Grzegorz Maciejewski

The creation of business models reflects the transformation that retail is undergoing. The aim of the paper is to fill the gap in scientific discourse and practice with an orientation to the current state of business model creation in grocery retail based on a managerial perspective using a comprehensive approach to the perception of the micro- and macroenvironment. The results reflect the statements of 251 managerial retail grocery units in the capital of Slovakia. Using exploratory factor analysis, new elements of business models were identified, with the key ones being the retail ecosystem, strategic marketing, the economic and political situation, and cost orientation. The dimensions are interconnected and create a complex retail grocery business model. It can be stated that the method of applying these dimensions of business model creation is conditioned by the size of retail and the implementation of loyalty programmes. From an academic perspective, a shift in the theoretical basis of strategic management and business model innovation can be noted in terms of identifying the interrelatedness between business model components that not only capture the internal and external microenvironment but also reflect the dynamic macroenvironment. From a managerial practice perspective, the research creates a basis for supporting decision-making by top and middle management in the transformation of the retail business model.

Consumer ethnocentrism has become an increasingly important research topic in the era of digitalisation, which has accelerated globalisation, enhanced cultural openness, improved product traceability, and potentially reduced ethnocentric purchasing behaviour while reshaping its underlying determinants. This study aims to advance the understanding of consumer ethnocentrism, which, within an increasingly multicultural global society, represents an important area of research across marketing, business, sociology, psychology, and other social science disciplines. Specifically, the study investigates consumer ethnocentrism using the Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale (CETSCALE) and examines the effects of gender, generational cohort, and place of residence through ordinal logistic regression. Unlike conventional comparative approaches, ordinal logistic regression enables the estimation of response probabilities, thereby providing deeper insights into the relationships between socio-demographic characteristics and consumer ethnocentrism. In addition, the analysis is conducted at the level of individual CETSCALE statements rather than relying solely on aggregated scores, allowing for a more nuanced interpretation of respondents' attitudes. The empirical study is based on primary data collected from 491 respondents using a quota sampling design. The findings indicate that generational cohort and place of residence significantly influence selected dimensions of consumer ethnocentrism, whereas no statistically significant effect of gender was identified. Furthermore, several CETSCALE statements were evaluated almost identically across respondent groups, highlighting the importance of statement-level analysis. The findings have practical implications for marketing management, sociology, and consumer psychology. Keywords: consumer ethnocentrism, CETSCALE, ordinal logistic regression, factors of consumer ethnocentrism, globalization and digitalization barrier.

The growing integration of digital technologies with physical consumption spaces has led to the emergence of phygital environments, fundamentally transforming consumer decision-making processes. At the same time, sustainability has become an increasingly important normative and strategic context shaping contemporary consumption. While phygital solutions are often associated with sustainability-oriented claims, empirical evidence explaining how consumer behavior in phygital environments relates to sustainability remains limited. This study examines consumer behavior in phygital purchasing contexts through the prism of sustainability, focusing on the decision-making mechanisms that may support sustainability-oriented choices rather than treating phygital behavior as sustainable consumption per se. Using a two-stage analytical approach, the study first identifies key purchasing dimensions characterizing consumer behavior in phygital environments and then empirically tests the direction and strength of their relationships within a theoretically grounded structural model. Based on survey data collected from 2160 consumers, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was employed to identify latent purchasing dimensions, followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) to validate the measurement model and examine hypothesized relationships. The results reveal four interrelated purchasing dimensions—purchase pragmatism, emotional commitment to the purchase, purchase comfort, and purchase pleasure—that shape consumers’ engagement in phygital purchasing processes. The findings suggest that phygital environments may foster sustainability-oriented decision-making by enhancing information access, decision efficiency, emotional engagement, and experiential value. However, the study does not directly measure environmental or sustainability outcomes; instead, it clarifies how established dimensions of consumer decision-making operate within phygital environments when analyzed from a sustainability-oriented perspective. The study offers theoretical implications for research on phygital consumer behavior and sustainability-oriented marketing, as well as managerial insights for designing phygital customer experiences that may support more informed and responsible consumption choices.

The article aims to identify consumer types based on their attitudes and behaviors toward phygital tools and solutions. The analysis was based on the authors’ empirical research. The research was conducted on a sample of 2160 Polish consumers. The study employed an online survey technique. To determine the types of consumers, a 20-item scale was used, allowing the respondents to express their attitudes toward solutions and tools that improve shopping in the phygital space. The extraction of types was carried out in two steps. The first was cluster analysis, conducted using the hierarchical Ward method with the square of the Euclidean distance, and the second was non-hierarchical cluster analysis using the k-means method. As a result of the analyses, three relatively homogeneous types of consumers were distinguished: phygital integrators, digital frequenters, and physical reality anchors. The behaviours of consumers from each type were examined in the context of their impact on sustainable consumption and the sustainable development of the planet. The proposed typology contributes to developing consumer behavior theory in sustainable consumption environments. It provides practical implications for designing customer experiences that are more inclusive, resource-efficient, and aligned with responsible consumption patterns. Understanding how different consumer groups engage with phygital tools allows businesses and policymakers to tailor strategies that support equitable access to digital services and foster more sustainable, adaptive consumption journeys in an increasingly digitized marketplace.

