The acceptance/rejection of new products in the retail grocery industry: the influence of background elements

The competition for shelf space in supermarkets continues to gain in intensity as the proliferation of 'new' products maintains its momentum. The acceptance/rejection by supermarkets of 'new' products is subject to a variety of processes and activities. This paper concentrates on the stage element, evaluation, of the constituent parts of 'product offer'. The findings suggest that three 'background elements'- decision involvement, experience of buyers and business philosophy- have significant influences on the importance of elements of 'product offer'. This suggests that would-be suppliers need to be cognizant of the varying influence of the contributing criteria within the 'product offer'.