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This paper studies the role of personal selling and the salesforce as an information source and the impact potential information gaps in a downstream business chain can have. It offers a conceptual model of information gaps in an on‐licence wine business channel and suggests areas necessitating further research.

Many companies in the UK have been forced to export to survive. A large number of such companies have failed due to their lack of understanding about the customer service requirements of overseas customers. Understanding the relative influence of each of the components of customer service, a manufacturer will be better able to develop a service package which will maximise customer satisfaction, thus giving as near as possible optimum use of limited resources. The procedures detailed here will enable marketers to benefit from understanding the needs of individual market segments.

Examines the use of a non‐metric multidimensional scaling to establish the requirements of shippers, in terms of desirable characteristics for eight different types of movement. Believes that transport companies often develop marketing strategies without paying sufficiently close attention to the shippers' needs. Provides comparisons of actual adverts with requirements of shippers, such as desirable characteristics for differing types of movements. Concludes that some interesting findings have emerged from this study and this approach may prove to be a worthwhile method for transportation companies to re‐evaluate the advert segment of their marketing strategies.

This special issue contains selected extracts from Marketing and Selling Bank Services, a learning resource from MCB University Press designed to help practising bank managers to refine and apply bank marketing skills. Competition in financial services is growing and an organisation's ability to market and sell its services is essential for success. Marketing, marketing channels, service levels, pricing, communication with customers, persuading the customer, creating an effective salesforce, interviewing the customer, and international banking are all aspects that are discussed. Suggestions for action are made to enable a manager to put into effect some of the ideas presented.

Construction is possibly one of the most cost orientated industries in any economy. The primary mode of supplier selection has always tended to be on the basis of lowest material or service cost at point of consumption. Indeed, this remains the case even in the post‐Latham (1994) and Egan (1998) world in which we live. In general, construction cost estimates are based on a straight ‘take off’ of the quantities required. All further ‘other’ costs in the form of overhead, profit, labour and wastage are consolidated into the cost of the materials. Construction is unique within the various industries making up a modern economy in that the bulk of the materials and components that it uses are of relatively low value while being of high volume. Consequently, a significant proportion of the ‘other’ costs associated with materials purchases must be in the form of transportation from the point of extraction and / or production to the point of consumption. This paper provides an overview of the hidden costs associated with the transportation of construction materials within the industry and proposes improved methods of managing the logistics of the construction process e.g. reverse logistics, in order to reduce costs and increase the basic sustainability of the construction process.

The total or integrated approach to physical distribution places an emphasis upon integrating those activities which are involved either directly or indirectly with the provision of customer service. As such, it contrasts with the traditional approach to physical distribution which emphasises the separate individual activities and the cost minimisation of such individual activities, while ignoring the interaction between the activities and their impact on revenue. While the total distribution concept has seemingly gained wide acceptance, Ray, Gattorna and Allen claim that the reason why it is rarely implemented is “lack of adequate cost data”. This view is shared by Shirley who states “particularly needed are new ways of thinking about distribution costs; to consider their interdependence and contribution to profit”. This monograph attempts to respond to this need by providing a consideration of the Mission Approach to Physical Distribution, and how physical distribution accounting systems may utilise this approach to provide information not only on the costs but also on the revenue aspects of providing varying levels of customer service.

The idea of implementing supply chain management (SCM) principles for the construction industry was embraced by construction stakeholders to enhance the sector's performance. The analysis from the literature revealed that the implementation of SCM in the construction industry enhances the industry's value in terms of cost-saving, time savings, material management, risk management and others. The construction supply chain (CSC) can be managed using the pull or push system. This chapter also discusses the origin and proliferation of SCM into the construction industry. The chapter revealed that the concept of SCM has passed through five different eras: the creation era, the use of ERP, globalisation stage, specialisation stage and electronic stage. The findings from the literature revealed that we are presently in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) era. At this stage, the SCM witnesses the adoption of technologies and principles driven by the 4IR. This chapter also revealed that the practice of SCM in the construction industry is centred around integration, collaboration, communication and the structure of the supply chain (SC). The forms and challenges hindering the adoption of these practices were also discussed extensively in this chapter.

It has been suggested that “customer responsive supply‐chain management” and “agile supply‐chain management” are necessary for the new competitive conditions. However, there is an enormous gap between the idealised prescription and actual practice. The aim of this paper is to examine, in some detail, the factors that can help to explain this mismatch between rhetoric and reality.

To do so, it focuses on a “best‐case” situation – the retailer Marks and Spencer and its relations with its clothing suppliers. This company has traditionally been renowned, among other things, for the sophistication of its supply‐chain activities. The research reported here is based on detailed interviews with suppliers and buyers.

The research reveals that the tenets of the customer responsive supply‐chain management model are technically feasible. But, the study also finds that even under circumstances where there is evidence that it works well, and produces valued outcomes, it remains vulnerable to erosion because of a number of institutional factors.

The research presents a number of challenges to conventional thinking about collaborative relationships. The paper suggests the need for further work on the competing priorities between collaborative inter‐organisational working on the one hand, and competing corporate strategies and ingrained routines on the other.

Practitioners can derive many lessons from this research – most notably it identifies the nature of the barriers and forearms supply‐chain innovators with details of the dynamics that can so easily thwart their best efforts.

The paper explains the mismatch between rhetonic and reality in buyer‐seller relationships.

In turbulent, highly competitive markets corporate organisations are faced with the dichotomy of “downsizing” their costs, yet at the same time improving the service that they offer their customers. This paper shows how a more market‐orientated approach can bring greater benefits for companies. Additional “soft” services can help to tailor a package of customer service and provide product and service differentiation, while inverting the traditional organisational structure can bring customer and supplier closer and lead to greater collaboration. This requires more open communication systems for the rapid capture, transfer and management of information. This has proved difficult in the past, but Web‐based technology is changing all of that. The paper concludes that all of these features are essential for a customer‐supplier interaction model that can provide the customer with added value in product and service delivery, and the supplier with increased business opportunities.

Explores the natural channel phenomena, i.e. the local or national channel which has evolved to serve producer and consumer alike. Further, provides a descriptive construct which identifies the forces (or elements) which influence channel design. Contends that a thorough understanding (and use) of the natural channel would enable a firm to enhance its strategic competitiveness. Proposes a series of strategic managerial considerations which refocus channel design attention on the natural channel concept.