Sustainable Consumer Behavior: The Driving Force of Innovation in Retail
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThere are different sentences without citations. The authors must update that. There are a few English writing issues that must also be corrected.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
There are different sentences without citations. The authors must update that. There are a few English writing issues that must also be corrected.
Author Response
The authors have made additions to the text to include citations that the reviewer felt were missing from the text. In addition, the hypotheses were formulated and proved in the results section of the paper. Linguistic proofreading of the text was again performed. The authors tried to implement all the reviewer's comments.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsGenerally, this is an interesting paper with focus of the research aimed at providing the results for better understanding the sustainable consumer as the driving force of innovation in retail.
The topic is interesting .
The title is appropriate.
Everything necessary is given in the abstract, from the goal, to the conclusion, and the significance of the research.
The sample is a representative.
Tables are clearly presented.
I found that the literature review sections and methodology are the main lacks of the paper.
There are no hypothesis.
I suggest consider following literature:
a. Marín-García, A., Gil-Saura, I., & Ruiz-Molina, M. E. (2022). Do innovation and sustainability influence customer satisfaction in retail? A question of gender. Economic research-Ekonomska istraživanja, 35(1), 546-563.
b. Dragin, A. S., Mijatov, M. B., Majstorović, N., Janičić, B., & Korovljev, D. (2022). COVID-19 Pandemic and Young Tourists’ Travel Risk Perceptions: Impacts on Travel Restrictions (Local and International) and Tourism. In COVID-19 and a world of ad hoc geographies (pp. 1755-1775). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
The methodology used in this paper is basic. It is necessary to improve it, using the SPSS.
After improving the methodology, the results and discussion will also need to be improved.
However, after necessery improvements, I think that this paper could still be a good contribution to theory and practice, on the basis of providing an interesting finding. Good luck!
Author Response
The hypotheses tested in the paper have been added to make the arguments and discussion of the findings coherent, balanced, and convincing. The literature review has been corrected and supplemented, the methodology has been extended to formulate the hypotheses and the evaluation of the results has been extended using SPSS. The theoretical review and discussion were supplemented with models of consumer behavior and the practical implications of the research findings for practice. The literature that has been cited is fully in line with the requirements of a scientific article and are all searchable in scientific databases.
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe sustainable consumer as the driving force of innovation in retail
· This manuscript focuses on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on consumer purchasing behaviour, particularly in the context of ethical products and sustainability. It involves two studies, one conducted in 2018 and the other in 2021, with over a thousand participants each. The findings highlight changes in consumer behaviour, emphasizing the shift towards sustainability and the influence of various socio-economic factors. The study also explores the role of innovation in retail, particularly in response to the pandemic. It delves into consumer attitudes towards food waste and the use of digital technologies in retail.
· The study presents a comprehensive overview of changing consumer behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic, explicitly focusing on ethical and sustainable consumption. However, the manuscript could benefit from a deeper exploration of the psychological drivers behind these changes. Understanding the underlying motivations could add significant value to the research.
· The research methodology, primarily based on surveys, appears sound. Nevertheless, the study could be strengthened by diversifying the research methods. For example, incorporating qualitative interviews or case studies could provide richer, more nuanced insights into consumer behaviour changes.
· The comparison between pre-pandemic and pandemic-era consumer behaviours is insightful. However, the study could further elaborate on the specificities of these behavioural changes across different demographic groups. A more detailed analysis of how factors like age, gender, economic status, and education influence consumer choices in the context of sustainability would be beneficial.
· The discussion on innovation in retail, especially in response to the pandemic, is intriguing. Expanding this section to include more examples of innovative practices adopted by retail companies could provide a practical perspective to the theoretical findings.
· The manuscript could provide more explicit recommendations for retailers and policymakers. Discussing how these stakeholders can leverage the insights from this study to foster more sustainable consumer practices would be highly valuable.
· While the study offers valuable insights, its generalizability might be limited due to the geographical focus (Czech Republic). Addressing how these findings might translate to different global contexts or acknowledging the limitations would enhance the manuscript's relevance.
· The manuscript could benefit from a section on future research directions. Given the dynamic nature of consumer behaviour and retail innovation, suggesting potential areas for further exploration would help the academic community.
· Incorporating relevant theoretical frameworks or models from consumer behaviour literature could strengthen the academic rigour of the paper. It would provide a more solid theoretical grounding for the observed empirical findings.
· While the manuscript effectively communicates the research findings, integrating more visual data representations (like graphs or charts) could enhance readability and make the data more accessible.
· Considering the interdisciplinary nature of the topic, integrating insights from fields like psychology, sociology, and environmental studies could enrich the analysis and offer a more holistic view of the subject matter.
· In summary, while the manuscript provides valuable insights into consumer behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on sustainability, there is scope for deepening the analysis, broadening the perspective, and enhancing methodological diversity to enrich the research further.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageModerate editing of English language required.
Author Response
This paper carefully assesses and evaluates the changes in consumer behavior during the COVID-19 era. The variables that caused these changes were very numerous. The authors focus on sustainable consumer behavior, which was important to the stability of the food retail industry during this time. COVID-19 was a harsh turbulent phenomenon for the whole society and the authors wanted their research to demonstrate effective parallel pathways of grocery retailing through retail system innovation in the context of consumers' ethical approach to grocery shopping. Due to the breadth of possible research approaches, the above phenomenon was not explored through qualitative interviews. The paper presents researched information arising from the assigned area of investigation and certainly retail practice will take concrete insights from it. At the end of the article, another possible area of investigation has been added. The further research planned will broaden the perspectives of the issue addressed and will certainly take advantage of further methodological diversity.
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe work has now been improved and I believe it is ready for publication.
Author Response
Please find the comments attached.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe sustainable consumer as the driving force of innovation in retail
1. The manuscript could benefit from delving deeper into the psychological drivers behind changes in consumer behavior. It would provide a more comprehensive understanding of why consumers shift towards ethical and sustainable consumption.
2. While the survey-based methodology is sound, incorporating qualitative methods such as interviews or case studies would add depth to the research. These methods could offer insights into the motivations and attitudes of consumers that are not easily captured through surveys.
3. A more detailed consumer behavior analysis across different demographic groups would enrich the study. This includes exploring how age, gender, economic status, and education influence choices in the context of sustainability.
4. Expanding on the discussion of innovation in retail would be beneficial. Including more examples of how retail companies have adapted and innovated in response to the pandemic would provide practical insights.
5. The manuscript should include explicit recommendations for retailers and policymakers on leveraging these insights to promote sustainable consumer practices.
6. Addressing the study's limitations due to its geographical focus and how these findings might apply in different global contexts would improve its relevance.
7. Given the dynamic nature of consumer behavior and retail innovation, a section on future research directions would be beneficial.
8. Integrating relevant theoretical frameworks or models from consumer behavior literature would enhance the academic rigor of the paper.
9. Including more graphs or charts to represent data would enhance the readability and accessibility of the research findings.
10. Incorporating insights from psychology, sociology, and environmental studies would provide a more holistic view of the topic and enrich the analysis.
https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/4911514
https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2022.2073472
11. The manuscript should aim to deepen the analysis, broaden the perspective, and enhance methodological diversity to enrich the research further.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageMinor editing of English language required.
Author Response
Please find the comments attached.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
