Consumers

A collaborative UK government-funded research project drawing on the design and sustainability expertise of the Department of Design and Technology at Loughborough University and the sustainability and product bank functions at The Boots Company set out to investigate the potential that refillable packaging systems can offer the consumer and the environment. In the past, refills have generally been categorized under one general heading and often branded as a failure. However, early in the project, the team identified that by taking a creative approach to interpreting refills, there are actually a wide range of different types of refills that can be differentiated with respect to their delivery approach and level of consumer/business interaction. Once these had been identified, collated and categorized, the team set out to investigate the consumer perceptions, and the business barriers and drivers found to influence the adoption and success of a number of different types of refillable packaging. This paper reports on those findings. It concludes that differentiating between refill types holds the key to developing more suitable and more successful refillable packaging systems as positive and negative attributes can be more accurately identified and responded to. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

With the continuing growth of electronic commerce and markets a need for consumer protection has become a priority. The increase of transnational trades through e-markets has raised the number of low value high volume disputes in the ecommerce arena. Therefore, to effectively protect consumers alternative forms of justice should become available and accessible to anyone who operates online. In the last two decades, we have assisted to a significant development in the practice of resolving disputes via the internet and other modern digital applications. However, Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) has not advance as rapidly as the number of disputes for which there is no access to justice and no effective redress 2. Since its creation, eBay has been at the forefront of creating and developing resources for supporting ODR processes. Its Dispute Resolution Center is one of the biggest ODR systems in the world and has been considered by many the most successful example of Online Dispute Resolution. This study aims to examines whether eBay ODR system embodies principles of fairness, due process, accountability, and transparency. Additionally, this study will present a qualitative analysis of data collected from over two hundred reviews left by eBay consumers on the Better Business Bureau website with the aim of investigating issues experienced by eBay sellers and buyers with eBay Resolution program.

ObjectiveDespite widespread concern over exploitation of the European Union's fish stocks, dietary guidelines in the UK continue to recommend two portions of fish per week. The present study sought to investigate whether health and/or sustainability are motivating factors when purchasing and consuming fish and whether there are sociodemographic trends.DesignA structured, self-completion postal questionnaire exploring consumers’ attitudes towards purchasing fish, their dietary intake, stated purchasing behaviour and sociodemographic information.SettingNottinghamshire, UK.SubjectsAdults from 842 households randomly selected from the electoral register.ResultsOver half of the participants (57·0 %) were aware of the health benefits of fish consumption and reported health as a primary motivator for purchasing fish; however, only 26·8 % actively sought to purchase fish from a sustainable source (e.g. Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish). Only 30·6 % of participants met cur...

This study answers two questions about power sector reform in Moldova. First, did reform affect the poor and the non-poor differently? Second, are household consumption patterns different for private and public distribution networks? The study concludes that reforms have not disproportionately affected the poor. The gap in electricity consumption between poor and non-poor is closing, as a result of improvements in the supply of electricity, particularly in rural areas, and the significant growth in income over the past four years. Moldova's residential electricity consumption remains exceptionally low and is probably highly inelastic, especially for the very poor. This implies that unless they are accompanied by increases in income, future tariff increases could create large potential consumer welfare losses-as well as large revenue gains for the utility. It also implies that there may be room for substantial welfare gains by helping households better manage their electricity ex...

While farmers' markets are a colourful addition to urban shopping, they are periodic, relatively expensive and provide for a very limited range of consumer requirements. In fact, they are the antithesis of supermarket ubiquity, price sensitivity, wide product/service range and extended opening hours. So, despite their small role in total food retail sales, why are they a growing presence and what do farmers' markets say about the consumer needs that supermarkets do not satisfy? This article reports the findings of a questionnaire-based survey of 391 farmers' market customers in five Scottish towns during 2006. Customers were seeking high quality food products, even if that meant premium prices, and put a particular value on direct transactions with the producer. Although these data have a specific geographic context, they have resonance for the growing schism between producer and customer in the UK and other countries.

This paper shows empirically that “privatization” in the energy, telecommunications, and water sectors, and the introduction of independent regulators in those sectors, have not always had the expected effects on access, affordability, or quality of services. It also shows that ...

