THE DUAL-STRUCTURE OF DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS IN EMERGING MARKETS: A REVIEW AND FUTURE RESEARCH AGENDA FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF EMERGING MARKET STRATEGY
2018 Volume 41 Pages 40-51
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2018 Volume 41 Pages 40-51
Our research aims to clarify the future research agenda on the dual-structure of distribution channels in emerging markets (DSEM) from the viewpoint of emerging market strategy for manufacturers. DSEM is one of the significant characteristics of consumer goods markets in emerging countries, which comprise both traditional and modern retail systems.
A comprehensive review of empirical studies about DSEM revealed that there are four streams of studies based on the data source of previous studies; specifically, studies on: 1) macro-data, 2) consumer behavior, 3) distributers, and 4) manufacturers.
This review yielded the following observations: a) The degree and stage (time) of modernization of distribution channels in emerging markets differ by each country, region, and product; b) DSEM is expected to continue to exist in the future; c) The store format preference of consumers varies based on not only both socio-economic and cultural factors, but also firms' strategic factors; and d) there are areas of critical difference between traditional and modern retail systems, such as supply chain structures, strategies, and advantages. Thus, manufacturers encounter new challenges and have to create new strategies in the face of such different situations.
Based on the the consideration of previous studies, we uncovered the following future research agenda regarding emerging market strategy for manufacturers. First, there is a necessity for research focusing on manufacturers' data, as there is a serious scarcity of research in this area compared to other research streams. Second, given that firm specific advantages differ between local and foreign manufacturers, it is necessary to identify these differences in order to examine manufacturers. Third, in the analysis of foreign manufacturers, it is important to examine both the entry timing of companies (i.e., first mover/laggard) and the degree of their localization.
