Sampling Design

The study will utilize random sampling technique at three different grocery locations. The researcher will administer the study to customers who are shopping at the store. The researcher will ask the customer questions about what influenced their decision to shop at that particular store that day.

Data Collection Method

The primary data collection method for the study will be quantitative. Quantitative study methods are most useful when the data can be transformed into t numerical data point. This study will compare the importance of the factors being examined through a Likert-type survey questionnaire. Study participants will fill out and return the study results immediately to the researcher onsite.

Contribution of Study

This study will contribute to a better understanding of the importance of customer loyalty cards to the decision to shop at a particular grocer. The study will help manager, policy makers, and other researchers better understand how to improve overall customer loyalty.…...

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Bibliography

Basso, L., Clements, M., & Ross, T. 2007. Moral Hazard and Customer Loyalty Programs. [online]. 14 August 2007. Available at   25 October 2008[.http://www.economics.ucr.edu/seminars/winter08/ets/TomRoss.pdf [Accessed

Butscher, S. 2002. Customer Loyalty Programmes & Clubs. 2nd Edition. Aldershot, England: Gower Publishing Company.

CIOInsight. 2003. Trends: Loyalty Programs. CIO Insight Online. [internet] 1 December 2003. Available at   25 October 2008]/http://www.cioinsight.com/c/a/Special-Reports/Trends-Loyalty-Programs/ [Accessed

Dowling, G., & Uncles, M. 1997. Do Customer Loyalty Programs Really Work? MIT Sloan Management Review [online] Summer 1997. 38 (4): 71-82. Available at   25 October 2008].http://sloanreview.mit.edu/smr/issue/1997/summer/6/ [Accessed

Customer Loyalty
Affecting Customer Loyalty

Customer Grade Course

This research study introduces a comprehensive conceptual framework of customer loyalty within the retail sector. It emphasizes on the perceived loyalty amongst fast moving consumer goods and attempts to explore the moderating effects of the various different factors that might influence them.

The researcher will begin by creating an understanding of the term "customer loyalty" and its significance importance in the retail sector. Additionally, the researcher shall also attempt to explore the purchase decisions made by the consumers and what really prompts them to be loyal to certain brands of product while simultaneously evaluating the importance of price, quality, brand or any other factor that might impact their loyalty status and purchase decision.

Finally, the research study will conclude by delineating the factors which impacts consumer loyalty at the same time trying to establish a means of measuring the impact of consumer loyalty within certain products in…...

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REFERENCES

Aaker, Kumar & Day, 1995, Marketing Research, 5th edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., United States

Assael, Henry., 1984, Consumer Behavior and Marketing Action, 2nd edition, Kent Publishing, USA

Buttle, Francis (2006, July 11), Does service failure influence customer loyalty? Available from   [May 19th 2011]http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cb.67/abstract 

Dick, Alan S., 1994, Customer Loyalty: Towards an Integrated Conceptual Framework, Journal of Academy of Marketing Science

90).
Pros and Cons of the findings

The authors of Zero defection: Quality comes to service found out that there was tripling of the profits generated by one customer from in the fourth year than in the first year and this shows the advantages of loyalty because it leads to increased profits. All this profit is lost whenever the customer defects from the company. This increased profitability with loyalty is also evident in the credit card finding. The customer who is newly acquired generates only the base profit when using the card at first but after the second year, there will be improved economics. The usage increases as they become more familiar with the services. The disadvantage of these findings is that the profitability puzzle does contain many pieces and a direct association with loyalty is never definite (Ranaweera, 2007, p.115).

One advantage in the findings from the article The Mismanagement of…...

Taken together, United Natural Foods is looking to create pull-based demand throughout its distribution channels and increase sales activity, leading to more profitability over the long-term. The focus on two of the three elements being oriented towards the consumer is deliberate to further pull products through distribution channels as well.
If they are not used, should they be used?

They are used as the analysis indicates, yet United Natural Foods could also augment these efforts by concentrating more on channel-based and retailer-specific promotions over the long-term, further ensuring a higher level of sales productivity as well.

If they should be used, explain why they should be used. If they should not be used, explain why they should not be used.

Each one of the elements or components of the strategy need to be used and expanded over time to more fully meet the unmet needs of the customers these communication elements are meant…...