1. We studied the effects of increased water temperatures (0–4.5 °C) and nutrient enrichment on the stoichiometric composition of different primary producers (macrophytes, epiphytes, seston and sediment biofilm) and invertebrate consumers in 24 mesocosm ecosystems created to mimic shallow pond environments. The nutrient ratios of primary producers were used as indicative of relative nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) limitation. We further used carbon stable isotopic composition (δ13C) of the different primary producers to elucidate differences in the degree of CO2 limitation.2. Epiphytes were the only primary producer with significantly higher δ13C in the enriched mesocosms. No temperature effects were observed in δ13C composition of any primary producer. Independently of the treatment effects, the four primary producers had different δ13C signatures indicative of differences in CO2 limitation. Seston had signatures indicating negligible or low CO2 limitation, followed by epiphytes and sediment biofilm, with moderate CO2 limitation, while macrophytes showed the strongest CO2 limitation. CO2 together with biomass of epiphytes were the key variables explaining between 50 and 70% of the variability in δ13C of the different primary producers, suggesting that epiphytes play an important role in carbon flow of temperate shallow lakes.3. The ratio of carbon to chlorophyll a decreased with increasing temperature and enrichment in both epiphytes and seston. The effects of temperature were mainly attributed to changes in algal Chl a content, while the decrease with enrichment was probably a result of a higher proportion of algae in the seston and epiphytes.4. Macrophytes, epiphytes and seston decreased their C : N with enrichment, probably as an adaptation to the different N availability levels. The C : N of epiphytes and Elodea canadensis decreased with increasing temperature in the control mesocosms. Sediment biofilm was the only primary producer with lower C : P and N : P with enrichment, probably as a result of higher P accumulation in the sediment.5. Independently of nutrient level and increased temperature effects the four primary producers had significantly different stoichiometric compositions. Macrophytes had higher C : N and C : P and, together with epiphytes, also the highest N : P. Seston had no N or P limitation, while macrophytes and epiphytes may have been P limited in a few mesocosms. Sediment biofilm indicated strong N deficiency.6. Consumers had strongly homeostatic stoichiometric compositions in comparison to primary producers, with weak or no significant treatment effects in any of the groups (insects, leeches, molluscs and crustaceans). Among consumers, predators had significantly higher N content and lower C : N than grazers.

Les chercheurs donnent rarement à voir le détail des choix méthodologiques qui fondent leurs recherches. Les considérations théoriques et pratiques qui les ont guidés dans ces choix restent souvent implicites. Dans cet ouvrage, les méthodes pour étudier l’alimentation et les « mangeurs » sont au centre. L’usage du terme « mangeurs » vise à distinguer ces derniers de la figure du consommateur. Il met l’accent sur la multidimensionnalité de l’acte de manger, cet acte qui engage le corps biologique tout autant que la socialité des individus et les insère dans l’espace et le temps ainsi que dans des échanges économiques.
Cet ouvrage est le fruit d’un travail collectif réunissant une quarantaine de chercheuses et chercheurs confirmés. Soucieux de pédagogie, il a pour objectif de présenter de manière critique quinze méthodes aujourd’hui utilisées dans ou à la croisée de différentes disciplines : anthropologie, économie, géographie, nutrition et sociologie.
L’ouvrage intéressera étudiants, enseignants, chercheurs experts et autres professionnels à la recherche de méthodes permettant de mieux comprendre ou d’affiner leurs propres outils d’étude de l’alimentation et des mangeurs.
L'ouvrage existe en version papier et est également téléchargeable gratuitement en EPUB et PDF sur le site de Quae : https://www.quae.com/produit/1696/9782759233472/methodes-d-investigation-de-l-alimentation-et-des-mangeurs

Attitude-related research in the existing sport literature has focused on measurement of the affect component to examine existing attitudes towards sport teams. Recent studies question sole reliance upon affective reactions to assess sport consumers’ attitudes towards sport teams. Current thinking conceptualises attitudes as possessing distinct structural properties such as importance, extremity, accessibility, certainty, and so on, whose combined presence is believed to be a better measure of attitude formation towards a focal object. This paper presents a conceptual model to advance our understanding of attitude formation relative to sport and athletic teams. The Fan Attitude Network (FAN) Model proposes a process through which the fulfilment of dispositional needs serves as a catalyst for the internalisation of a sport team. The internalisation process culminates in a sport identity that mediates the formation of the structural property importance, which in turn influences the formation of additional structural properties that subsequently impact attitude consequences such as fan loyalty. Based upon the proposed FAN Model, two directions for future research are offered for the systematic study of attitude formation among sport consumers.

In markets with high levels of financial exclusion, actors in the financial system, financial service providers (FSPs), consumers, providers of financial system infrastructure and other market supporting functions, regulators and other policy makers, often face capacity limitations. These include insufficient or inexperienced staff, lack of knowledge or understanding of the market, and limited financial literacy. Building sustainable and inclusive financial markets will require building the capacity of these actors. Funders that work to promote financial inclusion can play a very useful role in tackling capacity challenges, particularly if they provide support in a way that facilitates the development of a capacity building services market. This approach can benefit the whole financial market as opposed to the more common approach of providing direct support to one or a few actors in the market. This focus note builds on the ideas discussed in ‘facilitating market development to adv...

