Textile industry supply chains take raw materials through several processes before reaching the consumer. At the start of a supply chain the consumer seems far away and the degree to which the raw material plays a part in the consumer product is difficult to gauge. This case presents details of...

Looks at the practical applications of marketing principles to the management of library services in the UK. Assesses the place of market research in the planning cycle and describes and reviews a variety of tactical responses. Concludes that the public library service in the UK will probably...

The implementation of the Financial Services Act 1986 has forced retailers of investment products to become tied to a single insurance company or to act as an independent by selecting the best product for the customer from the entire market. As a result of this many retailers of investment...

Successful marketing involves the identification of target market segments, where the customers requirements are matched to the services offered by the supplier. Many firms try to segment markets on the basis of the customers′ characteristics. However, characteristics are only an indication of...

Purpose – To introduce the contents of this special issue on research in marketing and comment on the development of the discipline in UK universities. Design/methodology/approach – Relates each paper to a taxonomy of academic research and comments on their content. Examines major trends in...

Purpose – To question the models of childhood implied within contemporary UK debate about advertising to children. The paper identifies a role for qualitative market research in establishing a more fully‐articulated account of childhood, with implications for both policy makers and...

SMEs are both users of marketing research and subjects of market research. There is clear evidence that the decision processes in such firms often render the products/services designed for medium and large firms inappropriate. One of the major suppliers of services to the small firms sector is...