Conference proceedings

Superquinn Alive and Kicking: An Illustration of Innovation in the Irish Grocery Market

Edmund O'Callaghan et al. — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:40:23 PDT

Superquinn is one of Ireland’s most successful indigenous retailers operating in an intensely competitive grocery market. Despite the arrival of large overseas retailers and an increased level of acquisition and alliance activity, it has survived and thrived. The company attributes its success to its innovation strategy. The practice of innovation now permeates all facets and functions of the Irish grocery sector and consequently is a pre-requisite for maintaining competitive advantage and ensuring business success. This paper illustrates many Superquinn innovations, and relates its strategy to themes within innovation literature. Based on an in-depth interview with its managing director, Feargal Quinn, it provides insights into the philosophy that underpins an innovative retail culture and illustrates the conception and implementation of innovative practice.

Large Retail Developments in Ireland: an Overview

Edmund O'Callaghan — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:40:21 PDT

This paper illustrates the Irish public policy response to the location and development of large stores, through new planning guidelines issued in 2001. These guidelines provide the basis for a framework to guide local authorities in preparing development plans, in line with the broad principles of ‘sustainable development’. The context against which the new planning guidelines were deemed necessary is outlined. The paper concludes that the new guidelines will not seriously hinder non-food formats, nor disadvantage potential new international or national entrants. While it will limit large food-store development, average food-store size will continue to increase and existing operators will re-engineer store formats to compete effectively across the sub-sector.

Towards a Conceptual Framework of Corporate Branding in Retailing

Edmund O'Callaghan — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:40:19 PDT

The view that corporate brand building in retailing is different to any other context (Burt and Sparks, 2002) is predicated in the belief that ‘goods’ retailers need to manage a range of corporate components, its multiple relationships with customers and its dependence on employees to personify and deliver much of the corporate identity. These differences in operations are perceived as adding a degree of complexity to an already challenging process of corporate brand development. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for the corporate brand building process within an SME retail context. It develops on the work of Hatch & Schultz’s (2003) proposed alignment of culture, vision and image as critical for corporate brand building and Abratt’s (1989) corporate identity framework which strongly emphasises the key requirement of integrated corporate communications for both internal and external audiences. It proposes that the store experience is not only the result of the alignment of strategic vision and corporate culture, but in itself is the key communications vehicle for corporate image development and the corporate branding process. The model also sees company characteristics as mediating factors in corporate brand development.

Internal Branding and Brand Commitment: a Quantitative Investigation into Corporate Brand Building in a Retail Store Network

Edmund O'Callaghan — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 06:40:17 PDT

The aim of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between the perceived effectiveness of internal branding activities on brand commitment among owner managers within a retail store network of previously independent retailers. Brand commitment was hypothesized as essential for coherent and consistent corporate brand building within this context. Two new scales were developed and tested to measure internal branding and brand commitment. Perceived clarity of vision, core values and brand communications were highly correlated with strong brand commitment, while lack of perceived business supports and adequate reward systems were potential inhibitors. Interalia, findings validate the significance of internal branding for corporate brand building within a retail network.

Fathers: a Contemporary Perspective on their Role in Child-driven Materialism

Catriona Nash et al. — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 10:28:01 PST

This paper explores the contemporary role of fathers in child-driven materialistic consumption, a little explored territory. Commencing with an exploration of the child consumer and their influence in personal and family spending, both of which have grown considerably over that last number of decades, followed by an analysis of changes in families and the role fathers now play in the aforementioned. It is also acknowledged that fathers have previously been ignored to a large extent in the majority of research studies concerning parent-child consumption and purchases. As such, valuable insights emerged through an interpretative framework utilised to explore this area. Furthermore, the use of semi-structured interviews allowed fathers’ ‘lived’ experiences of the purchase and consumption process to emerge. Findings result in fathers, on the one hand, portraying themselves as the traditional authoritarian figure, claiming their spouses relent to materialistic consumption, while concurrently initiating a portion of materialistic purchases themselves. These emergent findings result in an obvious tension within fathers’ awareness of the more traditional models of fathering: the strong, authoritative, sensible and responsible parent, versus their recognition of a contemporary dilution of same: the sensitive, involved, engaged, explanatory father.

