Marketing strategy and supply chain relations in grocery retailing

This submission for PhD by publication consists of a portfolio of nine peer reviewed and published papers. The research presented in the portfolio contributes to theory, knowledge and discussion in the area of retail marketing. The common theme of the papers is competition in grocery retailing, and specifically the way that retail marketing strategy and supply chain relations affects retail competition and outcomes for consumers. While the nine papers share a common approach in how grocery retailers compete through pricing and product choices along with their trading terms with suppliers, each individual paper addresses a distinctive central question: How does pricing competition change in the wake of a major merger in the retail grocery sector? How do grocery retailers respond in their pricing, promotion and advertising to the onset of a macro-economic crisis? Do grocery retailers encourage excessive consumption of alcohol by under-shifting excise duty increases on cheap alcohol? Why do retailers use value size pricing and offer bargain prices on jumbo-sized sugary drinks that encourages harmful excessive consumption? Is retail buyer power over suppliers detrimental to competition? In what circumstances might the development and promotion of brands and private labels be deleterious to consumers interests? How should competition authorities and practitioners assess the extent of competition between brands and private labels? How can the development of copycat private labels directly mimicking leading brands result in higher overall prices for consumers? Do retailers manipulate grocery prices to favour private labels over brands? Beyond their academic research contribution, the findings and insights provided in the papers both individually and collectively have relevance to retailers, suppliers, consumers, regulators and policymakers in desiring to see an efficient, well-functioning and dynamic grocery retail sector.