Alianças estratégicas e redes de associativismo em pequenos mercados varejistas

Abstract

This article aims to identify the competitive and cooperative specificities adopted by a small retailers’ network, who found in associations a way to keep competitive in the current market. Strategic alliances and associative networks have been seen as an alternative for small retailers to increase strategic policies against competitors and the arrival of big players in same market. The small retail network market studied in this article united in favor of same objectives to provide its participants with a greater market competitiveness, such as mix of products, growth possibility, logistics cost reduction, greater bargaining power with suppliers, new technologies insertion in company, strategy reformulation to guarantee the strengthening of the enterprise and the production of resources to be invested in its basic competences. The research was conducted in nine of the twelve companies associated to retailers’ network in four different cities. An important contribution of this study is that network of associations has brought significant gains for the survival of the associated companies as well as the strengthening of the network brand through strategic cooperation.