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International audience; In this study, we focus on the pursuit of cross-functional integration between suppliers and retailers along the different phases of a collaborative project. More specifically, we explore why and how, a supplier and retailer would want to shift the locus of integration from the dyadic to the network level by adding a third party to an ongoing relationship. A case study is developed to analyze the process of integration in the context of category management programs. The analysis reports on a program developed by a regional retailing chain based in the south of Italy, with the collaboration of a national coffee blends supplier and a third-party leader in the market analysis service business. The findings offer a novel view of third parties' role, which broadens the scope from a typical, initial support of negotiations to an evolving modality of intervention during the different phases of the collaborative project. More precisely, the third party enables the sequential and joint activation of alternative forms of interaction between the parties, which is pivotal for enacting the integration mechanism that is most suitable for each program phase. These findings offer a rich set of insights for the analysis of integration within distribution channel and supply chains, as well as for category management and, more generally, for knowledge management in marketing relationships.

In recent years, the concept of relationship value has attracted increasing attention among marketing researchers and practitioners alike. Despite a growing body of literature in this area, no generally accepted conceptualization of relationship value has emerged from the marketing literature. The present paper investigates the theoretical foundations of relationship value and identifies seven underlying dimensions. It is suggested that relationship value should be conceptualized as a formative, multi-dimensional, higher-order construct. This conceptualization is tested using data from a cross-sectional survey among some 200 purchasing managers from manufacturing companies. The scale development process is presented and directions for future research are discussed.

The bargaining power of retailers, especially supermarkets, is increasing and French legislation has failed in vertical competition law. The victims are the consumers, as industrial brand prices have continuously increased since the Galland law (1996), but also the small producers of industrial brands, evicted from supermarket and hypermarket shelves, because of the lack of space and the expansion of retailers’ store brands. The more appropriate role for a small relatively weak manufacturer seems to be as a retail own brand producer. However, ROUTIN, a French cordial producer, is an example of a successful cooperation relationship with some chains which has facilitated shelf access for industrial brands., Le rapport de force dans la grande distribution s’est renversé au profit des distributeurs, en dépit des efforts des pouvoirs publics pour « réguler » la concurrence verticale. Les victimes sont actuellement les consommateurs certes (perte de pouvoir d’achat du fait de la hausse des prix de détail observée depuis la loi Galland), mais aussi les marques de fabricants des PME, évincées des linéaires sous le double effet de la raréfaction des linéaires et de l’essor des marques de distributeurs (MDD). Face à cette situation, les PME semblent cantonnées au rôle de « fournisseurs de MDD ». Pourtant, l’exemple de ROUTIN, fabricant de sirops de fruits, montre qu’une stratégie relationnelle peut ouvrir l’accès aux linéaires pour ses marques propres.

Collaborative relationships in business markets are of growing importance to customers and suppliers alike. Customers need to decide whether to invest in a new supplier relationship, to maintain and develop a valued relationship, or to divest from a low-value relationship. Suppliers, in turn, face growing commoditization of products and seek to differentiate themselves through relationships. The measurement of value creation in buyer–seller relationships is still in its infancy, and a sound understanding of how firms create and deliver value in business relationships is needed. Emerging studies investigate relationship value based on dimensions derived from theory and lack a managerial perspective. Therefore, the present research explored relationship value from a grounded theory perspective. In-depth interviews with purchasing managers identified eight value drivers in manufacturer–supplier relationships. Implications for the measurement of the concept are discussed, and directions for further research are suggested.