He Environment of Marketing Channels
He Environment of Marketing Channels
Channels
Marketing Channel and the
Environment
• Marketing channels develop and operate in a
complex environment that is continually
changing.
Nonmember
participants Facilitating
agencies
Channel manager’s analysis of environmental impact must include all channel participants
1. Economic Environment
• The most obvious and pervasive category of
variables affecting all members and
participants in the channel.
1. Economic Environment
Major economic phenomena:
• Recession: 2 consecutive quarters of decline
in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), any
period in which the GDP is stagnant or
increasing very slowly is often referred to as
‘recessionary” or at least and “economic
slowdown.”
1. Economic Environment
Major economic phenomena:
• Inflation: Inflation is the rate of increase in prices
for goods and services. When the price level
rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and
services.
• There are a number of different measures of
inflation in use. The most frequently quoted and
most significant ones are the Consumer Prices
Index (CPI) and the Retail Prices Index (RPI).
www.bbc.com/news/business-12196322
1. Economic Environment
Major economic phenomena:
• Deflation: When the overall price level
decreases so that inflation rate becomes
negative, it is called deflation. It is the
opposite of the often-encountered inflation.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/deflation
1. Economic Environment
Major economic phenomena:
• Other economic issues:
– Trade deficit
– National debt/ budget deficit
– High interest rate
2. Competitive Environment
Types of competition:
1. Horizontal competition
2. Intertype competition
3. Vertical competition
4. Channel system competition
1) Horizontal (Intratype) Competition
M M
W W
R R
2) Intertype Competition
• Competition between different types of firms
at the same channel level.
M M
W W
R R
3) Vertical Competition
• Competition between channel members at
different levels in the channel.
M
R
4) Channel System Competition
• Complete
channels M M
competing with
other complete
channels. W W
R R
3. Sociocultural Environment
• Age patterns of population
• Changing ethnic mix
• Educational trends
• Family or household structure
• Changing role of women
3. Sociocultural Environment
Population Age U.S. pop. Becoming
Patterns both younger &
older
Ethnic Mix # of minority-owned
businesses
Educational Trends Levels = people
more demanding
Family or Household Smaller & more varied
Structure
Scanners
Computerized inventory management
& Portable computers
• Continually evolving
• Affected by changing values, norms, politics,
& precedents
• Knowledge of basics helps channel manager
avoid serious & costly legal problems
5. Legal Environment
• Legal issues in channel management
• Price Discrimination
Supplier sells at different prices to the same class of channel
members
• Price Maintenance
Supplier dictates prices charged by channel members to their
customers
• Refusal to Deal
Supplier has right to refuse to deal with whomever they want as
channel members
5. Legal Environment
• Legal issues in channel management
• Resale Restrictions
Manufacturer attempts to stipulate to whom and in what geographical market channel
members may resell the manufacturer’s products
• Tying Agreements
Supplier sells a product to a channel member on condition that the channel member also
purchase another product
• Vertical Integration
Firm owns and operates organizations at other levels of the distribution channel