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Concept
Marketing channel
Summary
A marketing channel consists of the people, organizations, and activities necessary to transfer the ownership of goods from the point of production to the point of consumption. It is the way products get to the end-user, the consumer; and is also known as a distribution channel. A marketing channel is a useful tool for management, and is crucial to creating an effective and well-planned marketing strategy.
Another less known form of the marketing channel is the Dual Distribution channel. This channel is a less traditional form that allows the manufacturer or wholesaler to reach the end-user by using more than one distribution channel. The producer can simultaneously reach the consumer through a direct market, such as a website, or sell to another company or retailer that will reach the consumer through another channel, i.e., a store. An example of this type of channel would be franchising.
The role of marketing channels in marketing strategies
Links producers to buyers.
Influences the firm's pricing strategy.
Affecting product strategy through branding, policies, willingness to stock.
Customizes profits, installs, maintains, offers credit, etc.
There are four main types of marketing channels.
The producer sells the goods or provides the service directly to the consumer with no involvement with a middle man such as an intermediary, a wholesaler, a retailer, an agent, or a reseller. The consumer goes directly to the producer to buy the product without going through any other channel. This type of marketing is most beneficial to farmers who can set the prices of their products without having to go through the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Typically, goods that are consumed by a smaller segment of the market have influence over producers and, therefore, goods that are produced in response to the orders of a few consumers are taken into account. Normally goods and services from this channel are not utilized by large market segments. Moreover, the price of the goods may be subject to significant fluctuations.
Official source
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Related concepts (1)
Retail
Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and then sells in smaller quantities to consumers for a profit. Retailers are the final link in the supply chain from producers to consumers. Retail markets and shops have a very ancient history, dating back to antiquity. Some of the earliest retailers were itinerant peddlers.