firms and marketing analysts can utilize data mining techniques to better understand...

Service-processes of electronic retailers are founded on electronic technologies that provide flexibility to sense and respond online to the dynamic and complex needs of customers. In this paper, we develop a taxonomy of service-processes in electronic retailing and demonstrate their linkage to...

This paper presents research questions and policy issues related to three emerging issues pertinent to developments in the global food and agricultural supply network. Developments in the production and delivery of food to consumers are rapid, prolific, and extreme. We have gone from a...