The grocery trade is part of the food industry, which is Sweden's third largest industry. It is obvious that it is an industry with a high market concentration where the market share of the three largest companies corresponds to almost 87%. In addition to the high concentration in the market, the industry is undergoing a structural change in new store formats that are more adapted to the customer's needs, among other things through geographical location, opening hours, service, price and design. Each individual has their own preferences when it comes to where to shop. At present, the supply of grocery stores is large and there is a tough level of competition throughout the country. It is therefore important for the various chains in the grocery trade to create and maintain a loyal customer base in order to remain relevant but also to survive the tough competition. The purpose of the study is to create an understanding of which marketing techniques the various chains in the Swedish grocery trade use to create and maintain a loyal customer base. To be ableto investigate this, a qualitative study was conducted consisting of four interviews with three different chains. The respondents who have participated have either had a central and high-ranking role within the chain or in the stores. This is because it is important for the study that the respondents have insight into how the organization works. The chains that have participated are: ICA, Hemköp and Coop. Based on the theoretical framework and the empirical evidence that has been collected, ananalysis has been carried out in order to be able to draw a conclusion. The conclusion that is drawn is that there are many and important factors that come into play to maintain and create aloyal customer base. But the marketing technique that stands out and that is of utmost importanceis loyalty programs followed by customer relationship management, relationship management and corporate store image.

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Konsumenters beteende har förändrats och i dag söker kunder inte efter produktrelaterad information enbart i den fysiska butiken inför att de ska genomföra ett komplext köp. Teknisk utveckling och butiker online har möjliggjort för konsumenten att söka information var och när de vill. Detta har lett till att konsumenter är mer informerade än någonsin. Denna förändring av konsumentbeteende är viktigt att studera eftersom företag måste förstå sina konsumenter för att skapa hållbara affärsmodeller och strategier. Därför syftar vår studie till att skapa en större förståelse för detta förändrade konsumentbeteende och hur det påverkar den fysiska butikens roll när konsumenten förbereder sig inför ett komplext köp. Studien är design är en fallstudie av IKEA:s köksavdelning. Vår intention var att förstå viktiga aspekter av konsumentens förberedelse, informationssökning och beteende inför ett komplext köp. För att få en större förståelse för om den fysiska butikens roll har förändrats användes en mixad metod. Detta studerades genom observationer, enkäter och intervjuer. Genom att använda eye-tracking utrustning under observationerna kunde vi studera respondenternas beteende mer djupgående än vad tidigare studier gjort. Vilket resulterade i att studiens slutsats är att den fysiska butiken fortfarande har en viktig roll när konsumenten förbereder sig inför ett komplext köp. Framförallt förser butiken konsumenter med möjligheten att känna på produkten, samt att ge dem ett helhetsintryck av vad de ska köpa. Vår huvudsakliga slutsats blev därför att den fysiska butikens roll inför ett komplext köp är att vara ett komplement till den information som finns tillgänglig online genom att möjliggöra för konsumenten att interagera med produkterna i en verklig butiksmiljö. / Consumer behaviour has changed, today consumers do not solely search for information in the physical store prior to a complex purchase. Technological development and online stores have enabled consumers to search for information whenever and wherever they want. This has led to consumers being more informed than ever. The change and development of consumer behaviour is an important research subject, as companies must understand their consumers in order to create the best business strategies and business models possible. Therefore, is the aim of this thesis to gain a deeper understanding of this changed consumer behaviour and if the physical store might have a different role during consumer preparation prior to a complex purchase.The design used was a case study of IKEA’s kitchen department. Our intention was to understand important aspects of consumer preparation, information search and behaviour prior to a complex purchase. Therefore, was a mixed method strategy was used, which allowed us to understand if the role of the physical store has changed during consumer preparation prior to a complex purchase. This was studied through observations, questionnaire and interviews. Due to the usage of eye-tracking technology during the observation, we could study the respondent’s behaviour more in detail than previous research has done. The conclusion of the study is that the physical store still has an important role when consumers purchase complex products. Foremost, due to consumers’ having a great need to touch and feel the product, and to gain the whole picture of what they intend to purchase. Therefore, was the main conclusion that the role of the physical store prior to a complex purchase is to complement the information available online, by enabling consumers to interact with the products in a real world environment.

The Diploma thesis ,Selected aspects of the retail supplier-purchaser relations' defines British grocery retailing. It presents government bodies which regulate retail industry and important independent not-for-profit organizations which have a strong influence on the market situation. It introduces the reader into legislation which regulates supplier-purchaser relations, particularly the Supermarket Code of Practice and its revised version the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. The analytical part examines the British market at the macroeconomical level, outlines the grocery retailing structure, describes the supply chain, customer behaviour, points out certain pricing and product policy trends and presents subjects which are bonded by the provisions set out in the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. The findings on local market competition and barriers which prevent the entry by a competitor are of a high significance as well. Despite the introduction of legal regulation the supplier-purchaser relations remain unequal and unfair. The thesis proposes a forecast of possible future grocery market development in the United Kingdom.