Drivers of Sharing More Personal Information on Smartphones

There must be something special about the relationship of consumers with their smartphones — they feel so close to the smartphone and confident in it that they are willing to disclose more personal and even intimate information in interactions on the device. Shiri Melumad and Robert Meyer, professors of marketing at the Wharton School in… Read More

A New Opportunity Arises for Pop-Up Stores

Temporary stores pop-up in recent years more frequently in different retail locations such as central shopping districts (e.g., on high-streets or inside urban quarters) and in malls; as you might expect, they are called Pop-Up Stores. These stores or shops may operate for as short as a few days to as long as two or… Read More

When Airplanes Fly Again

The battle against the Corona virus created an extraordinary situation, halting flights almost completely — domestic and moreover international flights. It seems furthermore  unprecedented in its scale, geographic span, and duration (days still counting). The crisis already threatens airlines round the globe. The future for the aviation industry is ambiguous at the moment with a… Read More

Digital Transformation and the Corona Pandemic

The restrictions on movement and contact imposed in the battle against the Corona virus are forcing consumers to rely more heavily on digital channels and their tools for obtaining products and services. Companies are required to provide and support more extensive digital tools of self-service for customers to be used in their homes. Some companies… Read More

Aesthetics Can Have Intelligence

Aesthetics is a fundamental aspect of product design. The visual design of a product affects the quality of consumers’ interaction with it, their usage of the product, and actually the product experience as a whole. Aesthetic appearance in particular contributes to the pleasure of viewing and utilising a product, whether it is a physical artefact… Read More

In the Mood: Consumer Confidence

‘Consumer Confidence’ is a contentious construct, subject to multiple views and versions on how it should be measured. The predictive power of a Consumer Confidence Index (CCI), at the macro and micro levels, is also given to argument. Yet measures of consumer confidence are applied in economic discourse as a useful indication of ongoing consumers’… Read More

Building Experiences Around Tea

Drinking good quality tea is an experience inseparable from the product ‘tea’ and its attributes. The flavour and aroma of the tea are experienced by our senses (taste as well as smell). The attributes of a drink product like tea have to be felt, and consumers now are more interested in that experience than in… Read More

The Attraction of Colourful Displays of Merchandise

Colour has a strong attraction power: it can capture visual attention faster than other design features; it can be inviting and appealing; and colours can evoke specific feelings and emotions of consumers. Furthermore, colours may play an important role in establishing a brand image. Henceforth, colour serves in particular as a primary tool in store… Read More

Seeing Beyond Retail in Shopping Centres

In recent years shopping centres are inclined to re-evaluate their goals and the functions they are required to fulfill for their customers. The proprietors are facing growing difficulties to attract shoppers to visit and buy at the stores in their shopping centres. Electronic commerce is considered a major factor contributing to the decrease in consumer… Read More

Changing Priorities for Stores and Shops

Store and shop owners need to adjust to changes in shopper behaviour; for example: shoppers do more research online on products of relevance before visiting a physical store — they prepare for their visit and come more informed; shoppers visit a physical store or shop to browse and inspect merchandise on display first hand but… Read More