KC Group: General

A category within the products carried classification of retailers that includes retailers who carry a wide range of product lines though the number of different items within a particular product line is generally limited.

Computer and information systems that allow nearly anyone in an organization that comes into contact with a customer (e.g., sales force, service force, customer service representatives) to have timely access to necessary customer information.

The second category within the Diffusion of Innovation consisting of a sizeable though not large percentage of a market who are primarily characterized as being enthusiastic but practical about new products and often communicate their experiences with the next category (i.e., Early Majority) and in this way serve as Opinion Leaders.

A component of the internal influences on consumer buying behavior that represents the sum of all information known by a person.

A markup pricing method in which markup is viewed as a percentage of the product’s selling price and is determined by dividing the cost of each item by one minus a predetermined percentage.

A document issued by a company and intended to gain news media attention or to provide information to other company stakeholders (e.g., customers, investors).

Research approach, often dubbed touchy-feely research, that requires researchers to interpret the information gathered, most often without the benefit of statistical support.

For some products this level of packaging surrounds the first-level package for the purpose of added protection or to serve as the primary package.

The third category within the Diffusion of Innovation consisting of up to one-third of the overall market who represent the beginning of the mass market and who are primarily characterized as liking new products but prefer to wait until they have received positive opinions for other (e.g., Early Adopters) before purchasing.

A repository of answers to commonly asked questions, product instructions or other information that customers may access online or over the phone.