Child Targeted TV Advertising and its influence on the Child- Parent Purchase Relationship:

Catriona Nash et al. — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 10:27:59 PST

Since the 1970s an argument has raged over the influence child targeted advertising has on its young audiences (Lawlor & Prothero 2003). An area of particular interest is the effect of child targeted advertising on the parent-child purchase relationship, commonly referred to as ‘pester-power’. In recent years, harnessing its power has become a Holy Grail for those who believe it to be the key to parent’s purse strings (Harding 2004). Industry spending on advertising to children has significantly increased in the past decade, from $100 million in 1990 to more than $2 billion in 2000 (www.media-awareness.ca). This paper outlines preliminary data exploring TV advertising and its effects on the parent child purchase relationship.

Exploring the Relationship Between Customer Loyalty and Electronic Loyalty Schemes: an Organisational Perspective

Edmund O'Callaghan et al. — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:11:40 PST

Electronic loyalty schemes (ELSs) first appeared on the Irish retail landscape when Superclub was launched by the Irish grocery multiple Superquinn in 1993. While ELSs are now commonplace in the Irish retail sector, the rationale for their introduction remains unclear. Loyalty measurability remains a ubiquitous concern within the business literature. This paper offers an organisational perspective on the role and operation of one electronic loyalty scheme. It investigates the benefits of ELSs and their contribution or otherwise to the development of loyalty. The paper reiterates the belief that the real advantage of ELSs resides with their data mining potential to produce rich marketing information for strategic advantage. The article concludes that in a competitive context, the true value of any advantage arising from loyalty schemes is questionable, that strategic decisions based on behavioural measures alone are suspect and that greater opportunities exist to employ more innovative and creative strategies in rewarding ‘loyal’ customers.

Streets of Stability and Change: a Comparative Analysis of Dublin City-centre Streetscapes (1972-2002)

Edmund O'Callaghan et al. — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:11:38 PST

Studies on city streetscapes are relatively rare in the retail literature despite the fact that retail offerings at any point in time approximate the volume and nature of societal consumption. This study examines past and present composition of streetscape activity and street ownership in Dublin city centre. The data generated will constitute a historical record of both the degree of stability and the degree of change in the Dublin streetscape. Findings illustrate the volatility of the street and the importance for central places of fulfilling both social and economic roles. The study also identifies the need for more innovative and carefully targeted interventions to regenerate specific tertiary street s. Finally, the study concludes that an analysis of change in retail provision over time provides a relatively accurate barometer of socio-cultural change.

the Impact of Change on the Irish Retail Environment

Edmund O'Callaghan et al. — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 02:04:46 PST

The turbulence of environmental change is a constant challenge for the modern retailer. It acts as a Jeckyl and Hyde change agent in that it presents opportunities for the entrepreneurial firm or is ever threatening for the reactive enterprise. The law of natural selection which dictates that firms ‘adapt to this turbulence or die’, is a reality. The firm must work within parameters of ever increasing environmental change and its ability to anticipate this change becomes a prerequisite for survival. Mathur argues that markets are not a given, that it is firms which dictate the market environment through their generic strategies. Competition therefore shapes the particular business environment. The alternative view, the environmental approach to retail change articulated by Brown 1995 suggests that changes in the economic, demographic, social, cultural, legal and technological conditions of the marketplace are reflected in the structure of retailing. The Irish marketplace has seen wholesale change during the past decades. Technological change has advanced at a phenomenal rate, the Irish consumer has changed in terms of demography, sophistication and lifestyle, and the economic environment has changed beyond recognition. All of these factors have been instrumental in changing the dynamic of the Irish retail sector as a whole. As the new millennium beckons, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on these changes, suggest their effect on the Irish retail sector, and anticipate some future changes.