What to expect – A qualitative study of roles in Retail Marketing

Thesis purpose: The purpose of this master thesis is to investigate the expectations of roles between supplier sales representatives and retailer store personnel in relation to in-store campaigns, this in order to enhance effectiveness of these functions creating an increase in consumer response. Methodology: The researchers believe that social phenomenon and their meanings are continually being accomplished by social actors, hence a study of individuals’ expectations must have a point of departure in these people’s social reality. Store personnel and supplier sales representatives are to a certain degree affected by the structural power relationships within the organizational network, thus the researchers combine an interpretative and radical structuralist paradigm. Theoretical perspective: The researchers investigate expectations of roles through examining interaction between parties involved. The complexity of the buyer-seller relationship and the importance of mutual adaptations result in that roles must be separated between overall supply chain network and the individual episodes which comprise it. Therefore the chosen theoretical frame of reference is based on theories, models and concepts concerning the overall network, individual relationships and service exchange. Empirical data: A qualitative study with an iterative approach is conducted mainly through semi-structured interviews and observations. Articles from Swedish trade papers has served as a complement. The empirical material have been analysed against five dimensions of service exchange, including the overall network and indivdual relationships, in order to find gaps and overlaps in expectations of roles. Conclusion: Due to new conditions of relationships to develop, on both macro and micro level, roles in relation to centrally planned campaigns should be reviewed in order to support relationships which produce value. Supplier sales representatives and store personnel have identified areas of improvement related to LCD-campaigns, yet the ideas remain ideas and not actions. As a result the interactions are not sufficiently enough contributing to increase sales and end-customer response – indirect outcomes of a well implemented campaign. Still, we maintain that interactions between supplier sales representatives and store personnel are very important to the way campigns are implemented. We see a huge potential in increasing effectiveness of in-store campaigns if expectations between counterparts were articulated