Abstract
Despite the importance for foreign firms trying to tap the Japanese consumer market, the question whether large retailers in Japan have started to source a greater share of their products directly at manufacturers has been largely ignored by studies on the Japanese distribution system. This exploratory study contributes to fill this gap. Contrary to the widespread belief, the findings of this study suggest that retailer-initiated direct trading relationships with manufacturers in Japan did not significantly increase between 1990 and 2005.
Lottanti von Mandach, Stefania