How does the globalisation of markets, especially in the EU, affect retail distribution?
There are some important trends in distribution systems that will lead to their eventual globalization. That is, there is greater commonalty than disparity among middlemen in different countries. U.S. based Southland Corporation's 7-Eleven Stores are replacing many of the traditional "Mom and Pop" stores that have dominated a significant part of Japan's retail food distribution. In Spain, 7-Eleven and Campsa, the Spanish gasoline monopoly, opened 200 7-Eleven minimarkets at Campsa service stations.
Hypermarkets, a retailing innovation developed in France, have expanded beyond French borders to other European countries and to the United States. Discount, home repair, self-service, and supermarkets are all mass merchandising concepts gradually spreading all over the world. In anticipation of Europe 1992, national and international retailing networks are developing throughout the world.
European integration, global brands, globalized media communications, consumers that expect rational and predictable product assortments, and global companies anxious for their products to be distributed in the most efficient manner are factors driving a growing number of traditional distribution channel members to greater efficiencies and competitiveness. Many are developing into transnational, if not global, operations. Global products require integrated, efficient distribution systems to achieve maximum effectiveness.