The high tech approach to managing new product introductions is to create an online password-protected website, often called a portal, and quickly upload and share all information about the new product introduction this way. This approach assumes that members of the sales force both for the company and for the direct sales channels will actually log in and use the data presented. It also assumes that all members of the channel have Internet access as well.
The low-tech approach is more time-consuming and expensive, yet it does make the new product introduction very memorable. This approach involves sending out product introduction packages overnight, calling each distributor, dealer and salesperson to make sure they got it, and explaining it to them. This approach is very costly and can also suffer from information lag times if the products change rapidly.

The high tech approach is most appropriate with products that have very rapid…...

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References

Andritsos, D., & Tang, . (2010). Launching new products through exclusive sales channels. European Journal of Operational Research, 204(2), 366.

Oren Harari. (1999). Margin killers. Management Review, 88(11), 33-36.

Kurt Johnson, & Mark Leger. (1999, September). Loyalty marketing: Keeping in contact with the right customers. Direct Marketing, 62(5), 36-42.

Marshall, N.. (2010). Commitment, Loyalty And Customer Lifetime Value: Investigating The Relationships Among Key Determinants. Journal of Business & Economics Research, 8(8), 67-84.

Much marketing research has been done on analysing customer behaviour and retention. As a consequence, it is crucial for online companies to create a loyal customer base, as well as to monitor the profitability of each segment (Reinartz and Kumar, 2002)
Definition of customer e-loyalty

Customer loyalty has been defined as "a deeply held commitment to re-buy or re-patronize a preferred product/service consistently in the future, thereby causing repetitive same-brand or same brand-set purchasing, despite situational influences and marketing efforts having the potential to cause switching behaviour" (Oliver, 1999). This general definition appears to apply to e-loyalty as well. Another briefer and more specific definition is provided by Anderson and Srinivasan (2003), who define e-loyalty as "the customer's favourable attitude toward an electronic business, resulting in repeat purchasing behaviour" (p. ____).

Since it is considered difficult to gain loyal customers on the internet without directly contact (Gommans et al., 2001), satisfaction with…...

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Bibliography and Reference

Journals

Anderson, R.E. And Srinivasan, S.S. (2003), E-satisfaction and e-loyalty: a contingency framework, Psychology and Marketing, Vol.20 No.2, pp. 123-38

Arregle, J.L., Borza, A., Dacin, M.T., Hitt, M.A., and Levitas, E. (2000), Partner selection in emerging and developed market contexts: Resource-based and organizational learning perspectives. Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 449-67. In Everett & Lo, p. 17.

Bailey, Scott and Schultz, D.E. (2000), Customer/brand loyalty in an interactive marketplace. Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 40, No. 3, p. 41.

Customer Loyalty Program
In today's highly competitive marketing climate, the only way to ensure revenue is to retain customers; move purchasers to customers, and enhance the customer satisfaction index for all clients. Customer loyalty and customer satisfaction are not synonymous, however, and they have differing meanings to different types of customers. Usually, customer satisfaction is a quantitative measurement of client attitudes about products, services, branding, or delivery. Customer loyalty is both the behavior of the customer (repeat clients) or a strong and robust attitude about the brand or service that makes shopping habitual. It is this loyalty of behavior that has a direct correlation to sales and market share since, depending on product or service, the amount a quality of competition varies significantly (Hallowell, 1996). Research also shows us that the place to enhance these issues is that the retail point of purchase; this is the place in which all the…...

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WORKS CITED

Increasing Customer Loyalty. (2011). Harvard Business Review. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Gitomer, Jeffrey. (1998). Customer Satisfaction is Worthless -- Customer Loyalty is Priceless.

Bard Press.

Hallowell, R. (1996). The Relationships of Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty, and Probability. International Journal of Service Industry Management. 7:4, 27-42.

In order to rise above competition, the company is committed to providing the highest quality of technical support to its clients, as demonstrated by its purchase of ATG. This software would result in reduced costs, increased revenue, and improved customer retention.
pecifically, the software gives the company the ability to reduce the time involved in solving customer queries and concomitantly increasing the volume of calls that can be handled. Furthermore, the queries and calls referred to higher levels of the company's management is decreased by centralizing the customers' access to relevant information sources. The quality and content of this service are also improved by analyzing daily interactions with customers. The service is made more efficient and accurate in this way. Finally, revenue opportunities are also increased by a feature that suggests up-sell and cross-sell possibilities.

