摘要 : This paper investigates the role and contribution of marketing-mix elements in the competitive landscape of the food retailing industry. A literature review focusing on the effects of assortment, price, and location is presented i... 展开 This paper investigates the role and contribution of marketing-mix elements in the competitive landscape of the food retailing industry. A literature review focusing on the effects of assortment, price, and location is presented in order to explore the impact of these factors on competition. The review clearly demonstrates that current marketing research focuses primarily on analyzing the effects of operational decisions. However, further analysis reveals several levels at which competition takes place. The close relationship between marketing-mix elements and store format or retailer brand suggests that more attention should be paid to aggregated levels of competition. The competition between the two main retail formats, discounter and full-range retailer which is observed in business practice, can be characterized by the trade-off between the benefits of price and time on the one hand and selection and service on the other. However, retailers' ability to provide these benefits depends on additional factors which need to be integrated in marketing research. 收起