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Attempts to answer the question: why are Japanese firms better at managing long‐term supplier relationships? Discusses the results from a three‐year research project that focuses on the way in which Japanese transplants and UK non‐Japanese‐owned vehicle manufacturers manage their relationships. The research attempts to define the concept of trust, by using existing academic models. Using the existing literature examines how Japanese and non‐Japanese‐owned (UK) manufacturers work with their first tier suppliers. The research is primarily qualitative due to the small sample size of non‐Japanese‐owned and Japanese vehicle manufacturers; however, the research does examine five vehicle manufacturers and 19 relationships. Concludes with the development of a conceptual model for mutually advantageous business relationships, which is an attempt to produce a workable inventory of trust for use by both customers and suppliers.

Suggests that the restructuring of the European‐owned consumer electronics industry, and the relocation of manufacturing plants within Europe, will inevitably affect the distribution of their products. Considers that the centralization of production capacity, and a move away from country‐by‐country operations, will require major adjustments to transport systems and that incomers may also need to establish new systems of delivery from their new manufacturing points. Examines the current logistics practices and future expectations of major consumer electronics manufacturers operating in Europe, in the context of intense competitive rivalry and changing market structures, using empirical data gathered from companies operating in France, the United Kingdom and West Germany. While there are national differences, the results indicate growing involvement of multiple retailers in the distribution of consumer electronic products, further contracting out of manufacturers′ logistical operations, and growing demands on all logistics systems as order lead‐times continue to shorten.

The most successful companies want to remain successful and are continuously trying to improve their manufacturing operations. How and why these changes are decided, upon and driven through to implementation is of interest to all companies in any particular manufacturing sector. The research described in this paper looks at the drivers of change in UK clothing manufacturing companies. Clothing manufacturers face competitive pressures just as in other industries, but the sector has sonic particular characteristics. In the UK clothing industry, retailers rather than manufacturers dominate the list of key players. This concentration of retail buying power is coupled with intense competition in the home market from overseas and a highly negative balance of trade. The factors investigated as potential drivers of change included:

Focuses on the case example of one of the leading wallcovering manufacturers in the UK. Explores issues surrounding the development of brands within a commodity‐type market. The research attempted to analyse the factors which affected the decision‐buying process for the consumer, together with the role that the major DIY multiples played in creating and communicating an effective brand identity. The results of the initial research uncover a major deficiency in brand policy within this sector. They also indicate the importance of any branding policy being consistently communicated to the consumer and integrated across the manufacturer and retailer spectrum. Considers the need for alternative management styles in creating and establishing a successful branding strategy.

New product design is an established field in the literature. It is either analysed inside the firm; or when using a value chain perspective it is limited to the interactions between manufacturers and suppliers (in producer‐driven commodity chains). The current research adopts a downstream perspective, analysing the relationships between manufacturers and retailers in relation to the new product design process. Seeks to conduct research in the clothing industry; that has the specificity of being a buyer‐driven commodity chain where fashion makes design a key dimension for the success of a product.

The research was empirical in nature, involving 50 semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews in France, the USA and the UK at all points along the clothing value chain.

In the clothing industry, the strategy of integrating design and retail has resulted in a more flexible design process and therefore, in an increased product performance. This strategy has been developed by both retailers and designers. The strategy of integrating design and retail has resulted in a change of boundaries in the clothing value chain.

Results are currently limited to the clothing sectors, and they are yet to be generalised to other buyer‐driven commodity chains.

Managers in clothing retail firms or in clothing design firms, wanting to increase product performance, should implement the strategy of integrating design and retail.

The paper opens a new field of research, namely: the focus on new product design with a value chain perspective that concentrates on downstream in the chain.

Consumer susceptibility to country of origin effects has been demonstrated in the past. Formulation of a successful export marketing strategy for Saudi Arabia can be assisted by gaining insight into how the Saudi consumers view a particular “made‐in” label. This study examines Saudi consumers' attitudes toward a “made‐in UK” label. The authors also discuss several strategies that can be used to promote the “made‐in UK” label in Saudi Arabia.

This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the European Journal of Marketing is split into seven sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Marketing, Europe and international business; Marketing strategy; Supply‐chain management; Product management; Services marketing; Marketing in the public sector; and Marketing and information technology.

Customer service in logistics, through its direct impact on a firm’s market share, its total logistics costs and ultimately its profitability, is a critical determinant of competitiveness. Examines what customer service means from a logistics perspective and traces out UK retailers’ changing requirements. It provides the results of a survey which investigates the importance UK grocery retailers place on particular elements of customer service and assesses Irish food exporters’ relative performance, vis‐à‐vis their competitors on the UK market. A comparison of these results with previous research by the same authors concerned with Irish food exporters’ internal measurement of customer service finds that Irish food exporters are perceived to lack flexibility by their grocery customers and that internal measures of customer service are limited. Furthermore, the measures exporters employ for monitoring purposes are not appropriately aligned with those logistics variables which UK retailers consider important. Reconfiguring the supply chain with respect to inventory location is found to be one means of improving perceived flexibility.

To review manufacturing automation products and technology on show at Interplas 2005, the UK's premier exhibition of equipment for the plastics and rubber industry.

Some of the automation products on display at the show are highlighted, particularly the take‐out or beam‐type robots favoured by several of the injection moulding machine (IMM) manufacturers who produce their own version of these robots, including Arburg and Negri Bossi. Descriptions are also given of products from some independent automation equipment manufacturers including ATM, Geiger Handling and Wittmann. Beam‐type and articulated arm robots are described as well as end‐of‐arm tooling including CaviGrip exhibited by ATM, which through cooling within the tool can achieve dramatic savings by reducing the cycle time of IMMs. The contrasting benefits of beam‐type and articulated arm robots tending IMMs are debated. Also revealed is new articulated arm robot hardware and software technology developed by ABB specifically for plastics manufacturing automation. Finally, a brief case study is presented of a robot cell at Characteristix, a UK manufacturer of injection mouldings for the entertainment industry, which has helped it compete against the Far East.

There are manufacturing automation products available to the plastics industry that can help lift it out of recession. Articulated arm robots can add significant value to injection moulded products.

Presents a review of the manufacturing automation technology now available to the plastics manufacturing industry.

A slowed rate of market growth, industrial over‐capacity, increased competition: these are just three “trend drivers” towards relationship marketing. Philip Kotler, one of the world’s leading marketing thinkers, has brought the philosophy of relationship marketing to bear on a key issue for marketing strategies, that of customer retention.