• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.53-62
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• 2012

Well-being is a reflection of current sociocultural trends that focus on the quality of life based on economic growth. Furthermore, organic food is believed to help people maintain good health and therefore leads to increased consumption of organic foods. Therefore, consumer interest in organic food is increasing, causing its market to grow, and this trend will be maintained in the future. The abuse of agricultural pesticides, gene manipulation, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy has caused consumers to worry about food safety. The well-being trend has also contributed to consumers' growing interest inorganic food and organic agricultural products. A consumer's choice offood is a complex processes affected by various factors. In particular, organic food is considered an individualistic merit good, considering the consumers' preferences related to certification policies. Therefore, various factors such as personal characteristics and sense of value could affect consumers' decisions. This research focused on an analysis of the factors influencing consumers' purchasing intention for organic food on the basis of an increase in organic food consumption. The research method was based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Factors such as consumer characteristics regarding food consumption, purchasing frequency, and other factors affecting purchasing intention were presented. The hypothesis was set using advanced research and stated that it is easier to forecast purchasing intentions by combining the theory of planned behavior and personal characteristics of consumer. The results show that two dimensions, attitude and perceived behavioral control, have statistically significant influence on the purchasing intention. It can be said that a positive attitude toward organic foods in particular increases the possibility of purchasing intention. In addition, consumers who consume more organic food products are more likely to have positive attitudes, and, in the past, purchasing frequency has positively influenced purchasing intention of organic foods. Consumers' negative feelings about the non-purchase of organic foods also showed a negative influence on purchasing intentions. In other words, even though consumers feel uncomfortable when not consuming organic food products, they do not try to purchase such products because of this feeling of discomfort. Furthermore, the subjective norm and the behavioral control of food-related involvement do not have a statistically significant influence on the purchasing intention or attitudes. This research verified the influence of factors related to purchasing intention. This study has several limitations: (1) even though consumers' responses can change based on the type of food, the types of food were not classified in this study; (2) future studies are necessary to analyze the attitudes of consumers on the basis of their purchasing experiences with organic foods.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.493-513
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• 2014

With the development of related technologies, Location-Based Services (LBS) are growing fast and being used in many ways. Past LBS studies have focused on adoption of LBS because of the fact that LBS users have privacy concerns regarding revealing their location information. Meanwhile, the number of LBS users and revenues from LBS are growing rapidly because users can get some benefits by revealing their location information. Little research has been done on how LBS affects consumers' information search behavior in product purchase. The purpose of this paper is examining the effect of LBS information filtering on buyers' uncertainty and their information search behavior. When consumers purchase a product, they try to reduce uncertainty by searching information. Generally, there are two types of uncertainties - knowledge uncertainty and choice uncertainty. Knowledge uncertainty refers to the lack of information on what kinds of alternatives are available in the market and/or their important attributes. Therefore, consumers having knowledge uncertainty will have difficulties in identifying what alternatives exist in the market to fulfil their needs. Choice uncertainty refers to the lack of information about consumers' own preferences and which alternative will fit in their needs. Therefore, consumers with choice uncertainty have difficulties selecting best product among available alternatives.. According to economics of information theory, consumers narrow the scope of information search when knowledge uncertainty is high. It is because consumers' information search cost is high when their knowledge uncertainty is high. If people do not know available alternatives and their attributes, it takes time and cognitive efforts for them to acquire information about available alternatives. Therefore, they will reduce search breadth. For people with high knowledge uncertainty, the information about products and their attributes is new and of high value for them. Therefore, they will conduct searches more in-depth because they have incentive to acquire more information. When people have high choice uncertainty, people tend to search information about more alternatives. It is because increased search breadth will improve their chances to find better alternative for them. On the other hand, since human's cognitive capacity is limited, the increased search breadth (more alternatives) will reduce the depth of information search for each alternative. Consumers with high choice uncertainty will spend less time and effort for each alternative because considering more alternatives will increase their utility. LBS provides users with the capability to screen alternatives based on the distance from them, which reduces information search costs. Therefore, it is expected that LBS will help users consider more alternatives even when they have high knowledge uncertainty. LBS provides distance information, which helps users choose alternatives appropriate for them. Therefore, users will perceive lower choice uncertainty when they use LBS. In order to test the hypotheses, we selected 80 students and assigned them to one of the two experiment groups. One group was asked to use LBS to search surrounding restaurants and the other group was asked to not use LBS to search nearby restaurants. The experimental tasks and measures items were validated in a pilot experiment. The final measurement items are shown in Appendix A. Each subject was asked to read one of the two scenarios - with or without LBS - and use a smartphone application to pick a restaurant. All behaviors on smartphone were recorded using a recording application. Search breadth was measured by the number of restaurants clicked by each subject. Search depths was measured by two metrics - the average number of sub-level pages each subject visited and the average time spent on each restaurant. The hypotheses were tested using SPSS and PLS. The results show that knowledge uncertainty reduces search breadth (H1a). However, there was no significant correlation between knowledge uncertainty and search depth (H1b). Choice uncertainty significantly reduces search depth (H2b), but no significant relationship was found between choice uncertainty and search breadth (H2a). LBS information filtering significantly reduces the buyers' choice uncertainty (H4) and reduces the negative relationship between knowledge uncertainty and search breadth (H3). This research provides some important implications for service providers. Service providers should use different strategies based on their service properties. For those service providers who are not well-known to consumers (high knowledge uncertainty) should encourage their customers to use LBS. This is because LBS would increase buyers' consideration sets when the knowledge uncertainty is high. Therefore, less known services have chances to be included in consumers' consideration sets with LBS. On the other hand, LBS information filtering decrease choice uncertainty and the near service providers are more likely to be selected than without LBS. Hence, service providers should analyze geographically approximate competitors' strength and try to reduce the gap so that they can have chances to be included in the consideration set.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.81-93
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• 2015

