Title: Extant literature and perspectives in distribution channel models

Authors: Zhaoqiong Qin

Addresses: College of Business Administration, Savannah State University, Savannah, 31404, USA

Abstract: This study identifies the gaps between academia and the business world based on the detailed literature on distribution channel models from the perspectives of the number of suppliers and retailers, channel differences, and research techniques. Following that, three main recommendations are shown for future research in the distribution channel models: 1) channel competition in the scenario that many suppliers and many retailers are involved in multiple channels; 2) feasibility of the multiple-channel coexistence; and 3) the threshold on the number of suppliers or retailers entering the given markets to be profitable. There are very limited preliminary results from the current literature for the proposed recommendations. Overall, it is only a direction and requires researchers' thorough investigation before starting the research.

Keywords: distribution channel; model; literature; research technique; channel difference; number of suppliers; number of retailers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDS.2023.134565

International Journal of Data Science, 2023 Vol.8 No.4, pp.352 - 360

Received: 19 Oct 2022
Accepted: 13 Dec 2022
Published online: 27 Oct 2023 *

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