Thesis (MTech (Retail Business Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007 / As the retail industry remains persistently competitive, progressive retailers tend to adopt multi-channel retailing (MGR) to gain competitive advantage and to achieve other potential benefits. Many experts argue that MGR widens the retailer's target market and operations to satisfy the needs of a wide range of customers and, subsequently, eam the retailer potential benefits (Dawson, 2002:5; Berman & Thelen, 2004:148-149; Ghanesh, 2004:140; Sotgiu & Ancarani,2004:128). According to Dawson (2002:5), MGR is being used extensively by large retail outlets worldwide to complement their traditional operations, thereby providing the most convenient means for customers to shop while the outlets gain competitive advantage. However, the benefits of MGR are not achieved by retail small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs), OWing to the fact that there are low levels of MGR adoption in retail SMMEs. This therefore limits their market opportunities. The research reported here examines how MGR could become a growth strategy for retail SMMEs. The study necessitated an extensive literature review of retailing and multi-channel retailing, multi-channel strategy and the multi-channel customer. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected through personal interviews and questionnaires, and from large and small retail outlets and their customers in the Gape Town region. The stUdy found that the large retail outlets studied are doing well with MGR, without having to build concrete multi-channel strategies to integrate their different channels. What contributes to that achievement is their ability to harmonise their channels to achieve channel inter-dependency. The study also revealed that there is not much difference between large and small retailers when it comes to the potential benefits of MGR; therefore size is not a major issue. The differences lie in the different sectors, and with different target markets and different product categories, as these require different mixes of channels. Moreover, retail transactions in an MGR environment are found to follow a cycle of steps within the overall process, in which a customer's visit to one channel often becomes just one step in the purchase process. The study provides a useful guide for retail SMMEs to successfully adopt MeR for their profitability and growth.

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Historicamente, as indústrias conquistaram espaço no mercado a partir do aumento de seu volume de produção e da redução no preço dos produtos. Tal estratégia, no entanto, não se mostrou eficaz nas últimas décadas, visto que a mesma foi copiada por todos os fabricantes. Dessa forma, uma nova estratégia foi adotada pelas indústrias com o objetivo de diferenciar seus produtos da concorrência, especialmente no âmbito varejista. As indústrias passaram, então, a criar novas linhas de produtos, com o propósito de atingir esse objetivo. Todavia, mais uma vez as estratégias adotadas pelas indústrias não tiveram o impacto esperado. Em especial no setor de bens de consumo não duráveis, os espaços varejistas passaram a ficar super abastecidos, sendo que muitos dos produtos comercializados apresentavam baixo giro e baixa rentabilidade, além de muitas marcas possuírem pouco apelo junto ao consumidor final. Diante desse cenário, o varejo começou a ditar os produtos e marcas que seriam comercializados em seus estabelecimentos, elevando seu poder frente à indústria. Essa inversão de poder no mercado varejista obrigou os fabricantes a reverem a maneira como desenvolviam o relacionamento com seus clientes de canal, principalmente com o varejo. Antes preocupada em atender apenas as necessidades dos consumidores finais, a indústria buscou atender também as demandas de seus clientes de canal, criando, então, os departamentos de trade marketing. As atividades de trade marketing foram inicialmente aplicadas pelas indústrias de bens de consumo não duráveis em grandes redes varejistas. Esse fenômeno se reflete na academia, aonde a maioria dos estudos sobre trade marketing tem como objeto de pesquisa essas indústrias, com poucos estudos realizando uma abordagem a partir da visão do varejo. No entanto, os poucos estudos que abordam a visão do varejo sobre o trade marketing não são aplicados no segmento alimentar, no qual ocorreram as transformações varejistas mais intensamente. O pequeno varejo, apesar de possuir considerável importância na economia brasileira e na comercialização de muitas categorias de produto, é pouco explorado na literatura de trade marketing. Dessa forma, torna-se interessante compreender como funciona o trade marketing quando desenvolvido em pequenos varejistas do segmento alimentar e, se não for desenvolvido, quais as razões para esse fenômeno. Diante dessa oportunidade de pesquisa, esta dissertação foi conduzida com um referencial teórico abordando os grandes tópicos \"canais de distribuição\" e \"trade marketing\". A pesquisa, do tipo exploratória e qualitativa, utilizou-se do método de estudo de casos múltiplos. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com três pequenos varejistas da cidade de Piracicaba, e tiradas fotos do interior dos estabelecimentos. Os resultados proporcionaram a conclusão que as atividades envolvendo comunicação e promoção são realizadas tanto em conjunto por indústria e pequeno varejo, quanto individualmente pelo varejista; que a definição de preços é realizada individualmente pelo varejista; que o relacionamento estabelecido entre indústria e pequeno varejo é eficaz, apesar dos varejistas não acreditarem na existência de cooperação entre ambos; que o compartilhamento de informações é pessoal, sem o auxílio de ferramentas eletrônicas e que a gestão por categorias é desenvolvida pelo pequeno varejo sem o auxílio da indústria. / Historically, industries have gained market space by increasing their production volume and reducing product prices. Such a strategy, however, has not proved effective in recent decades since it has been copied by all manufacturers. In this way, a new strategy was adopted by the industries with the objective of differentiating their products from the competition, especially in the retail area. The industries then started to create new product lines, in order to achieve this objective. However, again the strategies adopted by the industries did not have the expected result. Particularly in the non-durable consumer goods sector, retail spaces became overcrowded, with many of the products marketed presenting low rotation and low profitability, as well as the fact that many brands have little appeal to the shopper. Faced with this scenario, the retailer began to choose the products and brands that would be marketed in their establishments, which increased their power. This exchange of power in the retail market forced manufacturers to review how they developed the relationship with their channel partners, particularly retailers. Previously concerned with meeting only the needs of shoppers, the industry also began to meet the demands of its channel partners, creating the trade marketing departments. Trade marketing activities were initially applied by non-durable consumer goods industries in large retail chains. This phenomenon is reflected in the academy, where most of the studies on trade marketing have as object of research these industries, with few studies taking an approach from the perspective of the retail. However, the few studies that approach the retail vision about trade marketing are not applied in the food segment, where the retail transformations occurred more intensely. Small retailers, despite having considerable importance in the Brazilian economy and in the commercialization of many product categories, are little explored in the trade marketing literature. In this way, it becomes interesting to understand how trade marketing works when developed in small retailers in the food segment and, if not developed, what the reasons for this phenomenon. Faced with this research opportunity, this dissertation was conducted with a theoretical framework approachig the major topics \"distribution channels\" and \"trade marketing\". The research is exploratory and qualitative and used the multiple case study method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three small retailers in the city of Piracicaba, and photographs were taken of the inside the establishments. The results provided the conclusion that the activities involving communication and promotion are carried out jointly by industry and small retail and also individually by the retailer; that the pricing is carried out individually by the retailer; that the established relationship between industry and small retailers is effective, although retailers do not believe in the existence of cooperation between them; that the sharing of information is personal, without the help of EDI and that category management is developed by small retailers without the help of industry.

