Exporting the British model of food retailing to the US: Implications for the EU-US food systems convergence debate

This paper dissents from Cotterill's argument that the food system of the 21st Century is more likely to converge towards a US manufacturer-led model than a UK retailer-led model. By outlining critical features of the ten-year experience of leading UK food retailer, J. Sainsbury PLC, in the US, it shows that aspects of the UK model can flourish in US markets. Shifts in power towards a more retailer-led US food system, widely perceived by industry participants, may over the next decade begin to translate into more obvious manifestations of retailer dominance and an associated shift in channel profitability. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.