According to Business Wire (2005), Genpact's RightAnswers' Knowledge-Pak libraries also integrate with the ATG software. These…...

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Sources

Business Wire. (2005, Dec. 12). General Electric-Owned Genpact Delivers Superior Customer Service with ATG's Progressive Call Center Technology. Database: FindArticles.  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_Dec_12/ai_n15929810/ 

General Electric (2008). GE Citizenship: Building a Customer Focus.  http://www.ge.com/citizenship/performance_areas/customers_focus.jsp 

O'Connor, Ashling (2008, Aug. 21). Thrilling Olympics give General Electric a surge in power. The Times.  http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article4576410.ece 

Samuelson, Walt. (2006). Customer Satisfaction Simplified. Ad Revamp.

The first one defines customer loyalty as a kind of attitude that is developed by the customers.The second one is behavioral (Yi,1990). Customer satisfaction, loyalty and profitability are therefore intertwined (Storbacka et al., 1994).
Conclusion

This study has attempted to the factors that create and fuel customer loyalty at CH2M Hill. The study found a string correlation between quality service deliveries (based on the principles of outperformanceTM) with increased customer loyalty. We can therefore conclude that the outperformanceTM model effectively improves the level of customer loyalty at CH2M Hill.

eferences

Baldridge (2010). An executive's guide to the criteria of performance excellence http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/publications/upload/Baldrige_20_20.pdf

Barnes, J.G. (2003), "Establishing meaningful customer relationships: why some companies and brands mean more to their customers," Managing Service Quality, Vol. 13 No.3, pp.178-86.

CH2M Hill (2011).CH2M Hill 2011 Sustainability eport Overview

http://www.ch2m.com/corporate/sr/_project-assets/CH2MHILL-Sustainability_eport_2011_Overview_A4.pdf

Dick, A., Basu, K. (1994), "Customer loyalty: toward an integrated conceptual framework," Journal of Marketing Science, Vol. 22 No.2, pp.99-113.

McIlroy, A., Barnett,…...

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References

Baldridge (2010). An executive's guide to the criteria of performance excellence  http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/publications/upload/Baldrige_20_20.pdf 

Barnes, J.G. (2003), "Establishing meaningful customer relationships: why some companies and brands mean more to their customers," Managing Service Quality, Vol. 13 No.3, pp.178-86.

CH2M Hill (2011).CH2M Hill 2011 Sustainability Report Overview

http://www.ch2m.com/corporate/sr/_project-assets/CH2MHILL-Sustainability_Report_2011_Overview_A4.pdf

This information is necessary to presenting order to offer a clear set of data to potential buyers. Then, there is the second set of data, which appeals to consumer emotions. Owning the new Maserati car empowers the individual, offers him prestige and makes a fashion statement.
Another feature integrant to the market positioning plan would revolve around the limited number of automobile manufactured and sold. The fact that the car is only available within given restrictions makes it more interesting and desirable to the consumer. The fact that only few people will be able to own the car -- and that the potential buyer has the ability to become one of these few people -- further increased the interest in the Maserati vehicle. In other words, the company should promote the idea that the new car is a unique one and that the owner of such a product could also…...

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References:

Twitchell, J., August / September 2002, Needing the Unnecessary -- The democratization of luxury

Wilkinson, S., 2009, Selling the Bugatti Veyron, Forbes Magazine, Edition of March-April

2008, History of Industry, Japan Clock and Watch Association,   last accessed on May 27, 2009http://www.jcwa.or.jp/eng/historyindustry/history01.html 

One excellent way to cut through the inflated metrics is to have customers actually define their level of sat5isfaction with the programs at an experiential level using SEVQUAL or any other number of research methodologies and programs (Norton, Pine, 2009). It is also critically important to have the metrics of participation coordinated with the financial metrics to ensure a high level of accountability is achieved and auditability of results as well (Murthi, Steffes, asheed, 2011). Often the most vocal opponents of any customer loyalty program point to the lack of traceability back to sales results and program development leading to actual sales and profits (Murthi, Steffes, asheed, 2011). It is best to anchor these two attributes together and have complete transparency and authenticity about what is going on in the customer loyalty program to ensure its success (Norton, Pine, 2009).
Conclusion

Customer loyalty programs can significantly increase profitability of a company…...