This study evaluated the potential mismatch between vacuum-sealed jar opening demands and wrist torque strength of 758 (384 males and 374 females) participants aged 5-74 years in Iran. Wrist ulnar/radial (U/R) torque strength of participants and required torque for opening the existing jars (with 2 different sizes-65 mm and 85 mm diameter lids) were measured using a digital angle torque adaptor and then compared together to identify any potential mismatch between them. The mismatch percentages were defined as the number of participants whose maximal wrist U/R torque strength were lower than the minimum required torque strength for opening the vacuum-sealed jars. Minimum required torque strength for opening the existing 65 mm and 85 mm vacuum-sealed jars were 4.1 Nm and 6.6 Nm, respectively (range = 4.1 Nm to 10.2 Nm). A considerable mismatch (range = 25%-100%) was found between the required torque strength for opening the existing jars and the wrist U/R torque strength of the study population, particularly for females and those aged 5-9 years. A torque limit of 1.8 Nm was proposed for opening jars for the entire population.

Digitalization has made a new but substantial entry in the Indian market; which was considered to be unorganized and traditional in many aspects. Over the years, due to better networks, stakeholder’s acceptance and Government initiative, there is a new framework is evolving for digital payments under organized wallets backed by up Government as well as private players. No denying fact that due to this intervention, various linkages to the sustainability is arising, which is the utmost need in the Indian context. In this paper 100 consumers (50 Digital Wallet users and 50 Non Digital wallet users) and 50 retailers (25 Digital Wallet Acceptor and 25 Non 25 Digital Wallet Acceptor) will be surveyed using a structure questionnaire. Using SPSS, their responses were analyzed and a model will be proposed in order to establish and determine the various interlinking’s among the digitalization, wallets and sustainability in Indian context using Mann Whitney U Test and Kruskal-Wallis test (H test). This paper has implication for future digital marketing strategists, policy makers and research enthusiasts of the similar area. This paper will be a convergence of digitalization and sustainability in Indian context.

The cosmetic industry and its growing demand across consumers has been well researched in the past. However, there are several lifestyle changes encountered with the advent of social media platforms and the information sourced through its posts. The consumers today are more informed and often are seen demanding organic products when it comes to cosmetics as well. Thus, in such a changing scenario it would be interesting to note the factors that impact the purchase intention of consumers. Two types of cosmetic products are considered namely herbal and non-herbal. A total of 510 responses using a structured questionnaire have been collected from females residing in the state of Punjab in India. the responses are analyzed using ANOVA and Multiple Linear Regression. The results show that in case of herbal cosmetic products it is celebrity endorsement that motivates the purchase intention and for non-herbal products, the product packaging and perceived value has a significant impact. Moreover, the common factor motivating the purchase intention of both herbal and nonherbal cosmetic product is the body attraction provided from the use of such products.

Differences in the definitions and terms used by consumers to describe their sensory sensations of crispness/crunchiness were studied, highlighting the relevance of using well-defined terms in consumer studies. A questionnaire was presented to consumers from two different Spanish-speaking countries (Spain and Uruguay, n = 200). The answers showed that the terms crispy and crunchy had different meanings or evoked different perceptions depending on the country. The crispy/crunchy food items most frequently mentioned by consumers were dry-crisp, processed products; vegetables or other wet-crisp products were not often mentioned by the consumers interviewed. The main difference between the two countries was that 38% of Spanish consumers did not know the Spanish term for “crunchy” and 17% thought that “crispy” and “crunchy” had the same meaning. The results contribute to a greater knowledge of the terminology used by the consumers to describe oral sensations related to crispness and crunchiness.

The patterns of content consumption have changed drastically over a period of the last 20 years and as technology is making advancements in almost every arena, the evolution can be seen in the trends of entertainment and media services Consumers have now turned towards Over-The-Top i.e OTT Platforms which allow them to stream their choice of content via the means of the internet, instead of holding on to the more traditional forms of media. Consumers are now ready to pay more and more in order to customize their streaming experience at their convenience and this in turn is helping the entertainment industry thrive. Ever since the lockdown was imposed in the country in lieu of the Coronavirus pandemic, more and more consumers are seeking out ways to keep themselves entertained at home. This study focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic towards the consumer buying behaviour towards OTT platforms, specifically exploring the market of subscription based streaming services. By using various statistical tools, information and numeric data was collected and research and analysis was conducted. This study will help various marketers and the employees of the entertainment industry in getting a closer look at the expectations of both the actual and potential customer base and assist them in delivering a better service while increasing engagement.

The expectations obtained from surveys play an important role as leading indicators for the application of the monetary policies. The ability to measure inflation expectations is an integral part of central bank policy especially for central banks that are implementing inflation-targeting regime. A forward-looking perspective is essential to the success of inflation targeting. Therefore, a central bank having primary objective of price stability are interested in inflation expectations. Qualitative data on inflation expectations obtained from surveys can be quantified into numerical indicators of the expected rates of price change. This paper presents the results of different quantification methods such as Carlson-Parkin method, balance method, regression method put into action in order to estimate Turkish consumer inflation predictions based on monthly consumer surveys. Carlson-Parkin method quantifies qualitative survey data on expectations assuming aggregate expectations are norm...