{"title":"Clear views, clear gains: Exterior transparency's role in increasing consumer entry for retail environments","authors":"Kevin L. Sample , Julio Sevilla , Kelly L. Haws","doi":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.01.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.01.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The exterior of retail environments is crucially important for eliciting consumer entrance and traffic, but what drives entry? We examine a prominent design element for every exterior – the level of transparency, proposing that more transparency enhances the informativeness provided to consumers and consequently increases the likelihood of consumer entrance. In contrast, whereas less transparency decreases informativeness about a place, foot traffic for less transparent places can be increased by providing consumers with more information about the interior via other means than transparency (e.g., a floorplan). Alternative information through brand familiarity can also increase entry for more and less transparent places. This proposed process shifts from the traditional emotionally focused paradigm of stimulus-organism-response in environmental psychology and instead recognizes the importance of providing more information within any marketplace interaction, even when it pertains to the built environment. Utilizing varying store types (e.g., retail, restaurants, fitness centers) and modalities (images, virtual reality), our studies provide support for these effects and the underlying mechanism. Consequently, we demonstrate an optimal design configuration of transparency for managerial guidance while providing crucial insights for an under-researched component of retail design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing","volume":"101 2","pages":"Pages 158-176"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144272550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ozan Ozdemir , Feyzan Karabulut , Paul R. Messinger
{"title":"Can(’t) touch this: The effect of form realism and product domain in virtual influencer endorsements","authors":"Ozan Ozdemir , Feyzan Karabulut , Paul R. Messinger","doi":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The prevalence of virtual agents across various domains has led to the emergence of virtual influencers on social media platforms as computer-generated alternatives to human social media influencers. This research sheds light on the factors that influence virtual influencers’ effectiveness in brand endorsements by examining their form realism and its interaction with the product domain. Four experiments show that virtual influencers’ form realism and the domain (physical vs. non-physical) of the products they endorse affect virtual influencers’ effectiveness as brand endorsers. Virtual influencers with high (vs. low) form realism generate a more positive attitude toward the brand. The underlying process driving this effect is the perceived lack of proximal sensory capabilities of virtual influencers with low form realism compared to those with high form realism. Importantly, there are no differences in brand attitudes for high (vs. low) form realism when virtual influencers endorse products belonging to non-physical (vs. physical) domains, where the proximal sensory capabilities of virtual influencers are less prominent. This research contributes to the literature by examining an emerging influencer type within the brand endorsement context. This research also offers practical implications for retailers regarding selecting the right influencer and crafting effective endorsement campaigns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing","volume":"101 2","pages":"Pages 298-310"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144272577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stefanie Sohn , Lauren Labrecque , Dominik Siemon , Stefan Morana
{"title":"Artificial intelligence versus human service agents: How their presence shapes consumer information privacy concerns","authors":"Stefanie Sohn , Lauren Labrecque , Dominik Siemon , Stefan Morana","doi":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.03.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.03.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Service agents act on behalf of retailers to interact with consumers. Agents’ service delivery requires information from consumers, which may raise consumers’ concerns about their information privacy. While previous research has linked service agents’ presence to perceptions of being watched, little is known about how artificial intelligence (AI) (vs. human) agents’ passive or mere presence affects consumer information privacy concerns—a gap this research aims to address. In a series of experimental studies and drawing on reactance theory, we find that consumers express lesser privacy concerns in the presence of AI (vs. human) service agents, which in turn leads to a greater willingness to share personal information and increased intention to engage with the retailer. To explain this effect, we identify consumers’ perceptions of service agents’ power: consumers perceive AI (vs. human) agents as having less power over them and therefore have lesser privacy concerns. The findings are consistent across various retailer types (e.g., florists, home décor, food, pharmacy) and diverse participant groups. In addition, we identify two boundary conditions of this effect: the trustworthiness of service agents and the timing of their presence (before or after a purchase). Understanding these elements can help retailers effectively manage privacy concerns and strategically determine the presence of different types of service agents.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing","volume":"101 2","pages":"Pages 263-278"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144272575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"FM ii: Copyright/ ID Statement","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S0022-4359(25)00018-1","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S0022-4359(25)00018-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing","volume":"101 1","pages":"Page ii"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Paving the way for responsible retailing","authors":"Niels Holtrop, Lara Lobschat, Anne ter Braak","doi":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.02.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.02.006","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing","volume":"101 1","pages":"Pages 1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Edward J. Fox , Joe Bourdage , Justin LaTorraca , Laura O'Laughlin , Marcello Santana
{"title":"Lessons learned from the Kroger-Albertsons merger case","authors":"Edward J. Fox , Joe Bourdage , Justin LaTorraca , Laura O'Laughlin , Marcello Santana","doi":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.02.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.02.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>By synthesizing the findings and supporting evidence from the Kroger-Albertsons merger case—the largest proposed supermarket merger in history—and the Court's preliminary injunction ruling, this paper offers insights into the key drivers of supermarket competition today (circa 2025). We identify and explain the drivers of supermarket competition today using the preliminary injunction ruling as a guide. Supermarket competition has been heavily influenced by information technology and the resulting increases in retailer capabilities and consumers’ digital engagement, in addition to other brand and product factors, not all of which have been well studied. We also highlight changes in the drivers of supermarket competition from previous grocery retail studies, in particular changes that are not yet well documented in academic literature. The article concludes with proposed topics for future research in supermarket competition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing","volume":"101 1","pages":"Pages 138-152"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zheng Chai , Nan Feng , Harry Jiannan Wang , Haiyang Feng
