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Liu J, Kassas B, Lai J, Kropp J, Gao Z. Understanding the role of risk preferences and perceptions in vaccination decisions and post-vaccination behaviors among U.S. households. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3190. [PMID: 38326338 PMCID: PMC10850518 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52408-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccines play a critical role in protecting against infection and transmission of the virus. Therefore, understanding public perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines is essential for successful vaccine promotion. Previous literature reported strong associations between vaccination decisions and several sociodemographic variables. However, knowledge about how behavioral factors, including risk perceptions and preferences, impact individuals' attitudes towards receiving COVID-19 vaccination is currently lacking. Using data from a nationally representative survey of 1050 US adults, this study investigates the correlation between individuals' decisions to receive COVID-19 vaccination and both their risk perceptions and preferences. Additionally, we investigate post-vaccination behavior by measuring individuals' participation in three different groups of activities that vary by their degree of social exposure. We find strong correlations between vaccination decisions and four measures of risk preference and risk perception. We also find associations between the four risk measures and individuals' behaviors post-vaccination. We shed light on the main factors discouraging the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as public opinions regarding the performance of different organizations in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, and grocery store policies to prevent COVID-19 infections. Our study provides critical information that can help policymakers communicate more effectively with the public and promote vaccine uptake among population groups and geographic areas with higher anti-vaccine sentiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhui Liu
- Food and Resource Economics Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 2120 McCarty B, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Bachir Kassas
- Food and Resource Economics Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 1099 McCarty B, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - John Lai
- Food and Resource Economics Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 1109 McCarty B, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Jaclyn Kropp
- Food and Resource Economics Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 1157 McCarty B, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Zhifeng Gao
- Food and Resource Economics Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 1155 McCarty A, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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2
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Pop RA, Dabija DC, Pocol CB. Food Retail Resilience Pre-, during, and Post-COVID-19: A Bibliometric Analysis and Research Agenda. Foods 2024; 13:257. [PMID: 38254558 PMCID: PMC10815137 DOI: 10.3390/foods13020257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper aims to conduct a bibliometric mapping and systematic review of the food retail industry's resilience strategy in the context of COVID-19. Specifically, we aim to identify relevant research gaps in the industry during the pre-, during, and post-pandemic periods and highlight the differences between B2B and B2C sectors. We analyzed articles in the Scopus database from 2019 to 2022 using the PRISMA method for article selection, resulting in a total of 69 articles. We employed a VOS viewer for bibliometric mapping. Our analysis revealed that most studies focused on the impact of COVID-19, with only a few examining the pre- and post-pandemic periods critically. In the B2C context, we identified two major topics: changes in purchasing and consumption behavior, and food waste and safety. In the B2B sector, the two most recurrent subjects were retailers' strategies and supply chain management. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers by exploring industry trends and for scholars by highlighting future research agendas based on the identified topics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebeka-Anna Pop
- Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Babeș-Bolyai University, 400591 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Dan-Cristian Dabija
- Department of Marketing, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Babeș-Bolyai University, 400591 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cristina Bianca Pocol
- Department of Animal Production and Food Safety, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Alba C, An R. Using Mobile Phone Data to Assess Socio-Economic Disparities in Unhealthy Food Reliance during the COVID-19 Pandemic. HEALTH DATA SCIENCE 2023; 3:0101. [PMID: 38487207 PMCID: PMC10904071 DOI: 10.34133/hds.0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Background: Although COVID-19 has disproportionately affected socio-economically vulnerable populations, research on its impact on socio-economic disparities in unhealthy food reliance remains scarce. Methods: This study uses mobile phone data to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on socio-economic disparities in reliance on convenience stores and fast food. Reliance is defined in terms of the proportion of visits to convenience stores out of the total visits to both convenience and grocery stores, and the proportion of visits to fast food restaurants out of the total visits to both fast food and full-service restaurants. Visits to each type of food outlet at the county level were traced and aggregated using mobile phone data before being analyzed with socio-economic demographics and COVID-19 incidence data. Results: Our findings suggest that a new COVID-19 case per 1,000 population decreased a county's odds of relying on convenience stores by 3.41% and increased its odds of fast food reliance by 0.72%. As a county's COVID-19 incidence rate rises by an additional case per 1,000 population, the odds of relying on convenience stores increased by 0.01%, 0.02%, and 0.06% for each additional percentage of Hispanics, college-educated residents, and every additional year in median age, respectively. For fast food reliance, as a county's COVID-19 incidence rate increases by one case per 1,000 population, the odds decreased by 0.003% for every additional percentage of Hispanics but increased by 0.02% for every additional year in the county's median age. Conclusion: These results complement existing literature to promote equitable food environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Alba
- Division of Computational & Data Sciences,
Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ruopeng An
- Division of Computational & Data Sciences,
Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Brown School,
Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
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4
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Ha TV, Asada T, Arimura M. Changes in mobility amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Sapporo City, Japan: An investigation through the relationship between spatiotemporal population density and urban facilities. TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES 2023; 17:100744. [PMID: 36590070 PMCID: PMC9790881 DOI: 10.1016/j.trip.2022.100744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
