Value-adding partnerships and co-opetition models in the grocery industry

Leading representatives of the European grocery industry formed the European Efficient Consumer Response (ECR-)Initiative in 1995. The goal of this strategic alliance is set to reengineer the way business is done in the industry by implementing cooperative strategies between retailer and manufacturer in order to fulfill consumer wishes better, faster and at less cost. ECR appears thereby in many facets, from a ‘simple’ dyadic value-adding partnership to a sophisticated form of co-opetition, where Supply Chain members have both relationship types – competition and cooperation – at the same time. Our paper discusses these issues first on theoretical bases and then presents empirical results of a comprehensive analysis within a selected European ECR-initiative showing the success factors of managing ECR-partnership relations.