Este estudo tem como objetivo entender como a dinâmica do relacionamento entre duas empresas é afetada por fatores internos e externos à mesa de negociação. Interdisciplinar, a pesquisa convergiu as contribuições de diversas literaturas, notadamente marketing de relacionamento e negociação, para poder lidar com a complexidade dos dados empíricos coletados. Através de um estudo de caso único, baseado na relação diádica entre um fornecedor e um canal do varejo alimentício brasileiro, foram analisados os fatores que levaram um relacionamento interorganizacional estável por décadas a se deteriorar em apenas dois anos. Os resultados encontrados apontam para o fortalecimento da concorrência e o conflito intradepartamental na empresa fornecedora como os principais motivos da migração para um estado relacional danificado. O histórico positivo do relacionamento se mostrou insuficiente para ajudar na recuperação do relacionamento, assim como a utilização da estratégia de compromisso pelos negociadores. A importância de distinguir em estudos as diferentes formas de conflito é ressaltada pela conclusão da pesquisa. Ao final do trabalho, implicações gerenciais derivadas das conclusões são apresentadas. / The present study aims at understanding how the relationship dynamic between two companies is affected by both internal and external factors to the negotiation table. Interdisciplinary, the research converged the contribution from several literatures, such as relationship marketing and negotiation, in order to deal with the empirical data complexity. Through a case study based on the dyadic relation between a supplier and a channel from Brazilian food retail, the research analyzed the factors that led a solid, long lasting interorganizational relationship to deteriorate into a damaged state in just two years. The results point to a strengthening of the competition and intradepartmental conflict as the main reasons of the migration to a damaged relationship state. The positive relationship history proved to be insufficient to aid in the recovery of the relationship, such as compromising. The importance of distinguishing different types of conflict when studying this phenomenon is highlighted by the study\'s conclusion, and managerial implications to channel management practice are presented.