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References

Bagchi, R., & Li, X.. (2011). Illusionary Progress in Loyalty Programs: Magnitudes, Reward Distances, and Step-Size Ambiguity. Journal of Consumer Research, 37(5), 888.

Murthi, B., Steffes, E., & Rasheed, A.. (2011). What price loyalty? A fresh look at loyalty programs in the credit card industry. Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 16(1), 5-13.

David W. Norton, & B. Joseph Pine II. (2009). Unique experiences: disruptive innovations offer customers more "time well spent." Strategy & Leadership, 37(6), 4-9.

Wei-Ming Ou, Chia-Mei Shih, Chin-Yuan Chen, & Kuo-Chang Wang. (2011). Relationships among customer loyalty programs, service quality, relationship quality and loyalty. Chinese Management Studies, 5(2), 194-206.

Domination of the high-profit vending segment.
2. Low-cost distribution system.

3. Revamping of its organization system.

Through consolidation of control over the network of bottlers the low-cost distribution system became a reality. The skills that were vital to management of the bottling end of the business were addressed through plants operations, regional marketing and distribution. Wise (2001) According to the AMR Research Supply Chain Top 25: "The basis of competition for winning companies in today's economy is supply chain superiority." The AMR report further states that Demand-driven supply networks (DDSN) have replaced the traditional push model that worked so well in the 20th century. The customer-centric model is what is termed a "pull-model" that, according to the AMR report does the following:

Embeds product innovation

Manages demand proactively

Utilizes stochastic optimization methods to deal with variability.

The result is: "A nimbler business that leverages intellectual assets and more quickly seizes fleeting business opportunity." AMR Research Report…...

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Bibliography

Wise, Rick (2001) A Blueprint for Shareholder Value Growth: Winning Through Strategic Business Design (2001) Questia Library Online

Slywotqky, Adrian J. et al. (1997) From the Profit Zone: How Strategic Business Design Will Lead You to Tomorrow Profits 1997. [Online] available at  http://www.google.com/search?q=Centric+Business+Design:=Coca+Cola+Company&hl=en&1r=&ie=UTF-8&start=10&sa=N 

Traditional Growth Moves: The Old Approaches are Losing Steam 2002 Mercer Management Consulting, Inc.

A i2 Business Optimization Services: The Road Map to Business Excellence (2004) i2 Technologies [Online] available at  http://www.i2.com/assets/pdf/services/BRO_i2_BOX_bro7139_FINAL.pdf

This irritated the client, but the situation was the worst when he took the family on an international trip and found that their seats has been reassigned to the non-Premier areas of the aircraft with less legroom. This also happened on subsequent flights, and the client felt that he was treated like baggage. (Sturm, 2004) It has already been seen that this airline is concerned about their customers, yet the airline succeeded in irritating a customer with what the customer feels is "lack of gratitude." One is sure that what the airline staff did was according to the laws, but the client was unhappy. This is generally the result of not being able to communicate in a manner that makes clients happy. Thus methods of implementation are probably as important as the policies themselves.
Let us now look at another airline from the list. Delta Air Lines chief customer service…...

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References

American Airlines adds extra feature and more self-service machines" (16 September, 2005)

Airline Industry Information. Retrieved at   7 October, 2005http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CWU/is_2005_Sept_16/ai_n15397415Accessed 

Delta Air Lines aims to climb customer satisfaction table" (6 October, 2004) Airline

Industry Information. Retrieved at   Accessed 7 October, 2005http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CWU/is_2004_Oct_6/ai_n6228361 .

Even customers who are satisfied with something do not always return to that specific business, especially if the business is somewhat out of the way or relatively inconvenient to get to (Jackson, Cunningham, & Cunningham, 1988).
Customer loyalty is generally thought to be achieved when a customer returns to buy something that they have bought before from the same company (Jackson, Cunningham, & Cunningham, 1988). There are many other ways to measure loyalty statistically, but it basically boils down to a customer returning to a business even though there are so many other choices available (Jackson, Cunningham, & Cunningham, 1988).

