Learn the how, when, and why of entering Asian markets Retailers entering Asia are faced with not only a consumer and retail culture very different from their own, but with a variety of cultures that vary greatly among countries within the continent. International Retailing Plans and Strategies in Asia examines the strategies of Western retailers entering into Asian markets and provides specific case examples showing why some companies have failed in Asia—as well as factors that helped others succeed. Important concepts for international retailers exploring Asian markets are clearly explained, and the material is particularly relevant to current WTO and UNCTAD debates about the globalization of retail markets. Helpful tables, charts, and illustrations make complex information easy to access and understand. International Retailing Plans and Strategies in Asia examines: how foreign investment influences domestic retail systems how strategies for entering European markets can be adapted and applied to various Asian markets the important practice of incorporating local cultural values into trading relationships in Asian markets the investment of Japanese retailers in China and the trend toward internationalization in Asia by Asian retailers the evolution of foreign investment in Korea—with a look at foreign firms’ specific investment strategies issues of local competition and the need for foreign firms to adapt to local consumer cultures, particularly as analyzed in case studies of Metro Cash and Carry, Toys R Us, and Carrefour what understanding foreign markets means in terms of adaptation and success for retailers and wholesalers The material in these pages will help to inform business decisions about how to (and how not to) enter foreign markets and whether or not it is proper for governments to intervene. The chapters in this book, originally presented as papers at a workshop held at Chung-Ang University in Seoul in November 2003, address issues of diversity in international retailing and distribution in Asia. International Retailing Plans and Strategies in Asia is designed to be essential reading for international marketing students, retail researchers, business managers, and policymakers, and to be a useful addition to university business school library collections.

Retailing in the countries of Asia Pacific is changing dramatically. Changes which took decades, even centuries, elsewhere are happening in a few years. The growth of larger firms and the arrival of international retailers are changing the business landscape, bringing the consistent supply and presentation of wider ranges of goods to consumers, and leading to the development of new kinds of retail stores and modern shopping malls, often in new locations. All of these developments are important for economic growth and for consumers and their lifestyles, They raise questions for governments about foreign investment, about social and environmental change, and about the fate of traditional retailers. This book examines the trends, seeking to understand how far they are global and how local circumstances affect developments. International retailers have spread across the region, but not always successfully. Studies in several countries look at their processes of growth and some of the reasons for success and failure. A review of changing regulation across the region suggests regulators should be concerned to avoid the problems of overconcentration of retail power, and country studies reflect on the effects of regulation as well as cultural and other influences on change. This book was published as a special issue of Asia Pacific Business Review.

Most of us think we know something about retailing: we shop, we buy, we consume. But retailing, perhaps more than any other economic sector, has been transformed fundamentally over the last thirty years, both economically and culturally. Featuring work from seminal theorists in the area and charting the development of retailing as an important discipline in its own right, this superb volume examines the key themes in contemporary retailing. Organized into five sections, each of which includes an illuminating editorial overview, The Retailing Reader examines: consumers and shoppers retail branding and marketing merchandising and buying; strategy, power and policy international retailing. Extensive case studies include an analysis of the British grocery market, the strategies embodied by Nike Town stores, and the development of retail economies in China and Latin America. The Retailing Reader presents a comprehensive overview of this important area of study, and is an ideal companion for any student of retailing, marketing or business and management.

The entry of transnational retailers into emerging markets inevitably disrupts the existing retail and distribution structures. Thailand experienced such disruption to its traditional retailing system beginning in 1990 and continuing through the following two decades, to the extent that many observers have called it a “revolution.” But the term “revolution” is a misnomer, according to this study. The new retail and distribution formats, rather than replacing traditional markets, have continued to exist alongside them. In addition, Thailand’s retail and distribution industries are heading toward diversification rather than uniformity, the latter phenomenon being generally associated with the advance of multinational corporations. Endo analyzes Thailand’s retail structure in the light of its entire distribution system, examining how changes have affected not only horizontal, competitive relationships between modern and traditional retailers, but also vertical relationships with manufacturers and wholesalers. Rather than focusing narrowly on the urban middle-class consumer market, he considers the markets’ income differentials—the “mosaic structure”—which is an indispensable framework for discussing the retail and consumption practices of an emerging economy. The book presents a thoroughgoing and positive analysis well grounded in Thailand’s historical context. Studies on the advance of transnational retailers into emerging markets have recently flourished, most of which aim to clarify the internationalization of retail from a commercial science perspective by concentrating on the transnational retailers’ activities. In this book, greater attention is given to the particular circumstances of the host countries’ retail and distribution systems and consumer markets. Using a comparative-business-history approach to a single country, this research contributes significantly to our understanding of retail and distribution systems in emerging markets globally. Highlights -A thoroughgoing and positive analysis of Thailand’s current retail and distribution system - Presents data using more than 40 tables - Views the current situation within its historical context - Uses a broad perspective of the consumer market based on income differentials— a “mosaic structure”

Social sciences have always been an important tool that enables human beings to examine and understand society. Through social sciences, researchers gain understandings of social phenomena and changes by providing commentaries, producing explanations, and attempting to synthesize a diversity of information sets to formulate theories. Since the concept of change has been the hallmark of the new millennium, researchers have witnessed a transformation in every aspect of the modern world at an ever-increasing speed, particularly in the social facet of human life. Ways of thinking that had previously been upheld and taught may, therefore, no longer be appropriate or effective as tools to understand contemporary phenomena and changes. The Handbook of Research on Current Trends in Asian Economics, Business, and Administration is a critical reference source that examines different aspects of social sciences, management, sociology, and education to better understand today’s society and social life in the Asian context. The book identifies trends, impacts, and implications of disruptive technologies for business and socio-economic development as well as strategic advantage on different levels of business and administration. Covering topics that include e-commerce, green management, information technology, economic growth, and distance learning, this book is essential for economists, academicians, government officials, policymakers, social scientists, managers, leaders, behavioral scientists, academicians, researchers, and students.

Large and medium sized retailers have increased their international operations substantially over the last 25 years. This is evident in: the number of countries to which these retailers expand; the growing international sales of retailers; and the heightening of the level of commitment of retailers to their international activity – a trend that is likely to continue over the next decade as general globalization in the service industries increases. The managerial implications of the moves to become global are considerable. Different retailers are pursuing different approaches, to varying degrees of success and are no longer simply multi-national, but are also multi-continental. Consequently, existing concepts and theories of international business fit uneasily in explanations of international retailing, so new corporate strategies need to be explored. Featuring in-depth studies of seven retailers, by international scholars from Japan, the UK and Sweden, Global Strategies in Retailing explores recent developments in strategy that are related to international retailing and in particular, the emergence of a Global Portfolio Strategy. As such, this book will be important reading for all international business and retailing students and academics researching in these areas.

This path-breaking collection brings together seminal contributions from the burgeoning multidisciplinary literature on the globalisation of retailing.