Category Management - A New Consumer Oriented Concept in the Swedish Food Retailing Industry

The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate if and why food retailers in Sweden use Category Management. It also examines how food retailers perceive and apply this American concept in Sweden. Further the theories about Category Management are tested with the help of a created model. This dissertation is based upon a qualitative method. The dissertation includes interviews with the four largest food retailers in Sweden and two supermarkets in the US. The interviews are divided as follows: Three interviews with headquarters in the Swedish food retailing industry, four interviews with specific supermarkets in Sweden and two interviews with specific supermarkets in the US. Furthermore literature studies give a theoretical frame of reference. The theoretical perspectives of the dissertation are the ECR theory, theories from ACNielsen and The Partnering Group Inc. The conclusions are that Category Management is used by the three largest food retailers in Sweden. However it is not used in every detail as the theories suggest, but the food retailers in Sweden plan to implement more elements of the concept in the future. Another conclusion is that Category Management is a consumer oriented concept