By the end of 2021, the Omicron variant of coronavirus disease 2019 had become the dominant cause of a worldwide pandemic crisis. This demands a deeper analysis to support policy makers in creating interventions that not only protect people from the pandemic but also remedy its negative effects on the economy. Thus, this study investigated people's mobility changes through the relationship between spatiotemporal population density and urban facilities. Results showed that places related to daily services, restaurants, commercial areas, and offices experienced decreased visits, with the highest decline belonging to commercial facilities. Visits to health care and production facilities were stable on weekdays but increased on holidays. Educational institutions' visits decreased on weekdays but increased on holidays. People's visits to residential housing and open spaces increased, with the rise in residential housing visits being more substantial. The results also confirmed that policy interventions (e.g., declaration of emergency and upgrade of restriction level) have a great impact on people's mobility in the short term. The findings would seem to indicate that visit patterns at service and restaurant places decreased least during the pandemic. The analysis outcomes suggest that policy makers should pay more attention to risk perception enhancement as a long-term measure. Furthermore, the study clarified the population density of each facility type in a time series. Improving model performance would be promising for tracking and predicting the spread of future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tran Vinh Ha
- Division of Sustainable and Environmental Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology, ₸ 050-8585, 27-1 Mizumoto-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takumi Asada
- Division of Sustainable and Environmental Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology, ₸ 050-8585, 27-1 Mizumoto-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Mikiharu Arimura
- Division of Sustainable and Environmental Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology, ₸ 050-8585, 27-1 Mizumoto-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan
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Kim M(S, Baker MA. From surviving to co-creating: the effects of the reshaped physical and social servicescape on customer citizenship behavior. SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2022.2147513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Misun (Sunny) Kim
- Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Melissa A. Baker
- Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
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Obeidat Z, Obeidat MI. A typology of Jordanian consumers after Covid-19: The rational, the suspicious, and the cautious consumer. THE JOURNAL OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS 2022; 57:JOCA12493. [PMID: 36714886 PMCID: PMC9874892 DOI: 10.1111/joca.12493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This study presents a detailed typology of Jordanian consumers that identifies the effects of Covid-19 on their personal, social, and purchase and consumption patterns following the pandemic. Based on a qualitative approach using a sample of Jordanian consumers (N = 71), this study identifies three main types of consumers: the rational, suspicious, and cautious. All were distinguished by cognitive, emotional, and behavioral differences: the rational consumers viewed the pandemic as a natural occurrence, were willing to vaccinate, and took the opportunity to improve their lives and consumption behavior; the suspicious consumers viewed the pandemic as a man-made virus and refused to rationalize their behaviors and follow the social-distancing rules or vaccinate; and the cautious consumers were generally somewhere in between, and while they improved some aspects of their consumption, social, and personal lives, other aspects either remained the same or worsened. The findings have implications for managers and governmental bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaid Obeidat
- School of BusinessUniversity of JordanAmmanJordan
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7
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Gkouna O, Tsekouropoulos G, Theocharis D, Hoxha G, Gounas A. The impact of family business brand trust and crisis management practices on customer purchase intention during Covid-19. JOURNAL OF FAMILY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/jfbm-03-2022-0046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThe aim of the current study is to investigate the effect of consumers' brand trust in family businesses and the impact of crisis management practices on customer purchase intention during the period of Covid-19.Design/methodology/approachThis is a primary quantitative research on a sample of 817 consumers who bought products from 20 food and beverage family companies. Simple random sampling was used to collect the primary data. Data collection was made with the use of questionnaires. The questionnaires were developed based on previous studies and were tested in terms of reliability and validity.FindingsThe research findings indicate, among others, that there is a positive significant relationship between brand trust and purchase intention. As a result, the higher the trust of the consumers in a family business brand name, the higher their intention to make purchases. Additionally, it was found that the higher the performance of family businesses on crisis management practices, the more the consumers intent to make purchases.Research limitations/implicationsNonetheless, there are some limitations in the current research. First, the research sample consists of companies and consumers from a specific location, which can create issues regarding the generalization of the findings. Thus, to ensure improved research implications, a future research should include sample units from different locations and countries in order to reinforce the research findings and enable comparisons and more easily generalized outcomes. Moreover, a future research could assess additional factors that potentially affect purchase intention within a family business environment. Factors such as human resources and the relationship between customers and companies as well as communication and promotional efforts will allow the creation of a more stable and holistic framework and the prediction of consumer behavior. This potential follow-up research will further contribute to the theoretical argumentation of the findings and highlight the connection among purchase intention, trust and crisis managements practices within the family business environment.Practical implicationsRegarding the managerial and practical implications, the research outcomes can lead to specific strategies related to brand trust and crisis management practices. Specifically, family companies should invest on their brand name and their relationship with the consumers by reinforcing any action which can potentially affect the trust of the consumers. This could be realized by providing a safe purchase environment according to health and safety standards and through their response strategy and adaptability to the current pandemic conditions through the use of crisis management practices. Finally, a practical response to social and physical distancing measures would increase brand trust, and the performance on crisis management practices could also lead to sufficient financial outcomes since all these factors positively affect consumers' purchase intention.Originality/valueThe outbreak of the pandemic directly affected the profitability but also the viability of companies, regardless of industry. In particular, the impact that the pandemic had on family businesses, financially, organizationally and operationally, was massive and in many cases, catastrophic. Several studies have focused on family businesses, analyzing their structure, advantages and disadvantages. However, in these studies, there is little focus on the brand's influence on consumer behavior and market intention, especially compared to nonfamily businesses and under unique circumstances such as those of a pandemic.
