Marketing Channel Strategy

CHANNEL BASICS
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combine similar stocks from multiple sources to provide broader, more homoge-
neous supply (e.g., wholesalers accumulate varied goods for retailers, and retailers 
accumulate goods for consumers). In short, intermediaries help end-users access a 
unique combination of product and channel services that are attractive to them. 
In this sense, intermediaries create utility for end-users. In particular, they provide 
possession, place, and time utilities, such that they ensure a product is available with 
the assortments and in the places that are most valuable to target end-users, at the 
right time.
Benefits to Upstream Channel Members
Routinization of Transactions
Each purchase transaction involves ordering, determining the valuation of, and 
paying for goods and services. The buyer and seller must agree on the amount, 
mode, and timing of payment. These costs of distribution can be minimized if 
the transactions are routinized; otherwise, every transaction would be subject to 
bargaining, with an accompanying loss of efficiency.
Routinization also leads to the standardization of goods and services whose per-
formance characteristics can be easily compared and assessed. It encourages the 
production of items with greater value. In short, routinization leads to efficiencies in 
the execution of channel activities. Continuous replenishment programs (CRP) remain 
an important element of efficient channel inventory management. First created by 
Procter & Gamble in 1980 to ship Pampers diapers to a retailer’s warehouses auto-
matically, without requiring retail managers to place orders, CRP came to Walmart 
in 1988—and the rest is retailing history. In CRP, manufacturing and retailing 

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