Vertical relationships in distribution channels: a marketing perspective

摘要

Academic marketing research has a rich tradition in treating retailers as important independent decision makers in a vertical relationship with manufacturers. Coordinating the activities of firms in a vertical relationship offers the opportunity to improve efficiency of the channel. However, achieving this coordination is a challenging task because manufacturers and retailers have different, and potentially conflicting, goals and perspectives and each firm wants to maximize its own profits. In this article, we have reviewed some of research on the variety of coordinating mechanisms that have been explored in the marketing literature. Research interests in the two streams have shifted over time to reflect the realities of the marketplace. As power has shifted from manufacturers to retailers, research interest in both the economic-based and behavioral-based marketing research streams has shifted from manufacturers offering take it or leave it contracts and exerting their power to methods of achieving coordination through jointly arrived at solutions.