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Gillespie R, DeWitt E, Trude ACB, Haynes-Maslow L, Hudson T, Anderson-Steeves E, Barr M, Gustafson A. Barriers and Facilitators of Online Grocery Services: Perceptions from Rural and Urban Grocery Store Managers. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14183794. [PMID: 36145165 PMCID: PMC9502010 DOI: 10.3390/nu14183794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Online grocery shopping has expanded rapidly in the U.S., yet little is known about the retailer’s perceptions of online grocery services, which can aid in the expansion of services. Furthermore, many barriers to online grocery utilization persist across geographic areas, especially among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-authorized retailers. This study captured perceived barriers and facilitators of online grocery shopping for managers of SNAP-authorized retailers. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers (n = 23) of grocery stores/supermarkets in urban and rural areas across four different states: TN, KY, NC, and NY. Grocery store managers offering online ordering (n = 15) and managers from brick-and-mortar stores without online services (n = 8) participated in the interviews. Three primary themes emerged among managers offering online ordering: (1) order fulfillment challenges, (2) perceived customer barriers, and (3) perceived customer benefits. Among managers at brick-and-mortar locations without online services, four major themes emerged: (1) thoughts on implementing online shopping, (2) COVID-19 pandemic impacts, (3) competition with other stores, and (4) benefits of maintaining brick-and-mortar shopping. This study provides a deeper understanding of retailers’ experience and perceptions of online grocery services among stores authorized to accept SNAP benefits. This perspective is necessary to inform policies and enhance the evolving virtual food marketplace for SNAP customers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Gillespie
- Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-859-257-7793
| | - Emily DeWitt
- Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Angela C. B. Trude
- Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Lindsey Haynes-Maslow
- Department of Health Policy & Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Travis Hudson
- Department of Nutrition, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Elizabeth Anderson-Steeves
- Department of Nutrition, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
- Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, Omaha, NE 68154, USA
| | - Makenzie Barr
- Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Alison Gustafson
- Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
- College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
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9
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Szlachciuk J, Kulykovets O, Dębski M, Krawczyk A, Górska-Warsewicz H. The Shopping Behavior of International Students in Poland during COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11311. [PMID: 36141583 PMCID: PMC9517669 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to analyze the shopping behavior of international students (Asian vs. European) studying in Poland. Participants were recruited from universities located in Warsaw between June and September 2020. A total of 806 questionnaires were collected, 87 of which were eliminated due to non-response. The research sample consisted of 719 people. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis for the entire study population and separately for European and Asian students. In exploratory factor analysis, two factors were extracted for the entire population, while three factors each were extracted for the European and Asian student groups. In cluster analysis, we obtained four clusters each for the entire study population and the group of European and Asian students. Our study found that among Asian students, compared to European students, there was a greater change in shopping behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed by a greater preference for online shopping, greater purchases of fruits and vegetables, purchases of local products, and shorter shopping time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julita Szlachciuk
- Department of Food Market and Consumer Research, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Olena Kulykovets
- Department of Marketing and Tourism, Faculty of Management and Security Sciences, University of Social Sciences, 00-635 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Dębski
- Department of Marketing and Tourism, Faculty of Management and Security Sciences, University of Social Sciences, 00-635 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Adriana Krawczyk
- Centre for Applied Research on Education, Amsterdam School of International Business, 1102 CV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hanna Górska-Warsewicz
- Department of Food Market and Consumer Research, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
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10
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How did COVID-19 change what people buy: Evidence from a supermarket chain. JOURNAL OF RETAILING AND CONSUMER SERVICES 2022; 68:103010. [PMCID: PMC9069252 DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This research takes a retrospective view of the COVID-19 pandemic and attempts to accurately measure its impact on sales of different product categories in grocery retail. In total 150 product categories were analyzed using the data of a major supermarket chain in the Netherlands. We propose to measure the pandemic impact by excess sales – the difference of actual and expected sales. We show that the pandemic impact is twofold: (1) There was a large but brief growth at 30.6% in excess sales associated with panic buying across most product categories within a two-week period; and (2) People spending most of their time at home due to imposed restrictions resulted in an estimated 5.4% increase in total sales lasting as long as the restrictions were active. The pandemic impact on different product categories varies in magnitudes and timing. Using time series clustering, we identified eight clusters of categories with similar pandemic impacts. Using clustering results, we project that product categories used for cooking, baking or meal preparation in general will have elevated sales even after the pandemic.