Purpose - "Showrooming" refers to the phenomenon where a shopper visits a store to see and compare products but makes the purchase online at a lower price. Surveys on showrooming activities at home and abroad indicate that a significant number of consumers pursue showrooming activities. The advent of "showroomers," who engage in buying activities, hovering both on and offline, while selectively choosing sales channels to suit their needs, is powerful enough to erode the borders between channels and bring about seismic changes in the distribution industry. However, surprisingly, there has been no in-depth discussion on showrooming. This study seeks to theoretically investigate what impact personal characteristics have on showrooming preferences and attitudes in a multi-channel environment. Specifically, assumptions have been made that price perception, perceived performance risk, and trust in online shopping not only have a direct impact on showrooming attitudes but also indirectly affect it through the means of contact motivation. Research design, data, and methodology - To test the hypotheses, this study conducted a survey of male and female shoppers, ages 20 through 40s, who live in metropolitan areas, and have actively showroomed fashion items in the last six months. A clothing item usually purchased after a careful decision-making process was chosen as the target product of the study. The survey was conducted between October and November 2014, using a professional survey service provider. A total of 200 surveys were collected, of which 198 were used for analysis. Conceptual model Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Amos 18.0 were employed for data analysis and model verification. In addition, following the confirmatory factor analysis and measurement model analysis, the theoretical model that corresponds to the research model was analyzed. Results - Analysis results show that price perception, perceived performance risk, and trust in online shopping have a statistically significant and positive (+) impact on showrooming attitudes. In addition, in terms of the indirect influence of price perception and perceived performance risk on showrooming attitudes through means of contact motivation, price perception had a statistically significant and positive impact on means of contact motivation, whereas perceived performance risk did not have a statistically significant impact on it, with the relevant hypothesis rejected. Conclusions - These analysis results imply that the ultimate goal of consumers is to maximize their shopping benefits by selectively and strategically taking advantage of different channels in a complementary manner. This study presents many implications for distributors to encourage a deep understanding of showrooming consumers who have complicated consumption behaviors and to build channel integration strategies. This study has limitations in theoretical and practical implications. Therefore, subsequent studies need to focus on verifying that showrooming activities are based on reasonable and planned decisions by applying the theory of reasoned or planned behavior. In addition, the scope of the study should expand to include web showrooming, where consumers conduct product research online and purchase offline.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.59-70
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• 2016

Qualitative consumption is a trend in the children clothing market and watching TV of childcare-entertainment reality programs are becoming popular. This study examines the watching degree of childcare-entertainment reality TV programs of parent buyer (30s) and potential buyer (20s) and we investigate their shopping orientation of children wear. We did the survey research of 200 consumers with SPSS statistical analysis including the review of internet news, paper, and books on children wear shopping orientation. The results are following: first, the longer the watching time of childcare-entertainment reality TV programs, the higher shopping orientation, such as following the fashion of child stars, and the higher the watching preferences on childcare-entertainment reality programs, the greater shopping orientation in following childcare-entertainment reality programs star when they are purchasing children's clothing. Second, potential consumers as well as parent consumers were affected by watching the childcare-entertainment reality programs. Watching childcare-entertainment reality TV programs could give the impact when they were shopping children's clothing because they wanted to follow the fashion of childcare-entertainment reality programs TV star. Accordingly, the exposure of the childcare-entertainment reality programs for children clothing is found to be positive to the both current and future consumers.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.47-54
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• 2011

