Merchandising/Marketing/Retailing: Branding

Merchandise Assortments of Online Fair Trade Retailers: Are They Balanced?

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Abstract

Fair-trade has emerged as a powerful concept in today’s marketplace. In 2011, consumers spent 6.6 billion USD on certified fair-trade products or items, which represents a 12% increase in sales over 2010 (Thompson, 2012). Fair-trade is a social movement aiming to set fair prices for products, alleviate poverty, and assist producers and workers marginalized by the traditional economic model. In response to the increase in sales of fair-trade products, research has emphasized a strong need for investigating fair-trade customer interests, and satisfying customer expectations with good quality merchandise and customerfriendly web sites (Halepete & Park, 2006).

Keywords: Fair trade, merchandise assortment, online shopping

How to Cite:

Bae, S., Hur, S., Kim, P. & Stoel, L., (2013) “Merchandise Assortments of Online Fair Trade Retailers: Are They Balanced?”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 70(1).