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11
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Horgan OZ, Crane NT, Forman EM, Milliron BJ, Simone NL, Zhang F, Butryn ML. Optimizing an mHealth Intervention to Change Food Purchasing Behaviors for Cancer Prevention: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2022; 11:e39669. [PMID: 35749216 PMCID: PMC9270710 DOI: 10.2196/39669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dietary intake is a powerful modifiable factor that influences cancer risk; however, most US adults do not adhere to dietary guidelines for cancer prevention. One promising pathway for improving dietary adherence is targeting grocery shopping habits. Interventions might facilitate healthy grocery choices, with a combination of mHealth and traditional methods, by promoting the salience of dietary goals while shopping, enhancing motivation to make dietary changes, and increasing household support for healthy food purchasing. OBJECTIVE This pilot study will assess feasibility and acceptability of intervention components designed to improve adherence to dietary guidelines for cancer prevention (preliminary aim). The primary aim of the study is to quantify the effect of each intervention component, individually and in combination, on dietary intake (primary aim) and grocery store food purchases (exploratory aim). Mediation analyses will be conducted to understand the mechanisms of action (goal salience, motivation, and household support-secondary aims). The overarching goal is to optimize an mHealth intervention to be tested in a future fully powered clinical trial. METHODS The study enrolled adults (N=62) with low adherence to dietary recommendations for cancer prevention. In a 20-week program, all participants attend a nutrition education workshop and receive weekly educational messages through an app. A factorial design is used to test 4 intervention components: (1) location-triggered messages: educational messages are delivered when arriving at grocery stores; (2) reflections on the benefits of change: content is added to messages to encourage reflection on anticipated benefits of healthy eating, and participants attend an additional workshop session and 3 coach calls on this topic; (3) coach monitoring: food purchases are monitored digitally by a coach who sends personalized weekly app messages and conducts 3 coaching calls that focus on feedback about purchases; and (4) household support: another adult in the household receives messages designed to elicit support for healthy food purchasing, and support is addressed in 3 coach calls and an extra workshop session attended by the index participant and household member. Assessments are completed at weeks 0, 10, and 20 using self-report measures, as well as objective capture of grocery data from the point of purchase using store loyalty accounts. RESULTS The National Cancer Institute funded this study (R21CA252933) on July 7, 2020. Participant recruitment began in the spring of 2021 and concluded with the successful enrollment of 62 participants. Data collection is expected to be completed in the summer of 2022, and results are expected to be disseminated in the summer of 2023. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study will inform the development of scalable interventions to lower cancer risk via changes in dietary intake. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04947150; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04947150. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/39669.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Z Horgan
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Nicole T Crane
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Evan M Forman
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Brandy-Joe Milliron
- Department of Nutrition Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Nicole L Simone
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Fengqing Zhang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Meghan L Butryn
- Center for Weight, Eating, and Lifestyle Science, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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Riediger ND, Slater JJ, Mann K, Pilli B, Derksen H, Perchotte C, Penner AL. Policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Manitoba grocery sector: a qualitative analysis of media, organizational communications, and key informant interviews. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1237. [PMID: 35729516 PMCID: PMC9213048 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13654-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all aspects of the food system, including the retail grocery sector. We sought to (objective 1) document and (objective 2) analyze the policies implemented in the grocery sector during the first wave of the pandemic in Manitoba, Canada. METHODS Our qualitative policy analysis draws from organizational communications (websites and social media) (n = 79), news media articles (n = 95), and key informant interviews with individuals (n = 8) working within the grocery sector in urban and rural, Manitoba. Media and communications were extracted between March 9-May 8, 2020 and interviews were conducted in July-August, 2020. RESULTS Newly implemented policies due to the pandemic fell under four inter-related themes: Employee health and wellbeing, Safety measures, Operational measures, and Community support. Employee health and wellbeing included sub-themes of financial and social support, health recommendations and protocols, and new employee guidelines. Safety measures encompassed numerous policies pertaining to sanitation, personal protection, transmission prevention, physical distancing, and limiting access. Overall, new policies were discussed as effective in making grocery shopping as safe as possible given the situation. Compliance and enforcement, employee teamwork, and support for employees were key themes related to perceptions of policy success in a challenging and inequitable context. Nevertheless, government support and communication was needed as well to ensure safety within the grocery sector. CONCLUSIONS The grocery sector reacted to the pandemic with the swift implementation of policies to address food supply issues, prevent transmission of the virus, support their employees as essential workers, and better serve high-risk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie D Riediger
- Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, 209 Human Ecology Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | - Joyce J Slater
- Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, 209 Human Ecology Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Kelsey Mann
- Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, 209 Human Ecology Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Bhanu Pilli
- Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, 209 Human Ecology Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Hannah Derksen
- Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, 209 Human Ecology Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Chantal Perchotte
- Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, 209 Human Ecology Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Avery L Penner
- Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Manitoba, 209 Human Ecology Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
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Carissimi MC, Prataviera LB, Creazza A, Melacini M, Dallari F. Blurred lines: the timeline of supply chain resilience strategies in the grocery industry in the time of Covid-19. OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT RESEARCH 2022. [PMCID: PMC9160506 DOI: 10.1007/s12063-022-00278-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To anticipate, adapt and respond to, and recover from disruptions, firms need to enhance supply chain (SC) resilience. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 represented a unique opportunity to investigate it empirically. This study focuses on the exploration of the resilience strategies adopted to deepen their temporal characteristics and contribute to developing the current understanding of proactivity and reactivity, something that needs to be further investigated. Multiple-case study research was conducted considering 21 Italian companies in the grocery industry. Results show that with the outbreak of the pandemic, companies adopted a set of 21 strategies that spanned five resilience categories: redundancy, flexibility, agility, collaboration, and innovation. To explain the temporal characteristics of the identified resilience strategies we propose an original taxonomy that elaborates the previous theory by introducing two new dimensions related to the strategies’ timing (“when?” and “how long?”). Each dimension can be complemented with other sub-dimensions that explain the design and activation of resilience strategies, and their utilisation and availability. The proposed taxonomy broadens the narrow view offered by existing research on the temporal dimension of resilience, as multiple layers are needed to disentangle the temporal characteristics of different strategies. It also provides an original viewpoint on interpreting the strategies’ proactivity or reactivity as their boundary is increasingly blurred. Lastly, the study opens up to future investigations of the antecedents of the design and utilisation/activation of resilience strategies, as companies could rethink their managerial decisions based on the continuous evolution of their operating environment.
