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The Australian brewing sector has been subject to ever‐increasing concentration over recent years. Yet one firm, Coopers Brewery of South Australia, has managed to expand its market share in a highly competitive trading environment. This paper aims to consider how Coopers, one of the few family firms “of stature” in that sector, has succeeded.

The paper adopts a case‐study approach to illustrate the various factors which have contributed to the firm's success. Fieldwork took place at Coopers' headquarters in Adelaide and secondary data sources are also drawn upon.

With fifth‐generation family members in charge at the company, Coopers has been able to distinguish itself from its main competitors in the sector, two multinational conglomerates with a combined market share of around 90 per cent. Coupled with investment in production facilities, the case‐study firm's expansion into new domestic and international markets has proved to be profitable. Part of Coopers' success lies in the niche marketing strategies it has employed – strategies which emphasise the company's unique products and stress their history and traditions. The concept of the extended family is highlighted through the company's approach to its consumers and staff members. Philanthropic activities also enhance the company's reputation in the community at large.

For managers, the case provides clear indications of the various successful niche marketing strategies which a family business in the brewing sector has adopted.

The case provides evidence of how one company has been able to draw on its traditions whilst at the same time maintaining its relevance to the market.

The purpose of this article was to explore why small wine producers in one of Australia’s premium wine regions engage in horizontal networking within both their sub-regions and at a state-wide level. The benefits of these formal network relationships are investigated from a collaborative marketing perspective.

Qualitative data were collected via in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 33 wine producers. Industry informant interviews and secondary data collection enabled triangulation of the research findings.

Overall the study found that producers join horizontal networks for commercial, social and strategic reasons. These motivations evolve over time as the owner/managers gain experience and presence in the region. Horizontal networks assist regions to build goodwill and industry norms, and share knowledge. Such social capital encourages collaboration among wineries and enables networks to effectively pursue shared objectives. Horizontal networks at a sub-regional level also play a key role in establishing and promoting wine tourism.

The paper shows how horizontal wine networks develop over time and the key motivations for membership. Those looking to establish networks can benefit from knowledge of the key drivers which influence and enhance participation.

To date most network studies in the sector have focused on informal relationships between wineries, or networks and clusters comprising firms vertically integrated in the supply chain. The paper contributes to understanding why small wine producers join horizontal networks and examines how collaborative marketing can assist boutique and developing wine regions to increase the competitiveness and market penetration of their products.

In the light of recent changes in the international environment, the purpose of this paper is to consider whether the drivers of, and impediments to, retail internationalisation and the business strategy adopted have also changed.

Interviews were conducted with 12 UK and US retailers. These exploratory data were combined with a review of the literature to explore changes in the drivers and impediments of retail internationalisation.

Findings of this study suggest that, while a variety of factors drive retail internationalisation, profit growth is the most dominant motivator. In terms of impediments to foreign expansion, domestic market conditions were a barrier to the initiation of foreign expansion, whilst the regulatory environment and previous experiences presented obstacles in the process of internationalisation. Interviewees also expressed a desire for increased standardisation, while acknowledging the need for a substantial degree of adaptation in response to cultural differences.

The research findings are limited in terms of their generalisability.

Much of the existing research into retail internationalisation was conducted in the 1990s. Given the substantial changes that have occurred over the past 15 years, the value of this paper lies in the updating of knowledge.

Considers the topic of food retailing in rural areas, a subject that has been barely researched of late. This is achieved through a case study of the Uist chain in the southern Western Isles of Scotland. Although there has been previous work on food retailing in this area, this has largely been from a consumer‐led perspective. The research presented here takes a provider‐oriented approach, involving a census of retail businesses on the Uists and interviews with owner‐managers of food retail outlets. Specifically, the role of the customer base, logistics and supply, and legislative and economic issues are discussed. In conclusion, it is suggested that future research should concentrate on combining consumer‐ and provider‐led perspectives, investigate the role of effective management in small rural retail businesses, and assess whether such findings are generalisable to other rural areas.

Considers the potential that retail loyalty card schemes offer for a more informed understanding of consumer behaviour. With the widespread introduction of loyalty card schemes across the UK, Europe and North America, retailers now have the opportunity to link detailed shopping pattern information to the individual consumer. Data gathered from loyalty card transactions can be referenced to the address of the individual, and as such, can be considered to be a particular type of potential geographic information. Based on detailed semi‐structured interviews within five UK retail organisations that have implemented loyalty card schemes, the article shows the nature of data analysis and applications at present, with data being mostly utilised in direct marketing. It is argued that recognition of the geographic nature of loyalty card data is currently lacking amongst scheme operators, yet is vital if higher order functions are to be realised. To that end, the paper presents visual frameworks that position loyalty card data within the organisational hierarchy and highlight potential techniques and applications that can be achieved via loyalty card data analysis.

The importance of location to retail organisations has long been recognised in the geography and retail marketing literatures, with subjective and “gut feel” methods of evaluation emerging as highly significant factors in the decision‐making process. Through the application of existing frameworks we seek to highlight the importance of location to small independent retailers in the context of outdoor leisure retailing. The case of “UpFront”, a pseudonym for a retailer operating four outlets in Great Britain, is presented. It is shown that, although based largely on luck and opportunism, the firm's locational “strategy” has been crucial to its success as a leading player in the sector. Based on detailed interviews with the managing director and employees, the role and importance of location as a critical success factor to the organisation is presented. In conclusion, a call is made for greater engagement with the nuances of location to small retail organisations, given its impact on a large number of retail operations.