This paper presents exploratory research on consumer awareness and attitudesabout organic food, for which consumer demand continues to increase the paper also assesses consumers' organic food distribution channel preferences. By conducting a literature review, a case study has been carried out in order to glean customer behavior, market condition and typesof distribution channels, and development of specialty stores for organic foods. The early research indicates that consumer awareness and customer attitudes toward organic food are mostly positive however, organic food's high price, as well as a lack of organic food stores, cause a negative effect on consumers' purchase intention. Secondly, the U.S. organic food retail channel consists of such mainstream supermarket/grocery stores and leading natural and organic food supermarket chains as Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Sunflower Farmers Market. For the current retail distribution of organic food in Korea, off-line stores are composed of direct management stores and franchise chains. Most of the organic food retail distribution operates through the Internet shopping mall, and are commonly located at retail distribution centers as multi-channel, shop-in-shop stores. Moreover, unlike in the U.S., association and consumers' cooperatives (Co-Ops), and such other member-direct retail stores as Hansallim, iCOOP, Nature Dream,and online shopping malls, are all active in Korea. Thirdly, as a result of an analysis of the present state of the organic food retail channel, as well as building a case for organic food specialty stores, the distinctive featuresand rapid growth of such unique organic food stores as Whole Foods Market, or Trader Joe's successful downsizing strategies, as well as Sunflower Farmers Market low-price approach, show steady industry growth. Moreover, as a result of a case studyof such domestic representative organic food specialty stores as "Olga" and "Chorokmaeul," a similar management style to the United States' "Whole Foods Market" and "Trader Joe's," respectively, can be seen. Similar to the U.S. market, Korean organic food markets should also implement active retail distribution opportunities, allowing consumers to select from various diverse and differentiated choices. In order to accomplish this goal, it is necessary to prepare such measures as sustaining reasonable prices, securing various suppliers for unique products,and improving consumer trust through advertisement strategies that are suitable for each company's branding processes.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.193-224
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• 2006

When we look into the market economy of our country recently, we learn that the mind of consumption after IMF crisis is very shrunk and the market is led into a serious slump of consumption. For an approach to survive the contraction of the market and the market competition, enterprises command a variety of sales promotion strategy, out of which presentation is a sales promotion strategy to give the same product. The price-discounted strategy through the provision of donation commodity may induce the temporarily-discounted commodity not to be sold to the consumers or make a damage of the images of the brand, or arouse the price war against other companies, or lower the sense of the quality of the commodity. Therefore, it is necessary for a company to meet the end users' demand and also maintain the evaluation of the quality on the consumers' products highly. Therefore, in this study, we have attempted to study and analyze the consumers' satisfaction level and reliability on the donation goods in order to suggest the orientation of the presentation promotion strategy in accordance with the changes of the sales market. In addition, we tried to understand how the recognition, consumers' satisfaction level and reliability on the presentation goods had on the repurchase. With such objectives in this study, we could make an analogy of the following significance and suggestion of study. Firstly, in order to survive a serious competition market, enterprises must execute the product presentation along with diverse events instead of commanding the sales promotion strategy through a simple product presentation. This strategy can be an alternative to lower the danger a person-to-person product presentation may bring about. That is to say, we shall not lower the quality and value of the products but enhance a new image to customers through a product donation occasion together with an event as a new marketing pioneering method. Secondly, during the period of the current economic depression, if a company provides the consumers with an opportunity free of charge through the present special event period and the practical events, it will affect the advertising effect of the goods, the introduction of the customers and customers' repurchase. For this purpose, the company has to heighten customers' preferences by selecting the items customers are liable to prefer and closely analyze the consumers' response and market for such an objective. Thirdly, with the internet age, as the market has a tendency to increase In the number of consumers who do shopping in the internet, the marketing strategy has to build up the strategy of the presentation product instead of a simple offline strategy. For example, a company shall have to draw attention or attraction from end users who intend to do shopping through the online by a product planning expo or a presentation product corner. Fourthly, the excessive sale promotion strategy of presentation products may bring about even a reverse effect on the value of the goods or consumers' attitude as seen above. Therefore, a company has to relay' the value as to the price' to the consumers instead of the sales promotion strategy of donation products just for a temporary sales volume. Conclusively, even if we put the value with a reasonable price through the presentation product strategy in the past, we shall have construct the strategy by providing some plus factors in the price such as the provision of the upgraded products or services instead of just presentation, or the invitation of the events related to diverse events or culture arts from now on.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 2017

