Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the fragile link between a medium sized New Zealand wine business and a major overseas supermarket chain, and how a smaller business can survive market disappointments such as reduced supply contracts. Design/methodology/approach – This case...

Purpose – This paper aims to describe the origins, practical application and outcomes of the Fresh on Service accelerated‐training scheme for employees at UK supermarket chain Waitrose, who are known as “partners” because they share ownership of the company. Design/methodology/approach...

Purpose – Describes how the UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's is using the Hothouse development program to give its most promising deputy managers the skills they need to become store managers. Design/methodology/approach – Explains the reasons for the program, the form it takes and the...

Purpose – This article seeks to describe apprenticeship training for butchers and bakers at UK supermarket Morrisons, and a skill‐improvement program for 500 recruits at the supermarket's Woodhead Brothers meat‐processing subsidiary, both of which were winners in the latest National...

Purpose – This paper aims to describe numerous ways in which supermarket Walmart is seeking to improve the lives of women across the world. Design/methodology/approach – It looks in particular at the Women in Factories program, which is helping to train more than 60,000 women working in...

Purpose – This paper is a case study of a cooperative whose involvement in the retail business was exemplary of a successful cooperative, bold enough to venture into the retail business. Known as the Johor Cooperative Supermarket (JCS), it was established in 1976 with the support of a firm...

Investigates employment in the distributive trades — considering it is the second largest order in the UK Standard Industrial Classification of 1968. Says that June 1980 employment totalled 2.7 million workers, but that the retail trades — largest sub‐division of the distributive trades...

Concessionaires(shops‐within‐shops) have long been a feature of the department store and more recently of the “superstore”. This article examines the use by two major retailers, Tesco and Debenhams, of concessionaires as a strategic option, to create “breathing space” for themselves...