Retailers have not gained profitability at the expense of manufacturers in the last two decades, according to accounting and stock market measures of profits, despite substantial industry restructuring and new forms of channel rivalry. Both manufacturers and retailers have experienced reductions...

Retailers in developed countries increasingly provide one-stop shopping. Why? Are they responding to growing demand for time-saving convenience? Or are they responding to economies of scale made possible by new retail technology? And what role, if any, is played by improvements in automotive,...