Insufficient information and understanding regarding a product’s price components can lead to negative perceptions of the fairness of the price and subsequent negative behaviors toward the product. Cost transparency is a way to disclose these components and enhance price fairness and, in turn, behaviors. Previous research rarely tests the role of price fairness in the cost transparency process and limits itself to studying conventional products without considering other product types (e.g. Fairtrade products). Moreover, the moderating effect of consumers’ characteristics (such as the construal level) is also lacking. To fill these gaps, we run two online experiments. We find that price fairness fully mediates the cost transparency–purchase intention relationship. We further find that this effect is stronger for Fairtrade products than for conventional products and that this enhanced effect is stronger for consumers with high construal level compared to consumers with low construal level. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications.

Although there is a growing interest in developing sustainable cities, a significant knowledge gap persists regarding the concrete logistics choices necessary to achieve such cities. Grounded in ethnographic research on city logistics, this study examines how logistics service providers (LSPs) navigate sustainability challenges within the urban ecosystem while also meeting the efficiency demands of their business ecosystem. By repositioning LSPs as a sub-ecosystem nested within the broader urban ecosystem, the article demonstrates how LSPs adeptly address the intricacies of the urban environment and respond to pressures from their business ecosystem. This investigation greatly enhances the understanding of the underlying issues affecting city logistics' sustainability. It deepens insight into the concept of city logistics as a sub-ecosystem within the urban ecosystem, highlighting how its sustainability is intertwined with the structure of the urban ecosystem. From a societal perspective, this research conceptualizes city logistics as a business activity and a vital social service that bolsters urban well-being. The findings suggest a need for further research into the role of city logistics actors as key contributors to urban sustainability.

Purpose This paper aims to understand how dual sustainable-labeling strategies influence perceived value dimensions (i.e. quality, emotional, social and price) across vice vs virtue products and level of consumers’ consideration of future consequences. Design/methodology/approach Two online experiments are conducted with private label brands: one with organic and Fairtrade labels and one with organic and local labels. For each experiment, a conditional process analysis was used with the labeling strategy (i.e. no label vs organic label vs Fairtrade/local label vs organic label + Fairtrade/local label) as the independent variable, the product types (i.e. vice vs virtue) and level of consideration of future consequences as moderators, the dimensions of perceived value (quality, emotional, social and price) as the dependent variables. Findings Dual sustainable-labeling strategies lead to higher positive perceived value levels on all dimensions compared to no-labeling strategy. They however do not necessarily lead to higher levels compared to mono-labeling strategies such as organic labeling strategy (except for social dimension). Additionally, the positive effect of dual sustainable-labeling is lower for virtue products compared to vice products and is stronger for consumers with high level of consideration of future consequences for vice products for the social-value dimension. Originality/value Prior research has focused on the effect of multi-labeling strategies on willingness to pay with mixed results. This study brings insights to literature by testing the impact of dual sustainable-labeling strategies on the dimensions of perceived value as well as the moderating effects of the product types and consideration of future consequences.

Une information et une compréhension insuffisantes des éléments constitutifs du prix d’un produit peuvent conduire à des perceptions négatives de la justice du prix et à des comportements négatifs envers le produit. La transparence des coûts est un moyen de dévoiler ces éléments. Les recherches antérieures testent rarement le rôle de la justice des prix dans le processus de transparence des coûts et privilégient l’étude des produits conventionnels sans prendre en compte d’autres types de produits (e.g., produits Fairtrade). En outre, l’étude de l’effet modérateur de caractéristiques des consommateurs (e.g., le niveau de représentation) est absente. Pour combler ces lacunes, nous menons deux expérimentations en ligne. Nos résultats montrent que la justice des prix joue un rôle clé dans la relation entre la transparence des coûts et l’intention d’achat. Cet effet est plus fort pour les produits Fairtrade que pour les produits conventionnels. Enfin, cet effet est plus important pour les consommateurs ayant un niveau de représentation élevé.

