Issue #4 (Volume 17 2021)

The occurrence of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in consumers being reluctant to go far to shop, so nanostores are a choice. There are thousands of nanostores in Indonesia. However, not all nanostores are in demand by consumers, some nanostores are abandoned because they cannot adapt to consumer needs. This study aims to find factors and dimensions of purchase motives that can be used to increase sales and revenue of nanostores. The study used an explanatory survey method. The survey was conducted on 210 nanostore consumers in the city of Bandung, Indonesia. The research data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. The study results obtained three dimensions of consumer buying motives in nanostores: product attributes, self-orientation, and service guarantee. These are dimensions that consist of 12 factors and the majority of factors tend to be based on rationality or things related to healthy logic. To increase their revenue and growth, it is recommended that nanostore entrepreneurs understand consumer buying motives according to community conditions.

The paradigm shift caused by disruption of traditional business models and innovation is among some factors which have propelled marketers forward-thinking in emphasizing brand fidelity. It is a novel idea and an innovative approach to understanding the impact of consumers while they demonstrate love and commitment through engagement, subconsciously or otherwise, with respect to cognition and behavior. The current study tested the components/factors of brand fidelity among Saudi consumers. The primary data for the study were collected based on the survey instrument among Saudi consumers. Overall, 446 responses were used to analyze the results. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) coupled with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using IBM SPSS and AMOS were used to analyze the data. All the factors of brand fidelity, namely “accommodation/price”, “accommodation/performance”, “cognitive interdependence”, and “derogation of alternatives”, hold valid in the Saudi context with exploratory factor analysis with a factor loading of each factor above the threshold value of 0.50, and with confirmatory factor analysis with a threshold value of more than or equal to 0.60 for all the factor loadings. The result thus obtained suggests that the brand fidelity scale is valid in the Saudi context. Saudi consumers were found to be highly loyal to their favorite brands. The findings of the study will provide inputs to the companies operating in the Saudi market for their brand-related strategy formulation. Moreover, the paper indicates undermining the power of brand fidelity in improving the bottom line through experience management.

Acknowledgment
This paper was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research at Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia, under the Specialized Research Grant program with Grant No. 2020/02/17342.

The agrarian market participants operate in a changing market environment. Their activities are characterized by a high level of risk, in particular, price risk, which determines the likelihood of failure in achieving the planned results. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the dynamics of prices for malted barley and determine the main factors influencing the price of malted barley in the agricultural market of Ukraine. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study is the scientific works of domestic and foreign authors on the problems of pricing management. Methods of data analysis, synthesis, and generalization of results are used. As a result, one can notice a high level of price fluctuations, significant price fluctuations during the year, absence of a uniform inversely proportional effect between the volume of barley production and its purchasing prices, and presence of disparity between the selling price of barley and the production costs of grain producers. The key factors that determine the price of malted barley include market saturation, grain quality, production expenditures, conditions on the market of barley fodder, contractual relations (which are sufficiently standardized but do not protect agricultural producers from risks), public policy through regulation market. The study outlined recommendations regarding the need to improve the legal regulation of relations and the development of a system to ensure the functioning of the grain market, effective cost management, introduction of innovative agrotechnologies, and financial hedging instruments.

This study aims to examine the effect of tourism image, experiential value, and satisfaction on the intention of revisiting the tourist area. The present study used associative analysis to ascertain the link between two or more variables. The study is being conducted in North Sumatera province, Indonesia, specifically in the tourist area of Lake Toba. The research population is comprised of an undetermined number of tourists that visited the tourist area around Lake Toba. The sample size of 324 was determined, which was obtained by multiplying the least number of samples by four or five questionnaire item categories. An accidental sampling approach was employed in this study, and data processing was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics and Smart-PLS software. The empirical findings indicate that although the tourism image has a significant and positive impact on experiential satisfaction, the direct effect of experiential value has a negative value on experiential satisfaction. Moreover, through tourism experiential satisfaction, experiential value has a negative value on intentions to revisit the destination. On the other hand, the indirect relationship between the tourism image and the intention to revisit through tourism experiential satisfaction has a positive value.

Acknowledgment
We would like to express our gratitude to the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Directorate of Research and Community Service for funding this study via the “Higher Education Excellent Basic Research Grant Fund” program.