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14
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Klein K, Martinez LF. The impact of anthropomorphism on customer satisfaction in chatbot commerce: an experimental study in the food sector. ELECTRONIC COMMERCE RESEARCH 2022; 23:2789-2825. [PMCID: PMC9108695 DOI: 10.1007/s10660-022-09562-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Food retailers are lagging behind other industries in implementing innovative mobile solutions offering their services and purchasing processes on their online platforms. Chatbots can be leveraged as an application to provide customer-centric services while retailers benefit from collecting consumer data. Previous literature on chatbot technology provides evidence that human characteristics enhance the customer experience. This is the first experimental study to investigate consumer attitudes and satisfaction with anthropomorphic chatbots in food e-commerce. A sample of 401 participants was tested to verify the proposed hypotheses. The test group interacted with a standard chatbot without human-like characteristics, while the control group communicated with the anthropomorphically designed agent. The results confirm the vast potential of anthropomorphic cues in chatbot applications and show that they are positively associated with customer satisfaction and mediated by the variables enjoyment, attitude, and trust. The findings suggest that to remain competitive, food retailers should immediately adopt innovative technologies for their omnichannel strategy and incorporate anthropomorphic design cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Klein
- Nova School of Business and Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Carcavelos, Rua da Holanda 1, 2775-405 Carcavelos, Portugal
| | - Luis F. Martinez
- Nova School of Business and Economics, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campus de Carcavelos, Rua da Holanda 1, 2775-405 Carcavelos, Portugal
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15
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Delasay M, Jain A, Kumar S. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on grocery retail operations: An analytical model. PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT 2022; 31:2237-2255. [PMID: 35601843 PMCID: PMC9115409 DOI: 10.1111/poms.13717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on grocery retailers, forcing them to make many operational changes in response to public health concerns and the shift in customers' shopping behavior. Grocery retailers need to understand the impact of pandemic conditions on their operations, but the literature has not modeled and analyzed this issue. We bridge this gap through economic models that consider the documented changes in the customers' shopping behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, including less frequent in-store shopping and bulk-shopping tendency. We capture the impact of occupancy limitation guidelines on grocery retailers' service capacity, customers' shopping behavior, and, consequently, on the retailers' store traffic and profit. We find that though store occupancy limitations reduce the in-store foot traffic (which helps with curbing the disease spread), interestingly, they do not necessarily result in a profit decline. Under occupancy limitations and when the retailer offers the delivery or curbside pickup service, our analyses highlight the externality impact of online customers on the shopping behavior of in-store customers. When the retailer adds the delivery service, such externalities may increase the store traffic (higher infection risk inside the grocery store) and reduce the retailer's profit. When the retailer adds the curbside pickup instead, it has more control over the impact of externalities, which helps in lowering the store traffic and increasing the profit. Our results offer valuable insights into how retailers should regard occupancy limitations and health safety measures. Our results also highlight conditions under which various operating modes may help retailers reduce infection risk and achieve higher profit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aditya Jain
- Zicklin School of BusinessBaruch CollegeNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Subodha Kumar
- Fox School of BusinessTemple UniversityPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
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16
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Dangelico RM, Schiaroli V, Fraccascia L. Is Covid‐19 changing sustainable consumer behavior? A survey of Italian consumers. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2022; 30:10.1002/sd.2322. [PMCID: PMC9111117 DOI: 10.1002/sd.2322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Since the beginning of 2020, the world has been hit by the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus that causes Covid‐19. To hamper its spread, policymakers of many countries have put in place strong countermeasures, including lockdowns, that have led to significant changes in people's lifestyles and daily routines. This article aims at assessing the changes caused by Covid‐19 in sustainable consumer behavior under multiple perspectives, contributing to advance knowledge at the intersection between consumer dynamics and sustainable consumer behavior literature. A survey was conducted on 1.535 Italian consumers between December 2020 and February 2021. Respondents were asked to assess the extent to which their consumption behavior—purchase frequency, willingness to pay a premium price, sense of moral duty to purchase, social influence to purchase—related to several categories of sustainable products changed due to the pandemic, as well as the extent to which the pandemic impacted on many other aspects, including their environmental awareness, concern, and habits. Results show that Covid‐19 generated relevant changes. Consumers have increased their purchase frequency and willingness to pay for sustainable products, show growing attention to environmental issues, and behave more sustainably. Further, the extent of change is strongly affected by socio‐demographic variables, such as gender, age, income, and education. For instance, women reported a higher shift towards sustainable consumption and behavior than men. Understanding these changes is important to guide marketers and policymakers to respond promptly and effectively to them and to leverage on them to foster a transition towards a more sustainable society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Maria Dangelico
- Department of Mechanics, Mathematics, and ManagementPolytechnic University of BariBariItaly
| | - Valerio Schiaroli
- Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering “Antonio Ruberti”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringSapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
| | - Luca Fraccascia
- Department of Computer, Control, and Management Engineering “Antonio Ruberti”Sapienza University of RomeRomeItaly
- Department of Industrial Engineering and Business Information SystemsUniversity of TwenteEnschedeThe Netherlands
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17
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The Innovation of the Cashierless Store: A Preliminary Analysis in Italy. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14042034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The retail sector, under the pressure of digitalization and technological innovation, has experienced profound changes in the last decade, and retailers have had to cope with these changes by implementing new business models and competitive strategies with the aim of satisfying the consumers’ needs. In the last few decades, the sector has been affected by different new trends, from the birth of supermarkets to the advent of e-commerce, up to the introduction of cashierless stores. The latter represents a new category of store that is totally computer-based and digitalized, in which the use of cameras, sensors and self-shelves minimizes human interaction. Amazon pioneered this emerging concept, with the launch of Amazon Go, but other start-up companies are rapidly entering the cashierless retail market and embracing the challenge. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the knowledge of Italian consumers of cashierless shops, and the relevance of different factors related to this new kind of shops. A questionnaire was sent to a sample of more than 1000 consumers to identify and evaluate the actual situation and knowledge of this phenomenon, which is not yet diffuse in Italy. A statistical analysis, regarding both their knowledge about cashierless stores and the customer experience, is provided to discuss the most relevant factors affecting the customers’ perceptions and attitudes, with a comparison per gender and type of users. The results of the provided analysis reveal that the phenomenon is very little known, and this is certainly influenced by the lack of these stores in Italy.