As interbrand competition increases, category sales and growth become increasingly important for brand managers. Indeed, higher category sales means that all brands will likely benefit from an increase in sales. Studies on the drivers of category sales and growth have, however, usually considered sales and growth separately, rendering an exhaustive understanding of drivers complicated. Those studies have further only considered markets, leaving out specific submarkets (e.g., private label brand (PLB) and organic submarkets). We fill these gaps by studying how several drivers (i.e., average volume purchased, average price per volume, category penetration, number of stock keeping units (SKUs), and category promotional intensity) influence category sales level and growth for markets, as well as PLBs and organic submarkets. To do so, we use panel data from Nielsen from 53 categories from 2007 to 2020. We find that the influence of drivers differs across (sub)markets. We discuss the implications for theory and practice.

Purpose Retailers can use their mobile app to send location-based advertisements to consumers in the store. Goal congruence is an important driver for this type of ad's effectiveness. However, evidence of goal congruence influence on positive and negative outcomes and, in turn, on product purchase intention, is lacking. Research also leaves out the moderating effect of shopping motivation and price promotion level. The paper tests the impact of goal congruence on purchase intention through attitude to the ad and its intrusiveness, as well as the moderating effect of shopping motivation and price promotion. Design/methodology/approach Two online experiments are conducted to investigate these effects. The first experiment investigates the influence of goal congruence (i.e. low vs high) and the moderating effect of shopping motivation (i.e. utilitarian vs hedonic) on attitudes to the ad, level of perceived intrusiveness and, ultimately, purchase intention. The second experiment introduces the moderating effect of price promotion. Findings Goal congruence has a positive effect on attitude to the ad but no impact on intrusiveness. Goal congruence and shopping motivation further have a significant effect on attitude to the ad, as well as on purchase intention. Finally, no interaction effect of price promotion level is found. Originality/value This study tests the effect of goal congruence for in-store mobile apps on attitude towards the ads and intrusiveness and ultimately purchase intention. It further tests the moderating effect of shopping motivation (i.e. utilitarian vs hedonic) and price promotion level on these relationships.

Demand for locally produced foods is increasing. Thus, mobile apps that help consumers order local foods are more and more common. Research shows that proximity (access-, identity-, production-, and relationship-related) plays a central role in local food consumption. Questions that arise are whether these apps can create proximity between users and producers and whether such perceived proximity improves users’ attitudes toward the app, and intention to continue using it. To test this, we conducted two studies. We ran an online survey using a fictional local food app as well as a field test with consumers of an actual local food app. In both studies, we used the app’s perceived proximity as independent variables, the technology acceptance model (TAM)’s app evaluation as mediators, and consumer attitude toward the app as dependent variable. We found that perceived proximity has an impact on most TAM dimensions. The impact is further differentiated across consumers.

Purpose This paper aim to investigate how organic labeling impacts perceived value for money (PVFM) as well as attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty for private label brands (PLBs). This impact is tested for different product categories and retailers. Design/methodology/approach Two online experiments are conducted with different product categories (i.e. eggs and chocolate) and different retailers (i.e. Auchan and Carrefour). For each experiment, a multivariate analysis of covariance with brand type (i.e. PLBs and organic PLBs) as the independent variables, the PVFM and brand loyalty as the dependent variables as well as consumers’ characteristics, involvement with organic products and attitudes toward the retailer as the covariates is run. Findings On aggregate, organic PLBs prompt a higher PVFM as well as a higher attitudinal and behavioral loyalty than the PLBs. These results are consistent across the above-mentioned product categories and retailers. Research limitations/implications This study advances knowledge on organic labeling for the PLBs. Practical implications Retailers gain insights on the perceptions and behaviors toward organic PLBs versus standard PLBs. Originality/value This study tests how an organic label impacts the PVFM and brand loyalty for the PLBs.

A common managerial belief indicates that brand loyalty declines over the years, with consumers becoming more heterogeneous in their choices. The earlier research investigating the phenomenon of brand loyalty decline is, however, inconclusive and does not offer an answer to the reasons behind brand loyalty evolution. In this study, we investigate brand loyalty evolution and explore the impact that a number of category characteristics have on driving brand loyalty evolution. We use Danish panel data across 54 categories over a period of 6 years (2006–2011). Our findings show that at the aggregate level, brand loyalty declines, but this evolution is category-specific, with only a small number of categories showing a significant decline. We further demonstrate that an increase in category penetration results in a negative impact on brand loyalty evolution, whereas an increase in the share of private label brands has a positive impact. We discuss the implications for theory and practice.