The market of software for automating the processes of mining enterprises is represented by foreign solutions, which increases the dependence of Kazakhstani enterprises on third-party developers. The marketing strategy for promoting the domestic software product focus on conquering the market segment and increasing competitiveness.
The study aims to develop a marketing strategy for promoting the national cloud service “3D-quarry” as a SaaS, taking into account the modern development of Kazakhstan and the globalization of the world’s economy. When writing the matrix of strategic analysis, an analysis of pricing models was used. The possibility of using various measures to promote the service was assessed. A marketing strategy for promoting software for subsoil use is proposed, including tactics of online and offline marketing. The choice of a pricing model for a SaaS product for specialized universities and small design organizations is substantiated. Within the SaaS framework, a set of indicators for evaluating the effectiveness of a marketing strategy is proposed. A comparative analysis of the payback period of the project when using different tariff plans is carried out. Planning horizon – 3 years, planned market share – 5%, conversion rate – 1%, expected payback period – 4.4 years.
The developed pricing policy allows obtaining competitive advantages in comparison with the main representatives of the software market: in the segment of small design organizations – at the expense of an acceptable price, in the segment of educational institutions – at the expense of the freemium pricing model.

Acknowledgment
The study was carried out within the framework of the grant of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the topic IRN AP09561619 “Development of the core of the web service “3D-quarry”.

The growth of consumerism in the luxury cosmetic industry in India is backed by the ability and willingness of the consumers to spend money, internet penetration, awareness, and consciousness of luxury cosmetics from exposure to beauty brands. Among other methods of marketing, the adoption of experiential marketing is gaining ground. It is specifically relevant in the cosmetic industry as it creates behavioral experience, brand experience, and brand engagement for appealing to the affective, sensory, and intellectual aspects of the consumers. The study examines the impact of experiential marketing on consumer satisfaction while identifying its importance in the industry. With the help of a close-ended questionnaire, a survey was conducted to examine the perception of 820 consumers of luxury cosmetics in India. SEM analysis was conducted to examine the impact of experiential marketing on consumer satisfaction using SPSS AMOS software. Herein, experiential marketing is represented by five components i.e. relate, feel, think, act, and sense while customer satisfaction by three components i.e. overall service quality, individual experience, and service quality, and perceived expectation-actual performance. The findings of the study revealed the presence of a positive impact.

The current study develops a research model and explores the correlation between customer sense of online betrayal, brand hate, and anti-brand activism. The outrage customers’ anti-brand behaviors consist of negative online word of mouth, online public complaining, and online boycott. Data from an online survey of 383 online shoppers were used to test seven proposed hypotheses. The partial least square–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was adopted to assess the measurement and structural model. The findings showed that the sense of online betrayal positively and significantly affects brand hate and anti-brand behaviors. In addition, brand hate is also the leading cause of customers’ anti-brand actions. The present study highlights the mediation role of brand hate in eliciting revenge from consumers subjected to online betrayal. This study also gives some recommendations to customers to stop the misconduct behaviors of online betrayals, such as spreading their betrayal cases to friends and relatives via social media, then asking for supports and help from governmental and legal agencies and participating in boycotts; raising boycott movements against the betraying brand should be considered as the most extreme punishment.

In response to global calls for environmental awareness, the Malaysian government enforced restrictions on plastic usage in the Malaysian foodservice industry in 2020. Despite the efforts of public awareness campaigns championing the detrimental effects of traditional plastic usage, the impact of measures taken by food traders remains inadequate. The paper seeks to explore the relationship between subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, attitude, and the intention to use biodegradable straws among food traders. Purposive sampling method, the Structural Equation Model (SEM), and Partial Least Squares (PLS) tools were employed. The sample included 270 respondents. The result found a significant correlation between the four variables, i.e., subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, attitude, and intention to use. Hence, results obtained indicate that conscientious consumers have a significant influence on businesses in their quest to reduce their overall impact on the surrounding environment. Consequently, their socially responsible decisions, i.e., initiatives of using biodegradable products, have advocated mindful consumerism and encouraged positive purchasing behaviors. The results predict increasing demands as an outcome of this accumulated synergy, and this in turn provides more opportunities for food traders and their associated counterparts. The contributions of this study extend toward both theoretical and practical knowledge: (a) better understanding of consumer attitude and how it influences purchase intention, and (b) government regulation and enforcement towards environmental awareness and activities associated with global contributions.

Mobile payments are developing at a rapid pace in the modern world, affecting most areas of business, economics, and consumer life. Mobile payment services in Kazakhstan have emerged recently driven mostly by young and tech-savvy consumers. The current study applies the modified Technology Adoption Model to investigate the factors that influence the usage of mobile payments by young consumers in Kazakhstan. The data were collected from 351 respondents through an online survey using a structured questionnaire. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, transaction security, and trust are important determinants of mobile payment usage intention. These findings call for improvements in the technological development of mobile payment services to deliver usefulness, ease of use, and security, as well as marketing communications to build trust. On the other hand, no support was found for the effects of usage cost and availability of alternatives on behavioral intention to use mobile payments in Kazakhstan.