In this study we surveyed the preferences of consumer packaging for mini pot flower plants to improve the flower market application in Korea. The surveys were consisted of the consumers residing in Seoul metropolitan (221), Gyeonsang (70), Jeonla (29), Chungceong (19), Gangwon (7), other provinces (3). A total of 349 eligible respondents (male 173, female 176) were surveyed with a self-administered questionnaire asking on the general characteristics for residents, packaging material, packaging design, type of flower pot, degree of transparency, convenience, consumer's demand for packaging development, a significant point when purchasing the flower pot product. The collected date was analyzed using a chi-square (${\chi}^2$) statistical test in SPSS program. Most residents prefer for mini pot flower plants packed with packaging characteristics of plastic material (56.4%), packaging design of separated type (76.2%), angled type (62.5%), and transparency (48.6%). The other question results showed that major consumer's demand for mini pot flower plants is maintaining the freshness quality and stability structure for them. Transparency of packaging can also affect directly the preferences for purchasing the mini pot flower plants. The packaging structure with a proper shape design may protect the fresh mini pot flower plants from shock or any other damage during distribution. The results of this study help to provide consumer's demand for packaging development and to give the greatest advantages in terms of production and marketability of mini pot flower plants.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.129-134
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• 2016

This study was conducted to investigate the sensory properties of chicken meat products, such as color, flavor, tenderness, juiciness, taste, and so on, in multi-cultural families. Questionnaires were collected from multi-cultural families, for a total of 80 consumers. H-4, which contained 80.2% chicken meat ham out of the 5 hams was shown to score 7.00 of 10 points on the Likert scale compared to the others products (P<0.05). Loyalty purchasing of chicken ham showed the middle level, 6.50 points (P<0.05). Preferences for color, flavor, tenderness, juiciness and taste of chicken breast ham in South East-Asia showed higher values than those in Korea and Vietnam (P<0.05). The preferences of dakgalbi for sensory properties among multi-cultural families did not show significant differences. The color preferences of chicken mixed press ham showed higher values in South East-Asia than those in Vietnam (P<0.05). The purchase intension of chicken press ham after manufacturing was the highest, 4.12 points, for chicken meat products.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.213-222
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• 2017

Heat treatment of wood is an attractive alternative environmentally-friendly treatment to add value of less valuable woods by improving color, dimensional stability, and natural durability. To improve the color properties of Korean white pine (Pinus koraiensis) and royal paulownia (Pauwlonia tomentosa), we treated the woods at $160^{\circ}C$, $180^{\circ}C$, $200^{\circ}C$, and $220^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours. Color change after heat treatment was evaluated using the CIE-Lab color system and survey was conducted to determine the consumer preferences towards color of heat-treated wood. Lightness ($L^*$) decreased with increasing temperature and the higher degree of change was obtained in royal paulownia. The red/green chromaticity ($a^*$) in both wood decreased after heat treatment at $160^{\circ}C$, and constantly increased after heat treatment at $180^{\circ}C$ to $220^{\circ}C$. Yellow/blue chromaticity ($b^*$) in Korean white pine tended to increase after heat treatment at $160^{\circ}C$, then decreased gradually afterwards. In royal paulownia, $b^*$ values linearly increased with increasing temperature. Overall color change (${\Delta}E^*$) increased with increasing temperature with higher degree obtained in royal paulownia. Samples with the clamps in both wood species showed lower degree of the change in $L^*$, $a^*$, b and ${\Delta}E^*$. The results of the consumer preferences test showed that the darker colors of heat-treated woods were more preferred by consumers compared to the lighter colors of untreated woods. Consequently, heat treatment could enhance the color properties of Korean white pine and royal paulownia woods for value added products.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.362-368
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• 2022

The sensory characteristics of nine rice-based distilled soju were determined using check-all-that-apply (CATA) profiling. A total of 53 consumers evaluated the soju for two appearance attributes, nine aroma attributes, nine flavor/taste attributes, four mouth-feel related sensory attributes, and overall desirability. The total sum of CATA terms indicated that 14 characteristics showed frequency differences of over 10 and that there were significant differences among nine samples for eleven sensory attributes as determined using Cochran's q test (p<0.05). Based on correspondence analysis of CATA data, the samples were primarily separated by the first dimension, which accounted for 89% of the total variance among samples. The "brown color," "fruit taste," and "grain aroma" characteristics had higher frequencies than those for the "white color," "acetone aroma," and 'alcohol taste" characteristics. Overall, there was a higher preference for oak-aged samples than for samples aged in other containers. "sweet aroma', 'fruit aroma," and "sweet taste" seemed to positively affect consumer preferences, while "bitter taste," "alcohol taste," and "acetone aroma" appeared to negatively affect consumer preferences as determined by principal coordinate analysis.