Multichannel sales strategies are now very popular due to the prevalence of the Internet, which makes it much easier for manufacturers to engage in direct sales. Because direct channels, including catalogs and the Internet, compete against, substitute, or complement conventional retail channels, finding the best way to utilize them in conjunction with the retail channel continues to be a challenge for many firms. Specifically, multiple channels give rise to channel conflict when the channels compete for almost the same market with identical or substitutable products.
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