Multi-outlet/multi-format grocery retailing: Some issues and insights

Several trends and shifts in consumer behavior (e.g., desire for convenience) have resulted in grocery retailers opening more stores and new formats (e.g., AH ToGo and AH XL) next to their existing ones (regular supermarket). By using this strategy grocery retailers try to attract new customers (increase market share), but also offer their current customers more opportunities to shop within their chain (increase share of wallet). However, not much research is available on the implications of adopting such a strategy. This dissertation zooms in on three specific problems that a grocery retailer is confronted with, when aiming to efficiently execute an ‘umbrella’ multi-outlet/multi-format strategy. The problems are situated at different decision levels (outlet – format – chain) and vary in their decision nature (strategic versus tactical). This dissertation additionally supplies suggestions for multi-outlet/multi-format retailers on how to cope with the researched problem areas.