The competitive edge a firm derives from its retailers extends far beyond shelf space, merchandising and display: The store can be a total communication tool for the company. We shall be discussing the communication role of marketing channels in detail in the chapter on Marketing Communications. Suffice to point out here that the retail points are not mere outlets form where the products flow out. They serve as communication tools as well. It is a fact that consumers patronize certain stores and discard certain others. The store image does the trick. Today, more and more companies are realizing the communicative significance of the stile image and are concentrating their attention on the ‘store image’ of their retail shops.
It was mentioned earlier that in many businesses the marketing war is fought and won at the dealer level. Better servicing of the dealers, better communication and better motivation and training bring in superior dealer loyalty. And, with this loyalty, the firm can win markets. A firm enjoying superior dealer loyalty usually gets a bigger slice of the market.
It is aptly said that a wise firm gets a good band of dealers and good dealers settle down with a wise firm. And a wise firm is one that provides right motivation to its dealers.
