Market and Competitive Conditions in Trading with Consumer Goods

Abstract

When you look for the significant trends in trading with consumer goods, the trend to size may well initially predominate. On the one hand, mergers and acquisitions of other companies mean that the retailing companies themselves become ever larger — the growth of the German Metro, for example, is primarily based on acquisitions, but also the mergers and mutual purchases of large department stores show this — on the other hand, the sales areas are also growing. Large self-service department stores are being built on greenfield sites, specialized shops, such as do-it-yourself centers (e.g., Homedepot), are being established successfully, and also department stores strive for size. Retailing chains are increasingly supplanting independent retailers. The trend to shopping centers, which has long been established in the USA, is also coming to Europe. One of the largest centers in the USA is the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Mall of America, which was opened in 1992, today includes over 520 stores, employs more than 12 thousand people and has between 35 to 42 million visits yearly — more than Disney World, Graceland and Grand Canyon have together (http://www.mallofamerica.com). The most prominent German example is the Centro in Oberhausen that opened on September 12, 1996. 200 businesses offer their goods under a single roof in this shopping mall with a sales area of 70,000 square meters. A car park with space for 10,500 vehicles surrounds the shopping complex and ensures problem-free logistics.