Changes in relationships between partners in FMCG distributionchannels in Poland in 1989–2011 and their impact on commercialfirms’ competitiveness

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of the article is to present the changes that have taken place in relationships between business partners in the FMCG distribution channels in Poland after 1989 and to identify the consequences for competitiveness in particular groups of commercial enterprises. The scope of analysis covers relationships between chains of large trade facilities and FMCG manufacturers and wholesale enterprises, inclusive of cash and carry, as well as between goods suppliers and receivers.

Methodology: The article is prepared on the basis of relevant literature on cooperation of enterprises in the distribution channels, as well as on the results of surveys carried out by the Institute for Market, Consumption and Business Cycles Research (IBRKK) in the 1990s and in the first years of the 21st century. It also includes mid-2011 survey results among independent commercial enterprises and companies operating in the chain as well as among FMCG producers. In individual periods, the same research method is applied - face-to-face interviews, carried out among representatives of the surveyed firms. They were based on a questionnaire, which was expanded in subsequent research periods with new aspects of cooperation between enterprises, i.e. creation of private labels, training and consulting for business partners, and integration processes.

Originality/value: The description and analysis of the phenomena and processes occurring in relationships between subjects in various channels of FMCG distribution covered multiple criteria. These include selection of a business partner, enterprise position in its contacts with business partners, expected and achieved benefits of cooperation, impediments and abnormalities occurring in contacts between the goods supplier and the commercial company, and new areas of cooperation.