Ways to Categorize Retailers
There are many ways retailers can be categorized depending on the characteristics being evaluated. For our purposes we will separate retailers based on six factors directly related to major marketing decisions:
- Target Markets Served
- Product Offerings
- Pricing Structure
- Promotional Emphasis
- Distribution Method
- Service Level
and one operational factor:
- Ownership Structure
However, these groups are not meant to be mutually exclusive. In fact, as we will see in some way all retailers can placed into each category.