There are many ways to increase customer loyalty and it is significant to discuss some of them here (Rackham, Honey, Colbert, Fields, Hinson, Morgran, Morris, Sugden, & Tribe, 1971). One of the best ways is to meet or exceed many of the service standards that others in the industry have established…...

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Bibliography

Achrol, R. & Stern, L.W. (1988). Environmental Determinants of Decision Making Uncertainty in Marketing Channels. Journal of Marketing Research, 25: 36-50.

Assael, H. (1987). Consumer Behavior and Marketing Action. Third Edition, Boston, MA: PWS-Kent.

Bitran, G., and Hoech, J. (1990). The Humanization of Service: Respect at the Moment of Truth. Sloan Management Review, 31(4), 89-96.

Boyan, l. And Enright, R. (1992). High Performance Sales Training. New York: AMACOM Division of American Management Association.

When comparing the theoretical wins of customers targeted with the budget upside program with its incremental cost, the difference is $1,927, which amounts to 4%. This is significantly less than the results of the frequency upside program, but nonetheless a positive value that resulted in profit. The initial investment in this program is also significantly lower than that of the frequency upside program.

Harrah's CM strategy is to focus entirely on customers and their potential behavior. It is assumed that everything Harrah's gives them has an effect upon customers' future gambling decisions. Hence, the Gold Card program is used to collect customer profiles, which in turn are used in it direct marketing efforts targeted towards customers who have shown the potential for loyalty. In this way, the programs are conducted in an integrated way to target customers who are most likely to be loyal in the future of Harrah's.

Specifically, this effort…...

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References

Berndt, a., Herbst, F. And Roux, L. (2005, Fall). Implementing a Customer Relationship management Programme in an Emerging Market. Journal of Global Business and Technology. Vol. 1, No. 2. Retrieved from:  http://www.gbata.com/docs/jgbat/v1n2/v1n2p7.pdf 

Buttle, F. (2008). Customer Relationship Management. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Trevino, L.K. And Nelson, K.A. (2010). Managing Business Ethics. John Wiley and Sons.

1. The Evolution of Adidas: A Look at the Brand's History, Successes, and Challenges
2. The Impact of Adidas on Sports and Fashion: How the Brand Has Influenced Trends and Culture
3. Adidas vs. Competitors: A Comparative Analysis of Marketing Strategies and Successes
4. Sustainable Practices in the Adidas Supply Chain: How the Brand is Leading the Way in Corporate Social Responsibility
5. The Future of Adidas: Predictions and Opportunities for Growth in the Global Market
6. Athlete Endorsements and Partnerships: How Adidas Collaborates with Sports Stars to Drive Sales and Brand Awareness
7. The Influence of Technology on Adidas Products: How Innovation is Driving the....

Microeconomic Analysis of HSBC Bank

Introduction

HSBC Bank is a global banking and financial services corporation headquartered in London, England. As one of the largest banks in the world, it operates in over 60 countries and territories, offering a wide range of financial products and services to individuals, businesses, and governments. This essay will focus on microeconomic concepts that can be applied to analyze HSBC Bank, with specific examples and insights.

Market Structure

One important microeconomic concept to consider is market structure. HSBC Bank operates in a highly competitive global banking industry. It faces competition from numerous other large banks, as well as smaller....

Understanding Business Failure: A Comprehensive Analysis of Causes, Consequences, and Mitigation Strategies

Introduction

Business failure is an unfortunate reality that affects a significant number of enterprises worldwide. Understanding the causes, consequences, and potential mitigation strategies for business failure is crucial for entrepreneurs, managers, and policymakers alike. This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of business failure, exploring the factors that contribute to its occurrence, the impact it has on individuals, organizations, and the economy, and the measures that can be taken to mitigate its effects.

Section 1: Causes of Business Failure

1. Economic Factors: Economic downturns, recessions, and changes in market conditions can....

## Captivating Essay Topics on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a pivotal concept in contemporary business practices, shaping the relationship between organizations and their stakeholders. The following essay topics explore diverse aspects of CSR, inviting students to critically examine its implications, challenges, and opportunities:

### 1. CSR as a Strategic Competitive Advantage

How can companies leverage CSR as a competitive differentiator in the marketplace?
Analyze the financial benefits and reputational enhancements associated with strong CSR performance.
Discuss the role of CSR in attracting and retaining top talent and building customer loyalty.

### 2. The Ethics of CSR:....