An Analysis of the Impact of Supplier Strategies and Relationships on Small Retailer Actions, Perceptions, and Performance

Relationships between small hardware retailers and their wholesalers were examined. Retailers (n = 320) reported that closer relationships with wholesalers, characterized by greater formality and more frequent and intense communications, experienced less uncertainty, more autonomy, and made more frequent use of planning and advertising to control output markets. Supplier strategies had no systematic impact on small retailers’ financial performance.