Celebrity endorsement is the most used strategy since consumers value celebrities in advertisements. Organizations invest in celebrity endorsements in the expectation that they will enhance consumer perception of a product or service, evoke favorable attitudes toward a brand, influence purchase intentions, and eventually increase sales and profits through increased consumer preference for a product, brand, or service. This paper examines the effect of endorser characteristics on purchasing intentions in South Africa. The survey sampled South Africans residing in Gauteng Province. The Qualtrics questionnaire was completed by 145 respondents ranging in age from 18 to 55 and living in various areas of Gauteng Province. Given the research objective, the paper analyzed only responses from participants who stated that they had been exposed to celebrity-related adverts. The findings show that these respondents saw advertisements featuring celebrities. To evaluate the hypotheses, regression analysis was performed. The results reveal that consumer behavior, such as purchase intention, is influenced by attractiveness (β = .271; p < 0.05) and attitudes (β = .520; p < 0.05). However, in this study, expertise (β = .089; p > 0.05) and trustworthiness (β = –.095; p > 0.05) were not related to purchase intentions. Understanding celebrity endorser’s attributes can help organizations determine the most successful marketing strategies for attracting new customers and maintaining existing ones.

This paper examined the impact of product quality, perceived risk, and perceived value on customer trust in the latex glove industry of Thailand. It used a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze the association between two or more variables. Data collection was conducted in Thailand during the pandemic of COVID-19. Five hundred people looking for glove protection were invited to join the survey; however, only 384 provided responses were valid enough for the data analysis. According to the empirical results of this study, product quality demonstrated significant and positive impacts on perceived value and trust. In addition, perceived value acted not only as a significant and positive predictor of customer trust but also as a partial mediator between product quality and customer trust. On the other hand, the current results demonstrated that perceived risk had little impact on perceived value and trust, while product quality was the primary benefit for increasing perceived value and trust among customers. Thus, ambiguity among customers was unlikely to demonstrate any serious concern for customer value and trust. Overall, customer trust relied significantly on perceived value through increased product quality.

Acknowledgment
This study was supported by Internal Research Grant Funding of Academic year 2021, Hatyai University and Postdoctoral Fellowship, Prince of Songkla University.

With the continuous improvement of China’s market economy and the intensification of global integration trends, the relationship between the supply and demand of China’s agricultural products has also undergone significant changes. From the previous short supply to the current oversupply, the sales of agricultural products have become a key factor restricting the development of the Chinese rural economy. Solving the problem of agricultural sales has become the internal driving force to promote the steady development of family farms, which is also the fundamental purpose of this paper. Therefore, this paper makes an empirical analysis of the factors influencing the choice of agricultural products’ sales channels among 170 family farms in Henan Province using a logistic regression model. The results show that selling agricultural products from family farms to consumers, enterprises, and large sales households are the main sales channels, accounting for 17.3%, 15.3%, and 15.2% respectively. The proportion of Internet sales ranks seventh among the eight channels, which has not been widely recognized. The regression results and assumptions are verified. The brand and certification of family farms’ agricultural products, business form of a farm, and understanding of the Internet have a significant impact on the choice of sales channels. According to the weight of influencing factors, the paper puts forward four suggestions for the selection and innovation in sales channels of family farms’ agricultural products.

Acknowledgment
This study is funded by The National Social Science Fund of China (grant no: 19BJ1Y144).

Hostilities in eastern Ukraine have highlighted the need for accelerated transformation of Ukrainian armed forces and strengthening country’s defense capabilities. Ukraine is an active consumer and exporter of weapons, so it needs to improve constantly its position in the international arms market, which, by the way, unlike most markets suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, is constantly growing. The study aims to assess the prospects of Ukraine’s integration into the world arms market to secure its armed forces and achieve the highest possible level of arms exports. Methods of comparative analysis and integrated approach were used in the study. The obtained results demonstrated that Ukrainian arms export has fallen dramatically in recent years (from 1501 million USD in 2012 to 115 million USD in 2020); the largest importers were China (36% of Ukraine’s total arms exports), Russia (20%), and Thailand (17%). The main explanation for this is the necessity of transition to more technological weapons. Concerning weapon imports, Turkey, the USA, Great Britain, Poland, and Bulgaria became the main suppliers. It is about ammunition, electronics, including electronic warfare stations, means of communication, sniper rifles, grenade launchers, etc. The study substantiated that Ukraine should implement joint projects with other countries to fully develop its high-tech weapons in accordance with the latest military technologies.