The main objective was to draw the economic balance of each trade channel, in order for the administration to exert its arbitration in the best conditions of information. This general objective may be split into three separate ones, that we may sum up by three verbs: to clarify, to measure and to explain.
The overall objective of this paper is to demonstrate the role and effectiveness of trade attitude research in increasing the awareness and understanding of the manufacturer/trade relationship in order to identify elements upon which the profitable co-operation between retailer and manufacturers can be strategically implemented. Specifically, reference will be made to distribution effects in the toiletries and household goods markets. The paper is primarily based on a recently conducted attitude study, carried out by Gordon Simmons Research Limited for, and in co-ooeration with, Colgate-Palmolive (UK) Limited. The main stage of the study involved a sample of head office buyers, branch management, and back door personnel (i.e. staff responsible for receiving deliveries at the branch) among a selection of top grocery accounts in Great Britain
In 1976 the first generic range was launched by Carrefour in France, since when the concept has been adopted in many parts of the world. Their penetration has varied considerably between countries, depending in part upon existing own label strength and the buying power of major retailers. Some generics, such as the Carrefour range, are a form of repositioned own labels; others, as is common is the U.S.A., represent a second private label for the retailer. The U.K. is now experiencing rapid developments of both types of generics.
The nature of a relationship between a manufacturer and retailer, the extent to which it is either harmonious or discordant, largely depends on the power held by each party and the way this power is used. Power relationships also have a direct bearing on the outcomes of negotiations and thus on the economic and financial fortunes of both manufacturers and retailers. This paper examines power in the context of marketing channels. It looks at the importance, the sources, the dimensions and the uses of channel member power. The paper then goes on to suggest a framework which provides for a systematic approach to the analysis of power in marketing channels. Finally the paper turns to the GB grocery trade to demonstrate the importance of understanding power relationships and the value of the suggested framework for so doing.
The paper examines the various possibilities of using scanning data to improve the marketing of retailers. As a start, the method, the benefits and the status of scanning are described. Retail marketing encounters a number of general and special problems. They result in a series of major weaknesses, which are characteristic for current retail marketing. With the advent of scanning, the trade has a new and powerful source of information at its disposal, informing the retailer in a fast and detailed way about the sales at the individual point of purchase. This was up to now impossible. Scanning data has the potential to help retailers in decision-making in such critical marketing areas as product assortment management, space allocation and shelf management, pricing, promotion and advertising. The tools will be information systems, special analyses, marketing experimentation and customer panels.
The results of over 38 methodologically similar studies across retail sectors and across time are reviewed to identify determinant attributes which drive consumer store choice. Then several case studies are used to show how these results can and should be used to develop both strategic and tactical market positions within the various retail segments.
The conflict of targets between manufacturers and traders with regard to the product-line to be carried is already existing as long as there are dealers selling merchandise produced by somebody else, the producers. This target cannot be solved even in future to such an extent that both partners, manufacturer and trade arrive at an optimum, that means that they are completely satisfied.
The twentieth century has seen considerable economic and social changes. Among the most important is the general rise in the standard of living in the industrialised countries. The continuous growth of consumption is evidence of this ; though it is still unequally distributed across the world, this growth appears as a basic trend of unprecedented amplitude. Commerce, which is the essential link between production and consumption, has undergone profound transformation. Formally it was a passive intermediary in the service of the producer; but it has become an active economic agent with new functions that serve consumers as well as producers. Its development makes modern commerce one of the dynamic sectors of the economy.
The paper describes an attempt to measure retail sales beyond the usual measurement of branded packaged groceries. It explains why the attempt should be made, especially by an independent television contractor; it examines the method used to obtain the results and explains some of the results achieved. In looking at the results the paper also tries to highlight some of the activities that have taken place as a consequence of the results and how the technique could be developed in the future.
Introduction to the Seminar 1982 on Profitable Cooperation of Manufacturers and Retailers, by Gottfried Thiel.
This paper describes how new profiles for the main department and variety store chains in Sweden were created based on research where target groups were defined not only in traditional terms such as age, sex, consumer preferences, attitudes, and shopping behaviour etc but also as people belonging to the same life-style with the same specific values and behaviour. The life-style analysis gave a deeper understanding of the consumer and helped defining the profile in terms of product mix, store lay-out, advertising message and price structure. The life- style approach was a new way to look at consumers and customers and helped uniting the staff - at the head-quarters as well as in the various local stores.
This paper describes the results of a study designed to measure the effects of different promotional activities in stores. Regression analysis, using dummy variables, was used to analyse data obtained from an experimental design incorporating twelve stores over an eight week period. The experimental design consisted of embedding a "cross-over" design, with various combinations of promotional activities being randomly assigned to the remaining cells.