M.Com. (Business Management) / A key performance indicator of a cement manufacturer is that of its operating equipment efficiencies or OEE. The world-best standard for OEE of cement manufacturers is 85%, and this figure can only be achieved through very good maintenance practices and programmes combined with exceptional maintenance inventory levels and good maintenance inventory strategies. Maintenance inventory can be described as spares that support the manufacturing process, but that is not included in the final product. Like all types of inventory, maintenance inventory has a cost associated with carrying the inventory that can be calculated through applying the various carrying cost components associated with inventory. In a cement manufacturer this carrying cost figure can be excessively high as a result of the slow movement of major spare components that have to be held in inventory due to its critical importance to the manufacturing process. It is also evident that inventory levels in AfriSam are high. This may be due to the fact that management believe the best possible method to minimise the risk of production loss during a breakdown, is to increase maintenance inventory levels with no comparison to the costs associated with carrying the inventory. The chosen research problem is: “AfriSam (Pty) Ltd carries maintenance inventory worth millions of rands with slow movement of high value maintenance inventory sometimes in excess of 3 years. The cost of managing the inventory together with the carrying cost of the inventory has become a key focus point in the business and there is a need to find methods to optimise the inventory.”

M.Comm. / The fertiliser and related activities of Sasol Fertilizers were consolidated during 2000 under the new name Sasol Agri. Sasol Fertilizers is a business unit of Sasol Agri, and is responsible for the manufacturing and marketing of quality fertiliser products for the group. Through its business units, Sasol Agri manufactures a full range of granular and liquid fertilisers, bulk-blend mixtures, ammoniated phosphates, sulphate of ammonia and nitrogenous products for the South African and export markets. This division was established in 1981 to use ammonia derived from the Sasol coal to oil refining process to produce fertiliser. Production commenced in 1983. Today Sasol Fertilizers is a dynamic producer and marketer of fertiliser products in both local and export markets. The Sasol Fertilizers factory is located in Secunda, about 150 kilometres expanded its investment in liquid fertilisers by acquiring the remaining 50% shareholding in the Delmas Fertiliser Group. This business has been identified as a growth area and additional resources have been allocated to product development and expansion in South Africa to service local demand.

Marketing channels have traditionally been examined as commercial conduits the sale objective of which was to facilitate the flow of goods from producer to consumer. This approach emphasized functional and structural aspects of the channel and was primarily concerned with the efficiency of the distribution system. During the last two decades, marketing channels have increasingly been viewed as social systems affected by the behavioural dimensions of power, conflict, roles and communication. The rapid growth of vertical marketing systems with greater authority and interdependence between channel members, have stimulated interest in this field. Nevertheless, research has been limited and characterized by methodological problems and conceptual differences about the definitions of behavioural variables and their relationships. Some attempts have been made to develop an integrated framework within which to conduct research into channel relationships, but the validity and relaibility of these models has not been tested. This research project examined the relationship between the sources of conflict and stages in the conflict process. The sources of conflict were subdivided into attitudinal and structural categories, the latter being concerned with goal differences, the desire for autonomy in the face of interdependence and competition for scarce resources. The conflict process model adopted by the author assumes the existence of stages of latency, feeling, perception, manifestation and aftermath in each conflict episode. The first four were treated as separate behavioural states for which different levels of conflict intensity were measured. In order to provide greater explanatory power to the results of the analysis, the perceptions of two respondent groups were identified, namely the leader group, consisting of channel members responsible for the overall strategic interests of the channel, and the affected group, consisting of channel members who had been adversly affected by the activities of their partners in the channel dyad. In addition, respondents were asked to identify separately, their perceptions of the macro and micro levels of conflict in the four conflict states. The marketing channel for prescription medicines was selected for the study. The focal dyad consisted of retail pharmacy managers and doctors with single respondent perceptual measures being obtained from the retail pharmacy managers. A mail survey of all the retail pharmacy managers in South Africa, South West Africa/Namibia, and the independent homelands conducted in July 1987 resulted in a 40% response rate (1031 returns). Tests indicated statistically significant differences between the perceptual measures representing the sources and stages of conflict, the macro and micro levels of the stages of conflict and between the leader and the non-leader groups and the affected and non-affected groups. A sequential hierarchy in the level of conflict measured in the behavioural states was indicated, with decreasing levels of conflict being identified in states of latency, perception, feeling and manifestations, respectively. An analysis of the results revealed that attitudinal sources of conflict were more important that structural sources in measures of perceptions, feelings and manifestations of conflict behaviour. In the latent conflict state, structural sources assumed greater importance than attitudinal sources. In most of the measures, the sources of conflict were more correlated with perceptions of conflict at the macro level than the micro level. The exception was manifest conflict for which micro conflict levels were more important. The major sources of conflict were differences in perceptions, differences in goals and the lack of autonomy. The leader group indicated a particular concern for attitudinal factors, particularly communication difficulties. The affected group, whilst identifying attitudinal factors as being the most important, was especially concerned with their lack of autonomy from the doctor, rather than the competition for scarce resources which could have been expected. An overall assessment of the level of conflict between retail pharmacy managers and doctors indicated that the channel dyad was relatively free from conflict. Relationships were characterized by a degree of satisfaction, some degree of harmony and little evidence of conflict behaviour.

