Abstract:

This study is relevant because the retailers' compliance with consumer expectations is an essential condition for an efficient management of their corporate social responsibility (CSR). The aim of the study is to assess whether the retailers' CSR meets consumer expectations. A survey of consumers was conducted to assess their expectations. The CSR was assessed by means of a content analysis of annual reports, non-financial reports and websites of Russian and European retailers. The results obtained were compared for each CSR component, a correlation coefficient was calculated and a scatter plot was built. The study identified a weak dependence between the CSR of the retailers and the consumer expectations, however, for a number of CSR components the retailers' practices exceed the consumer expectations. The European retailers demonstrated a higher CSR and higher-quality non-financial reporting than most Russian retailers. The significance of the results is that an understanding of the consumer expectations and their relationship with the practices will enable retailers to manage their CSR more effectively.