Image Represents how a given retailer is perceived by consumers and others.
Implementation The stage in the research process during which recommendations are put into practice.
Impulse Purchases Occur when consumers purchase products and/or brands they had not planned on buying before entering a store, reading a mail-order catalog, seeing a TV shopping show, tuning to the World Wide Web, and so on.
Income Statement See Profit-and-Loss Statement.
Incremental Budgeting The process whereby a firm uses current and past budgets as guides and adds or subtracts from these budgets to arrive at the coming period's expenditures.
Incremental Method A promotional budgeting technique by which a percentage is either added to or subtracted from one year's budget to determine the next year's.
Independent A retailer that owns only one retail unit.
Infomercial A program-length TV advertisement (most often, 30 minutes in length) for a specific good or service that airs on cable television or on broadcast television at a fringe time. It is particularly worthwhile for products that benefit from visual demonstrations.
Informal Buying Organization Does not view merchandising as a distinct retail function; the same personnel handle both merchandising and other retail tasks.
Information Search Consists of two parts: determining the alternative goods or services that will solve the problem at hand (and where they can be bought) and ascertaining the characteristics of each alternative. Search may be internal or external.
Initial Markup (at Retail) Based on the original retail value assigned to merchandise less the merchandise costs, expressed as a percentage of the original retail price.
Inside Buying Organization Staffed by a retailer's own personnel; merchandise decisions are made by permanent employees of the firm.
Intensive Distribution Takes place when suppliers sell through as many retailers as possible. This arrangement usually maximizes suppliers' sales; and it enables retailers to offer many brands and product versions.
Internal Secondary Data Available within a company.
Internet A global electronic superhighway of computer networks that use a common protocol and are linked by telecommunications lines and satellite.
Inventory Management Involves a retailer seeking to acquire and maintain a proper merchandise assortment while ordering, shipping, handling, and related costs are kept in check.
Inventory Shrinkage Involves employee theft, customer shoplifting, and vendor fraud.
Isolated Store A freestanding retail outlet located on either a highway or a street. There are no adjacent retailers with which this type of store shares traffic.
Issue (Problem) Definition A step in the marketing research process that involves a clear statement of the topic to be studied.
Item Price Removal A practice whereby prices are marked only on shelves or signs and not on individual items. This practice is banned in several states and local communities.
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