Literature and the cooperative movement in Malawi shows that the first cooperative was established in 1947. Since the economy of the country depends on agriculture, most cooperatives were strongly developed in the fields of agricultural production, and processing and marketing. The first coffee cooperative was registered in 1950, known as the Nchenachena Coffee Producers Cooperative Society. After Malawi 's independence in 1964, agricultural cooperatives were dissolved and government formed the Farmers Marketing Board (FMB) to take over all marketing activities of all crops, including coffee. The FMB was replaced by the Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) in 1967. After the dissolution of agricultural cooperatives, government saw the need for crop development and established Smallholder Coffee Authority in 1971. The Smallholder Coffee Authority worked up to 1999 when it collapsed because of administrative and financial problems. Due to the failure of the Smallholder Coffee Authority, the government of Malawi reintroduced agricultural cooperatives in 1999. Mzuzu Coffee Planters ' Cooperative Union was formed in 2006 following the re-introduction of cooperatives. The union is mandated to promote sustainable production, processing and marketing of Arabica coffee on behalf of the farmers. Since its inception, the output of coffee for export from the Mzuzu Coffee Planters Cooperative Union has increased from 156 tonnes in 2006 to over 400 tonnes in 2009. The increase in coffee exports was not by mere chance but a number of factors contributed to this success. The main reasons for this success were: • Strong prior relationship between the growers and the buyers • The uniqueness of the cooperative business model • The unique taste and quality of coffee grown • The introduction of a different approach to farming coffee Currently there is high demand for organic coffee and this could be a niche market that is not only rewarded with premium prices but also creates environmental friendly business. The union considers Fair Trade market as an alternative approach to conventional trade, aiming at improving the livelihoods of smallholder producers by improving payments, giving them fair prices and providing continuity in trading relationships.

The channels of distribution of the Indian Cotton Textile Industry present an interesting problem of economic development in a mixed economy where private and public corporations cooperate to achieve national objectives. This study was designed to describe and analyze the channels of distribution of cotton textiles in India, to specify the shortcomings that exist in the present distribution system, and to make recommendations to improve the efficiency of cotton textile distribution in India. There are always problems involved in collecting primary and even secondary data from a developing country like India. Therefore, mainly a comprehensive library research was conducted pertaining to the Indian Cotton Textile Industry and its distribution system. The secondary sources were published government reports, documents, monographs, books, articles, and trade associations reports.

This dissertation examines selected relationships between issue-specific and overall perceptions of conflict and cooperation within a distribution channel setting. The issue of cooperative bias in channel relations, and the dichotomy of issue-specific and overall perceptions are tested. Hypotheses stemming from exchange theory, as applicable to the channel context, are offered on the effects of incongruities, salience, and antagonism on dissatisfaction, conflict, and cooperation. The research was conducted in two phases. The pretest was used to develop the experimental procedures for parasimulation, to assess the reliability and unidimensionality of the measurement models, and to test the manipulation of the independent variables. Subsequently, the main experiments were conducted. Both phases employed two research designs. Research design one, a 2x2 factorial, examined the effects of two levels each (high and low) of negative incongruity and salience. In research design two, a 2x2x2 nested facto- rial, positive incongruity (high and low) and antagonism (present or absent) were additional independent variables. Multiple indicators were used to measure the dependent variables of issue-specific dissatisfaction, conflict, and cooperation, and overall conflict and cooperation. Dependent measures were obtained using content-analysis, magnitude estimates, and rating scales. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (rating scales), composite interjudge coefficient (content data), and regression exponent (magnitude scales). Unidimensionality of measurement models was also assessed. Inferential statistical techniques of MANOVA, ANOVA, and t-tests were used to test the hypotheses. Including the pretest, altogether five different samples were used. The findings were quantitatively integrated to summarize the results across the different samples and methods, and were statistically homogeneous. In general, a majority of hypothesized relationships were supported by the data. Issue-specific and overall perceptions of conflict and cooperation were found to be distinct constructs, and the hypothesis of cooperative bias was supported. Incongruities succeeded in explaining the emergence of dissatisfaction, conflict, and cooperation. However, salience and antagonism had directionally correct but weaker explanatory power. Results are discussed with respect to major findings and their theoretical and methodological contributions to the channel research domain. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of the limitations of the study and directions for future research. / Ph. D.