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Axes of relationship value between manufacturers and retailers

Alfonso Ruiz-Martinez (Department of Marketing, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain)
Irene Gil-Saura (Department of Marketing, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain)
Marta Frasquet (Department of Marketing, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain)

Management Decision

ISSN: 0025-1747

Article publication date: 12 April 2018

Issue publication date: 30 July 2018

397

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to define the relationship strategy of manufacturers with their retail customers through the identification of axes for the creation of relationship value.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was carried out and 219 valid questionnaires were completed and returned by the purchasing managers of retail companies in the furniture sector. The model was estimated using the partial least squares approach.

Findings

The results revealed three axes of value creation: the core axis, the information and communication technologies (ICTs) axis, and the access axis. These axes included the benefits and costs related to the product and the service provided, the ICTs of the manufacturing project, and the relationships with the sales personnel.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the size of the sample, the authors were unable to analyse the potential unobserved heterogeneity of the sample. The authors would suggest that this aspect should be analysed in future research in order to attempt to segment clients.

Practical implications

Seller support is the main element of value creation. The importance of the efforts made by management to strengthen the capacities of the field force may be highlighted.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this study has been to increase the level of abstraction of the study of relationship value through the identification and modelling of its axes of creation for the under-researched retailers-suppliers relationship.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This research has received financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. National Research Agency (Projects References ECO2016-76553-R and ECO2017-83051-R).

Citation

Ruiz-Martinez, A., Gil-Saura, I. and Frasquet, M. (2018), "Axes of relationship value between manufacturers and retailers", Management Decision, Vol. 56 No. 8, pp. 1716-1733. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-12-2017-1302

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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