This paper explores the phenomenon of plural forms (i.e., the simultaneous coexistence of franchised and company-owned outlets, operationally, the proportion of company-owned units in franchise systems based on literature, in franchising across three countries from three continents, namely the United States, France, and Brazil in what is ostensibly the first cross-cultural comparison of its kind. Based on 2003 secondary data, we carry out a series of inferentially grounded analyses involving the plural forms phenomenon from an exploratory perspective. Though subsequently, comparative regression models are also evaluated using eight purported determinants of the use of the plural forms, the essential character of the paper remains essentially exploratory. The results show that the proportion of company-owned outlets is almost three times greater in France and Brazil as compared to the United States. We also found that in the U.S. sample, three of the eight predictors significantly predict the occurrence of plural forms (namely, average total required investment and cash liquidity requirement have a negative impact, and company age has a positive impact); the French model was not statistically significant, whereas in the Brazilian

Purpose -This paper aims to investigate how consumer and image factors as well as store familiarity influence store brand (SB) purchase behaviour. SBs are now widely offered by European mass retailers. However, consumer behaviour toward SBs is not yet clearly understood in all European markets. Design/methodology/approach -The authors analysed data collected from 266 respondents and used structural equation modelling to test the main hypotheses. They then carried out ANOVA and MANOVA analyses to test the effect of store familiarity on SB purchase behaviour. Findings -Results indicate that store image perceptions, SB price-image, value consciousness, and SB attitude have significant and positive influence on SB purchase behaviour. Store familiarity positively influences SB choice, but not SB purchase intention. None of the socio-demographic variables (age, gender, household income, and family size) included as control variables have an effect on SB choice.Research limitations/implications -The study is limited because it did not account for the effect of product categories on SB purchase behaviour. Consequently, results cannot be determined for different product categories. It would also be appropriate to measure SB choice in a more concrete way, such as using scanner data. Practical implications -Findings highlight the importance of value consciousness, store image perceptions, and SB price-image on SB purchase behaviour. They also show greater popularity of SB products among consumers, including those with high household income. Originality/value -There is increased value to retailers in studying how consumer and image factors jointly influence SB purchase behaviour, whilst also accounting for store familiarity instead of brand familiarity.

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International audienceThis article focuses on retail brand equity to understand where this retail brand value stems from and how to measure it. A conceptual framework is defined based on Keller's contributions about brand equity. A qualitative methodology and a confirmatory analysis enable the conception of a model. This one is tested through structural equation modeling with Path-PLS. Results show that retail brand awareness and perceived quality explain the most ignificantly retail brand equity. Retail brand personalities and retailers with particular managerial values have also a significant influence. Hence, the performance of retail brands depends on the same factors as those of other brands

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International audienceKnow-how is a critical element of franchising, and its transfer is a key issue for franchisors and their staff. The aim of this paper was to analyse franchisees’ perceptions about know-how transfer in franchise networks. Findings of our qualitative empirical study show that franchisees seem to value the mechanisms used in their network, which include formalised processes (the operations manual, online tools), training (initial and ongoing) and social mechanisms (discovery sessions, meetings and committees). Only the effectiveness of on-field consultants is questioned, which leads to important managerial implications. At the theoretical level, the paper contributes to our understanding of franchise operations by providing a franchisee-centred model of how knowledge is created and disseminated in the networks

The growth of e-commerce calls into question the viability of traditional retail formats. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), especially the Internet, now play a major role in retailing. With the stagnation of the hypermarket format in France, developing ICT could be a way for grocery retail companies to reinitiate growth. Some questions arise concerning the consumers' acceptance of these new technologies for food retailing. How does the consumer perceive the opportunities for the Internet and what associations do they hold for their favourite store? To what extent could consumers integrate ICT, especially the Internet, in their current or in future grocery shopping behaviours? Within this context, this paper focuses on the 'consumer-store' relationships. The research aims to explore consumers' perceptions of hypermarket and cybermarket formats for grocery shopping. The methodology is qualitative and based on 18 semi-structured interviews and on three focus groups of French consumers. Results show that the hypermarket format continues to appeal to French consumers while the cybermarket format remains unclear. The two targets -'the organised' and 'the grumblers' -are an exception to this trend.