Discussion Board

Name

Marketing Application Response; Discussion Board

Date

Electronic data interchange (EDI), p. 503

Distribution is one of the major concepts in business. Without a good distribution channel, even the best product will fail. A marketer basically has the duty to ensure distribution and communication takes place effectively. Having innovations in the distribution sector establishes a different kind of competition. The mobile supermarket makes the channel shorter by replacing all the staff in a physical traditional store. The channel would be from the manufacturer to the distribution centre, then to the supermarket and finally to the customer. Reducing the channel means that the price of goods reduces making the store more attractive to customers since distribution determines the final price of the goods or services. However, the fact that there are no staff at the base makes creates some strategic uncertainties since customer feedback and interests are not well expressed. To increase efficiency, the store would have to apply Electronic Data Interchange. EDI would be helpful in determining what needs to be restocked, what brand the customers prefer and how fast each product moves. With EDI everyone wins, the customer gets the preferred products, the manufacturer’s gets to know which products are most preferred and the store manager have a fully stocked supermarket to increase customer satisfaction (Kiboro, and Karanja, 2015).

Intensive distribution, p. 524

In the current want, time is considered very precious which necessitates time management. People tend to maximize the time spent running errands to ensure they have enough time to work and earn a better income. The mobile supermarket is the most time efficient because they literally bring the goods to your preferred location. This, in other words, describes intensive distribution whereby the distribution channel is made more efficient. The customers are able to access the goods within a given location. The mobile supermarket is said to detect nearby mobile supermarkets which makes it more efficient since it ensures one supermarket serves a certain location without causing congestion and inefficiency in delivery (Roberts and Zahay, 2012). Through intensive distribution, the customers get their products as preferred increasing the efficiency in the supermarket.

References

Kiboro, G. W., & Karanja, E. M. (2015). Consumer Behavior Influence on Adoption of Electronic Commerce in Retail Stores. International Journal of Management, Accounting and Economics, 2(8), 872-881.

Roberts, M. L., & Zahay, D. (2012). Internet marketing: Integrating online and offline strategies. Cengage Learning.