Suppliers and consumer organizations have become increasingly concerned by the build-up of buyer power of retailers in many markets. A major concern is that strong retailers will abuse their power to exclude products and rival retailers from the market to be able to increase prices to consumers....

The article offers a complementary theory for conglomerate mergers. The central argument is that a conglomerate merger may be a vertical merger in disguise. The acquisition of a non-competing firm takes place to achieve control over the target's distribution channel that otherwise could be used...