Digitalisation brings great opportunities for marketing communication with customers through loyalty programmes, particularly in times of economic crisis. The objective of the article is to present the importance of a Loyalty Programme (LP) in regard to its role in cultivating a retailer–supplier relationship with the aim of creating exceptional value for a retailer’s business model on the food market, which it then brings to the end customer in its offer. The study presents a survey of 251 food store managers that assessed how they perceive their customer LP. The factors identified in the managers’ thinking about the LP provide the knowledge that managers are insufficiently aware of the importance of creating value for the customer, which is associated with building their relationship with the customer. This has a negative impact on the daily traffic and sales of the store.

Research background: The relative inertia in holding cash, despite the increasing importance of electronic payments, is one of the most fascinating puzzles of the current monetary system and a significant issue for central bank policy. In our study, we would like to extend the previous considerations regarding holding cash by consumers who have decided to make electronic payments but keep the cash despite this. Purpose of the article: Recent literature mainly considers the trade-off between cash and electronic payments. We go beyond this dual framework and instead focus on the precautionary demand for cash. We study the relevance of several psychological factors behind cash holding by consumers who have decided to use electronic payments. Methods: We employ factor analysis and logistic regression. We use data from a standardized online survey conducted among Polish consumers. Findings & value added: Our study's key determinants of holding cash include risk-taking behavior, perceived risk of the unavailability of the payment infrastructure and perceived attitudes towards cash (flexibility and cybersecurity related to the lack of exposure to cyberattacks). According to our research, consumers attach great importance to the flexibility that cash gives as an additional option to electronic payments. A better understanding of these motivations is crucial for public policymakers, who should strive to design payment systems that respond to the needs of all social groups. Therefore, in (at least) the short and medium term, cash will remain in circulation, even if it gradually loses its payment function.

This study examined why consumers who typically pay electronically at points of sale still carry cash and explained the inertia of demand for cash by considering the additional (perceived by consumers) characteristics of cash. The research was motivated by the growing discussion on why cash, despite the increasing importance of e‐payments, remains a significant part of the demand for money. The study focused on psychological factors and consumers' perceptions of certain features of cash, which make it an attractive additional option for precautionary reasons, and therefore, explored beyond the typical discussion of money as a means of payment. The structural equation modeling based on data collected as part of a survey of Polish consumers was used to verify the hypotheses. It was revealed that cash becomes a reserve solution for consumers, which is kept “just in case” to expand the scope of personal freedom and flexibility in making payments and protect against various potential restrictions and threats related to e‐payments. Consumers' holding of cash as an additional option depends on three key factors: attitude toward cash, particularly the flexibility it offers, unusual purchasing situations, and perceived card or mobile payment risk, considered as a moderator. In the debate on the future of cash, the study supports the position that cash has a place in the modern payment system, although it plays a different role. Cash is a supportive backup solution. Eliminating cash significantly reduces consumer welfare.

Objective: The article analyses the changes in Polish consumer behaviour during the pandemic caused by the SARS CoV-2 virus. Changes in behaviour identified in 2022 were also analysed through the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. Research Design & Methods: Literature studies and original empirical research were conducted. The empirical research – an online survey using the Ariadna National Research Panel – was carried out in two waves, the first in November 2020 on a sample of N = 1,045 consumers and the second in November 2022 on a sample of N = 1,100 consumers. The online survey technique made it possible to reach adult consumers from all regions of Poland. Findings: The research findings confirmed that consumer behaviour changed during the pandemic. Above all, consumers did more things remotely. They also took better care of their health and hygiene, and used payment cards more often than they had. Going out to cultural institutions and using the services of catering establishments were subject to the most radical restrictions. Respondents were mainly unsure of whether the two crises increased their household spending. Implications / Recommendations: Compared to 2020, in 2022 the percentage of consumers undertaking various types of preventive and prudent behaviours due to the pandemic decreased. This may indicate a desire among consumers to return to the lifestyle and behaviours they led before the pandemic. Consumers seem to be slowly forgetting about the pandemic, absorbed by another real threat: the war in Ukraine. Contribution: The conducted research contributes to the development of the theory of consumer behaviour. It shows changes in the behaviours of these entities caused by the pandemic situation, which they have not experienced so far. It complements the research on the behaviour differentiation of individual generations of consumers (Z, Y, X, and BB).