{"title":"Optimal exclusivity strategy for digital service on competing platforms with different installed bases","authors":"Zheng Chai , Nan Feng , Harry Jiannan Wang , Haiyang Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.01.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.01.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exclusive digital services are increasingly prevalent on growing digital service platforms. This study explores the optimal exclusivity strategy for digital service developers and examines the negotiation of licensing fees in exclusive agreements between developers and platforms. We develop a game-theoretic model in which a developer offers a digital service to consumers through competing platforms, one of which is superior in terms of installed base and bargaining power in negotiations with the developer. One interesting finding is that the inferior platform may pay a lower licensing fee to the developer than the superior platform when the difference in their installed bases is small. As the superior platform's installed base grows, its equilibrium licensing fee increases if its bargaining power is low but decreases if it is high. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that exclusivity on the superior platform is more profitable for the developer when the inferior platform's installed base is sufficiently small. Conversely, when the inferior platform's installed base is large, the developer prefers exclusivity on the inferior platform if the number of new consumers is sufficiently large, and non-exclusivity otherwise. Finally, we find that consumer surplus is always highest under the non-exclusivity strategy, while social welfare reaches its maximum under the non-exclusivity strategy only when the platform with lower intrinsic value has a sufficiently large installed base.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing","volume":"101 1","pages":"Pages 120-137"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rhys Ashby , Shahin Sharifi , Jun Yao , Lawrence Ang
{"title":"The influence of the buy-now-pay-later payment mode on consumer spending decisions","authors":"Rhys Ashby , Shahin Sharifi , Jun Yao , Lawrence Ang","doi":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.01.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.01.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Buy-now-pay-later, a rapidly growing payment mode, facilitates short-term deferral of payment by several installments without interest or fees. Although consumers and payment providers claim that buy-now-pay-later influences spending, existing research does not fully explain how or why. Purchase transaction data and a series of experiments demonstrate greater consumer spending with buy-now-pay-later compared to other payment modes. This research contributes an underlying process that explains how and why buy-now-pay-later increases consumer spending. The presentation of installment prices (i.e., the amount paid per installment) with buy-now-pay-later lowers consumers’ perception of purchase expensiveness, which increases spending. However, presenting installment prices does not affect spending with other payment modes. Furthermore, the number of installments, the magnitude of the first installment, and the presence of the installment price moderate the effect of buy-now-pay-later, demonstrating how installment prices affect consumer spending. Taken together, the findings provide opportunities for retailers to increase consumers’ spending and actionable insights for policymakers to protect consumers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing","volume":"101 1","pages":"Pages 103-119"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Friends or Enemies? The impact of partial competitor referral on consumer purchase","authors":"Haichuan Zhao , Mingyue Zhang , Haipeng (Allan) Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretai.2025.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Partial competitor referral is a common sales influence tactic used to increase consumers’ likelihood of purchasing a focal product (e.g., a painting or table) by referring consumers to a competitor that offers a non-focal product (e.g., a frame or chairs). This study examines the impact of two types of partial competitor referrals, i.e., recommending a competitor with strategic vs. tactical advantages, and their impact on consumers’ purchase intention. Five studies showed that recommending a competitor with strategic (vs. tactical) advantages on a non-focal product increases consumers’ purchase intention of the focal product. Credibility of the referral signal and trust of the seller (e.g. goodwill, integrity, and competence trust) mediate the effects. Skepticism toward salespeople, the presence of monetary incentives for referrals, and seller-competitor product assortment overlap moderate the effects. Additionally, we found that recommending a competitor with strategic (vs. tactical) advantages on a non-focal product decreases consumers' future purchase intention for the non-focal product. Theoretical contributions and practical implications of our research are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing","volume":"101 1","pages":"Pages 86-102"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Lost in translation? How multilingual packaging influences product evaluations by impeding consumers’ processing fluency","authors":"Verena Hüttl-Maack, Rafael Munz","doi":"10.1016/j.jretai.2024.12.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jretai.2024.12.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Owing to the global nature of today's marketplace, companies commonly use standardized packaging to distribute their products in multiple countries. Hence, consumers are regularly confronted with packaging that presents product information in their native language and in multiple foreign languages. However, how this impacts consumers has rarely been studied. In three experimental studies (<em>N</em> = 3,010), we identify processing fluency as an important driver of the consumer-sided consequences of multilingual packaging. Our research finds that the presence of foreign languages with which consumers are only weakly familiar impedes their mental processing of the product, resulting in less favorable product evaluations. Furthermore, a high number of translations printed on packaging also decreases processing fluency. Although multilingual packaging might be seen as a purely distributional cost-cutting method, the results of this research suggest that companies need to carefully consider how many and which languages are placed on packaging to realize their products’ full sales potential. Theoretical contributions, implications for packaging design, and directions for further research are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48402,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Retailing","volume":"101 1","pages":"Pages 68-85"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}