International Retailing

"The changing business environment, new technologies and demand from customers requires constant responses from retailers. Customers are looking for choice across many dimensions, such as price, quality, range, convenience, location, specialisation, and access via traditional, online and mobile channels (omni-channel retailing), as well as the availability of expert knowledge. Retail and wholesale firms aim to fulfil all of these different requirements. Innovation is part of every-day business in the retail sector, as result of this situation most official measures of innovation tend to significantly under-represent the efforts of the sector. Retailers are involved in open, collaborative and often non-technical innovation, focused on store experience and organisation-related improvements, as well as process innovation across the supply chain, the development of new services, sales channels and store formats
Topic Selection
In this call for papers, we would like to capture the current state of the art and main directions related to widely defined innovation in retail and distribution."

"This essay describes the vital importance of the marketing mix in the success of a retailing company such as Tesco. A continuous work in progress to expand the product portfolio, an strategy for diversification, innovation in the integration of new channels of distribution and specially a focus in offering value to the customer has brought Tesco to the top of mind of consumers. However, some of its corporate values may be under threat nowadays if an excessive effort is used in terms of achieving growth instead of quality. In addition, the intention of being the cheapest retailer among competitors while running a costly loyalty scheme should be balanced in some way to avoid a misleading positioning in the market. However, it should not invalidate the excellent marketing mix built over several years through a customer oriented
approach applied to all the structure and philosophy of the company."

Ted Baker men’s shoes category has a core target that can be defined as “undaunted striver” due to an optimistic, empowered, and outgoing personality (Euromonitor, 2011a). According to Mintel’s ‘2011 Department Store Retailing’ report, the footwear category is the third most popular for products purchased both online and in-store.

""Dream of Clarity : Corporate Identities, Design Agencies and Modernism in the Netherlands : 1960-1975

In the 1960s, companies such as Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), energy group SHV, supermarket chain Albert Heijn, the Dutch National Railways (NS) and chemical giant DSM were the first to introduce visual identities in the Netherlands. These identities were the visual manifestation of the modern and industrial nation that the Netherlands had become after World War II. As such, they had a major influence on the appearance of society. Surprisingly, the development and proliferation of visual identities has not been studied before.

The development of visual identity in the Netherlands was researched by analyzing a number of case studies of the period between 1960 and 1975. The focus was on the argumentation used by design agencies and companies in the development and presentation of corporate identities. Because of the general lack of literature on this subject, mainly primary sources were used such as archive material and interviews.

The best-known identities were designed by Dutch design agencies like Tel Design (1962) and Total Design (1963). These agencies had a positive attitude towards the industry, which they believed responsible for the great technological progress and prosperity after the war. Using a modernistic design approach, designers hoped to achieve an efficient visual communication that could benefit society as a whole. They believed that corporate identity could express the existing order in society and enhance efficiency.

At the same time, the management of Dutch firms gradually became aware that a good ‘corporate image’ was necessary for a favourable position on the market. A major influence on this realization was the rise and acceptance of new American management and marketing methods. In parallel with this development, lower-level employees were confronted with practical problems regarding a uniform use of company logos. Together with design agencies, they convinced company directors that a modern-looking visual identity could solve their problem and, more importantly, that it would have a positive effect on the ‚‘corporate image’.

Dutch agencies, however, were hostile towards the view that a corporate identity was essentially a marketing tool. It seemed to collide with their idea of what constituted ‘good design’. Despite this, the agencies found common ground with their clients by also presenting visual identities as a form of (visual) efficiency. The agencies thus complied with the long-existing interest in ‘standardization’ many companies had.

Remarkably, the industrial firms, which seemed the most interested in ‘standardization’, were also the first to come under the influence of marketing. These companies, like Shell, Akzo and Philips, chose the more marketing-driven English agencies, notably Allied International Designers (1959) led by James Pilditch. At the end of the sixties–when the development of corporate identities was in full motion–this agency became a major competitor for Tel Design and Total Design.

In the beginning of the seventies, however, a change set in. An economic recession resulted in a decline of visual identity assignments. At the same time, Dutch society was stirred by large social changes. Youngsters rebelled against the authoritative way the government behaved, and public opinion developed a hostile attitude towards companies. Within the design profession, an increasing criticism towards modernism arose, as it seemed to corroborate the existing social order.

Total Design, led by graphic designer Wim Crouwel, in particular came under attack. By then, Tel Design–under the artistic guidance of the designer Gert Dumbar–had already switched towards a more post-modern view of graphic design. At the end of the 1970s, Dutch design agencies increasingly turned their attention to the government and public sector, which were more open to their idea of what constituted design for the public good. Visual identity had become a normal phenomenon in society.""""

""De Gruyter versus Simon de Wit : Supermarket visual identies in the early seventies

In 1972 the Dutch supermarket chains De Gruyter and Simon de Wit both launched a new visual identity. The De Gruyter identity was the work of Total Design and was highly modernistic. By contrast, the style which Tel Design came up with for Simon de Wit can best be described as early post-modernist. It was emblematic of a period in which modernism was increasingly coming under attack within the Dutch design world.""

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