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Analysis of Sales Promotion Effects on Household Purchase Behavior

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<strong>Purchase</strong> frequency is defined as the average number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> purchase occasi<strong>on</strong>s per<br />

household per quarter <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a year. Table 8.3 c<strong>on</strong>tains the results using purchase data from the<br />

last quarter <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> 1995.<br />

The indicator for promoti<strong>on</strong>al activity used in the research deals with promoti<strong>on</strong>al<br />

frequency, not with the magnitude <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the promoti<strong>on</strong>s. We have used the causal data<br />

(promoti<strong>on</strong>al data) from different stores and different weeks to derive an average number<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> promoti<strong>on</strong>s within each <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the six categories per week. As Table 8.3 shows, pasta and<br />

fruit juice are promoted the least whereas candy bars and potato chips are promoted most<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten.<br />

With respect to storability, different indicators have been used in prior research.<br />

Bulkiness (volume) and perishability (Raju 1992), shape <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the product (regular or not),<br />

refrigerated or not (Bell et al. 1999). Regarding bulkiness, we use a refinement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the<br />

modal unit-size (as derived to obtain the average price level) as an indicator (modal unitsize<br />

and storability being negatively related). The dimensi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> modal unit-size differs<br />

across the product categories. Some sizes are measured in grams, other are measured in<br />

cubic centimeters (cc’s). Furthermore, some <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the categories included in this research have<br />

packaging c<strong>on</strong>taining a lot <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> air (and therefore storage space) whereas others are packaged<br />

vacuum. The refinement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the modal unit-size takes these differences into account, it is<br />

based <strong>on</strong> the number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> cc’s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> each modal unit-size. Regarding storability, following Bell<br />

et al. (1999), we use a dichotomous classificati<strong>on</strong> scheme for the product categories. Three<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> our product categories were also used in their study. C<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fee and s<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>t drinks were<br />

classified as being storable whereas potato chips category was classified as not being<br />

storable. The remaining three categories (fruit juice, pasta, and candy bars) are classified as<br />

being storable or not using subjective arguments, but trying to follow the classificati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

Bell et al. (1999), combining shape, perishability, and storage place (inside or outside the<br />

refrigerator). Fruit juice products are comparable to s<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>t drink products. They last l<strong>on</strong>g<br />

unopened, but <strong>on</strong>ce the product is open, the storage life is not very l<strong>on</strong>g. Therefore fruit<br />

juice is being classified as storable. We classify candy bars as not storable since they need<br />

to be refrigerated. Pasta products are not easily classified. Storage life is quite l<strong>on</strong>g, but the<br />

shape <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the product is not very suited for stacking. We do classify it as storable, but less<br />

storable than c<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fee products. Narasimhan et al. (1996) did the same.<br />

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