Purpose: The aim of this paper is to identify ways and motives of application of e-commerce in the foreign expansion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) fashion brands.Design/methodology/approach: A multiple case study was used as the research method. Data were obtained from primarily in-depth interviews with managers of four Polish SMEs –fashion brands owners, whose products are sold in the foreign markets using e-commerce, and secondary sources.Findings: Through this study the authors identified both strategic-proactive and market-reactive motives of e-commerce applications in SMEs’ fashion brands in the internet-enabled foreign expansion and three different models of usage of e-commerce in the foreign expansion of SMEs.Research limitations/implications: The research was based on the multiple case study of only Polish SMEs in the fashion industry. The conclusions of this study can be applied by fashion companies in their internet-based foreign expansion.Originality/value: This study contributes to the existing body of literature on the internationalization process of SMEs, and particularly on the application of cross-border e-commerce in the foreign internet-enabled expansion of fashion SMEs by identifying three various models of applying e-commerce, in the internet-enabled foreign expansion and their both proactive and reactive motives.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify and profile clusters of retailers operating in emerging markets, in terms of positioning strategies of their own brands (based on the example of the Polish market). Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a random sample of 143 medium and large retailers operating in Poland. The data were collected using a CATI method at the end of 2014 and then analyzed with the use of hierarchical and non-hierarchical methods. Findings: With the use of cluster analysis, six clusters of retailers were identified. Members of each cluster refer to different predominant factors when positioning their own brands. Members of each cluster do not differ significantly in terms of descriptive variables (exogenous to the cluster analysis) being used for profiling clusters. Research limitations/implications: In this study, only retailers operating in Poland were surveyed. This study does not refer to the targeting strategies, which may be analyzed jointly with the positioning strategies of retailers’ brands. Practical implications: The paper has implications in understanding the approaches to the retailer brand positioning representing by the identified clusters of retailers that might be a basis for the creation of the retailers’ competitive advantages. Originality/value: The main contribution of this research lies in the clustering approach to segmenting retailers in terms of their own brands’ positioning strategies and identifying clusters of retailers in the Polish market due to the retailer brands’ positioning.

Objective: The purpose of this paper is to identify the understanding and strategic importance of the country of origin (COO) and its dimensions from the perspective of the emerging market firms. Methods: A qualitative approach was applied using in-depth interviews with 11 informants from owners of emerging market companies of household appliances brands. Key findings: COO is perceived by managers of emerging markets’ firms as a multidimensional construct. In addition to the COO dimensions presented in the literature, informants indicate the following: country of technology/innovation origin, country of technical culture, country of service network localization, country of organizational culture origin (COOCO), and country of brand launching (COBL). Country of manufacturing (COM)/assembly/parts is perceived as a strategic imperative, first of all, from the sourcing strategy perspective, and it is less important from the marketing perspective than the country of brand origin (COBO). Originality: This study contributes to existing literature by developing a deeper understanding of the COO dimensions from a perspective of emerging market companies.

Objective: The objective of the article is to investigate the impact of a foreign multi-sided digital platform’s (MSP) e-shopping quality (quality of information, payment security, consumer service), image, perceived legal protection of cross-border online purchases on beliefs and attitudes towards cross-border e-purchases on foreign MSPs, along with their influence on e-consumer intentions to purchase, and foreign MSP’s country of location as a moderator (EU and USA vs. China). Research Design & Methods: We surveyed a representative sample of 810 Poles and analysed the gathered data with PLS-SEM. Findings: Beliefs (with the critical role of trust) and foreign MSPs’ ease of use significantly impact e-purchases on foreign MSPs, which is determined by online shopping quality, the image of a foreign MSP, and perceived legal protection of e-purchases. There are differences between consumers purchasing via Western vs. Chinese MSPs regarding the influence of payment security on ease of use and influence on trust in a foreign MSP of the following antecedents: consumer service on a given MSP, its reputation, and perception of prices/costs. Implications & Recommendations: This article offers valuable insights into e-consumer behaviour useful to MSPs’ managers. Contribution & Value Added: This article develops literature on cross-border e-commerce, especially e-consumer behaviour on MSPs, by examining new factors relevant to online shopping on foreign MSPs and considering the moderating role of an MSP’s country of location.