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18
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Ebel R, Byker-Shanks C. Short-Term Impacts of COVID-19 Public Health Regulation on Consumer Food Purchases: A Case Study From a Grocery Store in Montana. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.708504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The mitigation measures (e.g., lockdown policies) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted food systems in unprecedented ways, in both scope and immediacy. Food retail, for example, changed fundamentally in the United States, as access to nutritious food became limited, supply chain shortages were common, and mandatory public health measures led to behavior changes among customers and employees. In the present case study, we hypothesized that these changes led to food purchasing shifts of grocery store consumers. Such shifts are seen as an outcome of both endogenous factors at the individual level and exogenous factors at the government/policy level. Our case study sought to better understand how the pandemic and associated regulations shaped consumer food choices during the “hard” lockdown period in Montana during 2020. We selected 112 food products based on the highest sales in a Gallatin County, Montana, grocery store. They were analyzed by predefined food groups aligned to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020. All purchases were processed for each selected food item during March and April 2019 (before the pandemic) and March and April 2020 (during the lockdown in Montana). To further describe the pandemic experiences qualitatively, we conducted semi-structured interviews with managers and employees from two stores in Gallatin County. Overall, we found that consumers increased purchases in most food groups during the pandemic, including nutrient-dense and energy-dense products, most outstandingly for starchy vegetables, legumes, and convenience food. Products with long shelf-life and that required preparation at home were preferred. Endogenous causes, specifically panic and rushing, were likely stronger drivers of consumer behavior and food choices than regulations. Nonetheless, lockdown policies impacted consumer food purchases. We present a series of policy and practice recommendations based on our findings and the emerging literature on this topic.
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Grunert KG, De Bauw M, Dean M, Lähteenmäki L, Maison D, Pennanen K, Sandell MA, Stasiuk K, Stickel L, Tarrega A, Vainio A, Vranken L. No lockdown in the kitchen: How the COVID-19 pandemic has affected food-related behaviours. Food Res Int 2021; 150:110752. [PMID: 34865770 PMCID: PMC8520572 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and especially the lockdowns coming with it have been a disruptive event also for food consumption. In order to study the impact of the pandemic on eating habits, self-reported changes in food-related behaviours were investigated in ten European countries by means of an online survey. A latent class cluster analysis distinguished five clusters and showed that different types of consumers can be distinguished based on how they react to the pandemic as regards their eating habits. While food-related behaviours were resilient for 60% of the sample, another 35% reported more enjoyment in cooking and eating, more time in the kitchen and more family meals. Among those, a slight majority also showed signs of more mindful eating, as indicated by more deliberate choices and increased consumption of healthy food, whereas a slight minority reported more consumption of indulgence food. Only 5% indicated less involvement with food. As the COVID-19 pandemic is a disruptive event, some of these changes may have habit-breaking properties and open up new opportunities and challenges for food policy and food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus G Grunert
- MAPP Centre, Aarhus University, Denmark; School of Marketing and Communication, University of Vaasa, Finland.
| | - Michiel De Bauw
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Moira Dean
- School of Biological Sciences, Queens University Belfast, UK
| | | | | | | | - Mari A Sandell
- Department of Food and Nutrition, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | | | - Amparo Tarrega
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Spain
| | - Annukka Vainio
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liesbet Vranken
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium
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20
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Cruz-Cárdenas J, Zabelina E, Guadalupe-Lanas J, Palacio-Fierro A, Ramos-Galarza C. COVID-19, consumer behavior, technology, and society: A literature review and bibliometric analysis. TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE 2021; 173:121179. [PMID: 34511647 PMCID: PMC8418327 DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 crisis is among the most disruptive events in recent decades. Its profound consequences have garnered the interest of many studies in various disciplines, including consumer behavior, thereby warranting an effort to review and systematize the literature. Thus, this study systematizes the knowledge generated by 70 COVID-19 and consumer behavior studies in the Scopus database. It employs descriptive analysis, highlighting the importance of using quantitative methods and China and the US as research settings. Co-occurrence analysis further identified various thematic clusters among the studies. The input-process-output consumer behavior model guided the systematic review, covering several psychological characteristics and consumer behaviors. Accordingly, measures adopted by governments, technology, and social media stand out as external factors. However, revised marketing strategies have been oriented toward counteracting various consumer risks. Hence, given that technological and digital formats mark consumer behavior, firms must incorporate digital transformations in their process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Cruz-Cárdenas
- Research Center in Business, Society, and Technology, ESTec, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla s/n, 170301 Quito, Ecuador
- School of Administrative and Economic Science, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla s/n, 170301 Quito, Ecuador
| | - Ekaterina Zabelina
- Department of Psychology, Chelyabinsk State University, Bratiev Kashirinykh 129, 454001 Chelyabinsk, Russia
| | - Jorge Guadalupe-Lanas
- Research Center in Business, Society, and Technology, ESTec, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla s/n, 170301 Quito, Ecuador
- School of Administrative and Economic Science, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla s/n, 170301 Quito, Ecuador
| | - Andrés Palacio-Fierro
- School of Administrative and Economic Science, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla s/n, 170301 Quito, Ecuador
- Programa doctoral en Ciencias Jurídicas y Económicas, Universidad Camilo José Cela, Castillo de Alarcón, 49, 28692 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Ramos-Galarza
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Av. 12 de octubre 1076, 170523, Quito, Ecuador
- Centro de Investigación MIST, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla s/n, 170301 Quito, Ecuador
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21
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Lee CKH, Wu K. Making autonomous vehicle systems human-like: lessons learned from accident experiences in traffic. ENTERP INF SYST-UK 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/17517575.2021.1998641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - K.Y.K. Wu
- School of Business, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore
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22
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Identification and Classification of Global Theoretical Trends and Supply Chain Development Directions. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14154414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The study presented in the paper is an innovative research approach. It is the result of linking the concept of supply chain management and global changes, which at present are clearly visible on a global scale, with research methodology based on the systematic literature review, knowledge visualization and an expert method that makes use of knowledge, experience and opinions of experts in a given field. This research is about a Delphi study that was conducted in the context of the development of trends of supply chain and global changes, based on the findings of a systematic literature review. The qualitative study was conducted with 30 Delphi experts in the field of the supply chain. This progressive approach to the research topic allowed us to discover key global trends and modern supply chain development directions in the context of global changes, as well as their assessment and projection of the developmental potential of these trends.
