Preface of the Editors
EUROPEAN RETAIL RESEARCH is a bi-annual that is in the tradition of the reputable and distinguished book series "Handelsforschung" (Retail Research) which has been published by Prof. Dr. Volker Trommsdorff in Germany for more than two decades. With Volume 22 appearing in 2008, Prof. Trommsdorff handed over this publication to a team currently consisting of retail researchers from Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The aim of the publication is to publish interesting manuscripts of high quality with a focus on retail researchers and lecturers, retail students and retail executives. As it has always been, retail executives are part of the target group and the knowledge transfer between retail research and retail management remains a part of the publication's concept. Following the international development in the field of retail research and publication, the new team has decided to introduce some changes and extensions to the concept:
Language - articles will appear in English
Content - manuscripts will be double-blind reviewed and the book will invite manuscripts from a wider regional context but with a focus on Europe
Institutional - a permanent team of editors will be supported by an Editorial Advisory Board
EUROPEAN RETAIL RESEARCH is published in two parts per year, Issue I in fall and Issue II in spring. The review process will support the authors in enhancing the quality of their work and will offer the authors a reviewed book as a publication outlet. Part of the concept is an only short delay between manuscript submission and final publication, so the book is intended to become a quick publication platform. Therefore the deadlines are always fixed. Issue I (publication in April): submission deadline: End of August, notification of acceptance: End of October, re-submission of revised manuscript: End of January. Issue II (publication in October): submission deadline: End of February, notification of acceptance: End of April, re-submission of revised manuscript: End of June. An electronic database with all published articles will be prepared and will be available with an adequate delay after the printed edition.
EUROPEAN RETAIL RESEARCH welcomes manuscripts on original theoretical or conceptual contributions as well as empirical research - based either on large-scale empirical data or on the case-study method. Following the state of the art in retail research, articles on any major issues that concern the general field of retailing and distribution are welcome, e.g.
different institutions in the value chain, e.g. customers, retailers, wholesalers, traders, service companies such as logistics service providers, but also manufacturers' distribution activities,
different value chain processes, esp. marketing-orientated processes (e.g. innovation, customer relationship management, category management), supply chain processes (e.g. purchasing, logistics), organizational processes, informational or financial management processes,
different aspects of retail management and retail marketing, e.g. retail corporate and competitive strategies, incl. internationalization, retail formats, e-commerce, customer behaviour, branding and store image, retail location, assortment, pricing, service, communication, in-store marketing, human resource management,
different aspects of distribution systems, e.g. sales management, key account management, vertical integration, alliances and networks, channel power, conflicts and multi channel strategies.
However, EUROPEAN RETAIL RESEARCH is also interested in manuscripts that focus on wholesaling, distribution concepts, specific strategies or country markets and we accept that non-English literature is used to. Basically, we are considering different types of papers. Articles can be based on large-scale empirical data, on the case-study method or on conceptual issues:
Research articles should provide a relevant and significant contribution to theory and practice; they are theoretically well grounded and methodologically on a high level.
Manuscripts submitted as more practice or conceptual-based articles show new questions, issues, solutions and contributions from practice or conceptual issues. These papers are selected based on relevance and continuing importance to the future retail research community as well as on originality.
Manuscripts are reviewed with the understanding that they are substantially new, have not been previously published in English and in whole, have not been previously accepted for publication, are not under consideration by any other publisher, and will not be submitted elsewhere until a decision is reached regarding their publication in EUROPEAN RETAIL RESEARCH. The only exceptions are papers in conference proceedings that we treat as work-in-progress. Furthermore, the editors invite articles from specific authors, which address the retailing situation in a specific European country. Those articles will also be double blind reviewed. Contributions should be submitted in English language in Microsoft Word format by e-mail to the current EUROPEAN RETAIL RESEARCH managing editor or to info@european-retail-research.org. Questions or comments regarding this publication are very welcome. They may be sent to one of the editors or to the above mentioned e-mail-address.
Full information for prospective contributors is available at www.european-retail-research.org. For ordering an issue please contact the German publisher "Gabler Research" (www.gabler.de).
Fribourg, St. Gallen, Vienna, Saarbrücken and Trier, Spring 2009
Dirk Morschett; Thomas Rudolph; Peter Schnedlitz; Hanna Schramm-Klein; Bernhard Swoboda (managing editor for Volume 23 Issue I)