CALL FOR CHAPTERS

Consumer Science and Strategic Marketing: Case Studies in Food Retailing and Distribution

Editors:

• John Byrom, Manchester Business School.
• Dominic Medway, Manchester Metropolitan University.

Publisher: Elsevier.

Overview

As part of Elsevier’s new series on Consumer Science and Strategic Marketing (Series Editors: Alessio Cavicchi and Cristina Santini), this new volume aims to highlight key aspects of food retailing and distribution across the globe.

The collection of case studies will highlight how, in a dynamic and fast-moving sector, organizations are responding to current trends (e.g. food provenance, health concerns, climate change, the concentration of retail power, retail internationalization, homogeneity, glocalization, technological advances) and the consequences of these for the consumer.

The book will consist of a series of case studies organized by theme. The exact themes will depend on the accepted submissions, but the following provides an outline indication of potential topics:

• Food retailing and distribution
  • Retail food pricing decisions and the potential implications of this for consumer choices and consumer health (see, for example, Steenhuis et al., 2011).
  • Communications and promotion in food retailing (see, for example, Peattie, 1998).
  • Supply chain management and logistics in the food, including more recent developments such as online and ominchannel food retailing (Ramus & Asger Nielsen, 2005) and associated ‘last mile’ challenges (Hübner et al., 2016).
  • Informal food distribution networks such as street vending, Dabbawala-like distribution systems (Baindur & Macário, 2013), alternative food networks and alliances (Jarosz, 2008), and food banks (Loopstra et al., 2015).
• Consumer perspectives
  • Consumer loyalty in food retailing (Møller Jensen, 2011).
  • Consumer trust and satisfaction, especially areas of consumer focus such as slow-food (Jones et al., 2003), food provenance and safety (Morgan et al., 2008), and food ethics (Schröder & McEachern, 2004).
  • Consumer responses to the growth of niche specialist food retailers (McGuinness & Hutchinson, 2013).
• The role of place in food retailing and distribution
  • Rural and urban food retailing provision (see, for example, Byrom et al., 2001; Cummins & Macintyre, 2002).
  • Food retailing in secondary shopping areas
  • Food retailing as a means of urban regeneration and place-making (see, for example, Wrigley et al., 2002).
  • Traditional food markets
  • Food retailing and distribution in developed vs. emerging national economic contexts (see, for example, Ali et al., 2010).

This is not an exhaustive list and interested authors are invited to propose chapters which lie outside the areas above, but which lie firmly rooted within the remit of food retailing and distribution.

Submissions from both an organizational and a consumer perspective are invited. Given the scope of the book, and in line with the objectives of the series, the implications of each case study for consumers and/or organizational strategy should be emphasized by authors – either by having an explicit focus on these issues throughout the chapter, or by including a dedicated ‘implications for consumers’ sub-section towards the end of the chapter. Authors may choose to focus on a particular geographic scale: local, regional, national, or continental; depending on the nature of the case.

Chapter length: 4,000 words maximum.

Submission process

By 15 December 2016, potential authors are invited to submit a proposal of 750 words maximum (plus references) which sets out the case study focus, background and intended contribution. A title page should be included which includes all author names, institutional affiliations and full contact details.

Submitted proposals must relate to new work which has not been published elsewhere previously, accepted for publication or is currently under consideration for publication.

Authors should adopt a style which is accessible to those from beyond academia. Whilst references to previous work are to be expected, these should not be excessive. Mention should be made of the methodological approach, where appropriate, but this should be less so than in a ‘typical’ academic paper. The results of statistical analyses should be limited, unless there is a compelling reason for their inclusion.

Key dates

• Chapter outlines due (by email to both editors): 15 December 2016.
• Potential authors advised of acceptance: 15 January 2017.
• First drafts due by: 15 June 2017.
• Final drafts due by: 15 October 2017.
• Target publication: 2018.

Contact

• John Byrom (john.byrom@mbs.ac.uk)
• Dominic Medway (d.medway@mmu.ac.uk)

References

Ali, J., Kapoor, S., & Moorthy, J. (2010). Buying behaviour of consumers for food products in an emerging economy. British Food Journal, 112(2), 109-124.

Baindur, D., & Macário, R. M. (2013). Mumbai lunch box delivery system: A transferable benchmark in urban logistics?. Research in Transportation Economics, 38(1), 110-121.

Byrom, J., Medway, D., & Warnaby, G. (2001). Issues of provision and “remoteness” in rural food retailing-A case study of the southern Western Isles of Scotland. British Food Journal, 103(6), 400-413.

Cummins, S., & Macintyre, S. (2002). A systematic study of an urban foodscape: the price and availability of food in greater Glasgow. Urban Studies, 39(11), 2115-2130.

Hübner, A., Kuhn, H., & Wollenburg, J. (2016). Last mile fulfilment and distribution in omni-channel grocery retailing: A strategic planning framework. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 44(3), 228-247.

Jarosz, L. (2008). The city in the country: Growing alternative food networks in Metropolitan areas. Journal of Rural Studies, 24(3), 231-244.

Jones, P., Shears, P., Hillier, D., Comfort, D., & Lowell, J. (2003). Return to traditional values? A case study of Slow Food. British Food Journal, 105(4/5), 297-304.

Loopstra, R., Reeves, A., Taylor-Robinson, D., Barr, B., McKee, M., & Stuckler, D. (2015). Austerity, sanctions, and the rise of food banks in the UK. BMJ, 350, h1775.

McGuinness, D., & Hutchinson, K. (2013). Utilising product knowledge: Competitive advantage for specialist independent grocery retailers. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, 41(6), 461-476.

Møller Jensen, J. (2011). Consumer loyalty on the grocery product market: an empirical application of Dick and Basu’s framework. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 28(5), 333-343.

Morgan, K., Marsden, T., & Murdoch, J. (2008). Worlds of food: Place, power, and provenance in the food chain. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Peattie, S. (1998). Promotional competitions as a marketing tool in food retailing. British Food Journal, 100(6), 286-294.

Ramus, K., & Asger Nielsen, N. (2005). Online grocery retailing: what do consumers think?. Internet Research, 15(3), 335-352.

Schröder, M. J., & McEachern, M. G. (2004). Consumer value conflicts surrounding ethical food purchase decisions: a focus on animal welfare. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 28(2), 168-177.

Steenhuis, I. H., Waterlander, W. E., & de Mul, A. (2011). Consumer food choices: the role of price and pricing strategies. Public Health Nutrition, 14(12), 2220-2226.

Wrigley, N., Guy, C., & Lowe, M. (2002). Urban regeneration, social inclusion and large store development: the Seacroft development in context. Urban Studies, 39(11), 2101-2114.

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