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Abstract
The present research aims to analyze the habits observed in the perception of the general physical health condition of Portuguese food consumers in the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigation is focused on indicators such as weight, physical activity, and consumption habits through the adoption of healthy and not healthy food. Centered on a quantitative approach, the research is based on the application of a questionnaire to a sample of 741 Portuguese consumers, between November 2020 and February 2021, a period during which the most severe measures of social isolation were imposed by the Portuguese government, since the beginning of the pandemic. Moreover, the questionnaire was applied to consumers over 18 years old. According to this population, and considering a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of 4%, the sample has a minimum of 601 responses. Being so, the results of this research are representative for the Portuguese food consumers. The theoretical model was estimated using Partial Least Squares (PLS) in the Smart PLS 3.0 software. The obtained results allowed us to conclude that the Portuguese perception of their weight did not change in the pandemic, despite showing that in general, the pandemic had a negative impact on their physical condition. On the other hand, the results show that the Portuguese associate the practice of physical exercise with physical well-being. Respondents also confirm a positive relationship between “positive eating behaviors (such as consumption of fruits and vegetables, low saturated foods and rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats” and water consumption) and “the perception of physical health in general”. On the contrary, respondents’ perception of the choice of negative eating behaviors (measured by the consumption of products with a high content of salt and sugar, snacks, and processed frozen and pre-cooked foods) have a negative impact on the “assessment of physical health, in the COVID-19 pandemic”. Hence, it was concluded that the Portuguese consider that an eventual increase in weight does not necessarily correspond to a perception of worse physical health; the practice of physical exercise and good eating habits corresponds to a perception of better physical health; the adoption of bad eating habits corresponds to the perception of bad physical health.
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Zajác P, Čurlej J, Benešová L, Čapla J. Hygiene measures in supermarkets, retail food stores, and grocery shops during the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia. POTRAVINARSTVO 2021. [DOI: 10.5219/1592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The article presents the hygiene measures that are applied in the Slovak Republic in supermarkets, food stores, grocery stores as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Slovakia. These measures have been published by the Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic in the relevant legal regulations and are based on the decisions of the Government of the Slovak Republic, which took into account the opinions of the experts of the Pandemic Commission of the Government of the Slovak Republic. In general, these measures are based on the mask-distance-hand principle. In public areas outside and inside, it was ordered to wear masks and later wear a respirator of FFP2 class in exterior and interior, gloves on hands or disinfection of customers' hands before entering the store, observance of 2 m distance of people standing in a row at the cash registers, maximum capacity of persons in stores was determined one person per 25 m2 of sales area and later, this measure was tightened to 15 m2 of sales area. Also, to perform regular ventilation of the premises and to have as many cash registers as possible so as not to create long lines of customers. All shops were closed at 8:00 PM. In the case of shopping centers, entry is prohibited for people with a body temperature higher than 37 °C, and disinfection of hands is mandatory, wearing a mask and later wear respirators of FFP2 class is necessary. In a stricter regime, during the peak of the pandemic, there was a restriction for persons to shop food only in the nearest retail/grocery or similar place from the place of residence to the extent necessary to procure the essential needs of life.
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25
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Hybrid Decision Model for Evaluating Blockchain Business Strategy: A Bank’s Perspective. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13115809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Banks attempt to invest in emerging financial technology (FinTech), such as blockchain, to enhance competitiveness. There is a great deal of literature on the technical and legal aspects of blockchain. However, there is little specific guidance on how banks can apply a holistic model to evaluate the blockchain-based business. This study proposes a hybrid decision model with confidence-weighted fuzzy assessments to address this valuable research topic. Supported by a group of seasoned experts, five major blockchain-based business models are evaluated for a domestic bank in Taiwan. The key findings contribute to understanding the importance of the involved factors and identifying the ideal business strategy for the bank. The result suggests that the most crucial dimension is policies and regulations, not the technical capability of banks.
