Forms of competition and outcomes in dual distribution channels: : the distributor's perspective

• Autores: Alberto Sa Vinhas, Jan B. Heide
• Localización: Marketing science, ISSN 0732-2399, Vol. 34, Nº 1, 2014, págs. 160-175
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The focus of this paper is dual distribution channels in business-to-business markets. We take the perspective of the distributor, and examine how different forms of competition with a manufacturer-owned channel impact distributor opportunism. Next, we consider how the same forms of competition impact the distributor�s end customers. Based on a multi-industry field study of industrial distributors, we highlight the complex processes that characterize dual distribution systems. We show that while competition with a manufacturer-owned channel increases distributor opportunism, it also has the potential to benefit the distributor�s end customers. In addition, although actions taken by a manufacturer to create vertical separation between channels limit competition, such actions also reduce end customer satisfaction.