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Abstract
In 2020, the whole world had to face a pandemic with inevitable profound changes in all aspects of life, from the social to the economic sphere. The profound economic crisis that followed the rise of the pandemic has pushed firms and researchers to question the necessary changes and new challenges for the survival of businesses. In this scenario, the aim of the paper is to analyze and classify the main contributions published on the topic of COVID-19 in managerial literature, seeking to discover the perspective and the gaps and outline future avenues of research. A systematic review of the literature has been performed. The results highlight the orientation of studies in this field and the various links between different aspects that emerged. Limitations and implications complete the research.
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27
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Panay B, Baloian N, Pino JA, Peñafiel S, Frez J, Fuenzalida C, Sanson H, Zurita G. Forecasting Key Retail Performance Indicators Using Interpretable Regression. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 21:1874. [PMID: 33800166 PMCID: PMC7962459 DOI: 10.3390/s21051874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Foot traffic, conversion rate, and total sales during a period of time may be considered to be important indicators of store performance. Forecasting them may allow for business managers plan stores operation in the near future in an efficient way. This work presents a regression method that is able to predict these three indicators based on previous data. The previous data includes values for the indicators in the recent past; therefore, it is a requirement to have gathered them in a suitable manner. The previous data also considers other values that are easily obtained, such as the day of the week and hour of the day of the indicators. The novelty of the approach that is presented here is that it provides a confidence interval for the predicted information and the importance of each parameter for the predicted output values, without additional processing or analysis. Real data gathered by Follow Up, a customer experience company, was used to test the proposed method. The method was tried for making predictions for up to one month in the future. The results of the experiments show that the proposed method has a comparable performance to the best methods proposed in the past that do not provide confidence intervals or parameter rankings. The method obtains RMSE of 0.0713 for foot traffic prediction, 0.0795 for conversion rate forecasting, and 0.0757 for sales prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belisario Panay
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8370456, Chile; (N.B.); (J.A.P.); (S.P.); (C.F.)
| | - Nelson Baloian
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8370456, Chile; (N.B.); (J.A.P.); (S.P.); (C.F.)
| | - José A. Pino
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8370456, Chile; (N.B.); (J.A.P.); (S.P.); (C.F.)
| | - Sergio Peñafiel
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8370456, Chile; (N.B.); (J.A.P.); (S.P.); (C.F.)
| | - Jonathan Frez
- School of Informatics and Telecommunication, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago 8370190, Chile;
| | - Cristóbal Fuenzalida
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8370456, Chile; (N.B.); (J.A.P.); (S.P.); (C.F.)
| | | | - Gustavo Zurita
- Department of Information Systems and Management Control, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330015, Chile;
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Impact of COVID-19 on the Customer End of Retail Supply Chains: A Big Data Analysis of Consumer Satisfaction. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13031464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the biggest disruptive events of recent decades and has had a global effect on society and the economy. The political regulations resulting from COVID-19 also led to significant changes in physical grocery shopping. However, the specific impact of COVID-19 on consumer satisfaction at the customer end of retail supply chains, i.e., the point-of-sale (PoS), has not yet been addressed. By gathering and analyzing consumer satisfaction data (ratings) and sentiments (evaluation comments) available on the open web, the current study evaluates the impact of COVID-19 on consumer satisfaction at the PoS. Focusing on the five biggest retail chains in Austria, the results show that there was a general and significant decline in consumer satisfaction due to the pandemic. The results also show a high impact of political regulations on consumer satisfaction. Furthermore, the text-mining based analysis of evaluation comments indicate that store layout and facilities, as well as product availability and waiting time had a great impact on consumer satisfaction. In total, over 533,000 consumer satisfaction ratings and over 153,000 textual comments have been analyzed, providing the basis for a comprehensive and sound discussion of the impact of COVID-19 on consumer satisfaction and perceptions. Future research could focus on applying the used data analysis technique and the adapted consumer sentiment dimensions in different settings, such as countries other than Austria or smaller retail chains.
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29
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Supply chain sustainability: learning from the COVID-19 pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OPERATIONS & PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1108/ijopm-08-2020-0568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThis paper, a pathway, aims to provide research guidance for investigating sustainability in supply chains in a post-COVID-19 environment.Design/methodology/approachPublished literature, personal research experience, insights from virtual open forums and practitioner interviews inform this study.FindingsCOVID-19 pandemic events and responses are unprecedented to modern operations and supply chains. Scholars and practitioners seek to make sense of how this event will make us revisit basic scholarly notions and ontology. Sustainability implications exist. Short-term environmental sustainability gains occur, while long-term effects are still uncertain and require research. Sustainability and resilience are complements and jointly require investigation.Research limitations/implicationsThe COVID-19 crisis is emerging and evolving. It is not clear whether short-term changes and responses will result in a new “normal.” Adjustment to current theories or new theoretical developments may be necessary. This pathway article only starts the conservation – many additional sustainability issues do arise and cannot be covered in one essay.Practical implicationsOrganizations have faced a major shock during this crisis. Environmental sustainability practices can help organizations manage in this and future competitive contexts.Social implicationsBroad economic, operational, social and ecological-environmental sustainability implications are included – although the focus is on environmental sustainability. Emergent organizational, consumer, policy and supply chain behaviors are identified.Originality/valueThe authors take an operations and supply chain environmental sustainability perspective to COVID-19 pandemic implications; with sustainable representing the triple bottom-line dimensions of environmental, social and economic sustainability; with a special focus on environmental sustainability. Substantial open questions for investigation are identified. This paper sets the stage for research requiring rethinking of some previous tenets and ontologies.
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